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This is not a piece advocating Stephen Strasburg’s inclusion on the National League All-Star team.

It’s going to sound like it, but it’s not. This is a piece de-bunking all the pointless, misguided, misinformed arguments people are using to keep him off the All-Star team. There are lots of arguments out there. Some are good. Some are stupid. This post addresses the latter. If you’re going to convince me he’s not deserving of a spot, don’t bring these arguments to the table.

Argument No. 1: “He’s had four starts! He hasn’t proven himself!”

At this point, Stephen Strasburg’s career is 25.1 innings old. A staggeringly impressive 25.1 innings, but 25.1 nonetheless. Not a whole lot to it, I’ll admit. And I’ve always been a believer in the dangers of small sample sizes. And yet…

Anyone know when the All-Star voting opened this season?

April 20th.

Don’t believe me? Here you go:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100420&content_id=9438224&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

So, if we’re playing the “sample size” game, which seems to be the biggest argument to keep Strasburg out, why were people allowed to vote three weeks into the season? What, playing 1/8 of a season is enough for a hitter to garner votes, but that same amount isn’t enough for a pitcher? Nice double-standard.

Yes, there have been guys who have “been doing it all season.” But here’s the thing: We were voting for those guys long before we entered the “All-Season” mode. How many votes did Mark Teixeira get because people assumed his slow start was just his standard April? Well, now we know he’s pretty much been a disaster all season.

And while we’re here, remember that we elect closers based on limited innings. Are Mariano Rivera’s 24.1 innings pitched more valuable simply because they were spread out over 26 games?

Argument No. 1A: Starters and closers are different, and therefore held to different standards.

Not in an All-Star game they’re not. Once you get past the guy who’s actually starting the game, everyone’s essentially a reliever. Everyone’s throwing an inning, maybe two, so ostensibly, they’re all being asked to do the same thing.

Argument No. 2 : His inclusion will take away from a more worthy candidate

Ok, this is probably true, although the way he’s pitching, I think this becomes less and less likely every start.

Here’s the problem with that argument:

This already happens. All the time. Every year in fact. Pick your culprit: Allowing fans to vote 25 times online, differences in attendance at ballparks, managers picking their own guys, East Coast Bias, the necessary inclusion of one player from every team, Yankees fans. 

But whatever the reason, don’t embarrass yourself by complaining that Strasburg’s inclusion is so unfair and somehow an embarrassment to the process. The process is going to embarrass itself with or without Stephen Strasburg. In for a penny, in for a pound.

Look, I’m not asking him to replace Ubaldo or Doc here. But when the pitchers are finalized, take a look at the list. Find the worst guy and ask yourself the following question: “Is Stephen Strasburg better than this guy?” I’m 99 percent sure you’ll find one.

Argument No. 3: The All-Star game isn’t a popularity contest.

Of course it is! It shouldn’t be and you may not want it to be, but it is. Just because Bud Selig has for some idiotic reason decided to use it to determine home-field in the World Series doesn’t make it less so. And it’s not just the fans.

My favorite rumor in this vein is that in 2008, Jason Varitek was selected as the backup catcher despite a line of .218/.299/.354 7 HR, 28 RBI because everyone hated A.J. Pierzynski (.286/.325/.428 7 HR, 35 RBI). I can’t speak to the truth of it, except, well, it’s no secret a lot of people don’t like Pierzynski.

If the All-Star voting was meant to be fair, the last people on the planet who would be responsible for it would be the fans. Sure, some of them are unbiased. I’m sure there are people in Boston who are voting for Robinson Cano, just as I’m sure people in New York are voting for, well, anyone other than Mark Teixeira.

But there are hundreds of thousands of votes being cast for players simply because they play on the voter’s favorite team. Can you honestly tell me you never voted for a guy on your own team with sub-par stats? I did. Every year, without fail, I voted for Don Mattingly. (Unfortunately, but the time I started going to games regularly, he stopped being worthy of going)

Now, if you want to argue that since the Nationals will only get one player, it should be Ryan Zimmerman or Adam Dunn, then you’d have my ear. I can get behind an argument like that. But the other three? Forget it.

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Stephen Strasburg is one of the most hyped pitchers baseball has seen in a long time. So far, he’s shown his dominance in his first three outings, and seems to be living up to the hype. In fact, some columnists, such as MLB.com’s Mike Bauman, are saying that Strasburg should be in the All-Star game on July 13.

