My All-Star Picks -- Or, Why I Voted for Four Yankees, Two Mets, and Zero Red Sox

So, I did my 25 All-Star votes online last night, just before the deadline. Here's who I voted for:

American League:

1B - Teixeira, Mark

2B - Cano, Robinson
SS - Cabrera, Asdrubal
3B - Rodriguez, Alex
C - Avila, Alex
DH - Young, Michael and Hafner, Travis (I voted some votes for each)
OF - Bautista, Jose
OF - Cruz, Nelson
OF - Granderson, Curtis

I got some grief on Facebook last night from Boston fans for choosing Mark Teixeira over Adrian Gonzalez. Sorry, I am not going to vote for Red Sox. Yes, I am biased that way. Same with David Ortiz -- he will not get my vote. I will root for the Sox as part of the All-Star Game that night, but that's as far as it goes!

Note that I voted for Alex Avila over Russell Martin for catcher. As much as I like Russell -- he's one of my favorite players this year, and I dig that one of his middle names is "Coltrane"! -- this was an easy choice, as Avila beats him in almost every category.

And no, I did not vote for Derek Jeter. Sorry, there is no justification for picking him for the All-Star team this year. After 2010 was the worst season of his career, he is having an even worse 2011. The flip play, and Mr. November, and the rings, and the dive into the stands should have nothing to do with making an All-Star ballot pick for this year.

National League:

1B - Fielder, Prince
2B - Weeks, Rickie
SS - Reyes, Jose
3B - Ramirez, Aramis
C - McCann, Brian
OF - Beltran, Carlos
OF - Braun, Ryan
OF - Kemp, Matt

On the other hand, Reyes highly deserves an All-Star starting slot. I gave Carlos Beltran my vote, too, something even Met fan Squawker Jon did not do!

I could have voted for Lance Berkman, but I didn't. It ticks me off that he didn't get into shape until it was time for a new contract. No wonder some people in Houston are peeved.

And please note that this is the first All-Star Game since 2007 that I did not vote for Yadier Molina for catcher. Four years of giving Squawker Jon the what-for on that was enough!

Who did you vote for in the All-Star Game? Tell us about it!

My Hall of Fame picks -- and why I voted for Mark McGwire but not Rafael Palmeiro

Squawker Jon and I, as part of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, made our own Hall of Fame votes last week for the organization. And the BBA membership as as a whole picked Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven, the same results as the Baseball Writers of America's official vote.

Anyhow, here are my picks, in alphabetical order:

Roberto Alomar
Jeff Bagwell
Bert Blyleven
Barry Larkin
Edgar Martinez
Mark McGwire
Jack Morris
Alan Trammell

There was a whole to-do in the news recently about whether the BBWAA will elect players connected to, or suspected of, using steroids. I had no problem voting for admitted steroid user Mark McGwire or suspected juicer Jeff Bagwell, but I drew the line at Rafael Palmeiro. Telling Congress you never used steroids, complete with all that finger-wagging, and then testing positive will do that for you. Plus, this is an inexact science, but while McGwire and Bagwell were considered among the greatest players of their era, Palmeiro never really was.

My own opinion is that I won't rule somebody out just for using steroids, unless it's the only reason for their success. I can't see the point of a future Hall of Fame without an A-Rod, or a Barry Bonds, or a Manny Ramirez -- they were all superstar players before they ever touched anything. Unlike, say, a future catcher drafted in the 62nd round as a favor to his godfather (sorry, Squawker Jon!) At the same time, I can understand why some BBWAA writers feel differently.

But here's the thing. There was such a media firestorm recently over the idea of BBWAA voters not voting for Jeff Bagwell because they suspected him of being chemically enhanced. I think an even bigger issue is going to be when it is revealed that voters picked at least one person for the Hall who did steroids. According to Jose Canseco, who has never been wrong on this, it already has happened. And it could happen again in the future. Then what happens?

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Celebrating the Baseball Bloggers Alliance

December 10 is Baseball Bloggers Alliance day, and Subway Squawkers is pleased to be part of this rapidly growing group. The BBA was started in 2009 by Cardinals blogger Daniel Shoptaw and has since grown to around 240 blogs from all around the country. The Mets have the biggest chapter, with 19 blogs (take that, Squawker Lisa!). There are 12 Yankee blogs. (Subway Squawkers is counted in both lists.)

The BBA gives out its own set of postseason awards, and has secured naming rights from several living legends for some of them. The Willie Mays Award goes to the top rookie in each league. The Stan Musial Award goes to the most valuable player in each league. The Goose Gossage Award goes to the top relievers. Other awards are named after Walter Johnson (starting pitcher) and Connie Mack (manager). Each league's awards are voted on by blogs in that league. Lisa cast Subway Squawkers' AL votes while I took care of the NL votes.

Squawker Lisa and I appeared on the BBA's podcast on December 7, which was hosted by Steve Keane of The Eddie Kranepool Society. We had a great time talking with Steve. We also enjoyed our appearance on the BBA podcast of November 10 with Matt Seybold of The Sporting Hippeaux.

If you want to know more about the BBA, check out this interview with founder Shoptaw.

