How should the All-star vote be done?

It's been said many times that it's just a popularity contest so how should it be done and who should do the selecting? I'm guessing you'd want to still keep the fans involved in some way. Would you still want at least 1 representative from each team? Would you let the coaches fill in extras? I'm curious to see what people think about how it could be fixed.

Since the fans fill the seats it should stay the way it is. Only people sad are the people whos teams have less fans who voted. I havent seen one non sold out all star game in a long time therefore its fine the way it is.

nyc3 said:

Since the fans fill the seats it should stay the way it is. Only people sad are the people whos teams have less fans who voted. I havent seen one non sold out all star game in a long time therefore its fine the way it is.

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...says the NY Yankees fan. :lol:

mjbuchanan80 said:

nyc3 said:

Since the fans fill the seats it should stay the way it is. Only people sad are the people whos teams have less fans who voted. I havent seen one non sold out all star game in a long time therefore its fine the way it is.

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...says the NY Yankees fan. :lol:

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Hey it is what it is. If it wasn't a popularity contest it would be whomever is hot the first half, which dont always add up to filling seats necessarily. People want to see the stars not Joe First half, and have the opportunity to do so by voting.

What if the fan vote only got the highest vote getter from each team onto the all-star team. Then you'd need some sort of commitee of sports writers to select the rest of the spots to fill the roster. That way you get fan interaction without the entire all-star roster coming from one team with a lot of fans, when many of those players are often not deserving. I wouldn't have the all-star coaches select the extra players after the fan vote because they will lean towards guys on their own team. However, perhaps you could have the coaches determine the lineup and who starts. That way you still have fan and coach interaction and hopefully the sports writers can select the guys who deserve to be there to fill out the roster. The issue that you may have is if all the teams' fan selections play the same position.

WoundedDuck said:

What if the fan vote only got the highest vote getter from each team onto the all-star team. Then you'd need some sort of commitee of sports writers to select the rest of the spots to fill the roster. That way you get fan interaction without the entire all-star roster coming from one team with a lot of fans, when many of those players are often not deserving. I wouldn't have the all-star coaches select the extra players after the fan vote because they will lean towards guys on their own team. However, perhaps you could have the coaches determine the lineup and who starts. That way you still have fan and coach interaction and hopefully the sports writers can select the guys who deserve to be there to fill out the roster. The issue that you may have is if all the teams' fan selections play the same position.

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Meh, having the writers is way to volitile. If up to them, Bonds would probably never have played in an all star game :lol:

I've always supported the idea of having each team getting a representative going to the All-Star Game. Even if your team is having a bad year (ie the Cubs), there is always one player who is having a good year that deserves to go. In the Cubs' case, Bochy picked the right player to go (Starlin Castro). As a fan, if I knew that no Cub would be going to participate in the festivities, what would the point be for me to watch?

The only disadvantage in having the fans pick one player from each team to go to the game and then having the players/coaches/whatever pick the rest is that the NL would be at a bit of a disadvantage because there would be 16 slots already accounted for BEFORE the rest of the rosters could be filled by the players/coaches/whatever.

Then again, the AL is already at a disadvantage now because two of the slots on the roster are filled by DH's (the fans vote for one and the players vote for the backup). So maybe it all evens out. I don't know.

On an unrelated note, I found the Topps cards for each of the players already going to the game (as well as the ten final man candidates). Of the 76 players, only three do not have cards, and two of them are scheduled for the Update Series at the end of the year:

American League Starters (with 2011 Topps Card # and retail team set if applicable)

1B-Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox (#425, BOS14)
2B-Robinson Cano, Yankees (#130, NYY16)
3B-Alex Rodriguez, Yankees (#50, NYY3)
SS-Derek Jeter, Yankees (#330, NYY1)
OF-Jose Bautista, Blue Jays (#216, TOR1)
OF-Curtis Granderson, Yankees (#433, NYY12)
OF-Josh Hamilton, Rangers (#650, TEX1)
C-Alex Avila, Tigers (#497, DET15)
DH-David Ortiz, Red Sox (#315, BOS2)

