Now that the All-Star teams have been announced, you have probably seen and will see articles complaining about All-Star snubs and/or undeserving All-Stars. This is inevitable no matter what. While I surely don't agree with all of the selections and non-selections, it is the process I want changed. This year, it is Joe Crede's selection that demonstrates this best. Let me repeat. I'm not upset with the fact that Crede was selected; I'm upset with the process.
So how exactly was Crede selected to the All-Star team? Much like the fans vote for the All-Star team, the players also vote. If the fans' selection and the players' selection are identical, the players' second choice is selected to the All-Star team. Now, if we were to examine the players' voting results (which I don't think are released), I'd imagine that over 90% of the players voted for Alex Rodriguez at 3B. Since the fans selected Rodriguez, it goes to the players' second choice. Let's say that 95% of players chose Rodriguez. That means that the players' second choice received less than 5% of the vote. Going deeper into that and assuming that all players were voting for who they thought was the best AL 3B, we are looking at the 5% of the player population that think Alex Rodriguez is not the top AL 3B. Should we really be relying on those players to make an All-Star selection?
Putting that aside, just how many votes did Joe Crede receive? If we're using the above example, 5% would mean that there were only 38 votes for non-A-Rod third basemen. Let's say they were nearly split between Mike Lowell and Crede. That means that Crede would have only needed 20 votes to make the All-Star team. Now, if we consider other percentages of A-Rod votes (as shown below), you'll see that a second selection at a position with a clear #1 still doesn't require a whole lot of votes. Basically, with Alex Rodriguez being the clear #1 AL 3B, it's very easy for an undeserving player to be selected to the All-Star game. Consider this: AL 3B Frank Cheater could slip his teammates a few bucks to have them vote for him. That's 25 votes going his way. If most votes are for Rodriguez, Mr. Cheater could slip his way onto the All-Star team. I certainly don't think anyone has ever done this, but it's certainly possible for a player to do this when there's a clear #1 at his position.
95% => 2.5%, or 20 votes, required for selection 90% => 5%, or 38 votes, required for selection 85% => 7.5%, or 57 votes, required for selection 80% => 10%, or 75 votes, required for selection
If the idea is to include both the fans' and the players' opinions, there are a couple different ways to tweak the current system to make it better. [1] Only include the players' first selection. If it's the same as the fans', then that leaves one more roster spot for the manager to select a player. OR [2] Have the players vote for twice as many guys as the fans. In this way, no one will get selected while receiving less than 100 votes as I suspect Crede has. Official Birk's Blog Announcement: The Buyer or Seller series has been canceled. Birk's Blog HQ simply doesn't have the resources to continue its production. We thank you for your support.
Back to being serious, I find that people are more interested in what teams are going to do and not what I think they should do. My hope was to generate discussion about the teams and what they should do. While that was successful for the Mariners and Cubs, the other 5 posts have had very little response.
To take the BS out of the All-Star teams, I'd like to see a player/manager ONLY vote. These guys know who deserves a spot.
The overabundance of NY and Boston on the roster makes it a joke.
birk
When the All Star voting becomes akin to the cr*ap that we see on American Idol. As it bears nothing in semblance of the players being there on merit. Then you see iot for what it really is.....a popularity contest and not much else.
About the only thing worse may well be the electoral process for the Presidential canidates' nomination for their respectve parties. Style over substance more often than not.
justan' aka tophatal .........
Last edited by justanotherfan on July 6th at 11:03 PM.
Birk, you are crying about Crede??? The more egregious choice is putting Varitek, he of the .219 batting average, in at catcher. NO amount of "captaining" earns him that spot. What a joke the All-Star voting process is.
There are major problems with the way the All-Star teams are selected.
1) As you pointed out, the fan vote has gotten out of hand. Even before the Internet, when the balloting was strictly done at the ballparks, it was heavily weighted towards teams with higher attendance. So a standout player on a mediocre team or a team with a smaller population couldn't stand a chance against a player from a larger metro area. Now with the Internet, fans can cast hundreds of votes an hour. It's like Chicago in 1960.
I endorse creating a system similar to that used for the Pro Bowl: 1/3 fan voting, 1/3 player voting and 1/3 manager/coach voting. That would eliminate some of the silliness involved in the starting lineups, and allow more deserving players to make the squads.
2) The requirement that every team needs to be represented should be scrapped. Anyone remember the year when Mike Williams made the All-Star team in 2003 with a 6.29 ERA, only because they had to put someone from that putrid Pirates team on the squad? 'Nuff said... it's a dated premise that needs to be thrown out, with the proviso that the HOST team needs to have at least one representative. That's fair.
3) All-Star balloting shouldn't begin until June 1. Carlos Quentin is having a fantastic season... and he wasn't on the All-Star Ballot. Why? Because the ballot was trotted out in early May, when the White Sox were supposed to be using an outfield of Nick Swisher, Jermaine Dye and Jerry Owens. Between the time the ballots were printed and their dispersal, Owens was injured, Quentin stepped in
Have to agree with Zoinks on the voting. Varitek and Crede should not have been elected. Players votes, please, they know who is having a good season and who is batting .219. Thats a bunch of bull.
Another name to throw out is Jeter. Should he have started, no. Michael Young, more hits, more HRs more RBI's and better avg.
I will say this, being a Rays fan having the requirement that every team has to be represent, I do like that. Small market teams like Tampa, KC, Oakland and etc will never get anyone elected. Tampa would this year, but can you name 1 Royal on the team.
Also agree on the balloting. Longoria was not on the ballot either.
This is one system that is broken and needs fixing. With ballot box stuffing and internet voting 25x each, its a popularity contest, and then we determine the World Series home field advantage based on this? It a total crock. I'd prefer the players and managers vote just like the really good old days. If you must keep the fans in it, which I really don't see as necessary, then make them a third or a quarter of the total vote count and no more 25 votes on the internet. If you pay your money and go the the games then its OK to vote several times. I'd like to see the guys who are having the best years honored, instead of a Red Sox, Yankees and Cubs love fest. Expand the roster, who cares if you take 35 guys, throw in a couple aging geezer types like Griffey. I remember Musial, Mays, Aaron being there in their later years and certainly it was to honor their careers, not that current season, I'd like to see that, but make room for the people that deserve to be there. I like the idea of each team having a player, but just expand the roster to allow the deserving to get there. I usually begin watching about the 5th inning when all the popularity winners get taken out and the real All-Stars get put in the game.
Guys also don't holdf your breath when it comes to the Home Run Derby Contest. The players that've been initially invited to participate is about as exciting as seeing a bunch of old ladies perform a burlesque show for the fun of it.
And one wonders why the lack of interest is warranted ?
There is no need for big changes.
I like what mbenz16 wrote. The All-Star Game doesn't have a lot of meaning. To let the outcome decide who has the homefield advantage in the WS was a desperate move. People vote for the players they want to see and this is democracy.
I also like the idea that every team should be represented. It is an exhibition game and the fans of not so popular or bad teams should be able to see a player of their team on the all-star squad.
No matter what system you choose or what changes you make, you will always have some players that would deserve to be on the team but are not.
I'm fine with the system of voting.
This is baseball. Let's have some fun.
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