All Star Snubs

Every year there are a few players that really deserved to make the all star team, but don't. This year it is the same. Fans continue to elect the players on their favorite team rather than selecting the best players. Some of the blame can be placed on the managers of the All Star Game. The managers of the two teams who made it to the World Series the previous year get to manage the All Star Game and get to select the pitchers and reserve players.

Johnny Cueto

The biggest All Star Game snub is Johnny Cueto. The manager of the All Star Game for the National League this year is Tony LaRussa. LaRussa managed the Cardinals in 2011, but the Cardinals and the Reds had some turmoil in years previous to 2012; one incedent including a bench clearing brawl. Cueto is on the Reds and wasn't selected by LaRussa to pitch, but yet Lance Lynn was selected, and 'coincidentally Lynn is on the Cardinals. Lynn is 10-4 with a 3.62 ERA over 97 innings pitched. Cueto is 9-5 with a 2.35 ERA over 114 innings pitched. It is without a question that Cueto is the better pitcher of the two, but will not be in the 2012 All Star Game.

 The fans did a terrible job of selecting the players. Ryan Braun, Carlos Gonzalez, and Andrew McCutchen weren't selected by the fans, but the injured Matt Kemp did. Also Dan Uggla made it to the All Star Game batting .230 with 11 home runs. I would rather have the defense of Brandon Phillips who is hitting .283 with 10 home runs.

The thing that made me the most disappointing in the selections by the fans was Pablo Sandoval over David Wright. Wright is playing a gold glove third base and hitting .351. Sandoval is no where as good defensively and is hitting 49 batting average points lower at .302.

The voting for the American League and Ron Washington did a pretty good job putting together their team. A few players had the stats to make it, but there are other players were just a little better. You also have to remember that every team needs to have a representative. Edwin Encarnacion could have easily been chosen over Billy Butler, but the Royals didn't have a representative.