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nashtymavsfan13 · 07-08-2006, 09:22 PM

Rotisserie By The Numbers: All-Star Snubs and Flubs

July 6, 2006
By Craig Rondinone
SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Nobody knows who deserves to be at the upcoming All-Star Game better than fantasy baseball owners. Maybe Bug Selig should let us pick the reserves and the pitchers instead of the World Series managers.

As usual, there were more snubs and flubs with this year's All-Star squads than there normally are at the Oscars and Grammys. Some marginal players made the game for various reasons, while some of the best players in baseball have to watch the game from their couches. Fantasy baseball owners can tell you immediately who the surprising omissions and terrible choices were. Let me speak on their behalf.

Here are the All-Star snubs and flubs hopefully the snubs will still make the team because of injuries to others or the MLB.com Final Vote.

SNUB Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians: I know the nickname Pronk is confusing and not something a major network probably wants to plaster their All-Star graphics with, but how can Drew Carey and Arsenio Hall's favorite slugger not make the All-Star team? Hafner has 24 home runs, 70 RBI, a .320 batting average, a 1.118 OPS and has been a better fantasy performer than most hitters on either All-Star roster.

Was Hafner overlooked because the All-Star Game is in an NL ballpark in Pittsburgh, so there is no designated hitter, which is Hafner's prime position? Or had the DH quota already been reached when Boston's David Ortiz and Chicago's Jim Thome made the team? Whatever the case, Pronk got zonked.

FLUB Mark Redman, Kansas City Royals: The rule that forces every team to be represented in the All-Star Game is as outdated as parachute pants, the Rubik's Cube and Tab. How can Major League Baseball actually think it makes the league look good to have a pitcher make the All-Star team with a 5.59 ERA and 1.51 WHIP? Last time I watched the NBA All-Star Game, I do not remember Dwyane Wade not being able to make the Eastern All-Stars because Charlotte needed a man on the roster.

Here are Redman's All-Star credentials, and let me tell you, this resume would barely land him a job at White Castle. Along with his lofty ERA and WHIP, Redman has walked as many batters as he has struck out (30), opponents are hitting .293 against him and he has allowed at least four earned runs in five of his last eight starts. Yup, he is much more deserving than Curt Schilling. If these numbers are good enough to be an All-Star, why not put Randy Johnson on the team? Maybe Redman made it because AL manager Ozzie Guillen was shocked that Redman was actually 5-4 even though he has pitched horribly and pitches for a horrible team.

SNUB Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins: Do not try and tell me Liriano did not make the team because he has not been in the starting rotation all season. That rationale might fly with Los Angeles' Jered Weaver, but not with Johan Santana Jr. here. Besides Jose Canseco throwing out the first pitch or the Dixie Chicks ranting about President Bush before singing the National Anthem, what would be better for All-Star ratings than to have Liriano there?

Fantasy owners do not need me to repeat Liriano's numbers, but here they are anyway. You try to figure out how he is not on the AL team. 9-1, 1.99 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 94 strikeouts in 81.1 innings, opponents' batting average of .203 and has indirectly caused teammates Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer to become fantasy superforces (I am speculating on this last one). Liriano is leading AL candidates in the voting for the Final Vote spot, so let's hope he does not blow the save on his own win.

FLUB Gary Matthews Jr., Texas Rangers: When I was watching the Baseball Tonight All-Star Selection Show, and they kept previewing the reserves for later in the telecast, they kept showing highlights of Matthews and I was thinking how nice it was for them to give him some props. But then when he actually made the team and everyone on the panel was saying how worthy he was, I wanted to jump through my plasma TV screen and wrap Harold Reynolds' tie around his neck.

Matthews is having a solid season, no doubt. Detroit's Magglio Ordonez, Seattle's Raul Ibanez and Oakland's Nick Swisher are really the ones having All-Star seasons, though. Each of the three have better numbers than Matthews has. And it is not like Texas needed Matthews to be their rep. Michael Young is on the team, too. Hitting .331 with eight homers, 43 RBI, 44 runs and five steals makes Matthews a pleasant surprise, not an All-Star.

SNUB Johnny Estrada, Arizona Diamondbacks: Darin Erstad ruined Estrada's 2005 season with his football tackle at home plate that wrenched Estrada's back. It is great to see the sweet-swinging, line-driving Estrada back in 2006. He leads all NL pitch callers with 45 RBI and is hitting .319 with six homers and 16 doubles. Offensively, Estrada is having a better season than the fellow in the next paragraph.

FLUB Paul Lo Duca, New York Mets: I know Lo Duca deserves props for helping Tom Glavine become a superb fantasy pitcher again, but the guy's .292 batting average is softer than Tim Wakefield's knuckleballs. Lo Duca is at it again, as he is playing with nagging injuries that cause his fantasy value to drop with each passing week. Yes, he is a great gamer. No, he is not great for fantasy baseball.

The Mets are a wonderful story, and Lo Duca has been a solid backbone at backstop, but are three homers and 26 RBI at the halfway mark All-Star material? I think not. Blame the fans for this one, though. Next year fantasy owners will just have to stuff the ballot boxes so the more deserving players get voted in.

I could go on, as fantasy owners know Justin Verlander (not Mark Buehrle) and Felipe Lopez (not Edgar Renteria) should be All-Stars, not No-Stars. And L.A 's Nomar Garciaparra should also be at the game. No need for me to complain, however. Nothing more I can do. The All-Stars have been selected. All we can do now is sit back, enjoy the Home Run Derby and hope any players we have on our fantasy teams get through the Midsummer Classic without hamstring injuries.

