Mrs. Met is back!

Today's Culinary All-Stars event at Citi Field was meant as an unveiling of the food offerings for next month's MLB All-Star Game at the ballpark, but it was the unannounced appearance of walking, gesturing Mrs. Met that drew as much attention as the myriad food samples on display at the Caesar's Club.

I tagged along with the wife, who was invited by Aramark, and if there was anything that was going to pull me away from the (limited edition) All-Star Meatball Hero, it was a big-headed woman walking into the club. She was there -- with a nametag, as if she needed one -- to glad-hand the guests and pose for photos. She looked hungry, though she tried to hide it behind that ever-present smile.

She's not much for words, so it's not like we chatted for a bit. I did talk with one of the retail (hats, jerseys, etc.) managers, who said that Mrs. Met does have a uniform, so I suspect she'll be making some appearances during ballgames, as well. We'll have to see this weekend.

As for the food ... I should have fasted more. As in skipped dinner last night. There was just. So. Much. The last time we went to one of these events, before (I think) Citi Field's second season, we split a Shackburger, simply for the pleasure of having a free Shackburger. This time, we didn't think of it, not with Mex Burger sliders (a smaller version of the burger from Keith's Grill), lobster rolls from Catch of the Day, mac and cheese (lobster, bacon and three-cheese options) from the suites menu, beef brisket sliders from Blue Smoke, fries from Box Frites and, from the in-house chefs, loaded tater tots (cheese, bacon and scallions), several panini sandwiches and the aforementioned meatball hero. And that's just what we sampled and shared between us. There was pizza and sushi and Pat LaFrieda meats and Mama's of Corona sandwiches. I'm not sure you could get through it all in a nine-game homestand, and this was meant as an unveiling for just a three-day event -- the Futures Game and Celebrity Softball Game, the Home Run Derby, and the All-Star Game itself. Anyone attending all three will definitely not go hungry.

If you're attending any of the three events, bring your appetite (and, no doubt, your credit card), and be sure to seek out the All-Star Meatball Hero (available near Section 138) and some of the other new or unfamiliar offerings. The Mets and the vendors are rolling out some all-star eats for an All-Star event.

Grilled shrimp po boys and lobster rolls at Catch of the Day

Box Frites with pesto, buffalo blue cheese and smoky bacon sauces

Major League Grilled Cheese -- swiss, cheddar, gouda and bacon

Sliced sirloin and cheddar panini, with pepper relish and crispy onions

Chef-carved grilled black angus skirt steak, with German fried potatoes and creamed spinach

My All-Star ballot

I like to look at the All-Star Game as a yearly event, an annual summertime look at the best players in the game that year. I'm not into career achievements or voting for a guy each year just because he's a perennial starter at his position. Just because a guy like Alex Avila wasn't a starter before this year and wasn't known outside of Detroit and AL-only fantasy owners shouldn't be held against him in voting.

I also lean toward voting for players who have been on the field, guys who have stayed healthy all year. There have been times where a simple 15-day DL stint -- on, healed, and off; no setbacks or 20-day absences -- can be overlooked, particularly if it came earlier in the season (like April). But if it comes down to two players with similar numbers, or one guy might have the same stats as another if he had only stayed healthy, I'm voting for the guy who did stay healthy. Plus, if a guy's DL stint was more recent -- say June, even into July -- I'm probably not going to punch (or click) his name.

The reasons are simple: I want to see the best in the game right now, as in this year, this half-season, facing off on the second Tuesday in July. And if that means a guy at 80 percent not going to the game, I'm OK with that. I'd rather my vote go to a deserving guy who gets to play in the game than for a player named the starter who then backs out of the game because of an injury.

Over the past few years, I've tended to wait until the final days before filling out my maximum allotment of 25 ballots (per e-mail address) at MLB.com. As two friends and I were trading e-mails the other day discussing various decisions at certain positions, I wondered if we were treating this like a student leaving his term paper until the final weekend before it's due. Matt saw it another way, which I then realized was actually the truth: "As for doing this on the last week, I don't consider that being lazy, I consider it performing due diligence and not succumbing to the herd mentality that pervades at ESPN and other sports news outlets."

So having taken advantage of the technology and used a full 81 games (for most players) to consider their statistical -- and, in some cases, non-statistical, because there are some guys you just want to see play as often as you can -- output, here are the quick hits on those I vote for this year. (I'm not going to bother with filling out full team rosters. I may or may not post some thoughts on the actual squads when they're unveiled on Sunday and offer reserves then.)

A few final notes on the game, rosters, voting, etc.: 1.) I hate that the game counts, always have. It's an exhibition, and by definition shouldn't have any bearing on how the yearly champion is determined. 2.) I don't like being a fan of a game in which utility players are All-Stars. Nothing against Omar Infante as a man, but he's not an All-Star. The fact that Charlie Manuel felt a need to have a guy who could play so many positions on his team last year in the event it went extra innings pained me as a fan. 3.) I'm a National League guy and don't care for the designated hitter, but I'm glad they're using it in every All-Star Game now. If baseball were a DH-less sport, I'd be OK with watching pitchers hit in an exhibition. But really, who needs to see Justin Verlander stand there with a bat on his shoulder against Roy Halladay? Plus, the fact that they're now bending the rules to allow the DH in National League parks makes it more ridiculous that they're making this game count for anything. 4.) I'm only considering players on the actual ballot, which as we all know is so rigorously -- and somewhat insanely -- determined mostly by Opening Day lineups. There are exceptions made (see "Utley, C. - PHI" under National League second base), but not enough.

