ALL STAR SNUBS

GREG BOWMAN

If you want to get a real argument going among baseball fans, ask them who deserves to go to the All-Star game, and who should have gone, but wasn't picked.   The Tigers will be represented by  Miguel Cabrera and Jose Valverde, who are both having sensational years and certainly deserved to be picked.  But what about Austin Jackson?  He's having a fine rookie season and was worthy of consideration.  Or Justin Verlander, who has ten wins and is among the league leaders in strikeouts.  Magglio Ordonez already has ten home runs, more than all of last season.   But the most glaring omission is Brennan Boesch, who  has the most exciting rookie in the American League since coming up in May. But  his late arrival probably cost him a spot on the AL Roster, and fans had to write his name in on their All Star Ballots.   I get that, but I don't understand why he isn't one of the five American Leaguers who fans will get to consider for the final All Star spot.  It's an injustice, but not surprising.  Every year,  veteran players get voted in by fans mostly because of name recognition, even if they're not having a great season.    It was nice to see a late surge for Miguel Cabrera, who finished second in the voting behind Justin Morneau, finishing ahead of the Yankees Mark Texiera, who's not having a very good season.

If the All Star game is really going to "count" for something, and determine home field advantage for the World Series, it's time for some changes.   First,  Baseball should get rid of the rule that every team be represented,  regardless of whether they have any players who are truly worthy.   The BEST players should go, period.   And second,   it's time to change voting so that fans, managers, and sportswriters should all decide who gets to go, with their votes counting equally.   That should assure that the most deserving players take the field in Baseball's Mid Season classic, even the one who are not all that well known.