Before I go into my rant, however, I would like to congratulate R.A. Dickey on being named to the All-Star team. Well deserved.
Now back to the rant...
Exhibit A: David Wright is not going to start the All-Star game.
Wright was beat out by San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval. Let's compare the two, shall we...
Here are Sandoval's stats:
And here are Wright's stats:
Now, am I OUTRAGED that Wright wasn't selected to be a starter? No. The All-Star Game has always been, and will continue to be, a joke. It's nothing more than a popularity contest where those less deserving are chosen before those who have earned it.
These selections no longer surprise me.
And, yes, in case you are wondering, I sent in my votes for Wright this year.
Exhibit B: The voting in of injured players.
Take Los Angeles' Matt Kemp. Kemp was selected to start the NL outfield. Don't get me wrong. Kemp is a very valuable player, and if healthy, could very well have deserved to be selected.
Kemp, however, has not played a game since May 30, and has been on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. He hasn't even begun a rehab assignment.
But he's an All-Star.
Finally, exhibit C: Atlanta's Dan Uggla. I don't even know where to begin with this one.
The list can go on and on.
If MLB would like more people to take the All-Star game seriously, they need to do away with fan voting. It's a joke. Besides, who has time to vote 25 times a day (outside of San Francisco)?
Call me crazy, but if stats are so important these days, how about the folks at MLB actually take a look at them and make the selections that way.
