Question from Karl Ravech: who should start the game for the A.L?
Krukie: Roy Halladay.
H.R.: Johan Santana.
Steve Phillips: Jose Contreras. Because "He hasn't lost a game this year. You need to win a game? Give the ball to the guy who hasn't lost a game." (Slight paraphrase.)
Now, I am a reasonable guy. I love the give-and-take of reasonable arguments from reasonable people. But there is an answer to this question, and the answer is Santana.
Halladay: 114.2 IP, 107 H, 1.05 WHIP, 62/13 K/BB, 3.73 DIPS
Santana: 118.1 IP, 94 H, 0.96 WHIP, 124/20 K/BB, 2.93 DIPS
Contreras: 96.2 IP, 87 H, 1.18 WHIP, 68/27 K/BB, 3.85 DIPS
Halladay...maybe. But Santana has twice as many strikeouts. Contreras maybe deserves to be on the team, but the best pitcher in the AL?
Ozzie has really outdone himself, though, by adding Mark Buehrle to the team, over, among others, Liriano, Mussina, and Schilling.
Buehrle: 116.2 IP, 125 H, 1.31 WHIP, 51/28 K/BB, 4.76 DIPS
Schilling: 114.1 IP, 110 H, 1.08 WHIP, 102/14 K/BB, 3.43 DIPS
Mussina: 116.1 IP, 99 H, 1.04 WHIP, 104/22 K/BB, 3.50 DIPS
And where's the Tiger love? Verlander, Bonderman, and Robertson all have better numbers than Buehrle (to say nothing of their selected teammate, Kenny Rogers). In fact, Bonderman's DIPS is 2.85. Why did I break down Mussina and Schilling instead of Bonderman? Oh well. Too late now. My computer has no delete key.
But the real crime is Liriano.
9-1, 1.99 ERA. in 81.1 IP, he's allowed 59 H, and has a 94/20 K/BB ratio. His WHIP is .97. The league is slugging .292 against him, with a .256 OBA. His DIPS is 2.44. He might be the best pitcher in the AL right now.
Look.
The All-Star Game is stupid. Every year, this one included, there are about a dozen crazy choices made, for starters and reserves. It's half popularity contest, quarter meaningless exhibition, quarter "this time it counts" MLB nonsense-fest. It doesn't know what it is. The fans vote! The players vote, too! The manager from last year's World Series team gets to do stuff! The C.E.O. of the concessions company who has the contract with the stadium where the game is played gets to choose one reserve third baseman! The soldiers in Iraq design the uniforms! The Royals don't have anyone in the game?! Get Mark Redman in there!!!
The whole thing is a mess.
I know that managers take their own guys. I know there are already too many Yankees and Red Sox on the roster, so I'm fine with no Schilling or Mussina. But Mark Buehrle is mediocre. The Tigers are good. Liriano is blisteringly awesome. Ozzie is a moron.
Labels: all-star game, ozzie guillen, steve phillips