OK, the ballot (which remains open until 11:59 p.m. ET tonight):

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1B: Adrian Gonzalez. He's batting 100 points higher than Mark Teixeira, has scored more runs and driven in more. Plus, he can play right field! Now that's a utility All-Star.

2B: Robinson Cano. He's got the numbers across the board at the position. Solid all around, where other candidates lag behind Cano in one or two categories, sometimes significantly.

SS: Asdrubal Cabrera. This is where my beliefs on "career All-Stars" come in. Sorry, Jeter, not this year. A couple of weeks ago, Asdrubal was a slam-dunk runaway choice. Some arguments could be made for a few other candidates, Jhonny Peralta among them (but not Jeter), but Asdrubal's significant advantages in runs and stolen bases lift him over Peralta.

3B: Adrian Beltre. I debated this choice for a while, and I'm still not sure of it. I gave Beltre the edge over Alex Rodriguez because Beltre is a better fielder. Sure, he has a few more errors, but he gets to more balls, has more putouts and assists and has been a part of more double plays. Can't really go wrong with either, or Kevin Youkilis for that matter.

C: Alex Avila. Really, it's not even close. Better numbers at the plate, better numbers behind it. Avila's thrown out 38 percent of would-be base-stealers, catching 22 the last time I looked, second only to Kurt Suzuki's 23. And Avila got Jose Reyes today by a solid margin, only the sixth time Reyes has been nabbed this year.

DH: David Ortiz. In a landslide. Whatever, it's the DH.

OF: Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury. Bautista and Granderson are no-brainers. Ellsbury was a more deliberated choice. Adam Jones would be worthy, too, especially when you consider his defense.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1B: Prince Fielder. He's putting up the monster numbers in a contract year that everyone expected to see from Albert Pujols.

2B: Rickie Weeks. Looks like he's finally put it all together. It's fun to watch him play. One thing I didn't realize about him until I saw him up close at Yankee Stadium this week: his upper body is big, especially for a middle infielder. He wears a more tapered jersey than Fielder does, but their upper torsos are more alike than not. If it weren't Weeks, it'd be Brandon Phillips. And if it weren't Phillips? Probably Neil Walker. Other than the batting average, he's got some solid numbers at the position.

SS: Jose Reyes. Go ahead, just try to make a case for anyone else. No one compares to Reyes this year. I love Troy Tulowitzki, but he disappeared pretty much for the month of May. Reyes has 42 multihit games (out of 78 played) and, after the Mets played their 81st today, is on pace for 242 hits, 130 runs, 30 freaking triples and 60 stolen bases. Oh yeah, and he leads the Majors with a .353 batting average and is putting up a .397 OBP and .529 SLG, for a .926 OPS. He's 12th in baseball in OPS. Not bad for a leadoff hitter and shortstop. In fact, the 11 above him are all outfielders, first basemen or David Ortiz. I may have more on Reyes in another post soon, but I think he's now the one the Mets have to keep (and, sadly, maybe David Wright is the one who is allowed to go if both can't be career Mets). And Fred Wilpon had it backwards: Carl Crawford wouldn't get Jose Reyes money.

3B: Aramis Ramirez. With David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman hurt for much of the first half, this is the weakest position of them all. There's no clear frontrunner (sorry, I just can't get behind Placido Polanco as the best third baseman in the NL this year) and the stats are anemic. Wright is still tied for third among NL third baseman with his six home runs, one behind Chipper Jones and three behind Ramirez.

C: Brian McCann. You could have a great debate about the second-best catcher in the Senior Circuit.

OF: Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp and Voter's Choice. The first two are as easy as McCann and Reyes. Kemp is 20-20 already, with 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases, and is batting .331. He's currently second in the NL in batting average, first in home runs and third in RBIs -- he's got a legitimate shot at the Triple Crown (if Reyes' batting average comes down a little). But the third guy? Take your pick from Carlos Beltran, Carlos Gonzalez, Chris Young, Andrew McCutchen, Lance Berkman, Justin Upton or Drew Stubbs. I can't decide how to separate them.

So there they are: the 17 players I'd like to see take the field in Phoenix a week from Tuesday. We'll find out who gets to go on Sunday.

The All-Star Game has been leaning to the right

While enjoying the National League's 3-1 victory over the American League last night, I found myself thinking back to some of the AL's dramatic (and sometimes heartbreaking) victories over the past few years and one thing kept coming up: In my memory, all the hits went to right field.

So I went back to the play-by-play in the box scores on Baseball-Reference and, looking at just the "This Time It Counts" Era, found that all but one of the eventual game-winners (no matter what inning) went to the right of the center fielder. Only Miguel Tejada's home run to left-center to start the scoring in the second inning in 2005 went anywhere else.

