The MLB 2010 Allstar Game roster is almost complete. I say almost because there’s some standouts that will need the fan votes to join the Midsummer Classic in Anaheim. Read more.
First up on the list is Ryan Zimmerman, the Washington Nationals third baseman. Zimmerman is a gold glove winner and a power box in an otherwise powerless Nationals lineup. Zimmerman is batting .286 with 14 HR’s and 44 RBI’s on the season and has been a stud at third base and is one of the few bright spots for the last place Nationals.
The other National League nominees include Heath Bell of the Padres, Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies and Billy Wagner, the closer of the division leading Braves. While all of these candidates have played extremely well in the first half of the season, there’s one more nominee that really, shouldn’t even be a nominee, he should already be in the classic, his name is Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds.
It’s pure injustice that the Reds first baseman Votto isn’t already selected to the Allstar team roster. Votto leads the National League in Homeruns he’s batting .318 and is among the league leaders in RBI’s with 59. When you look at his numbers, it’s not even a debate, the kid is an allstar plain and simple. The fact that it even has to come down to a vote is injustice. Why? Because he’s Canadian? Because he’s been instrumental in turning the Reds franchise around into division leaders? It doesn’t make sense, I guess being one of the best first basemen in the Majors doesn’t win any popular points, maybe Votto should spit in an umpires face or something.
In the American League, there’s not as much injustice, the guys on the fence include Nick Swisher of the Yankees, Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox, Delmon Young of the Twins and Michael Young of the Texas Rangers. By all accounts, Kevin Youkilis deserves to be in the classic. He means the most to his team out of all the remaining nominees and he’s having an allstar caliber season up until this point in the season. If all was fair in baseball, which it never is, Michael Young, would be in the classic. His veteran leadership, his willingness to move to thirdbase to give Andrus shortstop to make the team better and his unbelievable play which has been instrumental in the Rangers rising to the top of the AL West should count for something. But this is baseball, and it’s many things, rarely fair.
If you’re planning on voting, all I ask is you vote Votto for the NL and end the injustice.
