Strasburg + All Star game = Helpful to NL?

Yesterday, I was sitting and watching some Around the Horn and they had a tab of conversation/debate on Strasburg being selected into the All-Star game. Should he be selected to pitch for the NL in the All-Star game? 3 of the remaining debaters said "yes" he should pitch an inning or two for the fans and because he will strengthen the NL pitching squad.

Now I'm an avid fan of Strasburg (aren't we all), and I even have him on my Fantasy team. But there were 15 pitchers in last year's NL All-Star team and I'd like to believe there there are 15 pitchers that deserve to pitch in that game before Strasburg. Not to take anything away from the young phenom but he simply has not pitched enough innings to qualify for such an honor, and overall pitching this year has stumped the past years of pitches. Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com wrote an article showing how the ERA of this year's pitching was as low as 1992--pitchers are dominating the field once again (there is a plausible correlation to the steroid era). http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100620&content_id=11417974&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Before Strasburg is even mentioned as an All-Star nominee, I'd think you have to put the following in;

(1) Ubaldo Jiminez (obviously--the Cy Young candidate, the best pitcher in baseball right now)
(2) Josh Johnson (ERA is 1.80; no further explanation is needed)
(3) Adam Wainwright (Second most amount of innings pitched, more than 100 K's, and tied for second place with amount of wins, 10-4 record, oh and he has an ERA of 2.23)
(4) Roy Halladay (Most innings pitched, as always. And don't let his record of 8-6 fool you, he still has an ERA of 2.43 and is still the most dominant pitcher in the past half-dozen years)
(5) Matt Cain (Might not have as many strike outs as the other top-guns, but he certainly gets the job done with an ERA of 2.16 after more than a hundred innings of work)
(6) Tim Lincecum (Back to back Cy Young winner who maintains dominance with his "freak"-style of pitching. With him and Cain, I still wonder how the Giants are a game and a half behind the Padres for 1st in the NL West)
(7) Chris Carpenter (8-1 record with a 2.83 ERA and 88 K's in over 100 innings of pitching)
(8) Yovani Gallardo (6-3 record might not be as eye catching than 8-1, but he has a 2.59 ERA and has struck out more than a 100 batters, only Lincecum, Haren and Weaver have more strike-outs)
(9) Mike Pelfrey (9-2 record and a save for good luck. He has been mentioned in NY sports radio as the Ace of the team over Santana. He has a 2.69 ERA and has been one of the main factors as to why the Mets are one of the hottest teams the past month. Excluding his last start--he went 5 wins in 6 starts and brought his ERA from 3.14 to 2.39)
(10) Jaime Garcia (The unsung hero of the Cardinals, the 3rd pitcher in their rotation after Wainwright and Carpenter--has an ERA of 1.79! The only reason I dropped him down to number 10 is because he pitches five or six innings and goes seven once in a while. He doesn't go too deep into games and doesn't strike out many, but he never gets bombed. He gave up 3 earned runs in one game this season, that has been the most earned runs he's given up this year. He has a 7-3 record and a 2-1 strikeout to walk ratio.)
(11) Evan Meek (He is a relief pitcher for the Pirates and he has pitched 40 innings with an ERA of 0.68 and a WHIP of 0.83; when your ERA is lower than your WHIP, it means you are loading the bases every time you get up to pitch or that you know how to close out innings without handing runs--it's definitely the latter for this guy. For such an atrocious baseball team, Evan has maintained and excelled in his job of relief pitching and I think he deserves to be recognized for that!)
(12) Brian Wilson (The Closer for Giants has 20 saves with an ERA of 2.05, and 42 K's in 30 innings--he is definitely one of--if not the top closer in the NL)
(13) Billy Wagner (5-0 with 14 saves and an ERA of 1.23; he is dominant. Wagner is pitching better for the Braves than he ever pitched for the Mets, and this is definitely an All-Star year for him)
(14) Jonathan Broxton (3-0 with 16 saves and 0.92 ERA; Broxton is a beast and I'd say the the most intimidating closer in the NL today)
(15) Carlos Marmol (2-1 with 13 saves and a 1.71 ERA; but what really sticks out for me is that he has 58 strikeouts in 31.2 innings of work--he almost averages 2 K's an inning! I don't care what you think, that's a closers real job--I want my closer to come in and destroy the hope of the other team. I want my opponents--especially the Red Sox, to feel like they lost the game because my closer stepped on the mound. And of course as a Yankee fan, we have that affect already in Rivera. But Marmol has been the best strikeout closer this year. I'd take him in my 15 pitchers)