Year	Winner	Score	Batter	Inn.	Hit
2010	NL	3-1	Brian McCann*	7th	3-run 2B to RF
2009	AL	4-3	Adam Jones	8th	SF to RF
2008	AL	4-3	Michael Young	15th	SF to RF
2007	AL	5-4	Ichiro Suzuki*	5th	2-run ITP HR to RF
2006	AL	3-2	Michael Young*	9th	2-run 3B to RCF
2005	AL	7-5	Miguel Tejada*	2nd	1-run HR to LCF
2004	AL	9-4	Ivan Rodriguez	1st	1-run 3B to RF
2003	AL	7-6	Hank Blalock	8th	2-run HR to RCF

*Named MVP

It's not even like there was a majority of left-handed hitters -- it's 5-3, righties -- and all but one of the pitchers (Matt Thornton this year) were right-handers: Heath Bell in '09, then going back to Brad Lidge, Chris Young, Trevor Hoffman, John Smoltz, Roger Clemens and Eric Gagne.

Not sure if that means anything, but there it is.

So far, worth the Price

Back before the draft, a story in Sports Illustrated described agent Scott Boras telling the Nationals that two "50-year players" -- the kind of talents that only come around twice a century -- would be available to them in 2009 and '10 in the form of Stephen Strasburg, a 50-year pitcher, and Bryce Harper, a 50-year hitter.

And as good as Strasburg has been, perhaps he's not the first pitcher selected No. 1 overall to finally be worth the choice. In 2007, two years before Strasburg was drafted, the Rays took David Price out of Vanderbilt. A little more than a year later, he was closing out the Red Sox to send the Rays to the World Series. Now, three years and a month after being drafted, Price, at 24, is the youngest All-Star Game starting pitcher since a 23-year-old Dwight Gooden in 1988. (That's how good Gooden was back then -- at 23 in '88, he made his second career All-Star Game start, two years after his first.)

Looking back at the pitchers selected first overall, it's not a very notable bunch. Price has now tied Floyd Bannister, Mike Moore and Andy Benes for the record in All-Star selections and just one other hurler taken first, Tim Belcher, joins those three in pitching at least 10 seasons. And those four pitchers, plus the heralded Ben McDonald (who pitched nine seasons), are the only ones with a career WAR higher than 10. As of this All-Star break, Price is already at 4.2 in his career.

It feels premature to do so, but based on his success thus far -- an All-Star starting assignment, a key save in the ALCS and career numbers over 257 innings (what used to constitute a full season for a top starter) that would garner Cy Young consideration -- Price may be the best pitcher selected No. 1 overall in the history of the sport. Of course, the praise was similar for Gooden during his first few impressive seasons, but the early returns are promising. We'll just have to see how it plays out -- not just how Price ranks historically, but in a career that will unfold alongside that of Strasburg over the next decade or so, we can hope.

Pitchers selected No. 1 overall

Year	Pitcher	Throws	Team	WAR
2009	Stephen Strasburg	RHP	Nationals	1.8
2007	David Price	LHP	Rays	4.2
2006	Luke Hochevar	RHP	Royals	-1.1
2002	Bryan Bullington	RHP	Pirates	-0.2
1997	Matt Anderson	RHP	Tigers	-1.4
1996	Kris Benson	RHP	Pirates	11.1
1994	Paul Wilson	RHP	Mets	0.5
1991	Brien Taylor	LHP	Yankees	--
1989	Ben McDonald	RHP	Orioles	19.8
1988	Andy Benes	RHP	Padres	29.6
1983	Tim Belcher	RHP	Yankees	24.6
1981	Mike Moore	RHP	Mariners	24.9
1976	Floyd Bannister	LHP	Astros	24.1
1973	David Clyde	LHP	Rangers	0.4

I want the real All-Star Game back

There's been a lot of discussion over the past 29 hours since we learned we live in a world in which Omar Infante is an All-Star.

"This Time It Counts" has ruined the All-Star Game. Knowing he has to win the game for World Series home-field advantage for (he hopes) his team, Charlie Manuel chose a utility player in Infante and a middle reliever in Pittsburgh's Evan Meek. He's not building an all-star team -- a team made up of stars. He's building as close to a true team as he can get with the few spots he has available to him after the fan and player ballots select the starters and many of the reserves.

Generally, I don't have a problem with the requirement that every team is represented, but if the game is to count for something, then that rule should be abolished. You can't have it both ways -- either it's an exhibition of true stars, with every team in attendance, or it's a game that matters for World Series home-field advantage in which it's a game of all-star starters and then the best collection of reserves -- role players -- as deemed by the manager. If the game was still an exhibition with no tie to the postseason, I don't think Manuel picks Infante or Meek. Infante's spot probably goes to a fourth first baseman in Joey Votto, and Meek's spot goes to another, truly deserving Pirate, Andrew McCutchen.

This all has me more annoyed than the fact that Manuel admittedly chose Ryan Howard (presumptively over Votto) because Howard plays for him. I used to get angry every year over the managers' "homer" selections -- thus making Tom Gordon an All-Star -- but that's taken a back seat to the rest of this nonsense. No way should there be three Yankee starters on the AL squad before MLB strikeout leader Jered Weaver -- with the game in his home ballpark. Not bringing the strikeout leader is like not bringing the home run leader, and though that man right now is Jose Bautista and the fans didn't vote him in, the players did. And had they not, Joe Girardi probably would've taken him anyway.

