There should be some way to substitute Lowell for Varitek.  The latter and his 73 OPS+ is a bit weak for the mid-summer classic.

The All-Star Snubs storyline is always the silliest of the year—except maybe the A-Rod Extramarital Affair storyline, or the Passion of Player X storyline (which seems to be about Damon this season).

a bit?

How stupid are the players for voting him in? I used to think only the fan-voting was a popularity contest, but apparently it extends to the players too.

Varitek was voted in by the players; nothing can be done about that.

If I were A-Rod I would spend the entire next week, everytime I was asked about what it’s like to be on the same team as Varitek, saying things like:

“It shows you how scrappy he is that he’s only hitting .219 but he made the All-Star Team.”

Passion of Player X storyline (which seems to be about Damon this season).

If Gardner can get hot, we’ll be seeing an awful lot of our own [S]crappy Little Guy with Big Heart (aka Lifetime: The David Eckstein Story) stories pretty soon, too.

If I were A-Rod I would spend the entire next week, everytime I was asked about what it’s like to be on the same team as Varitek, saying things like:

“It shows you how scrappy he is that he’s only hitting .219 but he made the All-Star Team.”

And if I were A-Rod, I’d keep my mouth shut and keep a low profile next week.  God knows, there’s always a circus around that dude.  I hope he was smart enough to get Cynthia to sign a prenup!

Varitek was voted in by the players; nothing can be done about that.

Varitek could do something about it if he wanted to.

It would be interesting for some enterprising young sports journalist to write a column juxtaposing this player vote with the SI player poll ranking Jeter and Rodriguez as most over-rated.

Moooooooooooose

How stupid are the players for voting him in? I used to think only the fan-voting was a popularity contest, but apparently it extends to the players too.

It’s kind of like how Jeter lost the MVP.  One of the criteria voters seemed to use was, “pitchers never say they don’t want to face Jeter in a key moment of the game, but they say they don’t want to see Morneau coming up.  Therefore, Morneau is more valueable than Jeter”.  Players are just as biased as fans.  Probably the *best* way to choose All Stars is a computer model, but that won’t ever happen.

If Gardner starts hitting, we will be inundated with stories like to the tune of, “The Yanks have a $200 million payroll but the heart and soul of the team is a rookie making the major league minimum.”

“If he calls me and I’m at the tractor pull,” Mussina said, “I’ll probably stay at the tractor pull.”

I suddenly want to take the drive to Hughesville.  It’s only about an hour away, and though I don’t particularly care for tractor-pulls, I certainly want to be at a fair that is so good it would keep Moose away from an All Star game at Yankee Stadium!

Every day I find out something that makes me like Moose even more.  Have to say, though, I never figured him for a country fair tractor pull guy.

If Gardner starts hitting, we will be inundated with stories like to the tune of, “The Yanks have a $200 million payroll but the heart and soul of the team is a rookie making the major league minimum.”

Too true. But in a way that goes with the Lifetime: The David Eckstein Story as well.

If Gardner starts hitting, we will be inundated with stories like to the tune of, “The Yanks have a $200 million payroll but the heart and soul of the team is a rookie making the major league minimum.”

Well, those stories are already written.  They just have to change the name from Melky Cabrera, or Robinson Cano, or hell, Shane Spencer.  If I could make a living that way, I’d do it too.

The All-Star Snubs storyline is always the silliest of the year…

I think the arguments surrounding the selection of the all-star team are kind of fun.

Probably the *best* way to choose All Stars is a computer model, but that won’t ever happen.

Probably because it’s not the best way.  It’d be boring, and wouldn’t engage the fans the way the voting does.  I still enjoy voting for the all-stars every year.  And the selection of Varitek over Pierzynski by the players, while maybe just a sign of laziness, is also an interesting insight into how disliked Pierzynski is around the league.

Is the player voting a new thing?  How many spots?  And why for an exhibition, should there be players voting, is it CBA thing?

If players had always voted, Barry Bonds never would have made the team.

Just about any other AL catcher would have been a better choice than Varitek.  Why not Kurt Suzuki, for example?  Give a kid a chance.

Except for when he got voted in by the fans.

I think everyone is forgetting that Veritek “knows how to call a game,” even though he’s not allowed to verbally interact with his team’s pitchers between each pitch.

Probably because it’s not the best way.  It’d be boring, and wouldn’t engage the fans the way the voting does.

I suppose it depends on what you’re going for…if you want the most deserving players, then it’s the best way.  That would also quite possibly give you the best game.  However, if you enjoy the voting, and getting to complain about snubs, then it isn’t the best way.  I suppose a compromise would be even better; e.g. let the fans vote for starters and let the computer-model pick the rest of the roster.

I think everyone is forgetting that Veritek “knows how to call a game,” even though he’s not allowed to verbally interact with his team’s pitchers between each pitch.

i was certainly happy that he called for splitters to Gardner after completely blowing Betemit away with three 96 MPH fastballs.

i realize Papelbon has an excellent splitter, but i think i would have made Gardner hit a fastball.  it looked unhittable when Betemit was up.