It’s the funniest thing I’ve heard this week. There are a mountain of reasons why he shouldn’t get the nod, many of which have already been mentioned. First off, he’s pitched in three games. Let that sink in a bit. He’s played great in those three games, of course, but putting in someone that new just doesn’t make sense.

Are we going to put Carlos Santana in the All-Star game too? He’s hitting nearly .400 in his first nine career games. Even Mike Leake may not get in, but at least he’s been performing the entire season and not two weeks.

Also, keep in mind who he’s faced. He played against the Pittsburgh Pirates (poor hitting team), the Cleveland Indians (poor hitting team), and the Chicago White Sox (poor hitting team). Strasburg better be playing well against them. He’ll be playing next against the Kansas City Royals and the Atlanta Braves, who are much better hitting teams. If he wound up 4-0 at the end of that with a 1.50 ERA, that would look a lot better.

Even if he did that though, I wouldn’t put him in for one reason: The starters in the National League are dominant this year. Aside from Ubaldo Jimenez, you have Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, and about eight other possibilities in the NL West alone. There’s so many options for Charlie Manuel to pick from that Strasburg won’t be in that list.

Looking through some of the arguments for having him in the All-Star game, my thoughts don’t change at all. Among them are, “it would be a more popular All-Star Game with him,” “it’s the 32 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings,” along with others. The All-Star game is supposed to recognize the best, not the most popular. If we were going to pick based on hype and popularity, then half the players this year would be rookies this year.

Yet, looking at the MLB.com poll, 40% say that he should be in it.

He’s been amazing so far. I get that. He’s going to be in many All-Star games in his career. Putting him in one after he’s played against three bottom-rung teams is just ridiculous though. Let him continue to perform before we even speak of this. If he can dominate against Kansas City and Atlanta, then I’ll at least consider the possibility.

Until he performs over a long period of time (more than a handful of starts), let’s not give him more credit than he deserves. He’s going to have a great career. We don’t have to exhaust our praise of him now.

After all, for every Juan Marichal, there’s a Dwight Gooden and three Karl Spooner’s. He’s had an amazing minor league rise and first three starts, but that’s what they are: his first three starts. That does not equal an All-Star appearance.

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After seven brilliant innings by New York Yankee starting pitcher Javier Vazquez in Friday night’s game versus the New York Mets, Joe Girardi did his usual routine.

He pulled out of the game a very effective pitcher who was cruising through a lineup all night long, giving up one very soft run in the top of the 1st inning.

Why did Girardi pull Vazquez?

Well, by God, Javier was over the magical 100 pitch count threshhold! Vazquez threw 109 pitches before being pulled.

Oh my goodness! The Yankees best starting pitcher over the last month was pulled out of the game during a very critical moment. The game was 1-0 Mets, and Vazquez was cruising, having not allowed a hit for five and a third innings!

And this was after Vazquez quieted the Mets bats earlier this season on one hit over six innings.

That mistake of pulling Vazquez based upon pitch count by Girardi COST the Yankees an opportunity to win that game.

And to make matters worse, Girardi brought in perhaps his most inconsistent pre-8th inning guy Chan Ho Park to start the inning. He put Park in the game ONE NIGHT after Park gave up two hits in a third of an inning in a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

In that game, Park relieved another reliever, Joba Chamberlain, who had replaced an effective starter in Andy Pettitte. Pettitte was relieved after throwing a whopping 105 pitches!

According the Michael Kay on the broadcast, Andy’s pitch count was high.

Take him out!

Is that why Girardi took Petitte out yesterday after 105 pitches? Pettitte could have AND SHOULD HAVE gone out for the 8th inning against Philadelphia.

AND VAZQUEZ SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT FOR THE 8TH INNING FRIDAY NIGHT.

Are 109 pitches really too much for one of the most durable pitchers (besides Roy Halladay and Mark Buerhle) in the entire sport? A guy in the 34 year old Vazquez, who has averaged 217 innings and 33 starts in each of his 10 full seasons in the majors?

That is flat out retarded. Girardi is not a good manager when it comes to pitching. That is surprising Girardi was a pretty good catcher. He is the same as every other manager in baseball, making the same moves with pitchers and trying to lose ballgames.