American League Pitchers

P-Josh Beckett, Red Sox (#610, BOS16)
P-Gio Gonzalez, Athletics (#30, OAK11, selected by MGR)
P-Felix Hernandez, Mariners (#530, SEA2)
P-David Price, Rays (#61, TBR2, selected by MGR)
P-James Shields, Rays (#311, TBR4)
P-Justin Verlander, Tigers (#355, DET13)
P-Jered Weaver, Angels (#75, ANG11)
P-C. J. Wilson, Rangers (#323, TEX8, selected by MGR)
RP-Aaron Crow, Royals (#633, selected by MGR)
RP-Brandon Leauge, Mariners
RP-Chris Perez, Indians (#159, CLE10)
RP-Mariano Rivera, Yankees (#42, NYY2)
RP-Jose Valverde, Tigers (#594, DET14, selected by MGR)

American League Reserves

1B-Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (#150, DET1)
2B-Howard Kendrick, Angels (#118, ANG9)
3B-Adrian Beltre, Rangers (#302 with the Red Sox, TEX14)
SS-Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians (#522, CLE11)
OF-Michael Cuddyer, Twins (#21, MIN3, selected by MGR)
OF-Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox (#351, BOS7)
OF-Matt Joyce, Rays (#55, TBR16)
OF-Carlos Quentin, White Sox (#389, CWS4)
C-Russell Martin, Yankees (#114 with the Dodgers, NYY9)
C-Matt Wieters, Orioles (selected by MGR)
DH-Michael Young, Rangers (#320, TEX9)

American League Final Man Candidates

OF-Alex Gordon, Royals (#262, KCR7)
OF-Adam Jones, Orioles (#396, BAL2)
1B-Paul Konerko, White Sox (#93, CWS16)
C/DH-Victor Martinez, Tigers (#218, DET16)
2B-Ben Zobrist, Rays (#27, TBR11)

National League Starters

1B-Prince Fielder, Brewers (#410, MIL4)
2B-Rickie Weeks, Brewers (#266, MIL13)
3B-Placido Polanco, Phillies (#89, PHI16)
SS-Jose Reyes, Mets (#380, NYM5)
OF-Lance Berkman, Cardinals (#144 with the Yankees, STL15)
OF-Ryan Braun, Brewers (#1, MIL2)
OF-Matt Kemp, Dodgers(#375, LAD5)
C-Brian McCann, Braves (#415, ATL4)

National League Pitchers

P-Matt Cain, Giants (#570, SFG4, selected by MGR)
P-Roy Halladay, Phillies (#300, PHI2)
P-Cole Hamels, Phillies (#460, PHI4)
P-Jair Jurrjens, Braves (#72, ATL3)
P-Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (#275, LAD3)
P-Cliff Lee, Phillies (#103 with the Rangers, PHI1)
P-Tim Lincecum, Giants (#590, SFG2, selected by MGR)
P-Ryan Vogelsong, Giants (selected by MGR)
RP-Heath Bell, Padres (#178, SDP6, selected by MGR)
RP-Tyler Clippard, Nationals (#74, WAS6, selected by MGR)
RP-Joel Hanrahan, Pirates (#644, PIT8)
RP-Jonny Venters, Braves (#619, ATL12)
RP-Brian Wilson, Giants (#210, SFG16)

National League Reserves

1B-Gaby Sanchez, Marlins (#59, FLA5, selected by MGR)
1B-Joey Votto, Reds (#5, CIN1)
2B-Brandon Phillips, Reds (#630, CIN14)
3B-Chipper Jones, Braves (#169, ATL2)
SS-Starlin Castro, Cubs (#655, CHC1, selected by MGR)
SS-Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies (#400, COL15)
OF-Carlos Beltran, Mets (#515, NYM15, selected by MGR)
OF-Jay Bruce, Reds (#191, CIN2)
OF-Matt Holliday, Cardinals (#490, STL7)
OF-Hunter Pence, Astros (#45, HOU1)
OF-Justin Upton, Diamondbacks (#40, ARI1, selected by MGR)
C-Yadier Molina, Cardinals (#90, STL9)

National League Final Man Candidates

OF-Andre Ethier, Dodgers (#240, LAD1)
1B-Todd Helton, Rockies (#220, COL2)
P-Ian Kennedy, Diamondbacks (#39, ARI6)
OF-Michael Morse, Nationals (#518, WAS15)
OF-Shane Victorino, Phillies (#495, PHI10)

Wieters, League and Vogelsong do not have cards in either the main set or in the 17-card retail sets. But while the pitchers will have cards in the Update Series, who knows what Topps' status is with Wieters.

