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Surprised Kinsler was overlooked again? Don't be
ALL-STAR GAME ON FOX
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Need to know:
Analysis:
- Kriegel: Crawford keeps AL streaking
- Morosi: Pitching and defense lift AL
- Rosenthal: All-Star quick hitters
- Fraley: Power outage at HR Derby
Multimedia:
- Photos: 80th All-Star Game
- Video: Obama joins MLB on FOX booth
- Video: Obama throws out 1st pitch
- Video: Crawford is All-Star MVP
- Video: AL continues All-Star streak
- Photos: Fielder wins HR Derby
Partners:
What's new?
So Kinsler has been more productive this season than Pedroia, who was the people's choice in fan voting for the All-Star team.
What's new?
So, as opposed to a year ago when AL manager Terry Francona at least was able to undo the injustice by adding Kinsler to the team, this year, AL manager Joe Maddon had to address the oversight of Toronto's Aaron Hill, who has had the best first half of any AL second baseman, leaving Kinsler as the odd man out.
What's new?
Nothing.
Kinsler has been second fiddle to Pedroia ever since the two of them were teammates at Arizona State.
And it hasn't changed in pro ball.
Kinsler actually attended Central Arizona College as a freshman, and transferred to Arizona State for his sophomore year when coach Pat Murphy convinced Kinsler that he would be the shortstop for the Sun Devils. Eight games into his ASU career, however, Kinsler was on the bench, and Pedroia, a freshman that Murphy had feared would be overmatched, was entrenched in the lineup.
Kinsler wound up transferring to Missouri, and after his junior year was a 17th-round draft choice of the Rockies in 2002. A year later, Pedroia went to Boston in the second round.
And while Pedroia already has amassed the hardware for being the AL Rookie of the Year in 2007, MVP in 2008 and a member of the world champion Red Sox in 2007, Kinsler has continued to find himself overshadowed by Pedroia.
It was a year ago that Kinsler was leading the AL with a .337 average and 34 doubles at the All-Star break, plus had 23 stolen bases and a 25-game hitting streak, but it was Pedroia whom fans voted to start in the All-Star Game. And then, when it seemed Kinsler might actually have an edge on Pedroia in the AL MVP voting, the Texas infielder developed a sports hernia, requiring surgery and ended his season on Aug. 17.
Despite outhitting Pedroia while playing in only 121 games — he hit .319 with 18 home runs, 71 RBI, 41 doubles and 102 runs scored — Kinsler wound up 20th in the MVP voting.
Oversights
So it is no surprise that Kinsler would rank as one of the five biggest All-Star oversights, although he has a chance to have that oversight corrected in fan voting for the final spot on the AL roster, where he is up against Chone Figgins of the Angels, Brandon Inge of the Tigers, Adam Lind of the Blue Jays, and Carlos Pena of the Rays.
Cleveland outfielder Shin-Soo Choo can blame his peers for his being overlooked despite hitting .301 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI. As disappointing as the Indians have been as a team this year, it is hard to argue they deserve more than one all-Star, and the players elected Victor Martinez as the second catcher behind Joe Mauer, even though Martinez has been more a first baseman than catcher for the Indians, who have used Kelly Shoppach behind the plate instead.
Martinez's selection as catcher speaks volumes about the disdain that even his peers have for White sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who ranks right behind Kinsler and Choo on the list of snubs.
Blame the rule that every team has to have at least one All-Star for the two worst snubs in the NL. Milwaukee right-hander Yovani Gallardo was bypassed because his teammates, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, are on the team, and the Cubs, who a year ago had seven All-Stars, couldn't come up with anyone more deserving this year than lefty Ted Lilly.
Right on
Give the fans, the players and the managers credit for ignoring the Mannymania and providing Manny Ramirez with the All-Star recognition he deserved — none. He missed 50 games during a suspension for violating baseball's drug policy, which in itself eliminates any reason to give him benefit of the doubt.
Was a message sent to the PED-for-lunch bunch? Alex Rodriguez also found himself left out, giving him the All-Star break off for the first time in 10 years, and only the second time in his 15 seasons.
