Wednesday: ASG: Young, Hamilton in, Kinsler snubbed

My main dislike for the All Star Game isn’t the event itself, but that the outcome of the event affects the World Series. The reason this is frustrating is because there seems to be a competitive spirit lacking at the All Star Game. It’s more like a show than a game. If it was truly competitive, then the managers wouldn’t take out a superstar and replace him with a guy who’s on the roster because he's put up 'solid numbers.' Ben Zobrist certainly comes to mind. Still, I, like almost anyone else, take sheer delight in the fact that I get to see the game’s leading talents all on the field together. Two of those talents will represent the Texas Rangers, namely Josh Hamilton and Michael Young. The biggest disappointment for most Ranger fans is that Ian Kinsler is not present on the AL roster. Kinsler appeared to have a solid shot at making the starting job at 2B, but in the end, Dustin Pedroia, who was picking up steam with the votes during the last few weeks, won out. Kinsler was then snubbed as a backup as well. But in truth, Kinsler (he still has a chance at making the roster with the final fan vote) didn’t really deserve to make the All Star team. After his prodigious start to the season, Kinsler has merely been mediocre. He has been stuck around the 260's in batting average for over a month now, and though his power numbers have gone up, his OBP has dipped to a meager 331. My guess is that he’ll really heat up during the second half (assuming he stays healthy) and become the offensive producer he’s capable of being. But for now, I think it’s a good thing that he stays out of the game, because one: he didn’t deserve it, and two: he needs a physical rest.

Michael Young made the team as expected. He’s helped represent the Rangers every year since 2004, and there was no reason to believe that this year would be any different. He’s having a terrific season, as it looks like he’ll reach 200 hits again after sort of taking last year off in that department. I’d like to see Young start the game one of these years, but as long as Derek Jeter is around, it seems unlikely. Plus, I think Young is happy just to be at the game, regardless of whether he starts or not.

Finally, Josh Hamilton was helped out by the fans and will be one of the starting outfielders for the AL (another reason why I don’t like the All Star game, seeing as other players deserve it much more than Hamilton, who has been injured much of the season, does). Josh just came off the DL and he’ll surely be ready to play in the game. The question is: should he play in the game? I definitely don’t want to see him play in the Homerun Derby, even though most fans around the country do, and I’m uncertain as to whether he should even play in the game. The chances of him getting injured are slim, but taking that chance could potentially mean losing Josh for the most important part of the season. Hamilton will tell you that he wants to play, and he most likely will, but since he’s barely been playing at all this year, I can hardly say he deserves it.

As much as I like the All Star Game, I’ve never been one to look forward to it. The three-day break means that I’ll have to endure the longest stretch of baseball hiatus during the season. But then I think about the NFL and I realize I can't bleat about a meager 3-day break. I’m always eager for the All Star break to end so that teams can get back to playing again, and even more, because it marks the beginning of the trades, a subject which I addressed earlier, and will talk about once again on my next post.

Note: As of today, Ian Kinsler and Pablo Sandoval are leading the final vote ballet. So it's looking like Kinsler may end up in the game after all.