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Apology to David Wright

Zvon Jul 08 2012 05:10 PM

I write this post to apologize to David Wright. He should be a starting third baseman in this years all star game, and he isn't, and I must share a tini-tiny percentage of the blame as to why he isn't. I only voted for him three times. Initially I thought Sandoval getting the start over Wright at third was a bunch of bull but after much thought I have to reconsider. I can't say anything bad about the San Francisco fans who stuffed the ballot box with their teams players. They were encouraged to do so (more by local media than by MLB) and were supporting their team. Good for them, I tip my cap. When I was younger and I got the all star (punch-out) ballot Id always just punch out all the Mets players and be done with it. It didn't matter if they were having all star years or not, they were Mets. As I got older (and saw that my voting never put an all Met all star team on the field) I stopped doing that and would only vote for Mets who I thought were having an all star type of season by my standards.I began voting for who I thought was the best player for each position. This change took place well before the all star game "mattered" and it was just a fun mid season showcase. I always wanted the N.L. to win, but I still voted for who I thought was the best players in the A.L. because I figured it would make for a better game, and I just love watching a good baseball game no matter whos playing. I never thought of this in terms of me not supporting my team. If a Met was even in the discussion for starting at a position, he would always get my vote. Back in the 80s when I changed my way of voting there were always a number of Mets who deserved to go, and that made it easier. But, for instance, I wouldn't vote for Rafael Santana over Ozzie Smith back in the mid 80's. Ozzie was the better all around shortstop. To me this was a no brainer. When they made the change that gave the winner of the game the home field advantage in the World Series I continued to vote this way thinking that I was ahead of the curve. Now my voting strategy of trying to field the best N.L. team did matter. After that, some seasons I didn't even vote for the A.L.squad and that was my way of supporting the N.L. team, which I've always favored. Id vote a number of times for the deserved player, and if he happened to be a Met, I'd vote as many extra times as I could. Now, this season I didn't do that. We have been encouraged to vote 25 times. I have to wonder if this edict effected my routine. I think it was more a time factor, in that I got the E-mail, followed the link, filled out the N.L. ballot, clicked send three times, and thought:thats all the time I have for that (must have been a busy day). If I thought there was even a chance that Wright would be out voted as the starter at 3rd base I would have gotten on my horse and delivered the remaining 22 votes that I didn't use. But I figured he was a shoe-in for third base by any serious, adult voter. He deserved it this season more than ever. I didn't think he needed my help getting the start this year. I was severely mistaken. So this leaves me thinking I should have voted more times for David Wright. It has also changed my thinking on the entire voting process. From now on I'm going back to the way I voted as a kid. I'm gonna go down the list and check off all the Mets whether they deserve the start or not (with some very rare exceptions for non-Met players who I really like and who are having a great season). I'm not going to concern myself with the home field advantage for the Big Show. This reward, and the way the all star game has been promoted by MLB(now it counts! vote 25 times!),as well as other teams (campaigns for their players) creates conflicting issues. Home field advantage for the World Series should not be a factor unless the fans are voting for the "best" team possible. I can't blame the fans who don't do this because it's their vote to do with what they want. So I feel that either the vote should be taken away from the fans and have the players pick, keeping the home field reward, or allow the fans to continue to vote and drop the "now it counts" aspect. If N.L & A.L. are not fielding the best possible teams with the intention of winning the game, then this set up simply no longer makes sense ,if it ever did (I think back in the 1970's it would have made more sense). I prefer we fans still vote and they drop the home field advantage situation. Hopefully MLB will realize this eventually and we can all support our favorite teams players without fear of consequences and can go back to an all star game that showcases our favorites. Because that's all the all star game should be. A showcase during a break in the action. So, I want to apologize to David Wright for not supporting him to my fullest potential and want him to know that will never happen again.

bmfc1 Jul 08 2012 07:17 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

You and every other Mets fan can make it up to David in '13 as there should be a drive to make sure that he gets the start at home.

themetfairy Jul 08 2012 07:31 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

bmfc1 wrote: You and every other Mets fan can make it up to David in '13 as there should be a drive to make sure that he gets the start at home. Word!

