Mets Unveil Official 2013 All-Star Logo

The Mets unveiled the logo for the 2013 All-Star Game, which will be held at Citi Field. The 2013 All-Star Game will be the second hosted by the Mets. They first hosted the mid-summer classic back in 1964.

I like it. It's simple.

Current Mets David Wright, R.A. Dickey, and Johan Santana were joined by former players Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Dwight Gooden, and John Franco, as well as representatives from MLB and New York City, to present the official logo.

According to New York First Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris, the All-Star Game could bring in as much as $200 million dollars to help boost the city's economy.

Dickey's Signature Pitch Is Apparently Too Much To Handle

The San Francisco Giants fans stuffed the All-Star ballot. They have three starters in the National League lineup with Melky Cabrera in center field, Buster Posey behind the plate, and Pedro Sandoval at third base.

For good measure, National League manager Tony LaRussa decided to have Giants pitcher Matt Cain start the game.

Now I don't want to take anything away from Matt Cain. He has had an excellent year to date, going 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA and a perfect game to boot.

But come on. How do you now start R.A. Dickey? The guy has been the best pitcher in baseball in the first half with a 12-1 record and a 2.40 ERA. Not to mention he threw back-to-back one-hitters.

So you may be asking yourself, "Why isn't Dickey starting?" The answer: Buster Posey can't catch a knuckleball.

An "All-Star" catcher can't figure out, or be bothered to figure out, how to catch Dickey's signature pitch.

I don't know what's gone on behind the scenes. Maybe Posey wanted to catch Dickey. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he didn't have an issue with it. But in the end, LaRussa made the final decision.

(Side note: Don't pitchers in the ASG normally throw just 1-2 innings anyway?)

According to The New York Times, LaRussa stated that he also wanted to, "Honor Cain's 'career of excellence, and it's getting better and better.'" 

Forgive me, but I thought the 2012 All-Star Game was about honoring those who have shown excellence in, ya know, 2012. 

Dickey has taken the nation by storm. He has become a feel-good story. Always the underdog, he has fought to get where he is today and it's finally his time to shine.

None of that matters apparently.

Hope everyone enjoys watching the American League vs. The San Francisco Giants tomorrow night.

Annual MLB All-Star Game Is a Joke Post

Well, it's that time of year again. Major League Baseball announced the starters for the 2012 All-Star game, and what a surprise, a few deserving players were not selected.

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.

Nobody Wants To See A Met At The All-Star Game?

Apparently not.

Major League Baseball released early balloting results for the All-Star Game, and Mets players aren't getting any love from fans.

The only players who appear to have collected any votes are David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltran. Who knows if any of them will even be with the Mets by July.

I can't say I'm all that surprised by the results. The Mets are a below .500 team. Players from below .500 teams are not in demand at the ASG.

This is what happens though when you leave these kinds of things to the fans. It becomes a popularity contest.

What was the saying MLB came up with for the ASG a few years back? This time is counts?

No, MLB. If it really counted, players would be chosen based on stats and performance through the first half of the season. Not because a fan was able to sit at their computer and vote 25 times.