NL players were spot on with recognition of San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has put up quality numbers despite playing half his games in a hitter's nightmare, Petco Park, and spending all season as the only serious threat in the Padres lineup. Given the lights out season of Padres closer Heath Bell, the surplus of NL first baseman and the struggles of the Padres on the field, it is unlikely that Gonzalez would have earned an All-Star spot without being voted onto the team.
Edwin Jackson, the fifth man in the Rays five-man rotation a year ago, has flourished in Detroit, and AL players recognized his first-half emergence by voting Jackson, who ranks second in the AL in ERA, to the AL pitching staff.
And give NL fans credit for recognizing the strong first half of long-time AL outfielder Raul Ibanez, who in his Philadelphia debut finds himself among the NL leaders in home runs (22) and RBI (55), despite having been sidelined since June 18 with a strained groin.
Three strikes
What were they thinking when:
Hot seat
Without any legitimate protection in the Cardinals lineup, Albert Pujols faces a daily challenge in getting pitches to hit. Somehow, however, he manages to keep producing. During June he hit 14 home runs, which equaled his personal best set in April of 2006, and drove in 35 runs, two more than his personal best, which was set in May of 2006.
Series stuff
For the second week in a row, the Angels and Rangers have a first-place showdown in the AL West. The difference is this time the games will be played in Anaheim, beginning on Friday. The Rangers have won five of six from the Angels this year, but all six games have been played in Texas. The two teams have 13 games remaining -- 10 of them in Anaheim.
St. Louis' hold on the NL Central lead gets a serious challenge this week. The Cardinals, with a one-game lead on the Brewers, open a three-game series in Milwaukee on Tuesday, and travel to Chicago for the weekend for three games against the Cubs, who open the week 2-1/2 games out of first.
Milestone watch
Philadelphia left-hander Jamie Moyer goes into his scheduled start Thursday against Cincinnati with 253 victories, 2,299 strikeouts, 3,836-1/3 innings pitched and 483 home runs allowed. With a victory he will move into a tie with Red Faber and Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time list. He needs 3-1/3 innings pitched to move ahead of Jerry Koosman into 47th on the all-time list. He needs five strikeouts to move ahead of Juan Marichal into 43rd place on the all-time list. And if he gives up a home run he will be tied with Ferguson Jenkins for second on that all-time list, trailing only Robin Roberts, who allowed 505 home runs during his career.
Keep an eye on
Right-handed pitcher Tommy Hanson is making his case for being in the Atlanta rotation. While the Braves could have handled the release of Tom Glavine better, the bottom line was Atlanta was convinced it was a better team by promoting the rookie Hanson than bringing up Glavine. Hanson had a rocky beginning, giving up six runs in six innings of a June 7 debut at Milwaukee. Since then, however, he is not only 4-0, but goes into Thursday's scheduled start at Colorado having allowed three runs in 30 innings his last five starts.
FYI
Los Angeles outfielder Manny Ramirez's return from his 50-day suspension for violating baseball's drug policy did pay off for San Diego, which sold out the games on Friday and Saturday, only the third and fourth of the season. Big deal? Well, the 12 smallest crowds in Petco Park history were registered during the first 39 home dates this season.
Quickly
Arizona has a major financial decision looming. Does it exercise the $8.5 million option for 2010 on right-hander Brandon Webb, who is out with a shoulder impingement, or does it buy him out for $2 million? His absence has certainly been felt by the Diamondbacks. The three pitchers who have started in Webb's place — Billy Buckner, Bryan Augustine and Yusmeiro Petit — are a combined 2-9 with a 7.94 ERA in 15 starts. ... John Smoltz joined Warren Spahn and Phil Niekro as the only big league players to spend their first 20 years in the big leagues with one team before debuting with another. All three began with the Braves — Smoltz in Atlanta, Spahn in Boston and Niekro in Milwaukee. ... Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe was asked if making the All-Star team was a dream come true. "No," he said. "I didn't dream about being an All-Star. I didn't even dream about playing in the big leagues. I just wanted to make my high school team."
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