Official 2007 MLB Thread

**thesteve** · 07-05-2007, 12:13 PM

I think now that the All-Star game is no longer just an exhibition, you have a valid point about the fan voting...

on whole, I like th eidea of the fan voting and I'd like to see a return to the AS game just being an exhibition of the game's star players.

***Art*** · 07-05-2007, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saveferris1643

I think that fan voting is not a good idea. For instance, Miguel Cabrera is having a much better season than David Wirght, but a guy in Florida has no chance agianst a guy for New York. I think you should leave it up to the players and the manager of the team. I think its good to get fans more involved in the game, but this system is allowing more deserving players to be left out just because they are in a smaller market, and it is also allowing less deserving players, like Bonds, in just because they play in larger market. Players should be in the AS game because of their ability and heart, not because they play in a city where people like baseball more than another city.

The game is not played for the players, nor the managers. Most of them would rather have three days off than three days of crazy festivities. The game is for the fans. To leave the fans out of deciding who goes would make a mochery of the game. As it stands, the MLB All-Star game is the only game with any relevance anymore. Why kill that?

saveferris1643 · 07-05-2007, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

The game is not played for the players, nor the managers. Most of them would rather have three days off than three days of crazy festivities. The game is for the fans. To leave the fans out of deciding who goes would make a mochery of the game. As it stands, the MLB All-Star game is the only game with any relevance anymore. Why kill that?

If the players really had a desire to play the game they would want to play. Like thesteve said, it would be better if the game went back to just being an exhibition, but I still think the most deserving players should be there.

***Art*** · 07-05-2007, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saveferris1643

If the players really had a desire to play the game they would want to play. Like thesteve said, it would be better if the game went back to just being an exhibition, but I still think the most deserving players should be there.

How do you define deserving? I feel that Barry Bonds deserves to be in the game as much as Brad Penny...

saveferris1643 · 07-05-2007, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

How do you define deserving? I feel that Barry Bonds deserves to be in the game as much as Brad Penny...

I think a player is deserving if he is a dominant player in the game. He should have good stats in many categories, and be consistently good all season. As for Barry Bonds, the only things he is doing well is getting walked and hitting a home run every two weeks. Brad Penny has been pitching extemely well all season. Bonds has had more than one horrible stretch.

***Art*** · 07-05-2007, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saveferris1643

I think a player is deserving if he is a dominant player in the game. He should have good stats in many categories, and be consistently good all season. As for Barry Bonds, the only things he is doing well is getting walked and hitting a home run every two weeks. Brad Penny has been pitching extemely well all season. Bonds has had more than one horrible stretch.

Barry Bonds, even when he goes through what you call a "horrible" stretch, gets on base more than any other baseball player. That does not count?

saveferris1643 · 07-05-2007, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

Barry Bonds, even when he goes through what you call a "horrible" stretch, gets on base more than any other baseball player. That does not count?

Yes, but it does not mean he is an All-Star. Look at Pat Burrell. He is second in the league in walks, and he has an OBP of .371. Yet he is barely hitting over the Mendoza line, and no one would consider him anywhere close to an All-Star. So getting on base helps, but you need to be able to do other things too. Barry Bonds has not done anything else that merits him being an All-Star.

**thesteve** · 07-05-2007, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saveferris1643

Yes, but it does not mean he is an All-Star. Look at Pat Burrell. He is second in the league in walks, and he has an OBP of .371. Yet he is barely hitting over the Mendoza line, and no one would consider him anywhere close to an All-Star. So getting on base helps, but you need to be able to do other things too. Barry Bonds has not done anything else that merits him being an All-Star.

17 HR, .302 BA, OPS over 1?

saveferris1643 · 07-05-2007, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesteve

17 HR, .302 BA, OPS over 1?

Good point, but there are people with better stats than that who did not make it, like Jimmy Rollins, with 15 HR and 50RBI, and he has already recorded a quadruple-double with 21 2B, 10 3B, and 15 SB to add to the HRs.

**Matt4JC** · 07-05-2007, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saveferris1643

Good point, but there are people with better stats than that who did not make it, like Jimmy Rollins, with 15 HR and 50RBI, and he has already recorded a quadruple-double with 21 2B, 10 3B, and 15 SB to add to the HRs.

Holy crap, anyone saying that Bonds doesn't deserve to be there is being ludicrous. In the case of Rollins, he has had 374 ABs. Bonds has had 197. His OBP is out of this world (.517!!!). You really can't compare him to Rollins or Burrell in any way. There is no question he is one of the top 3 OFs in the NL this year.

And I'm not saying Rollins shouldn't be there. He probably should, just like a dozen other snubs. The one snub that I absolutely can't believe is Orlando Cabrera. He is batting .332, leading the offense of the winningest team in the league (Angels), has 111 H, 24 2B, 54 R, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 9 SB, and gold-glove caliber defense. The best 3 shortstops in the AL this year have been him, Guillen, and Jeter by a long shot. There is no way in heck Michael Young should be there over him. They could have definitely sent a different lone Ranger representative (Sosa, Wilkerson, Teixeira, Gagne, Kinsler, Lofton) to make OC fit.

**thesteve** · 07-05-2007, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt4JC

there is no question he is one of the top 3 OFs in the NL this year.

eh...offensively maybe...as a total package, I don't think I'd put him in the top 3.

then again...pitcher's bias here.

**Matt4JC** · 07-05-2007, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesteve

eh...offensively maybe...as a total package, I don't think I'd put him in the top 3.

then again...pitcher's bias here.

Uh, yeah, sorry, offensively definitely. But that's what the fans want in the All-Star game anyway.

**thesteve** · 07-05-2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt4JC

Uh, yeah, sorry, offensively definitely. But that's what the fans want in the All-Star game anyway.

yeah...pitchers' bias is the whole reason I feel like David Ortiz is one of the most overrated players in baseball.

oh well...all perspective...I'd rather see run manufacturing (single, steal, bunt sac fly) than a home run parade.

**Matt4JC** · 07-05-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesteve

yeah...pitchers' bias is the whole reason I feel like David Ortiz is one of the most overrated players in baseball.

oh well...all perspective...I'd rather see run manufacturing (single, steal, bunt sac fly) than a home run parade.

Then you should root for the Angels

**thesteve** · 07-05-2007, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt4JC

Then you should root for the Angels

well it's one of the reasons I've been really excited about the Padres teams over the last few years...this year particularly...I think they've won a few games in which they had three or fewer hits.