07-08-2006, 09:22 PM	#16
nashtymavsfan13 Diamond Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 9,189	Snubs and Flubs Rotisserie By The Numbers: All-Star Snubs and Flubs July 6, 2006 By Craig Rondinone SportsTicker Contributing Writer BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Nobody knows who deserves to be at the upcoming All-Star Game better than fantasy baseball owners. Maybe Bug Selig should let us pick the reserves and the pitchers instead of the World Series managers. As usual, there were more snubs and flubs with this year's All-Star squads than there normally are at the Oscars and Grammys. Some marginal players made the game for various reasons, while some of the best players in baseball have to watch the game from their couches. Fantasy baseball owners can tell you immediately who the surprising omissions and terrible choices were. Let me speak on their behalf. Here are the All-Star snubs and flubs hopefully the snubs will still make the team because of injuries to others or the MLB.com Final Vote. SNUB Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians: I know the nickname Pronk is confusing and not something a major network probably wants to plaster their All-Star graphics with, but how can Drew Carey and Arsenio Hall's favorite slugger not make the All-Star team? Hafner has 24 home runs, 70 RBI, a .320 batting average, a 1.118 OPS and has been a better fantasy performer than most hitters on either All-Star roster. Was Hafner overlooked because the All-Star Game is in an NL ballpark in Pittsburgh, so there is no designated hitter, which is Hafner's prime position? Or had the DH quota already been reached when Boston's David Ortiz and Chicago's Jim Thome made the team? Whatever the case, Pronk got zonked. FLUB Mark Redman, Kansas City Royals: The rule that forces every team to be represented in the All-Star Game is as outdated as parachute pants, the Rubik's Cube and Tab. How can Major League Baseball actually think it makes the league look good to have a pitcher make the All-Star team with a 5.59 ERA and 1.51 WHIP? Last time I watched the NBA All-Star Game, I do not remember Dwyane Wade not being able to make the Eastern All-Stars because Charlotte needed a man on the roster. Here are Redman's All-Star credentials, and let me tell you, this resume would barely land him a job at White Castle. Along with his lofty ERA and WHIP, Redman has walked as many batters as he has struck out (30), opponents are hitting .293 against him and he has allowed at least four earned runs in five of his last eight starts. Yup, he is much more deserving than Curt Schilling. If these numbers are good enough to be an All-Star, why not put Randy Johnson on the team? Maybe Redman made it because AL manager Ozzie Guillen was shocked that Redman was actually 5-4 even though he has pitched horribly and pitches for a horrible team. SNUB Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins: Do not try and tell me Liriano did not make the team because he has not been in the starting rotation all season. That rationale might fly with Los Angeles' Jered Weaver, but not with Johan Santana Jr. here. Besides Jose Canseco throwing out the first pitch or the Dixie Chicks ranting about President Bush before singing the National Anthem, what would be better for All-Star ratings than to have Liriano there? Fantasy owners do not need me to repeat Liriano's numbers, but here they are anyway. You try to figure out how he is not on the AL team. 9-1, 1.99 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 94 strikeouts in 81.1 innings, opponents' batting average of .203 and has indirectly caused teammates Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer to become fantasy superforces (I am speculating on this last one). Liriano is leading AL candidates in the voting for the Final Vote spot, so let's hope he does not blow the save on his own win. FLUB Gary Matthews Jr., Texas Rangers: When I was watching the Baseball Tonight All-Star Selection Show, and they kept previewing the reserves for later in the telecast, they kept showing highlights of Matthews and I was thinking how nice it was for them to give him some props. But then when he actually made the team and everyone on the panel was saying how worthy he was, I wanted to jump through my plasma TV screen and wrap Harold Reynolds' tie around his neck. Matthews is having a solid season, no doubt. Detroit's Magglio Ordonez, Seattle's Raul Ibanez and Oakland's Nick Swisher are really the ones having All-Star seasons, though. Each of the three have better numbers than Matthews has. And it is not like Texas needed Matthews to be their rep. Michael Young is on the team, too. Hitting .331 with eight homers, 43 RBI, 44 runs and five steals makes Matthews a pleasant surprise, not an All-Star. SNUB Johnny Estrada, Arizona Diamondbacks: Darin Erstad ruined Estrada's 2005 season with his football tackle at home plate that wrenched Estrada's back. It is great to see the sweet-swinging, line-driving Estrada back in 2006. He leads all NL pitch callers with 45 RBI and is hitting .319 with six homers and 16 doubles. Offensively, Estrada is having a better season than the fellow in the next paragraph. FLUB Paul Lo Duca, New York Mets: I know Lo Duca deserves props for helping Tom Glavine become a superb fantasy pitcher again, but the guy's .292 batting average is softer than Tim Wakefield's knuckleballs. Lo Duca is at it again, as he is playing with nagging injuries that cause his fantasy value to drop with each passing week. Yes, he is a great gamer. No, he is not great for fantasy baseball. The Mets are a wonderful story, and Lo Duca has been a solid backbone at backstop, but are three homers and 26 RBI at the halfway mark All-Star material? I think not. Blame the fans for this one, though. Next year fantasy owners will just have to stuff the ballot boxes so the more deserving players get voted in. I could go on, as fantasy owners know Justin Verlander (not Mark Buehrle) and Felipe Lopez (not Edgar Renteria) should be All-Stars, not No-Stars. And L.A 's Nomar Garciaparra should also be at the game. No need for me to complain, however. Nothing more I can do. The All-Stars have been selected. All we can do now is sit back, enjoy the Home Run Derby and hope any players we have on our fantasy teams get through the Midsummer Classic without hamstring injuries. __________________ "He's as valuable as anyone. The most unusual thing is that they lose last year's MVP and still get better. It's unheard of." "For a team as good as the Mavs, the regular season is just 82 practice games until the real season begins." -G-Man "We wanted this for Dirk because of his heart, his class, his work ethic, his humility, his sense of humor, his respect for the game, and his respect for people."