Edgy MD Jul 08 2012 07:48 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

I honestly have simply not allowed myself to be bothered to with voting in a process that seems so overwhelmingly farcical. But if it means giving David his due, I'll vote for him at third and I'll wright him in (clever!) at every other position.

metirish Jul 08 2012 07:53 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

Nice post Zvon.. I didn't vote at all, boo me, it's just all a load.of bollox I think. Last time.I "stuffed" the ballot was for Mookie in I think the most memorable plays vote.....maybe five years or more ago.

Ashie62 Jul 08 2012 08:23 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

I'm more interested in getting him signed. I don't vote. The purpose of the all star game is to raise revenue...

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 08 2012 08:27 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

I did my part but feel like an idiot for having keystroked 25 captcha phrases in a row.

Ceetar Jul 08 2012 08:57 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

Ashie62 wrote: I'm more interested in getting him signed. I don't vote. The purpose of the all star game is to raise revenue... for the Major League Baseball retirement fund right?

Benjamin Grimm Jul 09 2012 04:14 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

I didn't vote this year, and I won't vote next year either. I'm sorry David didn't get the start, but I feel no personal guilt about it. I won't be watching the game, and I won't even be aware that I'm not watching the game.

Fman99 Jul 09 2012 04:32 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

I voted once. I won't vote 25 times just because that's what MLB deems "allowable" per email address. I have several email addresses, should I feel guilty for not voting 100 times? 125 times? Stupid.

Edgy MD Jul 09 2012 06:57 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I did my part but feel like an idiot for having keystroked 25 captcha phrases in a row. Ugh.

Mets – Willets Point Jul 09 2012 08:02 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I didn't vote this year, and I won't vote next year either. I'm sorry David didn't get the start, but I feel no personal guilt about it. I won't be watching the game, and I won't even be aware that I'm not watching the game. This. The system is flawed and almost certainly the deciding votes were cast by a scripted program and not by dedicated fans voting 25 times each. I have no guilt. And as I've said before, Wright is an All-Star, he will play in the game, and may even get a hit. The rest of this stuff doesn't matter to me one whit.

soupcan Jul 09 2012 10:06 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

MLB wants the game to 'count', yet the roster is decided by fans. As a result the 'best' players available don't necessarily start the game. This year a National League fan would root for the NL to win for home field advantage in the WS. The fans vote and Pablo Sandoval starts instead of David Wright. So the best third baseman in the league this year - who is more likely to drive in a run/get a big hit than Sandoval - maybe loses an at-bat or two. Could be the difference in the game. How is that fair or makes sense? One or the other - either the fans vote OR the game counts, because those two things do not mesh.

bmfc1 Jul 09 2012 10:32 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

Well put, soupcan. Another way MLB is hypocritical is the requirement that each team have one player selected (it's selected, not on the team as the Marlins won't have a player in the game). If the game "counts", then pick the best players. We don't need an Astro or an Athletic just for the sake of equity.

Edgy MD Jul 09 2012 10:38 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

Well, there's an argument that a roster representing every team --- and the handicaps and benefits that represents --- is appropriate if the players are fighting for an advantage which, in theory, could benefit any team in the winning league. The argument, of course, largely falls apart when the leagues have a different number of teams, however. But really, it shouldn't matter, as a competitive, high-stakes game shouldn't be filled with unstrategic high-volume bench emptying. So, no matter how much the game's counting is asserted, managers are getting other messages too, though I'm not sure from where.

metsguyinmichigan Jul 09 2012 10:54 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

I LOVE the All-Star Game. I'm watching it. And I'm planning to, some way, get to New York next year when the FanFest is Mets-centric!

