AS voting

[Redsfan1507]

Reds are giving fans free Skyline coneys and cokes today to come to GABP and vote up to 35 times, obviously a Reds push.

Frazier has had a great year so far, but probably not as good as Arenado from the Rockies. Votto and Phillips are fine, but well behind Goldschmidt, Rizzo at 1b, and Gordon at 2b. It's a popular vote, so bigger markets (other than KC who seem to have botched the system somehow) have the advantage. I hear the new commissioner is going to make a ruling in the KC vote.

I'm doubting any Reds voted starters, and the only player I expect on the AS team is Chapman. Frazier should probably be in the HR derby.

 

[JohnU]

Frazier and Chapman are it. I think the NL would have wanted Cueto but there's no way on him. Votto is just a numbers game. You could add him without a problem if there was a bench slot open.

 

[eburg5000]

I thought I read last week that the commissioner was alright with what KC has done.

 

[JohnU]

I don't think he is all right with it but it's not something he can really prevent. Somebody knows how to load the system. They did it 2 years ago in S.F.

 

[eburg5000]

Who wins and who loses the AS game really doesn't affect the Reds anyway. It's going to be a while before they play in a 7th game of a WS. Just thought I'd throw in some sarcastic humor

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think the AS game losers should have to donate an additional 20% of their salary to charity. That would change the pace of play, and for pitchers, who got picked, I'd say.

The KC thing is detrimental to the AL's chances,IMO...after all, I like the NL AS team odds against the Royals, plus Trout.

 

[eburg5000]

I think it might give the AL the advantage. They have played together and know what each other are going to do. On the other hand. It will keep good players, that are far more deserving from being on the team. And every team has to have a representative. That will hurt them.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Defensively a Royals AS team might be better than the hitter first legit AS lineup...But, I'd sure rather face Moustakis than Donaldson, Hosmer instead of Cabrera, Cain, Gordon, Escobar instead of their better counterparts, etc. It would also complicate the rule that every team has to be represented. There are always questionable omissions, and if they are because of 8 Royals, that would be tougher to swallow. I like the Royals, and this move fits right in with their goal of being an irritant to opposing teams, however.

I'll be amused at whatever the rookie commish decides on the issue, just because he's going to be criticized either way. I'm also kind of amused at the prospect of a timed HR derby, maybe will result in a few whiffs. It's going to put more pressure on pitchers to be consistent groovers-maybe Jason Marquis and Kevin Gregg might get new gigs there ?

 

[JohnU]

Presumably Frazier is in the HRD ... I'd like to see Rizzo in there as well. Stanton would have been something.
Sadly the process that allows ballot-stuffing was recognized 2 years ago when 4 Giants roared out of nowhere on the last day to get starts. Selig was switching thumbs at that moment and MLB, lacking any reason to care, allowed it to happen again this year.
The entire balloting process is a joke and as long as MLB doesn't identify that, this will be a possibility. Hacking the system is not that difficult. Players who don't qualify for the ASG should be removed from the ballot, such as Stanton ... he's on the DL and should not still be getting votes the last week of the process.
Three years ago, Ryan Howard got a million votes and had exactly zero plate appearances. That did not have to happen. MLB didn't care. They still don't. Votes are cast in Morocco, Zambia, Seoul, Allover Europe ... if they want that sort of result, then they need to just say so.
Having the world vote on the U.S. ASG is a bit of a joke, though about 20 percent of the players are from somewhere else. The online voting process can filter out IP addresses.

 

[eburg5000]

When Cincinnati stuffed the ballot boxes, back in 57 or 58. The commissioner didn't allow all 8 to start he took 2 off, and replaced them with Aaron and Mays. They were talking about it during the rain delay last night. Now how would you like to see an outfield of Aaron, Mays, and Robinson.

 

[JohnU]

I am old enough to remember the 1957 joke-vote ... and it was pretty pathetic but it was confined to Cincinnati voters. The Cincy newspapers published the ballot and essentially ran the Reds lineup right next to it.

I have no idea what the commissioner's office was thinking ... but that wasn't rare. In 1956, there were 4 Reds -- Temple, McMillan, Bailey and Bell in the starting AS lineup ... and that wasn't **as** fixed.
The upside is that the starters only get to go 3 innings. Remember, Aaron was defined as an "up and coming star" in those early years.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Aaron hit a HR against the Reds in the first live game I ever saw 1969. Great hands through the ball. Never saw Mays live, but saw a lot of him on TV- incredible all around player- maybe the best ever. I don't remember Robinson as a Red, I remember him as an Oriole in their ass whipping of the 70 Reds in the Series. I also remember him as a player-manager with the Indians ? I think it was the Indians.

I think maybe no interleague play in my day made for better AS games....but of course, the hotdogs tasted better too...OR...Maybe it's just me getting old and grumpy.

 

[JohnU]

I think the history of baseball proves that the very best black players of the 1950s had to be much better than just good players to make the majors. They had to be SO damned good as to be the guy you simply had to keep on the roster. Mays, Aaron, Robinson ... they were just naturally great ballplayers but they had to be.
Frank Robinson was a pretty ordinary defensive player, would not win a Gold Glove now on a bet. But he played baseball hard. For Mays, it was just so easy. The guy was what center field was invented for. Aaron and Banks are 2 guys who had incredible wrists -- bat speed. It's hard to teach it.
The ASG in those days was a big deal, and it still is ... but the way baseball is presented now is different. Every single game is now televised. Players build a different sort of fan base now.
I don't much care who wins the ASG, and I don't ever care who plays. The announcers and their walking microphones with the grinning blonde in the bleachers have ruined it for me.