Any value in Ozzie?s all-star shame?
Ozzie Guillen, you wild and crazy guy. Thank you very much.
By picking several of his own players over more capable would-be All-Stars, the Chicago White Sox manager has effectively weakened the American League team for this year?s alleged midseason ?classic.? Guillen took it upon himself to select starting pitcher Mark Buehrle (4.02 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), closer Bobby Jenks (2.83 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) and first baseman Paul Konerko (.952 OPS) when more deserving players were available.
It?s really a tempest in a teapot when the media delivers its annual stormy All-Star snub review. Of course Guillen would have made his AL team stronger had he chosen Francisco Liriano (1.83 ERA, 0.97 WHIP), J.J. Putz (2.11 ERA, 0.77 WHIP) or Travis Hafner (1.117 OPS). It could be argued that those three players have been the best in the majors at their respective positions. But it is an ?All-Star? exhibition game, after all. Baseball has far more important things to worry about.
Sharp handicappers, on the other hand, have just one thing on their minds: cold, hard cash. While the media argues over Guillen?s always questionable decision-making process, sharps are contemplating whether Ozzie has done enough damage to his team to make it a good ?fade? value as a ?142 favorite to win the All-Star Game. The National League, losers of eight All-Star Games in a row (not including 2002?s ridiculous 7-7 tie) is a +132 underdog; you can also get the NL on the runline at +1?, ?125.
Liriano did eventually make the team as a replacement for Jose Contreras, yet another White Sox representative. But not before the fans cast their Internet ballot and selected Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski over Liriano, Hafner and several dozen better choices. Now that?s a doozy. Pierzynski has a .320 batting average, but only a .365 OBP, and the AL squad already had Joe Mauer to back up starting catcher Ivan Rodriguez. National League fans, in sharp contrast, had the good sense to vote for first baseman Nomar Garciaparra (1.004 OPS).
Guillen?s All-Star follies weren?t limited to his own White Sox players. He also did the NL another potential favor when he named Kenny Rogers as the AL starter. Rogers has a 3.85 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, which puts him a notch or two below two other big-name pitchers on the AL roster: Johan Santana and Roy Halladay. You don?t need to be a seamhead to see there?s a problem there. If Rogers gets to throw two innings and Santana and Halladay just one apiece, NL batters should throw Guillen a party.
One controversial Guillen selection that may have less impact than meets the eye is Mark Redman. Yes, Redman is an instant candidate for worst All-Star player ever at 5.27 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. And yes, there are other members of the Kansas City Royals who are more worthy to be the club?s sole representative ? David DeJesus leaps immediately to mind (.881 OPS, although in just 45 games due to injury). But Redman is just another pitcher who may not even be given a chance to play, while DeJesus would have prevented a better deserving outfielder (Gary Matthews Jr., for example) from making the team.
The AL squad is further hamstrung by the losses of Manny Ramirez, Alex Rios and Robinson Cano. The NL isn?t nearly as unlucky, missing pitchers Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine but no position players. Manager Phil Garner also didn?t have to make a Redman-like reach when it came to selecting a player from every NL team. And he picked just one of his own Houston Astros: first baseman Lance Berkman, who is behind only Albert Pujols on the senior circuit at 1.011 OPS. Garner even rightly snubbed his own pitcher, Roy Oswalt (3.15 ERA, 1.24 WHIP), although Oswalt was later named to the team as a replacement for Martinez.
So, now that Garner has already out-managed Guillen before the All-Star Game has taken place, how do those rosters stack up? Fairly evenly in the batting department. The AL is clearly better at catcher with Mauer (.981 OPS), but the NL has a decided advantage at second base with Chase Utley (.904 OPS). The AL?s loss of Ramirez and Rios appears to level the quality of the two outfields quite nicely. Pitching, on the other hand, is firmly in favor of the junior circuit with Liriano, Santana and Halladay all enjoying Cy Young-quality campaigns. The two Twins southpaws should be even more dominating at Pittsburgh?s PNC Park with its relatively expansive left-center field. It would take several innings of Mark Redman to give the NL an even chance.
