All-Star game

[guest301]

Just wanted to say that there are about two weeks of voting time left for the All-Star game. I just finished voting a few times this evening and wanted to encourage anybody that reads this thread to go do the same. We have a chance this year because of the stats, who's on the ballot and the sheer domination of the white MLB player in 2008 to actually have a ALL-Star game that might be 75% white. So please go vote for Hamilton, Kinsler, Berkman, Uggla, Utley, Young, Ankiel, etc...

 

[Don Wassall]

Last week The Sporting News had a piece on players who were not getting the votes they deserved. Was gonna post on it but forgot. All the players mentioned but one were white. So yeah, everyone here should take the time to vote. (P.S. If you have no life you can vote up to 25 times.

)


http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2008/ballot_reg.html


Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[guest301]

Thanks for the voting link, Don. I still haven't quite learned how to post a link. If anybody wants to take the time to pm me exact instructions on how to do so, feel free. Everybody vote today.

 

[whiteCB]

JUST VOTED!!! GO Hamilton, Uggla, Kinsler, Ludwick, and all the others...

 

[guest301]

JUST VOTED!!! GO Hamilton, Uggla, Kinsler, Ludwick, and all the others...

Yes that Ryan Ludwick has come out of nowhere, hasn't he. Just another farm prospect the Rangers either gave up on and traded away and goes onto star somewhere else. I will have to admit that I didn't think much of him when I first saw him come into the league but he's tearing it up now. All these star white outfielders out there is incredible and very encouraging.

 

[guest301]

Last week The Sporting News had a piece on players who were not getting the votes they deserved.  Was gonna post on it but forgot.  All the players mentioned but one were white.  So yeah, everyone here should take the time to vote.  (P.S. If you have no life you can vote up to 25 times.

)


http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2008/ballot_reg.html


 

Bump. Go Vote!

 

[Don Wassall]

Yes that Ryan Ludwick has come out of nowhere, hasn't he. Just another farm prospect the Rangers either gave up on and traded away and goes onto star somewhere else. I will have to admit that I didn't think much of him when I first saw him come into the league but he's tearing it up now. All these star white outfielders out there is incredible and very encouraging.

I picked up Ludwick and start him on one of my fantasy baseball teams. I've noticed that every single time (and I do mean every time) CBS Sportsline posts an update on Ludwick, they refer to him as a "career journeyman," who they keep predicting is going to go into a slump for the rest of the season and lose his starting job.


Ludwick, a former star player in college, isobviously not a "journeyman" but another white athlete who finally got a chance to play regularly and has produced. His career stats before this season were 28 home runs and 96 RBIs in just 537 at bats, very nice power totals, but spread out over five seasons. There's a big difference between a "journeyman" and someone denied the opportunity to show his talent on a regular basis.

 

[guest301]

Yes that Ryan Ludwick has come out of nowhere, hasn't he. Just another farm prospect the Rangers either gave up on and traded away and goes onto star somewhere else. I will have to admit that I didn't think much of him when I first saw him come into the league but he's tearing it up now. All these star white outfielders out there is incredible and very encouraging.

I picked up Ludwick and start him on one of my fantasy baseball teams.  I've noticed that every single time (and I do mean every time) CBS Sportsline posts an update on Ludwick, they refer to him as a "career journeyman," who they keep predicting is going to go into a slump for the rest of the season and lose his starting job. 


Ludwick, a former star player in college, is obviously not a "journeyman" but another white athlete who finally got a chance to play regularly and has produced.  His career stats before this season were 28 home runs and 96 RBIs in just 537 at bats, very nice power totals, but spread out over five seasons.  There's a big difference between a "journeyman" and someone denied the opportunity to show his talent on a regular basis.

Well 537 at bats is the normal amount of plate appearances a starter would have during the season. 28 HR's and 96 RBI's would not be considered journeyman stats over the course of a full season. So looking at it from your angle Don, Ludwick was never a journeyman, just another white player waiting for a full opportunity to prove himself. They never really hyped Ryan in the Rangers farm system, he was just normally a guy they would call up due to injury or to fill a backup spot. He's certainly blossoming now. Edited by: guest301

 

[whiteCB]

Yeah Ludwick was never give a shot when he was with the Cleveland Indians to play everyday. I specifically remember saying to myself a few years back when the Tribe had him wondering why he wasn't playing everyday. It's impossible for a MLB batter to get better with sporadic playing time. Hitters need to get into a rythem and the only why to accomplish that is with consistent playing time.

