I've always been conflicted about Major League Baseball's All Star selection system. It's the fans' game and they should vote. Sometimes the fans will surprise you with their insight but at least as often they vote purely based on favorites. Also, the fact that every team needs to be represented has its pros and cons, mostly cons. It's an all star roster and, thus by definition, the roster should be populated with the very best players, which never happens when you have to select someone from say the KC Royals. But someone will always be snubbed (the roster size has increased dramatically in the last few years) and this year is no different.
In this age of haves and have-nots because there is no salary cap, some teams will never be able to compete consistently because they can't afford retain all the great talent they drafted and groomed. The Red Sox and Yankees can afford to retain the players they draft and groom as well as the best of the small market teams' best players. So even though Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett didn't make the All Star roster when they certainly should have, it's not a perfect system and it's about as fair as you can make it. Besides, not having to worry about your two best pitchers getting hurt or overworked in a game that doesn't count is certainly a good thing.
Congratulations to Annika Sorenstam on winning her 3rd US Women's Open, 10th Major title overall. I don't tend to watch much women's golf; but since this is the most important of women's tournaments, the fact that we're witnessing history every time Annika is in contention, the fact that my wife will watch this sport with me, I will pay attention and enjoy it, even though the level of play is still well below that of the men's game. I also think it's great that for the first time in 100 years a professional golf championship was played at Newport Country Club, one of the original USGA member sites and the site of the first US Open. USGA
The Boston Bruins opened up their tight purse strings and signed 3 free agents, most notably in my opinion Zdeno Chara, a big, physical, top flight defenseman. Boston Bruins
Schilling Red Sox Beckett Sorenstam Boston Bruins Annika US Open Newport MLB All Stars Chara
1 comment:
Biggest All-star snub this year was Minnesota's rookie Francisco Liriano. Ozzie picked the wrong pitchers, and hopefully it's not going to kill the AL's chances of winning, but I have my doubts.
Knowing a bunch of studs were going to pitch Sunday, Ozzie should have explained himself to the other teams and chosen the best guys who WOULD be available Tuesday. Santana, Schilling, and several others pitched yesterday. How many of those guys will be of any worth to the AL Tuesday?
If I was an All-Star manager, I'd take about three starters, and about nine closers. Those are the guys who are unhittable for an inning, and who are going to be rested enough to pitch even if they threw Sunday. There's a lot of good closers...all-star material...who will be sitting home watching the game on TV tomorrow night.
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