Nomar Garciaparra - NOT AN ALL STAR?
| 8
|
by user Woodshow
I try to look at the sports world with an objective opinion. I really do. Even though I root for my teams passionately, I try to never let personal bias get in the way of reality. If I do, then nothing I say will ever make sense or be taken seriously. It's ok to root for my teams, but honesty is the most important thing.
With that said, let me make this perfectly clear. Nomar Garciaparra being excluded from the All-Star game is an ABSOLUTE JOKE.
Let me set the scene for you. I am currently working at a basketball camp in Binghamton, NY for King Rice, a former North Carolina point guard. On Sunday, I came home after working a long day and clicked on ESPN.com, and saw the links for the All-Star game. I completely forgot that they were making selections on that day for it, so I looked to see who cut the mustard, and who didn't. Now, I knew all along that Brad Penny would make it (9-2, 2.94 ERA), that was a no-brainer. Then I looked for Nomar's name. After reading the list once, I couldn't find it. Without ever realizing that he didn't make it, I simply thought I overlooked his name. When I read the list again, that's when it clicked in that the morons who vote for this thing omitted him.
Yes, the same Nomar who has these stats: .361 AVG/.422 OBP/1.011 OPS/48 R/10 HR/47 RBI
There's only one guy with a higher average than his, and it's Freddy Sanchez of Pittsburgh at .363. Those two trade 1st and 2nd place almost daily. But, Nomar has more runs, homers, and RBI's than him, despite playing in 18 less games. Also, he's 4th in the NL in OPS, a quality stat that measures on-base ability and power. Yup, he's 4th.
Look, I realize that he has a chance to still be added via fan voting, and you know the inevitable injury replacements will need to be made, but that's not the point. I don't care if every team has to be represented, he still should be on the team. I'm not foolish enough to suggest that he should start, because Albert Pujols is a freak and the best player in the league now. But, if this is truly a test of the ML's best up to this point, then it's a slap in the face to a guy that has absolutely busted his butt to regain his status as one of the top hitters in the league. Already he's had hitting streaks of at least 10 games 3 times this year, and that's including missing 20 of his team's 81 games. He's made the switch to 1st base, a position he's never played before, and only has ONE error. One. That's it. But, I guess that's still not good enough.
Nomar certainly isn't the only snub. (Ya... I can certainly see why Francisco Liriano and Curt Schilling aren't all-stars, but Mark Redman and his 5.59 ERA is! Right, it's the damn rule about every team being respresented. What a joke.) But to me, Dodgers fan or not, it's the most glaring. Sure, he might be added down the road, but to not be named initially shows just how ridiculous and silly the All-Star Game has become.
But wait, THIS TIME IT COUNTS! How adorable. No matter what lame campaign they come up with, the only thing that "counts" is the amount of viewers they keep losing each year, leading to another all-time ratings low. Way to go, MLB. The All-Star game sucks.
http://www.aaronwaymire.blogspot.com
Date
Mon 07/03/06, 4:44 pm EST
