Jason Varitek: Worst All-Star ever?
by Scott Christ on Jul 6, 2008 6:48 PM EDT
in Commentary & Analysis
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Let me preface this by saying I actually like Jason Varitek. I have no problem with him. I don't care what team he plays for.
But he is having one God awful season.
And his fellow players have put him into the All-Star game.
There have been some terrible All-Stars over the years, sometimes due to the absurdly bad popularity contest that is the fan vote, sometimes just due to the fact that SOMEONE has to go from every team, and it's not always the most deserving guy. George Sherrill, 2008 Baltimore Orioles, for instance. You might have more need to have Sherrill there than, say, Brian Roberts. (Go vote for Brian Bob in the Final Vote!)
The problem I have is Varitek wasn't voted in by the fans. Even Red Sox fans have got to admit that Varitek freakin' sucks. And he wasn't even put there by his manager. He was put there by the moron players, who either just think he's a great guy or have a total misunderstanding of how good Jason Varitek is anymore. He used to be a hell of a ballplayer. That is no longer the case.
I'm sure if you ask Jason Varitek, he's pretty surprised he's going to New York for the game. Doesn't seem like the sort of cat that doesn't know he's having a bad season, or isn't really disappointed by it, or isn't working hard every day to find his swing.
What is the critera the players used to select Varitek? They know who he is? He's "respected"?
You can argue that it really doesn't mean anything, but that's as hollow as Major League Baseball insisting that the game does mean something. And if you're going to put this stupid exhibition game into the role of World Series home field advantage decider, then how can you really allow for someone as bad as Varitek to be there?
Here's an easy list: AL catchers ranked by VORP.
- Joe Mauer, MIN, 27.1
- A.J. Pierzynski, CWS, 14.8
- Dioner Navarro, TB, 13.1
- Gerald Laird, TEX, 9.3
- Ivan Rodriguez, DET, 8.9
- Jorge Posada, NYY, 8.6
- Kelly Shoppach, CLE, 8.3
- Miguel Olivo, KC, 7.6
- Rod Barajas, TOR, 7.0
- Mike Napoli, LAA, 5.6
- Gregg Zaun, TOR, 5.2
- Kurt Suzuki, OAK, 4.3
- Ramon Hernandez, BAL, 1.3
- Victor Martinez, CLE, 1.3
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, TEX, -1.2
- John Buck, KC, -1.6
- Jason Varitek, BOS, -2.3
- Jeff Mathis, LAA, -2.5
- Jose Molina, NYY, -6.3
- Kenji Johjima, SEA, -8.2
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Maybe the players
voted early in June when his numbers were good??? He’s been turds for a month now. Beats the shit out of me.
by Awesome Mike Awesome on Jul 6, 2008 7:02 PM EDT reply actions
well, since the red sox have a good team..
half the country have become red sox fans. Reminds me of the days when the Yankees were good, and people started sportin their fresh Yankees caps.
Me: Oh, so how did you become a Yankees fan? Aren’t you from Wisconsin?
Yankees Fan: I drove through upstate New York once. Fell in love with the Yankees since that day.
I have a feeling something similar is happening with the Red Sox.. it’s not possible that so many people are from Boston/lived in Boston.. it would have a population greater than Mexico City…
Greater than Sao Paulo
10+ million
"I wasn't here for the losing years. But it feels a little like the days with Earl in charge and John Lowenstein smashing birthday cakes in the middle of the clubhouse with a bat." - John "T-Bone" Shelby
the thing is
Boston has a lot of schools, and I see so many kids that come up here to go to school who have no interest in baseball or sports who start to follow the Red Sox and put up a big show of liking them. A friend who goes to school here has become a big Red Sox fan, but she’s from Jersey…I don’t get it. It’s like some kind of cult.
"We might as well just win this game." -Adam Jones
Friends don't let friends
become PHN fans
"I wasn't here for the losing years. But it feels a little like the days with Earl in charge and John Lowenstein smashing birthday cakes in the middle of the clubhouse with a bat." - John "T-Bone" Shelby
It's a fucking cult
the hip thing for all of the college kids is to like the PHN
"We might as well just win this game." -Adam Jones
Therefore, I fear 2 things when I will one day send my kids off to college
1. They come back Hari Krishna
2. They come back PHN
... I think I’d be more upset about #2 though.
Yeah, at least
there are programs to send them to for #1 to get them back to normal
"I wasn't here for the losing years. But it feels a little like the days with Earl in charge and John Lowenstein smashing birthday cakes in the middle of the clubhouse with a bat." - John "T-Bone" Shelby
Razor has a positive VORP?
Didn’t see THAT coming…
"I wasn't here for the losing years. But it feels a little like the days with Earl in charge and John Lowenstein smashing birthday cakes in the middle of the clubhouse with a bat." - John "T-Bone" Shelby
hey
Boston took Javy Lopez.
Maybe the Mariners would like to make a trade with us!
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
yeah
He doesn’t want to be an ace. I say they send him back for Ramon. Ramon can also play first base!
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
I'll throw in Bynum, too
Shoes and Razor for Bedard. Hell, toss in Greg Aquino, too! We’ll do a 3 for 1!
"I wasn't here for the losing years. But it feels a little like the days with Earl in charge and John Lowenstein smashing birthday cakes in the middle of the clubhouse with a bat." - John "T-Bone" Shelby
well, they did have their back-up catcher pitching today...
they could use a mediocre to terrible reliever, I think.
Jones or Markakis
They were both scouted as pitchers…
According to something I read, AJ could hit 93-94 with his fastball consistently, sometimes 96…
well it is an absurd decision
What dope were these players smoking?
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by Scott Christ on Jul 7, 2008 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
i wouldn't mind a hit of that doob...
...i’d be seeing… ALL-STAHS…
by oc on Jul 7, 2008 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
It's absolutely ridiculous.
I’m a Sox fan, and utterly f’n confused. Terrible job by the players, who must have something against: Dioner Navarro as well.
The only reason I like it is because f’ the Yankees. But other than that, complete bs.
Is he a worse choice than Mark Redman? Mike? Williams? from Pittsburgh a few years ago? Do we have to make those decisions? Let’s just classify them all as awful awful choices.
"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Dr. Pepper is a doctor?"
Redman and Williams at least HAD to go because teams gotta send someone. Redman was particularly eyebrow-raising though. Poor Varitek - who has to accept all the crap the choice is going to take - just has no business there, period.
But hey, this is still better than the writers awarding Rafael Palmeiro with a Gold Glove in a season where he played 28 games at first base.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
I dunno.
Palmeiro was actually good at something that year.
"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Dr. Pepper is a doctor?"
Varitek's Qualifications
There once was a day when major league catchers were rated based on their defensive play rather than their offense. VORP, unless I am mistaken, is an offensive stat. This is not fantasy baseball. Varitek is the only catcher to ever catch 4 no hitters (He caught Lester’s this year)! He is heralded as one of the best, if not the best catcher at game preparation and calling games. Boston’s pitchers rarely ever shake the guy off and although he doesn’t have a great arm, he rarely lets a ball get by him. Not to mention he is usually great at blocking the plate, too.
How many years did Cardinals SS Ozzie Smith play in the All Star game? It wasn’t because he was a great hitter. Think about it. In his case, hitting, although it is important, is secondary.
Peter
http://www.baseballreflections.com
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