If there’s anything more American and 3.4% Canadian than the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, it’s complaining about baseball’s All-Star snubs. Bruce Bochy is the manager for the All-Star Game, and he probably snubbed someone that makes you upset. For example, he didn’t pick a single Yankee for his team! The nerve ...
All-Star Game 2011: National League Snubs
Who did Bruce Bochy leave off his National League All-Star roster?
But if it makes you feel better, it's not because Bochy is an evil man. He's just from a different school, the kind of school that makes you want Aaron Rowand leading off for your team over and over again. Here are some of the more egregious snubs, starting with the four players who still have a chance in the Final Vote competition:
Andre Ethier
Ethier started off the season in the spotlight with his 30-game hitting streak, but his biggest asset (.388 OBP) wasn't enough to overcome less power than some of the other outfielders chosen (seven home runs).
Ian Kennedy
Kennedy has a 3.01 and an 8-2 record for a surprise contender, and he plays in a tough park for pitchers.
Todd Helton
He's the perfect example of a legacy guy having a great year -- a guy who would normally be chosen no question. But the Marlins needed a rep, so Gaby Sanchez made it over Helton.
Michael Morse:
He had one of the best chances of being the player that made people checking Baseball Reference in 2021 think there was a database error. He's having an excellent year, but he would have been a definite first-half special
Shane Victorino:
Congratulations to Shane Victorino for winning the Final Vote selection. What? He will. At least he's having an absolutely fantastic season, the third-most valuable outfielder in the NL according to FanGraphs.
And now to the players who will need an injury to make it, or in the case of pitchers, they'll need a pitcher like Matt Cain to withdraw from the team because he pitches on Sundayt:
Tommy Hanson
Hanson has the stats that managers love (9-4 record, 2.62 ERA) as well as the sabermetric types love (3.07 FIP, 9.77 K/9). He missed a start in June, putting him at 89-1/3 innings, which would have been the fewest of any starting pitcher to make the team other than Ryan Vogelsong.
Jordan Zimmermann
The players selected Tyler Clippard as the Nationals' representative, but it's hard to imagine Nationals fans wanting the reliever over Zimmermann, who is fifth in ERA for the NL.
Anibal Sanchez
He's 20th in ERA, and the Marlins haven't won a game since May 6th or so. I'm not saying it's right, but that's how Bochy and the players probably think.
Chase Headley
He has a .399 OBP in Petco Park, which translates to a .698 on-base percentage anywhere else, which would shatter Barry Bonds's record. Alas, Petco Park.
Craig Kimbrel
In a world where a third of all closers seem to make the team, there wasn't a spot for Kimbrel? If it makes the Braves fans feel better, he can use the rest.
Andrew McCutchen
The worst of the worst snubs. He's one of the most exciting players in the game, and he's the shining light for a team that is somehow 2.5 games back in the NL Central. FanGraphs has him as the second-most valuable position player in the league. He absolutely needs to sneak on the roster as an injury replacement.
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