If you are a baseball blogger interested in joining the BBA, send an email to founder@baseballbloggersalliance.com. It's free to join, with the main requirements being that you have an active blog and participate in the awards voting. For more membership details, check out the BBA Constitution.

How my Baseball Bloggers Alliance NL awards picks stacked up

So far, two of my three choices for NL awards have come through, and the third one lost by only one vote.

For best NL starting pitcher, I had Roy Oswalt higher and Tim Hudson lower. Oswalt's 13-13 record, despite his other strong stats, apparently didn't go over as well as Felix Hernandez' 13-12.

Jon's vote
1. Roy Halladay, Phillies
2. Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
3. Roy Oswalt, Astros/Phillies
4. Josh Johnson, Marlins
5. Ubaldo Jiminez, Rockies

Baseball Bloggers Alliance Walter Johnson Award
Roy Halladay, Philadelphia (19) 133
Adam Wainwright, St. Louis 66
Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado 52
Josh Johnson, Florida 43
Tim Hudson, Atlanta 16
Tim Lincecum, San Francisco 7

Cy Young (Baseball Writers Association of America)
Roy Halladay 224.0
Adam Wainwright 122.0
Ubaldo Jimenez 90.0
Tim Hudson 39.0
Josh Johnson 24.0
Roy Oswalt 14.0

For Manager of the Year, I went for Dusty Baker, while the BBA and BBWAA both choice Bud Black. But it was a very close vote, with Black winning the BBA vote by two and the BBWAA vote by just one. I picked Baker over Black because Baker won his division while Black's Padres fell short.

While San Diego did exceed expectations this year after a 75-win 2009, so did Cincinnati. The Reds won 78 games in 2009. Take note, 79-win Mets!

Jon's vote:
1. Dusty Baker, Reds
2. Bud Black, Padres
3. Bobby Cox, Braves

BBA Connie Mack Award
Bud Black, San Diego (9) 53
Dusty Baker, Cincinnati (7) 51
Bobby Cox, Atlanta (2) 33
Bruce Bochy, San Francisco (3) 29
Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia (1) 27

BBWAA NL Manager of the Year
Bud Black, 104.0
Dusty Baker, 103.0
Bruce Bochy, 30.0
Bobby Cox, 28.0
Charlie Manuel, 20.0

The rookie vote was supposed to be a battle between Buster Posey and Jason Heyward, but everyone ended up picking the same top three.

That is, except for the NL New York BBA chapter, which picked Ike Davis third. Sorry Ike, I couldn't put you ahead of Garcia, who was one of the better pitchers in the league much of the year, but I'm glad to see you finished in the top five in the BBA and top seven in the BBWAA vote.

Jon's vote
1. Buster Posey
2. Jason Heyward
3. Jaime Garcia

BBA Willie Mays Award
Buster Posey, San Francisco (15) 103
Jason Heyward, Atlanta (10) 86
Jaime Garcia, St. Louis 20
Starlin Castro, Chicago 7
Ike Davis, New York 7
Gaby Sanchez, Florida (1) 6

BBWAA Rookie of the Year
Buster Posey 129.0
Jason Heyward, 107.0
Jaime Garcia 24.0
Gaby Sanchez 18.0
Starlin Castro 3.0
Neil Walker, 3.0
Ike Davis, 2.0

My BBA awards picks for AL Cy Young, or why I didn't give a first place vote to King Felix (or CC)

There's a whole to-do over the fact that New York Post writer George King voted AL Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez fifth on his ballot, and put CC Sabathia first. Now, I didn't vote King Felix fifth, but he did not get a first-place vote from me in my Baseball Bloggers Alliance ballot for the Walter Johnson Award (equivalent to the AL Cy Young Award). Here was my ballot -- we voted for five picks:

1, David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
2. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
3. C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees
4. Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox
5. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

Here's why I voted the way I did -- unlike Hernandez, Price actually pitched in pressure-packed, meaningful games in a pennant race, facing tougher competition in the most competitive division in baseball. That should count for something. After all, if we judge the MVP race by such standards, the same should go for the pitchers. (Yes, yes, I know that people will say that it's because of the names of the respective BBWAA awards -- Cy Young Award vs. Most Valuable Player. Well, Cy Young is known for having the most wins in baseball history, but wins are discounted more and more in these awards, despite the name!)

Hernandez got his recognition in the second-place vote for his great season. And as much I love CC, I couldn't bring himself to give him a first or second place vote, especially since Price outdueled him several times.

Tampa Bay Rays beat writer Tony Fabrizio had the same top three as me, and explained himself in a recent piece:

I thought he had the best combination of wins, winning percentage, ERA and a wide variety of other measurables when also factoring in the significance of his contributions.