All of these pitchers should be selected before Strasburg and I would also probably pick another 3 or 4 pitchers before I even entertain the idea of having Strasburg on my All-Star game pitching roster. There are simply, way too many good pitchers this year. Pitching has been amazing this year and practically everyone on this pitching roster has an ERA less than 3! I couldn't even pick the closer with the most amount of saves for the team (Matt Capps) because he has an ERA above 3.

Sure, Strasburg has an ERA of 1.86 and a 2-0 record with 32 K's; but he has only pitched an out over 19 innings of Major League Baseball in his life. He has great control, giving only 5 walks and yes he has been fanning practically every batter he faced. But he is a rookie and has not had enough outings to show his dominance over a vast stretch. There have been countless pitchers that have started off a un-hittable and than batters have caught on to their styles--it happens all the time. And I'm not saying that he's not the real dea; I'm not saying that he will not continue being amazing. All I'm saying is that he is not an All-Star pitcher yet. At least not before the 15 named pitchers and probably another 3 before we can even think of him being on the roster.

Strasburg is 21 years old and people are already saying that he will be in the hall of fame--he probably will be if he lives up to even half the hype people have set on him; but let the kid grow. Let him pitch an entire year before you declare him one of the youngest players to pitch in the All-Star game (after Dwight Gooden who pitched in the big game when he was 19!). Let the kid grow--funny thing is I'm calling him a kid when I'm his age. He will be an All-Star pitcher and heck, he might even start the All-Star game in his life; but let's not prematurely put him on a pedestal that people have already built for him.

Let someone else pitch in this year's All-Star game; don't waste a spot on a kid who has 3 stars under his belt. Strasburg + All Star game = I hope you mean him watching from the bleachers.

Pirates Without Treasure

The Pirates have the least amount of hits in the MLB, the least amount of Runs and RBI's in the MLB, the lowest batting average in the MLB, the second worst ERA in the MLB, the second most amount of losses in the MLB, and the third worst defense in the MLB. The record of the Pittsburgh Pirates is 23-42 and they have lost their last 10 straight games. The team website says "Pride. Passion. Pittsburgh Pirates," but I don't know how proud any person can be of the Pittsburgh baseball team.

Last night, the Pirates made a striking 6 errors in a single game. SIX ERRORS. The record for a game is 12, which both the White Sox and the Tigers are infamous for--which happened in 1901 and 1903. It is uncommon to have a professional Major League Baseball team to have such a great amount of mistakes in a series--let alone a single game.

The team is poor, unmotivated and despicable. None of their starts have a winning record, only one hitter is hitting above a .273, and they have given up 60 stolen bases (only the Red Sox and Giants have given up more stolen bases--difference being that the other two clubs still win).

The Pirates are far from being the worst team to ever play the game (the 1899 Cleveland Spiders were 20-134, a total of 84 games behind first place); but in this past decade, the worst team was 2003 Tigers that completed the season with a record of 43-119. The Pirates would have to go 20-77 to perform as poorly as the Tigers. Such a dismal record his difficult to achieve, and I don't believe the Pirates will lose another 77 games--but I almost have to believe they can with their performance in this stretch.

The disappointing part for the Pirates is that they have nothing to look forward too; they are pushing for Andrew McCutchen to play in the All-Star game, and that might happen. He's batting above .300, and is 3rd in the NL for hits and 8th in the NL for runs, and second in the NL for steals. He'll probably make the All-Star game but he'll probably also get traded by the end of next season.

