I know that we are an Angels fan site and that we aren’t too
fond of that team up the freeway from us. And, topics concerning that team
aren’t treated to well around here. But, sometimes things happen in baseball
that are worthy of discussion, even if it concerns the Dodgers. For example,
this season, I had to learn to say “Let’s go Dodgers” because my son played on
that team, and I was one of the coaches.
Yesterday, Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers’ rookie sensation, was
not voted onto the All-Star team by the fans or selected by the National
League’s manager Bruce Bochy. In discussing the teams around the stadium, two
schools of thought emerged. One, was typical and common amongst reporters and other
people around the ballpark which was that the All-Star Game is played for the
fans, so the players picked for the team should be those players that the fans
want to see the most. There have been players picked in the past whose numbers
weren’t All-Star caliber because they were popular players. With a
.407/.435/.683 line, there’s no doubt that Puig’s numbers are All-Star worthy.
And, since he has only been in the Major Leagues for a short time, not as many
fans have had the opportunity to vote for him who might have, had the Dodgers
promoted him earlier. More importantly, recent voting trends seemed to show an
increasing demand for his presence on the team.
However, several former players Around the ballpark, had a
very different perspective on leaving Puig off of the team. They pointed out
that Puig has only been playing for about a month (123 ABs so far), and that
there is a reason why the All-Star Game occurs past the mid-point of the
season. According to the former players, they believed that many players can
have a great month or so. For example, in 99 ABs an Angels’ player posted this
line .364/.400/.778, but we’d all agree that Juan Rivera didn’t deserve to be
on an All-Star team (in spite of having an incredible July, 2006). But, in
order to be on the All-Star team, players should be putting up solid numbers
for the whole season to date, not just a short portion of it. After all, Angels
fans would say that Tim Salmon was an All-Star many times in his career, but,
because of his propensity for slow starts, he never was selected once to play
in the All-Star Game.
Torn between these opposing viewpoints, what should Major
League baseball do?
In this case, I believe MLB and Bochy got it right. Bochy
picked Puig to be one of the last players to be selected by the fans in an
online vote. If the fans really want him, he can be voted onto the team by
going online and voting here. If enough fans vote him on, he will get his shot.
If not, he won’t. Ultimately the game is for the fans, and all of the players
left for the Final Ballot are deserving and will help the N. L. squad during
the game. This decision walks the tightrope between those two opposing
viewpoints, and leaves the decision ultimately up to the fans.
Now, it’s up to you Angels fans. Sound off. What do you say?
Did MLB and Bochy get it right? Should Puig have been put on directly by Bochy?
It’s your turn to sound off.
