http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar06/i...eith&id=2507646

 

What a tool. Last I checked, winning the WS earned a coach to the right to select whoever the heck he wants...especially players who are justified in going.

 

Eight logical All-Star substitutionsBy Keith Law

Scouts Inc.

 

Archive

 

American League substitutions

 

Francisco Liriano over Bobby Jenks

 

How, exactly, does the major league ERA leader by more than half a run not make the All-Star team? While, in most cases, I support taking the player with the track record over a couple of seasons instead of the player having the good half-year, Liriano is the leading contender for Rookie of the Year and is starting to nudge his way into the Cy Young picture as well. Maybe he'll stumble over the course of the summer and won't end up the league's ERA champ, but he has the stuff and the minor league performances that say that the last three months are no fluke.

 

And I'm not advocating taking Liriano instead of a proven All-Star. The guy who's sitting clearly in Liriano's spot is Jenks, the White Sox's closer, a hard-throwing and mediocre-performing pitcher in the minors who has thrown fewer innings (76 2/3) in his major league career than Liriano has this season -- and whose 2006 ERA is higher than Liriano's, despite the fact that Jenks is a full-time reliever. With Jenks and Mark Buehrle (now sporting a pedestrian 3.86 ERA) both on the roster due to questionable selections made by the manager, I'd accuse Ozzie Guillen of nepotism, but the last thing MLB needs now is for someone to provoke its resident jerk.

 

 

 

I'm guessing this dude holds a grudge from the Gord Ash/Sirotka deal.

 

Keith Law

 

ESPN Columnist | Archive | Home Page | RSS

 

Keith Law is the senior baseball analyst for Scouts Inc. Before joining ESPN, Law served as special assistant to the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays and was a writer for Baseball Prospectus.

Edited July 3, 200619 yr by RudyLawRules

lmao "mediocre performing pitcher"

Where were these articles when Joe Torre selected the entire Yankees squad several years ago?

 

Suddenly Guillen selects his pitchers and all hell has broken lose?

Where were these articles when Joe Torre selected the entire Yankees squad several years ago?

 

Suddenly Guillen selects his pitchers and all hell has broken lose?

Well duh...It's only bad when somebody not in the limelight of the Eastern Seaboard Promotional Network does it.

Lol. What a tool.

what were his other snubs?

 

probably shouldn't post the entire article, but can you atleast say who he though should be replaced ect..

 

thanks

sure liriano has a case for Cy young and yes i think he deserves a spot but taking the spot of Bobby Jenks??? come on keith the man leads the league in saves, why wouldnt he be on the team.No matter who the manager is or whos picking id say theyd have bobby on there team. Furthermore I'd have the only way bobby wouldnt have made it is if the team is only to carry one closer and all due respect to bobby but pappelbon would get that spot... If your gonna make this arguement atleast make it Liriano over Buehrle then you'll actually have a case

what were his other snubs?

 

probably shouldn't post the entire article, but can you atleast say who he though should be replaced ect..

 

thanks

 

Brian Roberts OVER Jose Lopez

Giambi or Hafner OVER Gary Matthews JR

"any biped" OVER Mark Redman

Michael Barret OVER Paul LoDuca

John Smoltz OVER Brian Fuentes

Nomar or Nick Johnson OVER Freddy Sanchez

Roy Oswalt OVER Derrick Turnbow

QUOTE(RudyLawRules @ Jul 2, 2006 -> 08:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The guy who's sitting clearly in Liriano's spot is Jenks, the White Sox's closer, a hard-throwing and mediocre-performing pitcher in the minors who has thrown fewer innings (76 2/3) in his major league career than Liriano has this season

 

I must have been mistaken by thinking Liriano has been a starter.

 

Bobby is mediocre?

 

What an idiot.

haha what dumb snubs

 

I actually agree with most of the manager picks this year

 

but Liriano over Buerhle would be a very convincing case

Edited July 3, 200619 yr by GoRowand33

Brian Roberts OVER Jose Lopez

Giambi or Hafner OVER Gary Matthews JR

"any biped" OVER Mark Redman

Michael Barret OVER Paul LoDuca

John Smoltz OVER Brian Fuentes

Nomar or Nick Johnson OVER Freddy Sanchez

Roy Oswalt OVER Derrick Turnbow

I guarantee Law's other explanations didn't have nearly the negative tone of Liriano for Jenks.

 

Perhaps Redman, but that's more the fault of MLB than any manager.