Being a Pirates fan must be difficult; it's like being a Knicks fan, except there will never be the hype of gaining a LeBron figure or somewhat equivalent for baseball--the Pirates are just not competitive. So to all the Pirates fans out there; I'm sorry, but this is one Pirate ship that doesn't even go looking for treasure.

Ken Griffey Jr.

My favorite player in the history of the Major League Baseball retired and I have yet to talk about it in my blog--I'm sorry Grif'.

George Kenneth Griffey Jr. has the most beautiful stroke in the game--and it is a rarity to find anyone that would combat that claim. Griffey has hit 630 homeruns in his career, had a lifetime batting average of .284, 2,781 career hits, and 1,836 Runs Batted In.

Griffey made the All-Star team 13 times, including the entir 90's decade. He has won 10 Gold Glove Awards, again throughout the entire 90's decade. He won the Silver Slugger Award 7 times. He was the 1997 AL MVP. He was also the 1992 MLB All-Star Game MVP.

Unfortunately Ken went through a barrage of injuries during the new century after he asked to move to Cincinnati (to remain closer to his relatives). However, although he was injured and his career took a major drop-off, he revived himself enough to receive the 2005 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award. This award explains the real Ken Griffey Jr. to me. Griffey was a fighter--and although that might sound cliche, it's realistic for him. Griffey became a injury prone because of the effort he displayed on the field. After much energy exhausted and many robbing homerun moments, he inevitably harmed his body to a point where he ruptured his right hamstring. He was never truly able to recover from his injuries but he still showed his trademark step after hitting a bunch of other homeruns (accumulated over the second decade of his career). His 3-time winning Home Run Derby bat speed, simply was not there.

If Griffey did not get injured, he undoubtedly would have been the home run king (without any asterisks by his name). When he was asked about his career, Griffey mentioned his pride of playing well defensively. He said that he would rather make a great play in the outfield than hit a homerun--as far-fetched as that sounds, Griffey truly meant it. His glove-work was his trademark and his homerun strut was just a bonus for the fans.

Griffey played for three teams in his life; the Mariners, the Reds and the White Sox. He started as a Mariner and retired as a Mariner. And although he was not as dominant in the second decade of his career, his image will never be forgotten as a young kid slapping 56 homers in back to back season with a 147 and a 146 RBI's in 97' and 98'. In a span of 5 years, he hit 249 homeruns. He almost average 50 homeruns in a five-year span! He was the epitome of consistency and honor.

His contribution to the game never went acknowledge as he was recognized as a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Above his impact on the game, Griffey did a lot for children and the League with his presence and motivations. Nintendo abused his Griffey's name for baseball games as 4 games came out for Super Nintendo and the Backyard Baseball series began. Griffey performed in a Rap song titled "The Way I Swing." He participated in countless commercials with Pizza hut and Pepsi. I remember watching the commercial where he hit a foul ball to the dug-out because Sammy Sosa touched his drink.

By all of his greatness, he made an impact on the league in one aspect that no one has ever made. Ken Griffey Jr. was the first player to ask Bud Selig if he can wear the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day. Selig approved and asked all the players to promote Jackie Robinson Day by wearing the number 42. Griffey was the player who pushed for this occurrence. He was a star and a hero.

The greatest low point of his career was not his injuries; but I'd say it was his retirement. His retirement was in the shadow of the 28-out perfect game. He was not as acknowledged and spoke of in the media, and he left without a proper goodbye.

The greatest baseball player of the 90's and the most popular baseball player in our generation should have had a more fanciful ending. Regardless of his closure; it must be said, Ken Griffey Junior is one of the best players to ever play the game--and I would go as far to say he is the best player to the center-field as long as you attach the preface that he played in the Steroid and HGH era--and he played it clean. Thank you Griffey.

Venting

Other than the Celtics being possessed last night, there were several key factors contributing to their dramatic win against the Lakers.

