Who's your All-Star?

[Bob Alpacadaca]

Where is our hero advocating for Lindor ?

Perhaps Palmer meant to say, "Yankee bias" instead of "NYC bias." C'mon, Jim!

[MFS62]

Palmer probably still hasn't forgiven the Mets since 1969.

In a nicer story, Pirate Rookie All-Star Paul Skenes said he wanted to meet Bob Uecker and I saw a picture on FB that showed they were introduced. Something about that makes me feel good.
Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

I wouldn't have guessed that Bob Uecker was still alive. Good for him!

[batmagadanleadoff]

What ? Is this true ?

I don't see what's wrong there. It looks like Pete was saying if selected for the team, he'd participate in the derby. Is Nightengale implying that Pete was selected only because he would compete in the derby?

I think it's worse than that. According to a piece in The Athletic, Alonso played hardball with MLB and told MLB that he'd participate in the HR Derby only if he was also selected to the All-Star team. Apparently, Alonso had some leverage over MLB because the potential field for the Derby was greatly reduced after some injuries and opt-outs. Alonso was not an original choice for this year's Derby but after MLB's preferred field was diminished, MLB wanted Alonso very badly for the Derby, and so gave in to Alonso's demand.

By getting Pete Alonso in the Home Run Derby, MLB shortchanged two of his Mets teammates

Excerpt:

Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor are deserving All-Stars. But neither earned spots in the fan or player voting, and Major League Baseball’s desire for teammate Pete Alonso to be in the Home Run Derby prevented them from getting the Mets’ only selection.

Wittingly or not, Alonso created unintended consequences for Nimmo and Lindor when he said of the Derby, “If I’m selected to the All-Star team, I’m definitely open to doing it.” The league used each of its five at-large selections to account for teams that were left without a representative in the fan or player balloting. That is how Alonso became the Mets’ only All-Star.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/562957 ... mo-lindor/

The article's kinda fudgy but I think that my interpretation is the soundest because a player doesn't have to be an All-Star selection to participate in the HR Derby.

[MFS62]

The fact that they could have invited him to participate if he hadn't been an All-Star and he still demanded to be on the team leads me to guess that he either has an All Star bonus clause in his contract or his agent told him to do it to build his free agency resume. Or both.
Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

On the heels of Paul Skenes’ 11-strikeout performance with seven no-hit innings Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates star rookie was named the National League’s All-Star Game starting pitcher Friday.

Skenes will be the fifth rookie to start an All-Star Game in MLB history, joining Hideo Nomo (1995), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Mark Fidrych (1976) and Dave Stenhouse (1962).

Since making his major-league debut on May 11, Skenes is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA with 89 strikeouts and just 14 runs allowed in 66 1/3 innings. His ERA would be first in the league and his 12.08 strikeouts per nine innings would be second-best if he pitched enough innings to qualify as a league leader.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/563393 ... e-starter/

[MFS62]

The two runs the Mets scored off Skenes (in 7 IP) was the most of any major league team he's faced.
We got his number.

Later

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Did anyone have Jose Iglesias? OMG! He's headed to the Home Run Derby.

https://sny.tv/articles/mets-jose-igles ... -run-derby

[Cowtipper]

They are really running this OMG thing into the ground very quickly.

[Fman99]

While all star caliber Mets Lindor & Nimmo stay home and make frowny faces (or take vacations and get rest, like I know).

Not to put down Iglesias' on field contributions which have wildly exceeded any reasonable expectations a Mets fan might have had when he was called up.

[TheNextMetsManager]

Put Iglesias in there.

[metirish]

This is cool

[Edgy MD]

Still haven't seen an announcement on a Mookie Betts replacement.

Luis Arraez is also sitting out with a thumb injury.

[G-Fafif]

De La Cruz is technically Betts’s replacement.

[Edgy MD]

Welly, I should have known I'd see Elly on the telly.