I don't deny that middle relievers are an important part of a baseball team and they play key roles in important games. But the All-Star Game is supposed to be the best of the best. Not the best of each role. Not the best of each positional abbreviation -- 3B, SP, MR, CL, etc. Fans want to see Adrian Gonzalez up in the late innings facing Cliff Lee on in relief, not situational lefty Matt Thornton (nevermind his expanded role of late). Those matchups, that intrigue is now lost.

First impressions of the 2010 All-Star teams

You can now get this jersey with David Wright's name and number on the back after he overtook Placido Polanco for the starting job at third base. Everyone with a blog will be breaking down the selections, so here are some quick thoughts. There will be plenty of places to find more in-depth analysis.

Fan Elected Starters - NL

C – Yadier Molina. Eh. I guess. There aren't any Mike Piazzas around anymore.

1B – Albert Pujols. Right on.

2B – Chase Utley (DL). Historically, after him, it's pretty even in the NL, but he was having an off year. But the right man for this year (Prado) gets the start.

SS – Hanley Ramirez. Right on.

3B – David Wright. Right on.

OF – Ryan Braun, Andre Ethier, Jayson Heyward. No arguments here. It would've been cool to see Heyward -- assuming he doesn't play -- as the second-youngest starter in All-Star history, after Frank Robinson.

Fan Elected Starters - AL

C – Joe Mauer. Right on.

1B – Justin Morneau. Right on.

2B – Robinson Cano. Right on.

SS – Derek Jeter. He doesn't have any sexy Yankee records to claim this year (13 more stolen bases to pass Rickey Henderson is about it), but there was no one else in the AL.

3B – Evan Longoria. Right on.

DH – Vladimir Guerrero. Right on. Amazing turnaround.

OF – Josh Hamilton, Ichiro Suzuki, Carl Crawford. Yep, pretty good choices here.

Player Ballots - NL

C – Brian McCann. Have the players never heard of Miguel Olivo? He's played with enough of them.

1B – Adrian Gonzalez. Good work.

2B – Martín Prado. Not a sexy name, but definitely one of the players deserving of the nod based on his play this year.

SS – Troy Tulowitzki (DL), replaced by Jose Reyes, who was second. Reyes has been as good at shortstop as anyone over the past month, as has Rafael Furcal. Could've gone either way, and you can't really pin it on any New York hype, since Furcal plays in L.A.

3B – Scott Rolen. Great fountain of youth first half.

OF – Corey Hart, Matt Holliday, Marlon Byrd. Glad to see Byrd make it. Good halves by the other two as well.

SP – Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson, Tim Lincecum, Adam Wainwright. Only a slight beef. Let's look at it this way:

Player A: 109.2 IP, 97 H, 46 BB, 121 SO, 8-4 W-L, 3.28 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, .237 BAA

Player B: 104.1 IP, 100 H, 35 BB, 66 SO, 10-2 W-L, 2.93 ERA, 1l29 WHIP, .262 BAA

Player A is Lincecum. Player B is Mike Pelfrey. It's hard to argue against Lincecum and he has the edge with all the strikeouts, but we can't expect the players to break down the numbers side-by-side like that. Still, Pelfrey deserved a spot, and he didn't get it from Charlie Manuel.

RP – Matt Capps, Brian Wilson, Jonathan Broxton. The Nationals needed someone.

Player Ballots - AL

1B - Miguel Cabrera. Right on.

2B - Dustin Pedroia (DL), replaced by Ian Kinsler. That works.

SS - Elvis Andrus. Good pick.

3B - Adrian Beltre. Right on.

C - Victor Martinez (DL), John Buck. Happy for Buck.

DH - David Ortiz. Wasn't his career over after April?

OF - Vernon Wells, Jose Bautista, Torii Hunter. Right on.

SP - David Price, Clay Buchholz, Phil Hughes, Cliff Lee, Jon Lester. Good picks. Look at the league respect for Hughes. Nice thing for him, having grown up near Angel Stadium.

RP - Mariano Rivera, Neftali Feliz, Jose Valverde. Excellent closers.

Manager's selections - NL

1B – Ryan Howard. Gee, big surprise. Should've gone to Joey Votto, leaving Howard to the fan vote, but it wouldn't be an All-Star team without suspecting a manager took one of his own guys over a more deserving candidate.

2B – Brandon Phillips (replacing Chase Utley). Only other one I could think of would be Dan Uggla.

OF – Michael Bourn, Chris Young. The two picks to fulfill team representation quotas.

IF/OF – Omar Infante. This is what "This Time It Counts" has done -- forced managers who want to win to take flexible utility guys. Thanks, Bud. Horrible All-Star.

P – Chris Carpenter, Yovani Gallardo, Tim Hudson, Evan Meek, Arthur Rhodes. I can understand Rhodes, who's been brilliant. But Meek as the Pirates' rep over Andrew McCutchen? I would've preferred the deserving McCutchen and someone like Heath Bell or Billy Wagner as the other reliever.

Manager's selections - AL

Ty Wigginton. The Orioles need someone, and I do like Wigginton. Good for him.

