I complained about this last year — and the year before that, and the year before that — but because no one cared to change the system, I'm going to complain again this year.
We must change the All-Star format.
No, not the home-field advantage part. That idea needs to be scratched, too, but I'm not talking about that.
I'm calling for the end of fan voting. It must go. It has to. It's not fair. Right now it's just a popularity contest — homecoming king and queen voting, if you will.
Don't understand? Check out how messed up the American League All-Star team is:
AL Project All-Star Starters (As picked by the fans)
1B: Kevin Youkillis, Boston
2B: Dustin Pedroia, Boston
3B: Alex Rodriguez, New York
SS: Derek Jeter, New York
C: Jason Varitek, Boston
DH: David Ortiz, Boston
OF: Manny Ramirez, Boston
OF: Josh Hamilton, Texas
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
Notice a trend? Two teams control the team — Boston with five, New York with two.
First of all, I will start my complaint at this. The promo for the All-Star voting, just as it was last year, is "log onto MLB.com, vote, and vote up to 24 more times!"
Try that at the upcoming Presidential election.
"Ah, yes, I just voted for Obama, and I'd like to vote 24 more times, please."
Not happening. And it shouldn't happen in baseball either.
But forget about the fact that fans can vote up to 25 times — even more if they use a different e-mail account and live only to make sure under-achieving Red Sox make the starting lineup.
Maybe baseball should take a lesson from American Idol — fan voting doesn't work. Every year on Idol, "America gets it wrong," or so I hear, because I don't watch the show.
But I know that opening up the voting to the public gets rid of objectivity. Everyone has ulterior motives.
Trust me. If I would have voted for the All-Star team I would like to see, Ryan Howard would somehow be standing at first base at the Summer Classic. It's just how I am, and it's just how we are as sports fans. We cannot be trusted to such important tasks. We're not smart enough to make these decisions. Come on, we spend $7 for beer at ballgames. Need I say more?
And because many more of us (fans) are from New York, Boston or Chicago, and because their fan nation spreads far outside their city limits, it's no wonder why their players are in the lead.
I mean, don't get me wrong. I wish that AL projected lineup was my fantasy team, but they do not make up an All-Star starting lineup. Take a look at who should be there.
1B: Kevin Youkillis, Boston (.306 / 9 HR / 36 RBIs)
Who should be in: Justin Morneau, Minnesota (.297 / 10 HR / 42 RBIs)
2B: Dustin Pedroia, Boston (.271 / 4 HR / 29 HR / 6 SB)
Who should be in: Ian Kinsler, Texas (.306 / 7 HR / 35 RBIs / 17 SB)
3B: Alex Rodriguez, New York (.293 / 8 HR / 25 RBIs / 6 SB)
Who should be in: A-Rod, no beef with this.
SS: Derek Jeter, New York (.281 / 3 HR / 27 RBIs / 4 SB)
Who should be in: Michael Young, Texas (.306 / 6 HR / 31 RBIs/ 4 SB)
C: Jason Varitek, Boston (.262 / 6 HR / 21 RBIs)
Who should be in: Joe Mauer, Minnesota (.328 / 2 HR / 26 RBIs)
DH: David Ortiz, Boston (.252 / 13 HR / 43 RBIs)
Who should be in: Hideki Matsui, New York (.333 / 6 HR / 29 RBIs)
OF: Manny Ramirez, Boston (.301 / 13 HR / 45 RBIs)
OF: Josh Hamilton, Texas (.321 / 17 HR / 68 RBIs)
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle (.289 / 3 HR / 15 RBIs)
Only Suzuki needs to be replaced, and it should be by Milton Bradley, Texas (.337 / 13 HR / 41 RBIs)
Clearly, Boston has gotten too much credit for a season that is not worth bragging about. Three Red Sox batting less than .275 on the All-Star starting list. I’d rather listen to Roger Clemens lie to me than see this starting lineup. (By the way, he voted 25 times, too, but he mis-remembers who he voted for.)
I understand it’s about the fans, but giving them this much power is not right. Fans should be able to vote, but it should not count for 100 percent. It should factor in, but not completely. How about 25 percent? The other 75 percent is for the league to get it right.
Clearly Ian Kinsler should start at second over Dustin Pedroia, and Jason Varitek has no business right now being at the All-Star Game this year. Hell, it’s at Yankees Stadium. Five Red Sox starting would be an atrocity at Yankees Stadium. They might implode the structure early and move into the unfinished new stadium the next day if that happens. (Sorry, Rangers. There goes your outdoor hockey game.)
This idea that the bigger markets have too much say can be seen with the three Japanese players on the roster — Suzuki, Fukudome and Soto. Only one of those can arguably be on the starting lineup and that’s Soto, but he still falls short of Atlanta’s Brian McCann and Los Angeles’ Russell Martin.
But, because the Japanese fan base is huge — you know, a whole country — they are on the roster. Coincidently enough, the Japanese haven’t even rallied behind the one who should be on the list, Matsui at DH. Instead, David Ortiz, who was batting in the .100s before his jersey was dug out of the cement at the new Yankee Stadium, is leading the votes. Again, Boston’s dominance in fans around the control plays a part in that.
Would you believe that OF Jason Bay and Xaiver Nady of the Pirates both can make strong — very strong — arguments for being on the roster over the players voted on right now.
So I really hope MLB looks this over this year, because it looks like the snubs are going to be greater than ever this year — unless I can come up with a few more fake e-mails and vote 25 more times.
I'm doing my part, and you can help. Vote for the nerds, not the jocks this homecoming.
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