Itis the all star game, not the all stats game. Fans vote for the players that they want to see. They should keep it the way it is as far as the voting. Being that it is a glorified exhibition game, it should have no impact on home field advantage for the world series.

elmalo said:

Itis the all star game, not the all stats game. Fans vote for the players that they want to see. They should keep it the way it is as far as the voting. Being that it is a glorified exhibition game, it should have no impact on home field advantage for the world series.

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Agreed. Which is why most of us want the game to be the all stats game.

If they keep it as is then it should have no barring on who gets home field adv in the WS.

I like the way it is, and the way it's going. I mean, we get to see the yankees play all these teams all year, sure. But the only time you get to see the Yankees play against the NL All Stars is the all star game.


I think you could tweak WAR a little bit and come up with a point system that would send the best player to the AS game every year. Let the fans vote. If they pick somebody who is really popular, but not that good at baseball... Jeter can be the back up. If the fans pick the player who is having the best year (ie if the player who is having the best year actually does play for the Yankees), the person with the second most points would be the back up.

The problem with WAR is it's hard to compare catchers to fielders (for example). This would only compare catchers to catchers. Piece of cake.

nyc3 said:

Since the fans fill the seats it should stay the way it is. Only people sad are the people whos teams have less fans who voted. I havent seen one non sold out all star game in a long time therefore its fine the way it is.

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This.

You're the people who vote for them, so stop bitching when your favorite doesn't get in

scotty21690 said:

elmalo said:

Itis the all star game, not the all stats game. Fans vote for the players that they want to see. They should keep it the way it is as far as the voting. Being that it is a glorified exhibition game, it should have no impact on home field advantage for the world series.

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Agreed. Which is why most of us want the game to be the all stats game.

If they keep it as is then it should have no barring on who gets home field adv in the WS.

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Why should it have any bearing on anything? What is wrong with just watching it as an exhibition? Whay does it have to mean anything?

RL24 said:

I like the way it is, and the way it's going. I mean, we get to see the yankees play all these teams all year, sure. But the only time you get to see the Yankees play against the NL All Stars is the all star game.


I think you could tweak WAR a little bit and come up with a point system that would send the best player to the AS game every year. Let the fans vote. If they pick somebody who is really popular, but not that good at baseball... Jeter can be the back up. If the fans pick the player who is having the best year (ie if the player who is having the best year actually does play for the Yankees), the person with the second most points would be the back up.

The problem with WAR is it's hard to compare catchers to fielders (for example). This would only compare catchers to catchers. Piece of cake.

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Is Jeter not one of, if no the, biggest satrs in the game of baseball?

When did I say it had to mean something :?:

scotty21690 said:

When did I say it had to mean something :?:

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I know I quoted you but I wasnt referring to you, I just meant in general. I just meant like why cant it just be enjoyed for what it is?

Arrow's Impossibility Theorem says there is no perfect answer.

Yah I'm being lazy and not really thinking about it.

The main gripe from most people are the few (fan induced) snubs that inevitably happen every year. In my opinion, it is the responsibility of the manager to correct this and this year there was an atrocious oversight. Andrew McCutchen should be in the All Star game. Period. Bochy dropped the ball on this one.

Since the game decides home field advantage in the World Series, fans shouldn't vote and not every team should have a rep.

I think the fans should still vote, just have their vote weighted less so that Derek Jeter, who has declined skills, isn't sent as the AL SS starter due to the New York ballot stuffing.

The voting of players and managers should be weighted more than that of the fan.

And keep the "at least one representative" per team because every team deserved at least one player in the game.

Things I mention to make the All-Star game better on my blog

Get rid of winner gets home field advantage in the World Series
Get rid of fan voting
Get rid of 30 teams must be represented
2 closers and 1 reliever per team
bonus/incentive play (reason why NASCAR All-Star race is still the best exhibition)
move the game to the fall after the regular season ends