Matt Thornton. The only White Sox player and a lefty reliever. OK.

Fausto Carmona. I suspected he'd be Cleveland's rep. Who else would it be, now that Shin-Soo Choo is injured? Austin Kearns!? Ha!

Joakim Soria. Your Mark Redman Royals All-Star for 2010. But really, Soria's not that bad a pick, but it would've been nice to see New Jersey's own David DeJesus get the nod.

Trevor Cahill. Representing the A's. Could've been anyone.

C.C. Sabathia. One of these two equals Manuel's pick of Howard. Sabathia's an interesting choice because he's slated to pitch next Sunday, which would make him ineligible for the All-Star Game. And Andy Pettitte could very well replace him.

Alex Rodriguez. A good season, but not what we've expected from him. Still, not a terrible choice.

Final Vote - NL

Heath Bell (SD)

Carlos Gonzalez (COL)

Joey Votto (CIN)

Billy Wagner (ATL)

Ryan Zimmerman (WSH)

These are all fine Final Vote candidates. As I said, I'd swap Votto and Howard and put one of these relievers on the team instead of Meek to give McCutchen a spot. At least they didn't put Stephen Strasburg on here. Tough to tell who will win this one.

Final Vote - AL

Paul Konerko

Nick Swisher

Delmon Young

Michael Young

Kevin Youkilis

Good choices here too, but does anyone think this won't become a face-off between Swish and Youk? Maybe those White Sox or Twins fans will surprise us though.

The mark of greatness

A glance

VOTE WRIGHT!

As we get into these final hours of All-Star voting, I will make one last point, offer one last piece of evidence that David Wright is indeed a deserving All-Star.

He has the mark of greatness:

Does that not make you think of others who were known as great in their time?








VOTE WRIGHT!

Wouldn't you want this kind of teammate at the All-Star Game?

Wright celebrates

I'm not the only one who thinks David Wright deserves to start the 81st All-Star Game. I bet Carlos Delgado would agree, too. Just look at Wright celebrating after Delgado beat the Cubs with a walk-off single in May 2007. What a great teammate.

First off, Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger points out how Wright is back in form.

And here are some others backing Wright for Anaheim:

ESPN New York's Adam Rubin, for a legitimate news source

The Examiner user-driven network

And not one, not two, but three arguments from folks at Bleacher Report.

So go, go, go! There are just about 15 hours left to vote and make things ... um ... Wright. (Sorry.)

VOTE WRIGHT!

David Wright's jersey set

As we approach the final 24 hours of All-Star voting, here's a look at the jerseys David Wright has earned so far. Above is 2006 in Pittsburgh, when he took Ryan Howard to the final round of the Home Run Derby.

Here is 2007 in San Francisco:

Now 2008 at Yankee Stadium, when he was -- horrors! -- an injury replacement:

And 2009 in St. Louis:

On Sunday, fans should have the option to customize this one with Wright's name and number.

VOTE WRIGHT!

Vote Wright! Keep the streak alive!

[NOTE: I actually had this written and set to go up last night, but then Polanco went on the DL, so it no longer carries the same weight. But here it is nonetheless.]

David Wright has played in each of the past four All-Star Games ever since being voted in as a starter for his first one in 2006. He homered in his first All-Star at-bat and hasn't stopped hitting, picking up one base hit in each contest. Here are his statistics.

If you count the 2004 Futures Game, he had a hit in that, too. He was also named to the Double-A All-Star Game that year but did not attend because he was promoted to Triple-A before it was played.

In 2003, he was named to the Florida State League All-Star Game and in 2002, he played in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Lakewood. He did not make the 2001 Appalachian League postseason all-star team (only a list; there is no game), but still had a solid debut, hitting .300 with seven doubles, four homers, 17 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 36 games at age 18 in the short-season league.

[Cool side note on that: I could not find the 2001 postseason all-stars for the Appy League online anywhere, so I went to the league site and sent an e-mail to the address provided in the "Contact Us" link. Only an hour later, I got a response from none other than the league president informing me that Wright was not on that postseason all-star team. The only Kingsport player to make it was shortstop Sean Pittman, who topped out at high-A St. Lucie in 2002. I wonder if there was another shortstop blocking his path to the bigs?]

As of now, though, 2001 and 2005, his first full year in the Majors, are the only professional seasons in which Wright wasn't named to an all-star team. He'll almost certainly be named to the NL squad this year should he not win the starting nod, but why leave it to chance? He's got the numbers this year to earn the spot, so let's make sure he gets there.

VOTE WRIGHT!

Elimination of the competition is no reason to let up

So David Wright's path to the All-Star Game just opened up with Placido Polanco going on the disabled list. He won't be eligible to come off until after the break.

But that's no reason to sit back and consider it a job well done. While Wright may be a near-certainty to make the team, I'd still love to see him start, and if Polanco wins the fan balloting, the starter will be left up to the manager -- the Phillies' Charlie Manuel at that. Of late, All-Star managers have often deferred to either the next-highest vote-getter or the winner of the player vote at the position (if the fans' choice is not one and the same) to get the start. So why leave it in Manuel's hands? Let's keep pressing "Submit" on those ballots and get Wright to the top.

