After the rosters for the MLB All-Star game next week were announced yesterday, a clear injustice had been committed.
(Okay, two if you count the neglect of Joey Votto—hitting .312 with 19 homeruns and 57 runs batted in—but he still has a chance to get in the game through the National League’s Final Vote.)
The travesty focuses on the exclusion of the much-lionized rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg.
Yes, Strasburg has started precisely six games, owns a 2-2 record with a 2.45 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, but he absolutely must be an All-Star.
If you need evidence, just ask Cleveland.
When the Indians hosted Washington last month, 32,876 Clevelanders made their way through the turnstiles at Progressive Field—more than double their per game average of 16,230.
It’s important to remember that the All-Star game is a popularity contest.
If it was about who was having the best season or who the best players were, the voting for starters wouldn’t be left up to the fans and it wouldn’t be a requirement that every team be represented.
In Strasburg’s case, the fans have voted a resounding “Yes” in favour of his inclusion; they just haven’t done it the traditional way.
According to FanSnap, ticket demand when Strasburg pitches increases 123 per cent and the average ticket price checks in at $58.10, while tickets to the rest of the series sit at an average of $25.99.
So if baseball is to live by the fan vote, they must, in turn, die by the fan vote.
Even if that means they allow someone with less than 10 career MLB starts to be an All-Star.
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