All Star Note

Pitcher A: 10-3, 2.85 ERA, 3 CG, 1 SHO, 123 IP, 17/106 BB/K, 1.098 WHIP
1.17 Ground balls/fly balls, 151 ERA+ (adjusted to ballpark)

Pitcher B: 10-5, 2.12 ERA, 5 CG, 2 SHO, 127.1 IP, 21/129 BB/K, 1.076 WHIP
0.72 Ground balls/fly balls, 204 ERA+

Who should start the All Star Game?

I'm not saying Roy Halladay (Pitcher A) is an unworthy choice to start the All Star game for the AL, I'm just saying Zack Greinke (Pitcher B) deserves it more, and there's no argument otherwise. Add in the fact that Greinke has come back from social anxiety disorder (feel-good story) AND the fact that he pitches for Kansas City when the ASG is in St. Louis (local flavor), and I'm surprised at Joe Maddon's decision.

Then again, with 1 second baseman on the roster (Aaron Hill) after Dustin Pedroia dropped out, instead of replacing Pedroia with a second baseman who deserved to be there in the first place (Ian Kinsler), Maddon adds a 4th 1st baseman (Carlos Pena).

Manny Ramirez: All Star?

As of this writing, Manny Ramirez is about 34,000 votes shy of being voted a starting NL outfielder in the 2009 All Star Game. Does he deserve to be an all star when he misses 50 games for violating the league's drug policy? Of course not. Did MLB forsee this and put language in the All Star eligibility rules to prevent this? Of course not, baseball (and the union) have shown a willingness to do as little as possible, and only when public pressure forces them to act.

Let this be the fans giving a giant, public thumbs down to Bud Selig and how he handled the entire PEDs issue during his reign as commissioner. If you think Selig turned a blind eye to the problem until an entire era had been tainted by drug use, put him in an uncomofrtable position he's having nightmares about right now. Selig doesn't want Manny to play in the all star game, but he also doesn't want to have to step in and uninvite someone the fans nominated.

Make him make the decision, vote Manny into the All Star Game here.