(Granted, Chase Utley joining Polanco is also good as far as the Mets and NL East race are concerned, but not necessarily for the "This Time It Counts" crap and home-field advantage in the World Series. And I'd also like to see the NL just win one and start turning the tide back their way. Jason Heyward missing the game is also a blow to the NL but, again, a potential boon to the Mets, especially because they Braves over the weekend before the All-Star break.)

So keep clicking...

VOTE WRIGHT!

Wright closes ground on Polanco in balloting

David Wright warms up beneath himself

In the past week, David Wright has closed the gap on Placido Polanco for the starting slot at third base by nearly 118,000 votes.

118,000 votes! In a week!

That's 16,857 votes per day. Trailing by just 22,635 as of this morning and with just under 60 hours to go before ballots close, should Wright gain at the rate of 16,000+ per day over the next 2 1/2 days, he could gain another 40,000 votes and earn the starting nod by 18,000. I'm no math man, but that seems plausible to me.

SO LET'S VOTE!

Why Wright? The numbers agree

Remember to Vote Wright! Click the button on the right -->

The way I see it, there are three third basemen in the National League who deserve consideration to start the All-Star Game. Ryan Zimmerman is up there with solid numbers across the board (and someone has to represent the Nationals if it's not Stephen Strasburg). Scott Rolen is having a great bounceback year in Cincinnati. And David Wright is proving that last year's power outage was a fluke brought on by the adjustment to Citi Field or the lack of protection in the Mets' lineup after all the injuries. Or both.

The reason I'm so gung-ho for Wright to get the starting nod is partly because he's the only one who has a chance to catch inexplicable leader Placido Polanco and partly because he's been my favorite Met since the day he first donned the uniform. As I did with Gregg Jefferies as a child, I latched on to Wright when I first noticed his name in the minor leagues and I haven't been able to let go.

Not sure Wright deserves it over Rolen or Zimmerman? Go ahead, click through the sortable stats for NL third basemen. Wright's at or near the top of just about every category (not to mention he leads the NL in RBIs). Want one of those new-fangled stats to convince you? He has the edge on Zimmerman in WAR and they pretty much are leaving the rest of the league in the dust. And while fielding metrics are still up for debate, something has to be said for Wright leading the league in total chances and playing an all-around solid hot corner this year.

Seriously, what's not to like?

VOTE WRIGHT! It's your duty as a fan

David Wright, New York Mets farmhand

With All-Star Game balloting ending Thursday night at 11:59 p.m. ET, one stroke before midnight, I'm going to do all I can this week to promote David Wright for third base. There are several reasons for this campaign of mine, all of which I'll reveal in daily posts between now and then.

For this first, brief one before I go to bed, I simply offer the first photo I ever took of Wright, during batting practice at the 2004 All-Star Futures Game in Houston. I was on the field with a press pass and got a shot of him talking with his Double-A manager, Ken Oberkfell, and his Virginia childhood pal B.J. Upton (you can see his name to the right of Wright).

Too bad he was given a black-with-blue-brim Mets hat for that game.

So get started! Click on the Vote Wright link at the top of the right column on this page and let's see him starting in Anaheim on July 13.

No complaints with Haren, Peavy to start

Can't find much to argue with in the All-Star Game starters. Dan Haren has had an amazing run and been consistent all season, while Jake Peavy has been just as dominant. And as a National League fan, I'm hoping Haren's uncharacteristically "rough" outings in his last two starts carry over. Peavy may have lost his last two decisions, but he hasn't given up more than three runs since June 7.

Sadly, John Maine never got the call. Two pitchers backed out, but John Smoltz was replaced by Roy Oswalt and Brandon Webb took the spot of Brian Fuentes. Both were taken, I understand, because they were the next pitchers named on the player ballots who did not make the team. By that logic, I assume NL manager Tony La Russa chose the five pitchers for the Final Vote the same way, which means Maine didn't get the backing of the players to be among the top five pitchers left off the team. He'll just have to go out there and put up a 10-1 record in the second half -- that would be 20-5 -- and show everyone. It was also interesting how Oswalt was added to the team a few hours before the Final Vote ended, meaning it was clear that he was not going to win that competition, which Chris Young rightly did. But why make that announcement before the voting ends? Can't figure that one out.

La Russa admitted that he made choices based on the game's importance. Brad Hawpe gets a three-day break while Aaron Rowand is an All-Star because he plays center field. And Freddy Sanchez is a repeat representative because he can play three infield positions. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see the best players in the league at the All-Star Game, rather than the best players who fit the manager's style. Another reason the stupid tie-in to World Series home-field advantage needs to go.

For Maine, right may be wrong

The All-Star Game selection show on TBS yesterday had the feel of CBS' annual NCAA basketball tournament selection show. TBS did its best to drag out the blasted thing, revealing the American League starters, then "breaking it down" with Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn, then moving on to the AL pitchers (and breaking it down), then finally giving us the AL reserves. And of course there were commercial breaks in there.

When they finally made it around to the NL pitchers could I start discussing with a friend of mine how idiotic it was that John Maine was left off the team -- and not even a Final Vote candidate! -- while Cole Hamels was on the staff despite having better numbers than Maine in only two categories. And then, perhaps because of the NCAA feel to the process, I brought up the head-to-head factor: Maine and the Mets beat Hamels and the Phillies on Friday night.