Anyhow, my fellow Yankee cohorts in our local BBA chapter voted this way in the race:

1st place: CC Sabathia, New York Yankees
2nd place: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
3rd place: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
4th place: Cliff Lee, Texas Rangers
5th place: Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance as a whole voted like this for our AL Pitcher of the Year:


Felix Hernandez, Seattle (18) 137
CC Sabathia, New York (3) 62
David Price, Tampa Bay (1) 57
Cliff Lee, Seattle/Texas 41
Jered Weaver, Los Angeles 22
Jon Lester, Boston 18
Clay Buchholz, Boston 14
Francisco Liriano, Minnesota 13
Trevor Cahill, Oakland 5
Justin Verlander, Detroit 5


And here's how the BBWAA made their choice for the AL Cy Young winner:

Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners    
David Price, Tampa Bay Rays    
CC Sabathia, New York Yankees    
Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox            
Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim        
Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox            
Cliff Lee, Seattle Mariners/Texas Rangers            
Rafael Soriano, Tampa Bay Rays                
Trevor Cahill, Oakland Athletics                
Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals                
Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins                    
Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers    

What do you think? Tell us about it!

My awards picks for the Baseball Bloggers Alliance for AL Rookie of the Year

I voted on behalf of Subway Squawkers in the Baseball Bloggers Alliance's Willie Mays Award (equivalent to Rookie of the Year) for the American League. Here were my picks:

1. Neftali Perez, Texas Rangers
2. Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers
3. Wade Davis, Tampa Bay Rays

The Yankees chapter of the BBA voted like this:

1st Place: Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers
2nd Place: Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers
3rd Place: Danny Valencia, Minnesota Twins

The BBA as a whole chose these candidates:

1. Neftali Feliz, Texas (18) 102
2. Austin Jackson, Detroit (6) 78
3. Danny Valencia, Minnesota 16
4. Brian Matusz, Baltimore (1) 12
5. Brennan Boesch, Detroit 11
6. Wade Davis, Tampa Bay 3
7. John Jaso, Tampa Bay 3

So, how do these votes stack up with who the Baseball Writers Association chose for AL Rookie of the Year? Here's who they chose. The top three picks were identical, and the other four were the same names the BBA picked, albeit in a different order:

1. Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers
2. Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers
3. Danny Valencia, Minnesota Twins
4. Wade Davis, Tampa Bay Rays
5. John Jaso, Tampa Bay Rays
6. Brennan Boesch, Detroit Tigers
7. Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles

What do you think? Tell us about it!

My awards picks for the Baseball Bloggers Alliance for AL Manager of the Year

Subway Squawkers is part of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, and for the second year, we voted our own version of end-of season awards. Here were my picks for the BBA's Connie Mack Award (Manager of the Year) for the American League, and how my picks stacked up against the rest of the BBA, as well as the Baseball Writers Association of America's official awards:

My choices:
1. Ron Washington, Texas Rangers
2. Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins
3. Terry Francona, Boston Red Sox

I thought Washington did a great job with a team that was beset by bankruptcy and a team sale. Not only that, but given Washington's revelation that he failed a drug test, it could have been easy for him to lose control of the team. But he didn't. Thus, he deserved to win the award.

As for my other two choices, Gardenhire guided an injury-ridden team to the playoffs, and Francona kept his own injury-ridden team in the hunt until September.

My votes were identical to the New York Yankees Baseball Bloggers Alliance Chapter'schoices:

1st Place: Ron Washington, Texas Rangers – 26 points
2nd Place: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins – 24 points
3rd Place: Terry Francona, Boston Red Sox – 20 points

Please note that even a Yankee-based chapter had enough respect for what Terry Francona did with Boston to pick him third.

As a whole, the BBA voted the following choices for our Connie Mack Award:

1. Ron Washington, Texas (10) 74
2. Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota (7) 67
3. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay (4) 35
4. Terry Francona, Boston (3) 20
5. Cito Gaston, Toronto 9
6. Buck Showalter, Baltimore 9
7. Joe Girardi, New York 2

However, the Baseball Writers Association of America saw things a little differently, making the following picks:

1. Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins
2. Ron Washington, Texas Rangers
3. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays

Terry Francona finished fourth in the BBA voting, with Cito Gaston of the Toronto Blue Jays fifth, and Joe Girardi sixth.

What would be your choices? Tell us about it!

My AL Manager of the Year picks

Squawker Jon and I are members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance. As part of our responsibilities with the group, we will be voting on regular-season award winners. Here's my ballot for the Connie Mack Award (AL Manager of the Year Award). I made my choices in my mind at the end of the season, and playoff performances have nothing to do with my picks:

1. Ron Washington, Texas Rangers: Washington's spring started out with his admission that he had tested positive for cocaine in an MLB drug test. The team went through a chaotic bankruptcy and sale. And Josh Hamilton was hurt for the last month of the season. Through all that trauma, Washington defied the experts, and led his team to its first AL West  title in a decade.

2. Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins: Gardenhire got his team yet another AL Central title, despite the loss of closer Joe Nathan for the season, and star Justin Morneau for most of the second half of the year. Oh, and superstar Joe Mauer only hit one homer in Target Field all year. No matter.

3. Terry Francona, Boston Red Sox: GM Theo Epstein basically dashed playoff hopes this winter, calling this a "bridge year." And then half the team got injured -- or so it seemed.  Yet Francona kept the Red Sox in the race until September. He deserves credit for that.


What do you think?  Tell us about it.