Usually the masses are against those of royal blood but this year it is all Kansas City. In reference to Major League Baseball’s All- Star voting, all the momentum is coming up for this AL Central team. If the polls closed today, eight of the starters on the team would be from one franchise. Not only is this not the best combination of players but could possibly be against the best interests of the American League. Find out how something pivotal like the home field advantage of the World Series could be tanked by stuffing the ballot box.
Omar Infante
A halfway convincing case can be made for most of the Royals however the most glaring flaw to this process is Omar Infante. The second baseman should not even be allowed to bring the players their Gatorade let alone start over anyone. A .221 avg with a .536 OPS is the worst by far of anyone at his position in all of the American League. Not only is Jason Kipnis of the Tribe was robbed but so was anyone else with a pulse it seems.
Outfield Another Sore Spot
Mike Trout is cemented as the starter for the Angels and no conspiracy could even rob his place from the voters. Second and third place is where the contention begins. Cain and Gordon are good players but nowhere near the level of the Jays’ Bautista this year. Monster numbers plus almost single handly keeping his team afloat and he is in fourth place. Is what the fans want good in this case?
Finally, the shortstop battle is not that bad with Escobar over Iglesias from Detroit. The Tiger has better stats but not by that much. However, the lead afforded to Escobar from Kansas City equates to 2.2 million votes. No conceivable way this gap is made up. First base will not see Cabrera start and will probably have Fielder, Abreu, or Pujols missing the game all together. In the end, if another instance of rampant and wanton voting like this occurs in the future then MLB should strip the home field advantage from being tied to the results of this game.
