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Remember in the preseason when the Tigers starting lineup seemed to be made up entirely of All Star candidates? Yeah, things didn’t quite work out and Carlos Guillen will be the lone player sporting the English D.
Jim Leyland suggested 5 players to manager Terry Francona. We know the list didn’t include Magglio Ordonez, so I’d guess the names were Guillen, Polanco, Pudge, Jones, and Galarraga. Maybe you can replace one of those guys with Thames.
But Guillen was the one that was chosen and he had to choose between taking his 2 boys to New York or staying home for the birth of his 3rd child.
Looking at the selections it’s hard to say that any Tigers were snubbed. The one eyebrow raiser was Jason Varitek as back-up catcher with his 219/301/360 batting line. Pudge Rodriguez would have been a better selection, but AJ Pierzynski, Dioner Navarro, and Gerald Laird would have been even better.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Navarro did make the roster… but you’re right. ‘Tek is worse than a stretch, with the kind of year he’s having and 6 other Red Sox already on the roster.
Yikes! Varitek and Guillen are all-stars?? I love Guillen, but he’s got to be the first guy to be on his fourth position in the last calendar year and make the all-star team.
Will it be considered a “snub” if he doesn’t play?
I guess the write-in votes for Inge fell short…
Veritek in …he should be totally embarasssed looking at the program and seeing his stats…you’d think he would fake an injury and pull out…..and no Longoria…. Pudge has been getting it done even …290 ain’t exactly the leagues worse….but something is seriously wrong with a system THAT PUTS A .219 hitter like Veritek in an All Star game..sorry
Call me cynical (I’ll call me a realist) but I don’t care about the all-star game in the least. I prefer that Carlos Guillen just stay home and that we have no one go to New York. We know this team needs the rest.
I’m with Mike R, the “all star” game is just a chance to pick up more injuries. Let all the guys stay home.
my wish came true - I didn’t want any Tigers starting in the all star game because last year when the did, they crapped out the season. Hopefully now we can get some rest, not worry about national attention, and go on a tear in the second half.
btw, the players voted in Varitek.
The players voted him in?
He must have the Balco records.
Standings……………………………..All-stars (Starters/Total)
Team A * ……………………….. 1)4/7
Team B 5GB………………………. 2)2/3
Team C 9GB……………………… 3)0/1
Team D 11GB……………………. 4)0/1
Can you match them?
Hint: This is the AL East, so teams A and D are apparently entirely interchangeably bad, while teams B and C would appear to be the best teams in baseball. Good gravy, the All-Star game is a joke. At least the selection for the celebrity softball game isn’t overrun by Massholes.
The All-Star break is an excuse to take a vacation from baseball for three days. It’s more about selling products (SUVs, razors, Gatorade) than regular baseball is.
I’m glad we only have one All-Star this year. I’m sure Cabrera, Renteria, Pudge, Inge, and Maggs will enjoy getting the extra rest and chance to heal for 3 days.
Varitek was voted in only because the players voted and gave Mauer over 500 voted and Varitek got like 150-ish. Players hate AJ Pierzynski and don’t really know Dionner Navarro since he’s a young kid in a terrible market (great team). The rule is that the No. 2 on the list of the players voting must be selected if the No. 1 is voted in by the fans.