I have a bunch of pent up things to say so bare with me:

(1) It seems like the first quarter always starts off with 6 straight Celtics points in every game and this game started off the same way--once again, Garnett hits a field goal to start off the game. Can the Lakers start off a bit better next game?

(2) Garnett is playing like the vintage Garnett, and that's almost impossible to stop regardless of what jersey he has on.

(3) Grand theft Rondo is amazing. I have tried to repel the Rondo craze and overlook his intangibles but there is no way I could do this any further. Rondo is one of the most phenomenal point guards to watch--the kid can't shoot nearly as well as the other 29 starting point guards, but he is still uncontainable. I am thoroughly convinced that he is the best when it comes to finishing a lay up, regardless of where he is around the hoop. He shows a Usain Bolt quickness when he's on a breakaway. I don't even think his dribbling skills is at his peak but his speed outweighs any of those flaws. He will fight for every possession--just like how he got a tip in over the Lakers Forwards last night (he jumped over everyone to tip a put-back when he was about seven feet away!). Rondo is unselfish and patient--sometimes erratic but mostly patient. He is tough. Rondo pushed Artest after Garnett was unnecessarily pulled to the ground and Rondo went to defend the Big Ticket. When it comes down to it, he's the MVP of the team.

(4) Pierce was unable to miss. It seemed that everyone who guarded him put up a great defensive stretch--he just made his shots. I don't know if Pierce could do that in the Staples Center, but if he is able to--Artest better start playing a bit dirtier.

(5) The Lakers looked scared. They were not composed. There were points where I was even laughing at the ball-handling of some of the players. As John Candy once said in Cool Runnings, "You better stay loose out there!"

(6) Perkins brought up the ball and was called for a charge!

(7) Jackson was still composed throughout the entire game--he even taunted the Celtics in his huddles, explaining how they know how to give games away.

Galarraga's Perfect Game*

On June 2nd 2010, Armando Galarraga pitched 8.2 innings of perfect baseball only to give a "hit" to second to last batter he faced. On the box score, it seems unlucky for a pitcher to go the distance only to allow one hit at the last out--but by watching the game, there is no doubt that Galarraga is the 21st perfect game pitcher.

Umpire Jim Joyce called ninth-spot batter Jason Donald safe on a soft grounder to first--which forced Galarraga to cover first base. Galarraga did in fact cover first base and beat Donald out at first by a step to secure his spot in baseball history. Unfortunately, his spot in baseball legacy was stolen by the 1st Base Umpire Joyce.

Joyce called Donald safe; and umpires make mistakes, but to have a missed call on the last out of the game where a pitcher is supposed to have a perfect game is an error that simply cannot happen.

Joyce has been the umpire for more than twenty years and has been the umpire for All-Star games and even World Series. Less than an hour after the game, I looked up his name on Wikipedia and saw a subtopic of "Controversial Call," describing the occurrences that took place today.

He might have been one of the league's finest umpires, but this call will not only tarnish his reputation but hopefully will restrict him from umpiring and major baseball events such as the playoffs. Firing such a known umpire is implausible, but a perfect game is a greater rarity.

After the game, Joyce admitted that he blew the call--claiming that he believed he saw the play correctly. He also acknowledged how it was the biggest call of his life--but it was also the biggest call of Galarraga's life.

The umpiring this season has been sub-par at the very least. Between the balk-arama with Ozzie and Mark, the first balk-off walk-off since 1989, and let's not forget Madden's blow up over the Phantom call. The umpires have been well below flawless and well above tempered this season. Ejections have been delivered more this season than UPS packages, and what is the Major League to do?

Major League Baseball has told the Blue's all over the league to quicken the pace of the game but not to practice their omniscience.

But I digress; back to Galarraga, he pitched 9.0 innings, 0 walks, 3 K's, and gave up 0 hits***. Great job Galarraga and although the MLB does not practice reversing calls; I hope they make an exception. Congratulations. You pitched a Perfect Game.