They do not follow the most basic rule in pitching.

It is also DelGrippo’s Baseball Rule No. 1 to win games :

In a close game, if your starting pitcher is throwing well (and especially dominating the opposition) NEVER, EVER take him out due to an innings limit or pitch count.

WHY?

Because as a manager, you know how your current pitcher is throwing, but you have no idea how your relief pitcher will throw. Is it a good day, or a bad day for them?

We don’t know, but we do know our starting pitcher (who is usually at least 30 years old if they are throwing for the Yankees).

*This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George is going to get married to Susan. Kramer then tells Jerry all about the horrors of marriage, including the following exchange:

Kramer: Yeah, and you can forget about watching TV while you’re eating.
Jerry: I can?
Kramer: Oh, yeah! You know why? Because it’s dinner time. And you know what you do at dinner?
Jerry: What?
Kramer: You talk about your day! “How was your day today? Did you have a good day today or a bad day today ? Well, what kind of day was it? I don’t know, how ’bout you, how was your day?”
Jerry: Boy!
Kramer: It’s sad, Jerry. It’s a sad state of affairs.

The same exchange can be used in the sad state of pitching affairs in major league baseball. All around you see how young pitchers are doing well , and that more have sub 3.00 ERA’s. But many of these hurlers are being conditioned to look over their shoulders towards the bailout bullpen at every hint of trouble from the fifth inning on.

But the sad state is when managers think that after 100 pitches, it is time to take your starter out of the game, and never go above 120. This is because some guy who never played the game suggests that pitchers will be injured for life it they do.

That is why Justin Verlander has not thrown above 120 pitches since I wrote this article .

And if your starter IS OUT due to some reason, like getting hit hard or has been replaced by a pinch hitter, and your first relief pitcher is pitching well, NEVER, EVER take him out to bring in your 7th inning, 8th inning or closer (unless it is Mariano Rivera).

WHY?

Same reason above, you know how your current pitcher is performing and you do not know how the next guy will do.

When relief pitchers have good days, everyone is happy. But why take the risk? That is why they are relievers – they really aren’t great pitchers.

But when relievers have bad days, and they oftentimes do, the team usually loses the game. Most of the time when relief pitchers give up runs, games penciled in the win column turn into losses. Or as Girardi has shown the Pettitte and Vazquez games, he takes a one run deficit and makes it into a game you never will win.

Maybe, just maybe they turn into games you barely squeak out but use up your entire bullpen by playing the idiotic matchup game.  

And the matchup game is because lefty pitchers supposedly can only get out left handed hitters, and righty pitchers can supposedly only get out right handed hitters.

And that is why (as I mentioned earlier) relievers are not good pitchers because they can pretty much only get out the same side hitter. They never had the pitches to make it as a starter.

That is why starters should pitch longer than seven innings and 100-110 pitches. They are your better pitchers. They should pitch more, especially when they are in their 30’s and have been involved in the majors for a decade as have Pettitte and Vazquez have been.

No way Vazquez should be taken out of Friday night’s game. Girardi cost the Yankees an opportunity to win that game. I have much more confidence in Vazquez (after throwing 5.1 consecutive hitless innings) pitching the 8th and, even the 9th, innings than I do some middle reliever guy.

And that includes Joba Chamberlain.

A team today should only have ten pitchers – five starters, a closer, and four guys who can get out both right handed and left handed batters and pitch multiple innings. One of those four needs to be a five+ inning type guy (a sixth starter)- in case there is an extremely long extra inning game.

I ask you, “is it too much to think that a pitcher can’t throw 15 pitches per inning? That equates to 105 pitches for a seven inning game. Then why can’t he go two more innings than the usual seven if he feels good, his legs are strong and he is dominating the opposition?

The biggest knock on the “abuse of pitchers” was that the pitches they threw when tired is what led to injuries. Vazquez (and Pettitte*) did not appear tired after seven innings. So why take them out, and lose those games?

* I do understand a little about Pettitte as the Yankees are a little worried because his rib cage injury from last season has begun to act up again . The Yankees may think it might be a little more serious than just a pull .

Is is that hard? Or is everybody scared of what the agents will think? Are the GM’s who let this craziness continue worried too much about the money lost if a pitcher gets hurt?