--Perry
BetWWTS
Ozzie Guillen, you wild and crazy guy. Thank you very much.
By picking several of his own players over more capable would-be All-Stars, the Chicago White Sox manager has effectively weakened the American League team for this year?s alleged midseason ?classic.? Guillen took it upon himself to select starting pitcher Mark Buehrle (4.02 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), closer Bobby Jenks (2.83 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) and first baseman Paul Konerko (.952 OPS) when more deserving players were available.
It?s really a tempest in a teapot when the media delivers its annual stormy All-Star snub review. Of course Guillen would have made his AL team stronger had he chosen Francisco Liriano (1.83 ERA, 0.97 WHIP), J.J. Putz (2.11 ERA, 0.77 WHIP) or Travis Hafner (1.117 OPS). It could be argued that those three players have been the best in the majors at their respective positions. But it is an ?All-Star? exhibition game, after all. Baseball has far more important things to worry about.
Sharp handicappers, on the other hand, have just one thing on their minds: cold, hard cash. While the media argues over Guillen?s always questionable decision-making process, sharps are contemplating whether Ozzie has done enough damage to his team to make it a good ?fade? value as a ?142 favorite to win the All-Star Game. The National League, losers of eight All-Star Games in a row (not including 2002?s ridiculous 7-7 tie) is a +132 underdog; you can also get the NL on the runline at +1?, ?125.
Liriano did eventually make the team as a replacement for Jose Contreras, yet another White Sox representative. But not before the fans cast their Internet ballot and selected Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski over Liriano, Hafner and several dozen better choices. Now that?s a doozy. Pierzynski has a .320 batting average, but only a .365 OBP, and the AL squad already had Joe Mauer to back up starting catcher Ivan Rodriguez. National League fans, in sharp contrast, had the good sense to vote for first baseman Nomar Garciaparra (1.004 OPS).
Guillen?s All-Star follies weren?t limited to his own White Sox players. He also did the NL another potential favor when he named Kenny Rogers as the AL starter. Rogers has a 3.85 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, which puts him a notch or two below two other big-name pitchers on the AL roster: Johan Santana and Roy Halladay. You don?t need to be a seamhead to see there?s a problem there. If Rogers gets to throw two innings and Santana and Halladay just one apiece, NL batters should throw Guillen a party.
One controversial Guillen selection that may have less impact than meets the eye is Mark Redman. Yes, Redman is an instant candidate for worst All-Star player ever at 5.27 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. And yes, there are other members of the Kansas City Royals who are more worthy to be the club?s sole representative ? David DeJesus leaps immediately to mind (.881 OPS, although in just 45 games due to injury). But Redman is just another pitcher who may not even be given a chance to play, while DeJesus would have prevented a better deserving outfielder (Gary Matthews Jr., for example) from making the team.
The AL squad is further hamstrung by the losses of Manny Ramirez, Alex Rios and Robinson Cano. The NL isn?t nearly as unlucky, missing pitchers Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine but no position players. Manager Phil Garner also didn?t have to make a Redman-like reach when it came to selecting a player from every NL team. And he picked just one of his own Houston Astros: first baseman Lance Berkman, who is behind only Albert Pujols on the senior circuit at 1.011 OPS. Garner even rightly snubbed his own pitcher, Roy Oswalt (3.15 ERA, 1.24 WHIP), although Oswalt was later named to the team as a replacement for Martinez.
So, now that Garner has already out-managed Guillen before the All-Star Game has taken place, how do those rosters stack up? Fairly evenly in the batting department. The AL is clearly better at catcher with Mauer (.981 OPS), but the NL has a decided advantage at second base with Chase Utley (.904 OPS). The AL?s loss of Ramirez and Rios appears to level the quality of the two outfields quite nicely. Pitching, on the other hand, is firmly in favor of the junior circuit with Liriano, Santana and Halladay all enjoying Cy Young-quality campaigns. The two Twins southpaws should be even more dominating at Pittsburgh?s PNC Park with its relatively expansive left-center field. It would take several innings of Mark Redman to give the NL an even chance.
--Perry
BetWWTS