Remember when the all-star game was fun, before the MLB tried to make it dramatic and launched the “This Time it Counts Campaign”? 

The only thing is that it counts, yet it’s still a popularity contest. 

That is a problem.

Molina knows how to call a game, and is far better defensively than Varitek.  And the two are hitting about equally, so why not José?  I mean, the guy has thrown out the last 11 would be base stealers.

By the way, home field advantage is meaningless in baseball.  I’d rather have Joba pitching in Fenway than Rasner pitching in Yankee Stadium.

Were we talking about home field?

I think he was referring to the “This time it counts” thing.

By the way, home field advantage is meaningless in baseball.  I’d rather have Joba pitching in Fenway than Rasner pitching in Yankee Stadium.

The first sentence is simply incorrect.  The second sentence has no relevance on the truth or falsehood of the first.

Home field advantage makes a difference during the regular season because of the grinding schedule.  In the post-season, with all the off days and such, I just don’t think it means anything.

Angel Stadium comes to mind as a place where home-field advantage in the post-season definitely matters.

Not to mention Yankee Stadium vs Bank One Ballpark in Arizona circa 2001 World Series….

You mean Mariano couldn’t close out game 7 because he was on the road?

And why couldn’t the Yanks win game 6 or 7 in Yankee stadium during the 2004 ALCS?

By the way, Pete Abraham’s new post is rather witty.  I didn’t think he had it in him.

Also, how did Atlanta lost three straight at home in the 1996 World Series?

Home field means you bat last.  Always.  That’s an advantage.  The outcome of a particular game or series doesn’t change that fact.

Rides an attractions! Non stop action! Shows, animals, fireworks too, it’s about the most fun thing you can do!

OK, WTF is wrong with people??

It’s not meaningless.  There is some home field advantage.  It’s just not a huge factor.  It’s a minor one.

As for Varitek and the ASG, meh.  I can’t get too worked up about it.  It’s obviously silly… in fact it’s kinda amusing.  It’s so obvious that he’s terrible this year, and now there’s a bit of a spotlight on it.

If both teams are fairly well rested, as they are in the post-season, I don’t believe home field means much - unless, of course, there are midges buzzing about everywhere.

I guess I shouldn’t wear my “Boston Sucks” t-shirt in New England.

Home field advantage in baseball resides in the fact that the home team gets the last chance at bat, as #33 points out.  So if you’re losing you always still have a chance, no matter how infinitesimally small…Doesn’t mean the team will always take advantage of it (see, ALCS 2004), but oftentimes they will (see, WS 2001).

I guess I shouldn’t wear my “Boston Sucks” t-shirt in New England.

How’s your life insurance policy?

<i>Remember when the all-star game was fun…?</i.

Again, maybe I’m in the minority, but I still enjoy the all-star game and the Home Run Derby.

I also think there’s a certain amount of nostalgia for All-Star games past because All-Star games in general are more suited to the younger fan.  You think the All-Star game used to be better, but that’s just how you perceived it because you used to be younger, and the whole concept was new and exciting to you.

SAS is quite right.  I haven’t watched an All-Star game since I was a kid.  I remember when Johnny Ray represented the Pirates at 2B.  For some reason, I liked the Pirates back then.

[6] I promise you that Boras had Cynthia sign a pre-nup.

I never thought the All-Star game was better than it is now.  I’ve just never been into it.  When I started watching it, for some reason, a way-past-his-prime Fred Lynn was getting elected every year, for some reason. (And yes, one of those years he hit a grand slam.  Big deal; it was off Atlee Hammaker.) Once the players have been introduced, it quickly becomes about as interesting as pick-up softball in the Great Oval on a Sunday afternoon.

I will admit that there are some players I have just liked to watch whenever I get the chance: e.g. Pujols, Maddux.  But most such players you can see in real games with I tiny bit of effort.

Re: Home Field. “Baseball Between the Numbers” which is the best baseball book I have ever read, and if you haven’t read it, please do, points out that there is a small advantage for the home team, but doesn’t attribute it to any one cause. I think YankeeMonkey is on the right track though. He who bats last, lasts.

I think when you get into a short-series, with two particular teams, home field can mean either more OR less than the regular season.  It depends on the teams, how different their home-parks are, and how much their teams are built to take advantage of those parks.  It’s also tough to get a read on how much home-field matters in these cases because sometimes, the “visiting” team is just plain better than the “home” team.

Anyway, I think there is certainly some advantage to the home team in the playoffs, but in most cases likely not enough to matter for the outcome of the series.

“I’ll probably stay at the tractor pull.”

Sounds like Mussina has made up his mind to come back next year.  If he was seriously contemplating retirement, he’d likely have a different attitude about his last all-star game and might even be quietly lobbying for a replacement spot.

Moose at a tractor pull… for some reason I find that really amusing.