 

[guest301]

Last week The Sporting News had a piece on players who were not getting the votes they deserved.  Was gonna post on it but forgot.  All the players mentioned but one were white.  So yeah, everyone here should take the time to vote.  (P.S. If you have no life you can vote up to 25 times.

)


http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2008/ballot_reg.html


 

Bump- last week of voting.

 

[Don Wassall]

Whites are so clearly dominating baseball this season that even ESPN is forced to acknowledge it. Seven whites out of 8players in the starting lineup for the NL, 6 out of 8 for the AL on the teams picked by ESPN. Five of the 6 outfielders are white, the other is Carlos Quentin who was born in California and looks mostly if not entirely Euro-descended. What a dramatic turnaround there has been in baseball in 2008.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08/news/story?id=347277 2Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[guest301]

That's just awesome news. I look forward to this years all star game more than any other.

 

[Solomon Kane]

Good news.

 

[patriot]

If Josh Howard is selected I am not watching the game. He is hitting around 215 and has over 100 strikeouts so far, but because he has 21 home runs and is black; he will probably be selected.

 

[Don Wassall]

If Josh Howard is selected I am not watching the game. He is hitting around 215 and has over 100 strikeouts so far, but because he has 21 home runs and is black; he will probably be selected.

I'm tempted to call Ryan Howard the black Greg Luzinski but that's doing a disservice to Luzinski. I'll be very surprised if Howard plays 15 seasons like Greg did, and is able to finish with a career batting average of .276. And Luzinski struck out less than once every 4 at bats whereas Howard whiffs more than a third of the time, and seemingly just about every at bat when it counts in the playoffs.

 

[whiteCB]

If Josh Howard is selected I am not watching the game. He is hitting around 215 and has over 100 strikeouts so far, but because he has 21 home runs and is black; he will probably be selected.

I'm tempted to call Ryan Howard the black Greg Luzinski but that's doing a disservice to Luzinski.  I'll be very surprised if Howard plays 15 seasons like Greg did, and is able to finish with a career batting average of .276.  And Luzinski struck out less than once every 4 at bats whereas Howard whiffs more than a third of the time, and seemingly just about every at bat when it counts in the playoffs. 

Oh Howard will definitely be the 1st player ever this year to have over 200 strikeouts, setting a new MLB single season record. Congrats Ryan!!

 

[Don Wassall]

After whiffing four more times today, Howard is now at 123 strikeouts at just past the halfway point of the season.

Looks like he's not just gonna break the record but shatter it.

 

[James]

Single season strikeout records (batters):

Rank Player Strikeouts Year
1 Ryan Howard 199 2007
2 Adam Dunn 195 2004
3 Adam Dunn 194 2006
4 Bobby Bonds 189 1970
5 José Hernández 188 2002
6 Bobby Bonds 187 1969
Preston Wilson 187 2000
8 Rob Deer 186 1987
9 José Hernández 185 2001
Pete Incaviglia 185 1986
Jim Thome 185 2001
12 Cecil Fielder 182 1990
Jim Thome 182 2003
14 Ryan Howard 181 2006
Mo Vaughn 181 2000

 

[Bear-Arms]

If Josh Howard is selected I am not watching the game. He is hitting around 215 and has over 100 strikeouts so far, but because he has 21 home runs and is black; he will probably be selected.

Nope. He didn't make the team. Oh, and I think you meant Ryan Howard.

Should be interesting if you watch the game knowing that Jason Varitek is batting 218 and made the team. Boston should just put their entire roster on the team. The All-Star game is a big joke. A.J. Pierzynski should be making the team. He's having a far better season.

