MLB Allstar team

No love for Joey Votto?! Is the guy choosing the NL reserves crazy?! Votto is one of the best offensive players in the National League and he's left off the team. Now, he is leading the votes for the additional spot (last time I checked), but with his numbers he shouldn't have to sneak on the team like this. How many players have better offensive numbers than he does this season? Zero, actually. He's in the top 5 of every major category in the National League. Batting Average, RBI, Runs, Hits, OBP, Slugging Percentage, Home Runs and Walks.

The problem with Votto is that he isn't known. Prior to this All-Star debacle no one outside of Cincinnati actually knew how good he was. He is easily one of the top 10 hitters, if not top 5 hitters in the majors. (Pujols is number one)

The "fans" hardly ever get the voting right. Jason Heyward shouldn't have even been in the running, his numbers aren't good enough. I don't care how good he'll be a few years from now. He's not worthy as of today. (Hell Pujols didn't make the All-Star team as a rookie, I think he hit .300 + at the halfway point) Even as a St. Louis Cardinals fan, I don't think Yadier Molina deserves to be the starting catcher for the National League. Last I checked he was hitting at a .231 clip. Sure, he's by far the best defensive catcher in baseball, but he doesn't deserve to be the starter with offense like that. I could go on and on.

Votto will make it no worries. I expect the AL, to win. Again. The NL has the better pitching, but the AL has hitters all the way up and down. 1-9. Going to be hard to beat -- no matter who the starter is.

I agree with, OhioRedneck - gnobody gknows who Votto is/was. The all star game has always been a popularity contest anyway, and the picking has always been suspect. Who's the utility player on the Braves that got picked? He said when he got the call, he thought it was because he thought they were trading him!

But, man, Votto's having a break out season, ain't he? Like I predicted, it will be a Yankee/Redlegs World Serious! The Yanks are on par for a 100 win season and they haven't even really broken out yet...though it's starting gnow. And the Reds will only get better as the season progresses. Damn pity about Volquez - don't gknow what the hell he was thinking. He said something like he was trying to start a family...huh?

I'm not talking allstar voting made by the pinheaded fans, I'm referring to selecting the reserves by the coaching staff of the NL team. I understand that fans may not know who Joey Votto is, but people in baseball should know about one of the best hitters in all of baseball. Look at his stats and compare them to some of the other "allstars". Statistically speaking, how many hitters have better stats than him this season? Him being left off the reserves is just plain stupid on the idiots that selected the reserves. I expect the fans to overlook Votto, but not people in baseball who should recognize an emerging superstar. I agree with the decision to leave off Strasburg because he isn't in the top 5 of any major pitching categories, but Votto?

Oh, I get it now. Charlie Manuel chose his player (Ryan Howard) over Votto. He selected two reserve first basemen, even though Votto has superior numbers to both (Howard and Gonzalez). Still, how could Manuel leave off an MVP candidate from the allstar team?