All-Star Voting Topic

I realize there are mixed opinions on this site with regards to fans voting for all-star starters, as most years it is a popularity contest.

However, with the early AL leaders released today, if things hold up, it would seem fans are starting to get it right and vote guys in based on performance, rather than popularity. With that said, there are some unsettling races as far as the guys in 2nd and 3rd place (or the fact that Brian Roberts is currently 5th in the 2B race), but the current leaders all seem accurate to me:

1B - Chris Davis
2B - Robinson Cano
3B - Miguel Cabrera
SS - Elvis Andrus
OF - Mike Trout
OF - Adam Jones
OF - Torii Hunter
DH - David Ortiz

I'm sure some guys are having marginally better years than Trout offensively, but he's put up good numbers and plays strong defense, so I have no problem with him being there. Andrus is the biggest question mark for me, but the AL SS pool is not overly strong. Hardy and Peralta can make cases at this point.

Question is, are the Red Sox and Yankee homers slacking off or finally coming to their senses? Jeetuh isn't even in the race at SS.

6/3/2013 2:32 PM (edited)

SHORTSTOP
1. Elvis Andrus, Rangers: 727,555
2. J.J. Hardy, Orioles: 717,103
3. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers: 540,581
4. Jed Lowrie, Athletics: 523,743
5. Derek Jeter, Yankees: 380,445

6/3/2013 7:27 PM
Don't worry. Fielder and Ellsbury will pass Davis and Jones in no time
6/3/2013 10:52 PM
Yes, I realize Jeter is in the Top 5...but the top 2 guys have almost twice his vote total. New Yorkers are slacking.

And there is no way (at least the way things stand right now), that anyone should even be sniffing Davis at 1B if it's about performance. Looking at how Roberts, Hardy and McLouth are doing though, it's clear the Baltimore homer voters are outworking the Boston and NY homer voters right now.
6/3/2013 10:59 PM
Bruins have taken plenty of fans away from the Sox for the moment.
6/4/2013 1:45 PM
Sounds about right.   Bandwagon bastards.  This place stunk of Sux fans 6 years ago.   Not so much now.
6/4/2013 2:45 PM
It's just ridiculous for Hardy to have that many votes.  Yeah, he's plays great defense, but he's barely hitting his weight.  McLouth, on the other hand, deserves a little love for his 21/22 stolen bases.  Lowrie, who has been EASILY the best SS in the AL this season, is in 4th, which is just silly, but anybody who's been to an A's game this year - or even watched it - knows that nobody shows up.  Although the '73 WS team reunion game was AWESOME, atmosphere-wise.  Also 'cause the A's got spanked by Baltimore.
6/5/2013 12:18 AM
Posted by MikeT23 on 6/3/2013 7:27:00 PM (view original):

SHORTSTOP
1. Elvis Andrus, Rangers: 727,555
2. J.J. Hardy, Orioles: 717,103
3. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers: 540,581
4. Jed Lowrie, Athletics: 523,743
5. Derek Jeter, Yankees: 380,445

   !!!  How can a guy that has not played a game yet this season get 380,000 votes !!!
6/6/2013 8:45 AM
Posted by MikeT23 on 6/4/2013 2:45:00 PM (view original):
Sounds about right.   Bandwagon bastards.  This place stunk of Sux fans 6 years ago.   Not so much now.
Some people move on.
6/6/2013 2:02 PM
Posted by dahsdebater on 6/5/2013 12:18:00 AM (view original):
It's just ridiculous for Hardy to have that many votes.  Yeah, he's plays great defense, but he's barely hitting his weight.  McLouth, on the other hand, deserves a little love for his 21/22 stolen bases.  Lowrie, who has been EASILY the best SS in the AL this season, is in 4th, which is just silly, but anybody who's been to an A's game this year - or even watched it - knows that nobody shows up.  Although the '73 WS team reunion game was AWESOME, atmosphere-wise.  Also 'cause the A's got spanked by Baltimore.
As I said, SS is the only one that seems off-kilter a bit, though I don't think (if you're accounting for offense and defense) that any of those top 4 are a clearcut leader as far as performance goes. Hardy is heating up and has been hitting the ball well over the last 2 weeks. He has 13 HR and 30+ RBI.

Hardy also has a .980 fielding percentage and 4.18 RF to Lowrie's .963 and 3.16
6/6/2013 2:56 PM (edited)

FWIW, I blame fairweather fans and team marketing for voting issues.

It's no longer "vote the best players in", it's "make sure you get YOUR players in". And I know there have always been homer voters and campaigns, but it seems there's now an overt emphasis on voting your own teams players in, regardless of how good they are.

6/6/2013 2:55 PM
Posted by 05nomar05 on 6/6/2013 2:02:00 PM (view original):
Posted by MikeT23 on 6/4/2013 2:45:00 PM (view original):
Sounds about right.   Bandwagon bastards.  This place stunk of Sux fans 6 years ago.   Not so much now.
Some people move on.
Wanna bet they move back if the Sux ever win again.  Assuming, you know, it's not 100 years from now.
6/6/2013 3:23 PM
Posted by Jtpsops on 6/6/2013 2:57:00 PM (view original):

FWIW, I blame fairweather fans and team marketing for voting issues.

It's no longer "vote the best players in", it's "make sure you get YOUR players in". And I know there have always been homer voters and campaigns, but it seems there's now an overt emphasis on voting your own teams players in, regardless of how good they are.

The problem is letting people vote as often as they want.  Charge people a buck to vote, like American Idol or The Voice or whichever singing show is the flavor of the day, and I bet you see "better" results.
6/6/2013 3:25 PM
Or preventing people from voting 25 times. I understand you can't really help it with actual ballots, but you sure has heck can on line. There is zero purpose to giving each email address 25 chances to vote.
6/6/2013 3:27 PM
Selling advertisements.     25 "hits".
6/6/2013 3:30 PM
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