NL Starters
C Geovany Soto Chicago
1B Lance Berkman Houston
2B Chase Utley Philadelphia
3B Chipper Jones Atlanta
SS Hanley Ramirez Florida
OF Ryan Braun Milwaukee
OF Alfonso Soriano Chicago
OF Kosuke Fukudome Chicago
Pitchers
RHP Aaron Cook Colorado
RHP Ryan Dempster Chicago
RHP Dan Haren Arizona
RHP Brad Lidge Philadelphia
RHP Tim Lincecum San Francisco
RHP Ben Sheets Milwaukee
RHP Edinson Volquez Cincinnati
LHP Billy Wagner New York
RHP Brandon Webb Arizona
RHP Brian Wilson San Francisco
RHP Kerry Wood Chicago
RHP Carlos Zambrano CHC

Reserves
C Russell Martin Los Angeles
C Brian McCann Atlanta
1B Adrian Gonzalez San Diego
1B Albert Pujols St. Louis
2B Dan Uggla Florida
3B Aramis Ramirez Chicago
SS Cristian Guzman Washington
SS Miguel Tejada Houston
OF Matt Holliday Colorado
OF Ryan Ludwick St. Louis
OF Nate McLouth Pittsburgh


AL Starters
C Joe Mauer Minnesota
1B Kevin Youkilis Boston
2B Dustin Pedroia Boston
3B Alex Rodriguez New York
SS Derek Jeter New York
OF Josh Hamilton Texas
OF Manny Ramirez Boston
OF Ichiro Suzuki Seattle
DH David Ortiz Boston
Pitchers
RHP Justin Duchscherer Oakland
RHP Roy Halladay Toronto
LHP Scott Kazmir Tampa Bay
LHP Cliff Lee Cleveland
RHP Joe Nathan Minnesota
RHP Jonathan Papelbon Boston
RHP Mariano Rivera New York
RHP Francisco Rodriguez Los Angeles
RHP Ervin Santana Los Angeles
LHP Joe Saunders Los Angeles
LHP George Sherrill Baltimore
RHP Joakim Soria Kansas City
Reserves
C Dioner Navarro Tampa Bay
C Jason Varitek Boston
1B Justin Morneau Minnesota
2B Ian Kinsler Texas
SS Michael Young Texas
3B Joe Crede Chicago
3B Carlos Guillen Detroit
OF J.D. Drew Boston
OF Carlos Quentin Chicago
OF Grady Sizemore Cleveland
DH Milton Bradley Texas

 

[guest301]

I am very happy that JD Drew has made the all-star team, finally realized his potential and has stayed injury free this year.

I thought he had a fairly good season last year as well.

 

[guest301]

One more thing..I am hoping and predicting my favorite player Josh Hamilton to win the Home Run contest and he will hit some monster shots traveling over 450 feet that night.

 

[Solomon Kane]

Mussina should have been selected as one of the pitchers. He's having a very good year.

 

[celticdb15]

Go Corey Hart!! Havent checked to see if he got in, but he deserves it!! I love the way he plays the game with heart and intensity.

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

I like the All-Star rosters-plenty of deserving white players on both teams.

 

[Don Wassall]

I picked up Ludwick and start him on one of my fantasy baseball teams. I've noticed that every single time (and I do mean every time) CBS Sportsline posts an update on Ludwick, they refer to him as a "career journeyman," who they keep predicting is going to go into a slump for the rest of the season and lose his starting job.


Ludwick, a former star player in college, isobviously not a "journeyman" but another white athlete who finally got a chance to play regularly and has produced. His career stats before this season were 28 home runs and 96 RBIs in just 537 at bats, very nice power totals, but spread out over five seasons. There's a big difference between a "journeyman" and someone denied the opportunity to show his talent on a regular basis.

After receiving yet another email update this morning that called Ludwick a "career journeyman" I sent the following reply to CBS Sports: "Do you have an unbreakable rule there that Ryan Ludwick MUST be called a "journeyman" EVERY SINGLE TIME you do a write-up on him? We get the idea; he was a journeyman before this season. Now he's a starter. Quit referring to him as a journeyman every time, it's embarrassing."


The latest update just arrived a bit ago. It reads: "Cardinals OF Ryan Ludwick went 3-for-5 with a triple, homer and four RBI in Saturday's 12-11 loss to the Pirates. Ludwick now has four homers in his last six games and 20 on the season. Looking back at his minor league stats, Ludwick did have three seasons of 25 or more homers, so this season's power explosion hasn't come completely out of the blue. After a.228 slump in June, Ludwick is getting the bat going again over the last week or so and remains a solid low-end starting OF in all mixed formats."


He wasn't called a journeyman!

Edited by: Don Wassall