Are wins and losses important?

As I said earlier, it is not just Girardi who makes this terrible blunder time after time. Zack Greinke’s bullpen has blown at least three games for him this year, Tim Lincecum’s bullpen blew several of his early starts.

Just yesterday, The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen blew a win for Cole Hamels . The Phillies bullpen is a sad group of pitchers who should be the poster children for complete game advocacy.

But Hamels had thrown 117 pitches by that time, and the Phillies had a five run lead with two innings to go. As the PAP guys say, “the game is in the bag, why abuse the starting pitcher?”

It is not pitch counts or innings workloads which hurt pitchers arms. Josh Johnson of the Florida Marlins, the second best pitcher in baseball had Tommy John surgery at age 22. He was not abused via pitch count or innings increments, having a steady increase throughout his pro career. 

Johnson was taken out of yesterday’s game  by manager Fredi Gonzalez, he of the double-switch lineup snafu’s, removed Johnson after eight innings because he had thrown 117 pitches.

How about a 34 year old man in Javier Vazquez, who has a history of durability and was pitching great baseball?

Why take him out after 109 dominating pitches?

Now that the Yankees are in sole possession of first place, Girardi will try like hell to help his team lose games.

You can pitch count on it.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 2010 MLB All Star weekend voting deadline is on the horizon. So this morning, I logged onto the Internet and compiled a ballot of my own.

When it comes to fan voting, I have to admit that I am a believer in the system. I obviously hate when a popular player makes the starting lineup who is either having an off year or who has been injured. With that said, it’s nice to have the fans make their case heard and have their players begin the game.

After looking over the ballot, I have selected my players to create what should be the starting lineup for this year’s festivities. My votes are based around what players have done throughout this season at this point in time. I will also compare my votes to the current vote leaders in the respective positions.

American League

Catcher: Joe Mauer

Mauer currently leads the American League in votes at any position. He has had a solid year, is the best catcher in his league, and deserves to be starting behind the plate. Mauer was hurt during the beginning part of the season and has yet to catch up to his stellar pace from last season. With that said, I believe Mauer will heat up and compile another very strong season.

1b: Miguel Cabrera

The Detroit Tigers first baseman is having one of the best years of any player in the league. He hits for a high average and leads the American League in both home runs and RBI’s. With a little luck, Cabrera has a shot at competing for the triple crown. Justin Morneau is the current vote leader and is having a very good year. His numbers are close to Cabrera’s and he does deserve a spot on the AL roster.

2b: Robinson Cano

The second base position is a very obvious selection. At this point in time, Robinson Cano is the best player in the league and the MVP so far. He is hitting above .370 and has really found his power stroke to all places of the field. He is the current leading vote getter at his position and will be the starting 2b for his squad.

3b: Evan Longoria

Another obvious selection is the Tampa Bay Rays third baseman, Evan Longoria. He is having a truly unbelievable year while being able to mix power with speed. He is the face of his franchise and will represent them while in Los Angeles this year. He will win the position and become this year’s third base starter.

SS: Derek Jeter

Jeter currently has the second most votes of any player at any position in the American League. He is having a solid year, and as one of the most popular players in the league, he will become this year’s starter. He deserves this honor, as he is having the most complete year of any player at his position.

Outfield

This is the most difficult decision when it comes to picking the three most deserving players to fill the outfield. The current vote leaders are Ichiro, Carl Crawford, and Nelson Cruz. All three are having stellar years, and Cruz has put together unbelievable numbers considering he has been to the disabled list twice during the season.

However, none of the three leaders get my vote. The best outfielder in the league right now happens to be Vladimir Guerrero. His stats have been completely out of this world, and he is playing like the Vlad of five years ago. He is near the top in almost all of the offensive categories and should be a starter.

My second outfielder happens to come from the same team. Josh Hamilton has turned his play up to a whole new level and has compiled an unbelievable month. He has great stats at this point and is the second best outfielder at this point in time.

My third choice was difficult, as I like both candidates. Crawford and Alex Rios are both having extremely strong seasons. Rios happens to be having a better one. After a few lackluster seasons, Rios has found his place in Chicago and also deserves to be a starting all star.