But let me illustrate it for you:

Remember the Maine
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP	BAA	OPS	K/9	H/9	BB/9	W	L
Maine	102	79	32	31	38	84	2.74	1.15	.215	.635	7.41	6.97	3.35	9	4
Hamels	111.2	107	51	48	29	116	3.87	1.22	.254	.758	9.35	8.62	2.34	9	4

Maine wins the head-to-head comparison pretty handily. In one less start, the Mets right-hander has 9 2/3 fewer innings, but the rest of his numbers far surpass those of Hamels. The only advantage Hamels has are in strikeouts and walks. The former is by a somewhat significant margin, but is more than balanced out by Maine's superior numbers in hits and runs allowed and the related batting average against and OPS figures. And the walks difference is only nine.

Obviously, neither pitcher was needed to fill the quota for his respective team, since both the Mets and Phillies had starters selected by the fans. The only possible explanation I can find is that Hamels is just one of three left-handers on Tony La Russa's NL squad. So maybe the micromanager felt he needed one more southpaw to neutralize the AL's lefties.

Maine's last hope lies in one of the current pitchers bowing out to rest a nagging injury or rendering himself unavailable because the game on July 10 comes too close to a Saturday or Sunday start. Sunday's starters, which would be the same as Tuesday's if rotations hold, show no pitchers currently on the NL team, though Carlos Zambrano and Roy Oswalt are up for the Final Vote. (Mine, incidentally, is going to San Diego's Chris Young.) Looking at tonight's starters -- and therefore Saturday's -- gives us only Brandon Webb, also a Final Vote candidate, and John Smoltz. So the "I'm unavailable because I pitched two days ago" route doesn't look like an option.

For the most part, this year's rosters don't seem to be too idiotic. There aren't too many players to argue over; instead, the arguments should be over whether every team should be given a representative (they shouldn't) and whether pitchers should hit (they shouldn't). Who wants to see Josh Beckett come to the plate with two outs in the first and the bases loaded? Instead, the designated hitter should be used for the game -- it is an exhibition, after all -- no matter where it is played. Vote for the AL DHs as DHs and have the NL's starting DH determined by the positional runner-up with the most overall votes.

Let's hope Maine gets his due before next Tuesday.

Harold and the ladies

I just thought I'd chime in on the Harold Reynolds thing.

The word around Bristol was that the, um, friendliness with the ladies was a regular thing with HR. I mean, who doesn't like to be chummy with the women? Of course, when you're married and have a child, maybe you should cut back or be a little more discrete.

I caught a glimpse of his "jockular" personality a few years ago in Houston during All-Star weekend.

I received two extra passes to an event on Saturday night, the night I arrived. A college friend of mine, Laura, and her husband, David, came along. It was just a buffett at a bar, nothing much. But there were some VIPs there, like Jimmy Kimmell and Sarah Silverman. David and I had our picture taken with Miss USA.

There was also a photo booth set up. You put on a glove they provided, stand in front of a green screen and act like you're catching a ball. Then, on the computer, they mesh that picture of you in a crowd with an outfielder also jumping for the ball that's landing in your glove. So the three of us took one.

Then Laura, who's had a few drinks, somehow says that we should do the shot over, but that instead of all three of us lunging for the ball, David should grab her breast. For some reason, he thought that was silly or inappropriate or something. David says, "Dan can do it." I had also had several drinks, so I did it. Laura's all proud of the picture she has of her lunging for the ball, me cupping her breast, and David looking on in surprise.

Then we see Harold Reynolds. Laura, again emboldened by the drinks, takes the picture up to him.

"Hey, Harold, what do you think?" she asks him.

"I don't know if you're going to get it," he replies, meaning the baseball.

"No," she says, "what about him?" And she points to my hand.

"OH YEAH!" Harold says. "He's got it!"

An All-Star Game (or two) in Yankee Stadium's future?

Two weeks ago, the New York Post reported that MLB officials and the Yankees have discussed awarding the 2008 All-Star Game to Yankee Stadium. (Rumor is that one will count.) That's a great idea. Seriously, it's a fine way to cap off the historic site's long and storied history. It's something they should've done in 1991 or 1992 at Comiskey Park, where the first mid-summer exhibition was played.

But then, just a few days later, the New York Times cited a source who said MLB was also considering giving the Bronx the 2010 game at the new Yankee Stadium.

While it seems like an extension of the change in All-Star Game policy, I don't like that possibility. A few years ago, Bud Selig announced that the All-Star Game would no longer alternate between the National and American leagues each year because the Senior Circuit had so many new ballparks worth showcasing. Hence, the 2006 game will be played in Pittsburgh, to be followed by the 2007 game in San Francisco. With so many new NL parks opening up (by next year, that list will include St. Louis in addition to Arizona, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and San Diego), Selig said, they wouldn't be able to bring the game to some of the nicest and newest parks until 2018.

Not alternating leagues is fine, but I think they should at least focus on geographic regions, spreading the game out around the country each summer. From 2004 to 2007, it will have gone from Houston (South) to Detroit (Upper Midwest) to Pittsburgh (East) to San Francisco (West Coast) and then, potentially, to the East Coast in New York. The 2009 game should then go to San Diego, Arizona or St. Louis, but if it comes back to New York in 2010, it should be at the new Queens ballpark before the Bronx gets it again.