Edited July 3, 200619 yr by Flash Tizzle

I see people here don't actually read the article, but merely read what they want to see. He didn't say that Bobby was mediocre, he said he was mediocre in the minors, which is true. I don't know why he's talking about their minor league performance, but still, at least read it correctly if you are going to criticize it.

meh, Keith Law is obviously just another idiot on ESPN's payroll

meh, Keith Law is obviously just another idiot on ESPN's payroll

 

Law was a Special Assistant to Gord Ash. He probably helped clear Sirotka.

I'm guessing this dude holds a grudge from the Gord Ash/Sirotka deal.

Law was with the BJ's for all of about 18 months, none of which was served under the Gord Ashe regime. But the rest sounds logical.

I see people here don't actually read the article, but merely read what they want to see. He didn't say that Bobby was mediocre, he said he was mediocre in the minors, which is true. I don't know why he's talking about their minor league performance, but still, at least read it correctly if you are going to criticize it.

 

woops, that was my bad

 

still though, you can't compare innings pitched from a starter-closer and Jens Era is barely higher than Lirianos

Dear assface,

 

victor/spoils.

 

Sincerely,

 

Kiss My Chicago Ass.

Honestly, who cares what the hell these ESPN clowns think?

 

What matters is winning ballgames, not winning over the hearts of the guys over at the Eastern Sports Programming Network.

Edited July 3, 200619 yr by Sox It To Em

The biggest problem I have with this, is his rational. In most of the cases he is trying to make he brings up a player's career numbers. What does that matter? This is the 2006 all-star game, all-stars should be selected based on their 2006 stats. Also, they should disallow the fans from voting for this, I hope Ozzie pulls all of the Red Sox and Yankee players after the first inning.

It is the same old broken record every All-Star selection time. You can't make everyone happy and I didn't see any of these characters chime in last year on behalf of the Sox who had the best team in baseball, but not a lot of All-Star recognition.

 

Jenks vrs Liriano? Jenks wouldn't have as many innings because the twins kid is a starter and Jenks a reliever. We know hat so what's the problem with this ESPN guy? Plus Jenks has excelled in pressure situations in his full year in the ML's while Liriano has to prove himslef still. The kid is good for sure, but sp are a lot of others that didn't get picked. Start complaining about how the Yankees and Red Sox dominate the voting, which is the real story with what's wrong with the selection process.

The article clearly says a mediocre performing pitcher IN THE MINORS, which is true. He doesn't say he's been mediocre in the majors at all.

 

Regardless of that fact, their were tons of stories when Torre took a ton of Yankees, the BBTN guys (who I'll admit are usually morons) were even talking about it last night during the selection show.

Bobby had his flashes in the minors as well, even though he did underperform for much of his minor league career, after being promoted from rookie ball to AA in '03 he dominated at Arkansas going 7-2 with a 2.17 ERA over 16 starts. He completely fell off in '04 which lead to him being placed on waivers by the Angels. Last year at Birmingham he was back to his dominant ways but this time, as a reliever. 35 appearances, 19 saves, 2.85 ERA and 48 Ks.

 

I wouldn't exactly call that mediocre, I'd say underperforming is a much better description.

I crack up about all the complaints about certain pitchers being overlooked. Former GM Steve Phillips with the much hated ESPN had a great point about All-Star pitching. If the intent, as everyone is saying it is these days, to win the game to get home field advantage, you are better off having four or five closers on your roster over starters. Why? First off, the closers are paid to get in the game in big time situations to close down an inning. Secondly, they typically do not take as long to warm up, making it easier to do a mid-to-late game change. Third, starting pitchers typically are not mentally prepared to go one inning. They get prepared thinking of the long term.

 

So, the arguments that a guy like Jenks with now 2 seasons of experience and 25 saves already is not deserving of the spot is rediculous.

 

I would like to see the starter go 3 innings (maybe Kenny Rogers or Santana) and then have the other come in for two, and then have BJ Ryan, Papelbon, Jenks and Rivera come to close out the game with an inning each.

I see people here don't actually read the article, but merely read what they want to see. He didn't say that Bobby was mediocre, he said he was mediocre in the minors, which is true. I don't know why he's talking about their minor league performance, but still, at least read it correctly if you are going to criticize it.

The article clearly says a mediocre performing pitcher IN THE MINORS, which is true. He doesn't say he's been mediocre in the majors at all.

I win

Edited July 3, 200619 yr by Felix