The voting will end soon, so get out there and vote for the players that most deserve this honor. This year’s All Star weekend should be another fun and eventful time for baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Are you a Phillies or Dodgers fan who wants to ensure that your team will have the home field advantage if they make the World Series? Do you want to see the National League get revenge at the Midsummer Classic after going home empty-handed 13 years in a row? Are you a sadistic sociopath who likes messing with people for the pure schadenfreude?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you might want to reconsider how you fill out your All-Star ballot.

If you truly want to see the best players in baseball duke it out on July 13, then by all means vote for the superstars. But if you want to see the Senior Circuit emerge victorious, you might want to think twice about naming Joe Mauer or Evan Longoria on your ballot.

This slideshow features the AL player at each position who has the greatest potential to screw up his league’s All-Star team, based on both relative ineptitude and current rank in the voting (if the player you vote for has no chance of winning, it doesn’t matter whom you choose).

Injured players have been excluded because if one of them is voted in, he can be replaced with a substitute of the manager’s choice.

Let this be your guide in your unsportsmanlike attempt to tamper with the biggest night of the baseball season! And be sure to check out Part One for how to screw up the NL team.

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Are you a Red Sox or Rays fan who wants to ensure that your team will have the home field advantage if they make the World Series?

Do you want to see the National League go home empty-handed at the Midsummer Classic for the 14th year in a row?

Are you a sadistic sociopath who likes messing with people for the pure schadenfreude?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you might want to reconsider how you fill out your All-Star ballot.

If you truly want to see the best players in baseball duke it out on July 13, then by all means vote for the superstars. But if you want to see the Junior Circuit emerge victorious, you might want to think twice about naming Albert Pujols or Chase Utley on your ballot.

This slideshow features the NL player at each position who has the greatest potential to screw up his league’s All-Star team, based on both relative ineptitude and current rank in the voting (if the player you vote for has no chance of winning, it doesn’t matter who you choose).

Injured players have been excluded, because if one of them is voted in, he can be replaced with a substitute of the manager’s choice.

Let this be your guide in your unsportsmanlike attempt to tamper with the biggest night of the baseball season!

Begin Slideshow

With the Midsummer Classic just one month away, Bleacher Report’s Featured Columnists are back with an updated mock All-Star vote!

This is part two of this week’s poll: the NL results (for the AL results, click here). For each position, I’ve listed the full vote totals, as well as the current real-life leader(s) and a reminder of who we chose five weeks ago. And, as always, a “featured writer” has submitted commentary for each winning player.

If some of the participants’ names seem unfamiliar in this context, that’s because they probably are; a whopping 44 Featured Columnists voted on at least one league’s ballot, making this the biggest FC Poll yet.

Thanks to everyone who participated! May our actions set an example for the idiots who keep voting for Mark Teixeira.

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Boy, this season is going by fast.

It’s hard to believe that the All-Star game is just one month away. But because it is, and because our last All-Star vote took place in April, Bleacher Report’s MLB Featured Columnists are back with an update.

This is part-one of this week’s poll: the AL results (look for the NL results tomorrow). For each position, I’ve listed the full vote totals, as well as the current real-life leader(s) and a reminder of who we chose last time. And, as always, a “featured writer” has submitted commentary for each winning player.

If some of the participants names seem unfamiliar in this context, that’s because they probably are; a whopping 44 Featured Columnists voted on at least one league’s ballot, making this the biggest FC Poll yet.

Thanks to everyone who participated! May our actions set an example for the idiots who keep voting for Mark Teixeira.

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The 2010 All Star game is more than a month away, and already results are pouring in as too whom will start in this year’s mid-summer classic.

For years the game has been one of constant debate, whether it be roster sizes, tied games, home field advantage in the World Series, or even the public’s right to vote — the All Star game is better known for the controversy around it, than the actual game itself.

Yet, this year as the ballots come in, it is clear that voting needs to be taken out of the hands of the common fans, and put in the hands of professional sports writers or the players union. Here is a list of a dozen players having incredible seasons who are not even close to getting a vote to start in the All Star game.

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Imagine if fans cast their All Star votes with the intention of actually picking the most deserving players.

How would things be different?

The All Star game has become a popularity contest. It’s not about which player is having the best season, but instead which player has the best known name.

That’s why I offer you, my 2010 April/May American League All Star starters free of bias, and based on what should matter–who is having the best season.

Elvis Andrus, this one’s for you!

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