Ceetar Jul 09 2012 11:29 AM Re: Apology to David Wright

metsguyinmichigan wrote: I LOVE the All-Star Game. I'm watching it. And I'm planning to, some way, get to New York next year when the FanFest is Mets-centric! indeed. I've multiple times contemplated buying these plans to come with priority for tickets, but it always shakes out that i'd be cheaper to overspend 4x on All-Star tickets so I don't. I may have to mug a season ticket holder. (or get all cozy with one..) I'm rooting for Beltran tonight.

metsmarathon Jul 09 2012 01:23 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

i don't buy the argument that requiring a member from each of the 32 teams degrades the level of the rosters. perhaps in practice, where some scrub reliever is selected to represent his schlubby team, but really, it doesn't have to. if, using fangraphs' WAR metric, you selected the top player at each position for each league, as well as the top starter and reliever, you would have 7 AL teams represented, and 8 NL teams. if you expanded your roster to include the top two players at each position (counting david ortiz as a 1b), you would have representatives from 12 AL teams (only seattle, and baltimore excluded) and 12 NL teams (colorado, san francisco, los angeles, and chicago excluded). add a 3rd starting pitcher, and you bring in seattle. and that only has 21 players per side. you bring in baltimore with the 3rd best catcher or centerfielder, or 6th best starting pitcher. you bring in colorado with the 3rd best centerfielder you bring in san francisco with the 6th best starting pitcher (grumble grumble matt cain grumble grumble) you bring in los angeles with either the 3rd best catcher, right fielder, centerfielder (tied with colorado), or the 8th best starting pitcher chicago, of course, gives you some trouble. their best player is only the 4th best shortstop. but even he is only 0.1 WAR behind hte #3 guy. and since, in reality, the all star rosters tend to average 35 men, if you set that as your number, you can have the top 3 players at each position, plus 9 pitchers (7 starters, 2 relievers), and you only have to bend the rules to fit in a cub who barely got edged.

Edgy MD Jul 09 2012 01:26 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

Yeah, I agree without having bothered to muster the science in support. It's something of a red herring amidst much realer concerns.

Ceetar Jul 09 2012 01:30 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

The 'it counts' doesn't matter much either. it's scheduling of a series that might not even go 7 and even if it does hard to quantify if home field is the reason a team lost. Plus it's not like there has ever been some sort of fairer way to determine it.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 09 2012 01:33 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

Fuck a David Wright start next year. I want Ruben in there. I want Josh Thole in there. I want Jason Bay in there. You like your system? We'll make it an overpriced Met home game, you fucking car salesman.

Ceetar Jul 09 2012 01:52 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Fuck a David Wright start next year. I want Ruben in there. I want Josh Thole in there. I want Jason Bay in there. You like your system? We'll make it an overpriced Met home game, you fucking car salesman. I'm all for this. It won't happen though. No way to motivate that many Mets fans. The trick is to do one last massive push after the last official standings. I'd love to write in someone ridiculous as well. Write in Dillon Gee to play second or something.

G-Fafif Jul 09 2012 02:27 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

David: historically awesome first half.

Mets – Willets Point Jul 09 2012 02:30 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

David: historically awesome first half. A two-pun headline. ESPN is putting in an All-Star performance.

Edgy MD Jul 09 2012 02:44 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

Ceetar wrote: No way to motivate that many Mets fans. Well there's hate. Hate always helps. Have Roger Clemens come out against Met fan ballot stuffing. Scratch that --- have Roger Clemens, Pete Rose, John Rocker, and Fred Wilpon do a joint PSA.

Edgy MD Jul 09 2012 02:44 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

Ceetar wrote: No way to motivate that many Mets fans. Well there's hate. Hate always helps. Have Roger Clemens come out against Met fan ballot stuffing. Scratch that --- have Roger Clemens, Pete Rose, John Rocker, and Fred Wilpon do a joint PSA.

Ceetar Jul 09 2012 02:48 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

Edgy DC wrote: Ceetar wrote: No way to motivate that many Mets fans. Well there's hate. Hate always helps. Have Roger Clemens come out against Met fan ballot stuffing. Scratch that --- have Roger Clemens, Pete Rose, John Rocker, and Fred Wilpon do a joint PSA. a little sad, but that's true. Wonder how it plays out next year.

Mets – Willets Point Jul 09 2012 02:48 PM Re: Apology to David Wright

Edgy DC wrote: Ceetar wrote: No way to motivate that many Mets fans. Well there's hate. Hate always helps. Have Roger Clemens come out against Met fan ballot stuffing. Scratch that --- have Roger Clemens, Pete Rose, John Rocker, and Fred Wilpon do a joint PSA. Have them in a dunk tank. Vote 25 times and John Rocker goes in the drink. With his cat.