Furthermore, to me it just reeks of the rich getting richer. It's another example of how, even with the team in a three-team dogfight for the wild card entering play this weekend, Major League Baseball is comprised of the Yankees first and everybody else second.

Keep it simple, stupid

Today's games should count more than yesterday's, if you ask me. Oh, there are no major-league games today?

My point exactly.

Driving into work this morning, a caller and the host made a point on WFAN about the idiocy known as "This One Counts." (I won't drop this until Major League Baseball does.) No matter how much weight Bud Selig and his minions try to add to the exhibition, the players are never going to treat it like a true game, unless maybe you award the players on each team a cash bonus, paid on the spot, and other incentives -- say, $1,000 handed to them at first base after a single, or $10,000 in crisp hundreds collected while standing on home plate after a home run. Oh, and don't keep secrets like a new Corvette from the players. You'll have more guys trying to be MVPs.

The point made on the radio was that Jim Edmonds, one of the game's most aggressive players, didn't come close to Miguel Tejada in an attempt to break up a double play. Edmonds -- a guy who dives in the outfield at least once every two games, who only takes off a crisp, clean uniform on days when he never left the shade of the dugout -- didn't slide hard into second base. And Edmonds plays for the Cardinals, the NL team most likely to benefit from having home-field advantage in the World Series! No one's ever going to pull a Pete Rose again and run over the catcher in an All-Star Game, for fear of injury to himself and the stigma that would come with ending Jason Varitek's season. Ever.

Managers may run the game a little differently, instituting some signs, attempting steals, starting a hit-and-run, pitching around a player. (The day we see an intentional walk in an All-Star Game -- particularly if it's the only at bat a guy like Miguel Cabrera might get -- will be, on a smaller scale, as horrendous as the Tie of 2002.) But you're never going to get anything more than Torii Hunter leaping to rob Barry Bonds of a home run, because he was there in plenty of time and it wasn't as reckless as crashing into a wall or diving headfirst for a sinking liner in the gap.

There are those who argue that if you're going to have "This One Counts," then you have to have every team represented, but I think it's even more of a reason to abolish that representation rule. If the All-Star Game is for league supremacy and is meant to determine which side gets home-field advantage in the World Series, then each league should have its best players available to help it win. The NL deserved to have Cliff Floyd's relative youth and strong arm over Moises Alou's creaky knees. It deserved to have Marcus Giles available for four or five innings instead of Jeff Kent for one at bat. Keeping the fan voting is more important to me than home-field advantage, and how can you justify the fans' collective whim with making the game matter? Carlos Beltran and Edmonds didn't deserve to start over Miguel Cabrera and Andruw Jones, but the fans wanted to see them.

Clearly, the game doesn't count to guys like Gary Sheffield, who in the past only went to represent the Dodgers if they paid for his family to join him, or to Pedro Martinez. (As a Mets fan, I'm more happy that Pedro rested for the games that really count -- Sunday against the Braves -- than I would have been seeing him throw an inning against Miguel Tejada, Vladimir Guerrero and Mark Teixeira. Which he would've gotten through unscathed, which is more than I can say for John Smoltz.) Besides, I already saw him face Vlad in the lesser idiocy of interleague play.

I still love the All-Star Game. I like seeing all the different uniforms on the same field together. I like watching players from different teams chatting in the dugout. I love seeing Jimmy Rollins pretend to care enough to ask Luis Castillo where the Marlins start the second half of the season ("Are you at home?") only to have Castillo shake his head, smile, and point to the "Phillies" on Rollins' chest. "Oh, you're at our place?!" Rollins realized. But you're never going to get the players to play harder than they do now, and to use "This Time It Counts" as a failsafe to ensure there's never another tie is as ridiculous as the car salesman's suit Selig wore during his ESPN interview during the home run derby. Just tell the managers they have to save some pitchers in case the game is tied, and if one team runs out of hurlers while the score is still even, then that league loses the game. They won't run out then.

If David Stern told NBA players that the winning side of the league's midseason exhibition got home-court advantage in the finals, they still wouldn't play defense -- they'd just try to win 150-140. If the NHL ... oh, who cares? It's just that I don't see a difference in how the game is played. There's a miniscule difference in how it's managed, but nobody goes to a baseball game to see the managers' strategies played out. They want to see pitchers pitch and hitters hit.

That's what counts.

Wait til next year

Well, hopefully I'll get to see the NL break the streak in person in Pittsburgh. If the AL's going to keep getting home-field advantage in the Series, then I think they should give the NL home-field advantage in the All-Star Game. At least until they win one. After Pittsburgh and San Francisco, give the game to Philadelphia, San Diego, Washington and the Mets' new stadium. And maybe by then (that would be 2012), Miami will have a new one too. Or, you know, Las Vegas will have the Marlins.

I also noticed Fox's Jeanne Zelasko is pregnant. Or she's a pumpkin. Really, who suggested that top? Maybe it doesn't look orange in person, but on screen it sure does. And the puffy sleeves? Good grief, Charlie Brown.