KC Royal Fans Stuffing All-Star Ballot Box

[LuteHawk]

There are 7 KC Royal players who lead the balloting to
start in this year's MLB All-Star Game in July. This silly
ballot stuffing reminds one of 1957. In that year the
Cincinnati Reds fans voted 7 of their players to start.
The MLB Commissioners stepped in and replaced two
Red outfielders with Wille Mays and Hank Aaron.

Question: Should the players themselves each have one
vote to select the All-Star team from their league? (They
would not be able to vote for their own team players}.

 

[bagdropper]

Usually this stuff sorts itself out before the game is played.

But you have to admit...they got some pretty good players. Perez is an all-star, Morales is an all-star (this year), Cain is an all-star, Gordon is an all-star, and Escobar is an all-star. I can see all of them deserving to at the very least be on the team, and definitely in Perez' case, and maybe Morales' cases, start. Heck, Escobar seems to make highlight reel defensive plays every game...maybe him too.

 

[LuteHawk]

Cain and Perez deserve to start without any doubts.
Nelson Cruz and Prince Fielder are both DH's who
can make a good case to start, yet Morales deserves
to be on the team.

 

[hawkeye54545]

I'm a Royals fan and am one of the wackos that voted 35 times. I didn't vote for Rios Infante or Morales and voted for Trout Altuve and Cruz in their places.

 

[littlez]

All 7 have legit cases.

 

[LuteHawk]

Thank you hawkeye54545 for your honesty and objectivity.
Yes, the Royals were in the World Series last year and
yes, they have some great players. Yet, Miguel Cabrera
is the best 1B in the AL. Jose Altuve is the best 2B.
Adrian Beltre is the best 3B. Mike Trout, Adam Jones
and Cain are the best outfielders.

 

[littlez]

Beltre is hitting .257 with 6 homers and 18 rbi's. Thought I also read he's on the disabled list. He's been a good, not great player over the years but he's not an all star THIS year. Cabrera clearly the best hitting 1st basemen in the league and maybe best hitter overall. Defensively he's horrible, especially compared to Hosmer.

 

[LuteHawk]

Trout, Cabrera, Altuve, Cain, Perez definitely deserve
to start in the All-Star game. The other 4 positions are
up for grabs if you want the best for this season.

 

[pocha444444]

All 7 have legit cases.

If by all 7 you mean 2, then yes, you are correct.

 

[pepsicock]

Give it back to the players and take away the home field crap away for the World Series

 

[TexMichFan]

Good for them for getting out the vote.

 

[lou loomis]

-Perez shouldn't start. His WAR is 1.1, which is 4th among AL catchers (Martin, Vogt, McCann). I would give it to Martin. He's been the best defensive catcher in the AL by a decent margin and is second only to Vogt in offensive value. If not Martin, then Vogt.

-Cain has an argument to start. Trout is the only no-brainer. After that, you have eight guys with WAR of 1.9-2.2 before a big drop to 1.4. Those guys are Cespedes, Jones, Reddick, Cain, Kieraier, Cruz, Bautista, and Gordon. I would be inclined to select Trout, Jones, and Cain.

-Shortstop is a terrible position in the AL. Iglesias has the highest WAR among players with 150+ PA at 1.6 and he's been the best defensive shortstop in the AL. Bogaerts (1.5) and Miller (1.4) are both close behind and have been plus defenders. Escobar is 6th in WAR (0.8). Should not start.

-Morales is 6th among DHs in WAR at 1.1. Cruz and Bautista lead at 2.0. Fielder, A-Rod, and Seth Smith all more deserving than Morales.

Here are the WAR-based AL starters:

C: Russell Martin (2.4; Vogt at 2.3 and Perez 4th at 1.1)
1B: Miguel Cabrera (2.5; next closest is Forsythe at 2.0 and Hosmer at 1.9)
2B: Jason Kipnis (3.7; next closest is Dozier at 2.3)
3B: Josh Donaldson (3.6; next closest is Moustakas at 2.0)
SS: Jose Iglesias (1.6; Bogaerts and Miller are close behind)
OF: Mike Trout (3.3)
OF: Yoenis Cespedes (2.2)
OF: Adam Jones (2.2; as mentioned above, argument for Reddick, Cain, Kiermaier, Cruz, Bautista, and Gordon over Cespedes and Jones would be warranted)
DH: Nelson Cruz (2.0; Bautista also 2.0, Morales 6th at 1.1)

Objectively, there are two Royals who have legitimately earned the right to start in the All Star Game (Cain and Gordon). Anyone arguing that Perez, Hosmer, Escobar, Infante, Morales, Rios, or Moustakas deserve to start are idiots. I guess all the smart baseball fans in Missouri are Cardinals fans.

 

[lou loomis]

Just as a follow-up, here would be the NL WAR-based starters:

C: Buster Posey (2.1; nobody really close)
1B: Paul Goldschmidt (3.1; Rizzo 2.8, Gonzalez 2.5, Votto 2.3)
2B: Dee Gordon (2.8; Panik 2.2, Wong 2.0)
3B: Todd Frazier (3.1; Bryant 2.2, Carpenter 2.2, Arenado 1.9)
SS: Brandon Crawford (2.3; Peralta 2.0)
OF: Bryce Harper (4.1)
OF: Joc Pedersen (3.1)
OF: Giancarlo Stanton (2.7; Pollock 2.4, McCutchen 1.7)

 

[LuteHawk]

Today, the MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was interviewed
on the Yankee-National game telecast. When asked about
the KC fans stuffing the box for 7 starters, he said that the
Detroit fans should wake up and start voting for M. Cabrera.
The guy did not sound too bright.

 

[theIowaHawk]

Oh stat guys. I presume you just want WAR to decide it, eh Loomis? Screw tradition and anything of the like.

 

[littlez]

Love the baseball stat guys. Hell, if it's only about the war why even have people vote? People have been voting for 40-50 years. Royals fans are voting. Obviously the fans of the other teams don't care or they would be voting for their guys. KC is the 2nd smallest market in bball and this is happening? To bad.