Beware, this post will have a lot of numbers and statistics that, for a non-baseball fan will mean absolutely nothing. If you are a baseball fan, and in particular, a Braves fan, read on with interest.
First (or I suppose second, now) and foremost, I'll begin by saying I do not envy the job of the manager of an Major League Baseball All-Star Game. There are many people who are upset because they feel their favorite players or teammates should have been chosen to be an All-Star. I also will acknowledge that the manager has to work with many stipulations that may or may not be realized by the average fan. That having been said as a type of disclaimer, I will use this format to express my displeasure with the choices of the National League manager, Bruce Bochy of the San Fransisco Giants.
Popular vote of baseball fans around the world select the Game's starters. While that is also a bit of a farce from time to time, I must say that this year's National League starters seem quite deserving of the honor. (It is completely ironic to me, however, that most of the starters will have little to do with the outcome of the game.) The players then have a vote. In researching (yes, I did research for this post), I wanted to find out who was chosen by the players. Some, by reading various articles, I learned were chosen that way, but I was unable to find a specific list of such. The rest of the rosters are determined by the managers of each team (selected on the basis of the prior year's World Series participants). The glitch here is that each team must be represented by at least one player. So, if the fans have not elected a starter, or the players have not elected a representative from a team, the manager must find someone on that team to be an All-Star.
The statement is well-known, "You can make statistics say anything you want." Baseball is a game of statistics. There are statistics for everything, including some things that seem totally ridiculous. But when looking at who to select for such a game, for such an honor, statistics must be considered.
An examination of some statistics clearly show that Bruce Bochy should have made some different selections. I'm a Braves fan. I've been a Braves fan for a long, LONG time. I'm pleased that Brian McCann was elected a starter for this year's team. He deserves that honor. I'm tickled that Jair Jurrjens was selected as a pitcher this year. He deserves that honor. Chipper Jones was selected by the players. He even thought his manager was playing a practical joke when he was informed of his All-Star selection. He said he was shocked. Quite frankly, so was I. Jonny Venters is a relief pitcher on my favorite team that has done extremely well this year. He deserves the chance to be there.
There are two deserving Braves players, however, who were omitted from the roster this year. Yes, I know there are others from other teams that deserve to go, too. That may be, but this is where things get dicey. Four pitchers from San Fransisco (Bruce Bochy's team) were selected to the roster. One of which (Ryan Vogelsong) is a 'feel-good' selection. His story is one that just gives people the warm fuzzies. If Coach Bochy wants to make him a selection to fulfill the 'every team must have a player' rule, then fine. Select him, fulfill your 'every team must have a player' rule, and select others who deserve the honor by their on-field play. Take a look at the numbers posted by the other pitchers chosen:
Matt Cain 7-4 record with a 3.02 ERA in 17 games. He has pitched 113.1 innings, giving up 94 hits and 37 earned runs. He has walked 29 batters while striking out 95. Opposing batters are hitting .223 against him.
Tim Lincecum is 6-7 (yes, a LOSING RECORD) with a 3.14 ERA in 18 games. He has pitched 117.1 innings, giving up 99 hits and 41 earned runs. He has walked 41 while striking out 126. Opposing batters are hitting .230 against him.
Adam Berry, writing for MLB.com (7/4/11 6:35PM Bochy Happy With NL All-Star Picks) said this about his interview with the manager, inferring the thoughts came from the manager, although quotes were not used. "Lincecum, who is coming off a rough stretch in June, deserved the spot for his performance this year and his status as one of baseball's most exciting pitchers." Friends, he's been a major league pitcher since 2007, pitching in 62 career games. Forgive my lack of correct English, but Nolan Ryan, he ain't!
Contrast these statistics to those of Braves pitcher, Tommy Hanson. Hanson is 10-4 with a 2.52 ERA in 16 games. He has pitched 96.1 innings, giving up 66 hits and 27 earned runs. He has walked 34 while striking out 103. Opposing batters are hitting .192 against him. He spent a couple weeks on the Disabled List, causing the fewer innings pitched. The guy has been dominant during most of his starts.
Let's look at a couple of relievers. Brian Wilson, closer for the Giants, who made the All-Star team has an impressive 6-1 record with a 3.03 ERA. He has pitched 38.2 innings, saving 24 of 28 opportunities. He has allowed 33 hits, 13 earned runs, walking 22 and striking out 36. Opposing batters are hitting .238 against him.
Craig Kimbrel, a rookie closer on the Braves pitching staff, has compiled the following numbers in the first half of the season. He has a 2-2 won-lost record with a 2.51 ERA in 44 games. He has saved 25 of 30 opportunities in 43 innings, giving up 12 earned runs. He has walked 18 while striking out 67. Opposing batters are hitting .188 against him.
Lest anyone think I'm simply crying foul because of a couple of Braves pitchers, I would also mention a Pirates pitcher, Correia. He is 11-6 with a 3.74 ERA pitching 113 innings in 19 games. He's walked 25 while striking out 57 and batters are hitting .260 against him.
As I said, I do not envy the job of a manager trying to make selections to the All-Star Game. There is absolutely no way to get it perfect. Someone who deserves the honor will be disappointed. But this year, I believe the statistics bear it out ~ Bruce Bochy, you BLEW IT!!!
