I'm a Nats fan, and I'm voting Votto.

by souldrummer on Jul 4, 2010 10:11 PM EDT

The all-star game roster is a traveshamockery for a lot of reasons from a Nats perspective. The final ballot pits Heath Bell, Carlos Gonzalez, Joey Votto, Billy Wagner, and Ryan Zimmerman against one another for a variety of reasons. Ryan Zimmerman is the face of my favorite team's franchise and he deserves to go more than Omar Infante at 3rd. But Joey Votto will be getting my vote. If you will bear with some rantish ravings after the jump, I'll tell you why I'm voting Votto.

1) I hope that you all can acknowledge that the process is deeply flawed. The please the fans stuff versus the players stuff versus the manager loyalty stuff versus the win the game stuff makes it hard to pick a consistent roster. The bottom line from a Nats perspective: the genius players picked Matt Capps who is not really that deserving on his own team. If I had name Nats who deserve to go, it would be Josh Willingham, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Stephen Strasburg, Tyler Clippard, and Matt Capps. Nat fans barely want to see Matt Capps in any of the 162 games scheduled. They'd rather see Storen and Clippard. And now we have to watch Capps?!?!?!? If it will help us sell Capps, to a stupid franchise like the horrific Mets bullpen I watched for 3 games in person this weekend, maybe Capps playing is a good thing. I'm off topic. Sorry.

2) Votto is a great player who is in the league leaders in all kinds of categories. He's second in WAR on fangraphs. And he still can't in.

3) Votto is a core piece in a team that has contending and exceeding expectaions. Hello? Don't we reward winning some time?

4) Votto has overcome personal struggles to achieve his success. His ability to fight through the issues of depression make a human being whose story needs to be told and needs to be given a greater stage to share with others about how he's fought through tragedy and mental issues to become an MVP candidate.

It's real frustrating visiting other boards. Self-congratulating Philly fans will probably give us some "to the victor go the spoils" nonsense and not acknowledge that their manager is an idiot for picking Infante and that Votto is having a far better season at a far more affordable price than Ryan Howard. Braves fans seem to think that Infante deserves to go, and that Billy Wagner deserves "one more run" at the all-star game. If he deserved one more run at the game, then Charlie Manuel would have picked him over some other reliever, like say, Matt Capps. Oh, but he can't do that. Well, then.

Anyways, I'm curious about Reds fans thoughts on the all-star roster, and I just wanted to encourage the knowledgeable baseball fans here to use this as an opportunity to check out some of the other communities on SBNation like Talkin' Chop and The Good Phight to see what they have to say on the issue. I appreciate your intelligence as baseball fans, and I hope that your man gets elected.

And after that I hope at least one of my guys, Willingham or Zim gets named as an injury replacement.

Good day, and have fun stormin' the Central.

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you had me at...

during today's broadcast of the reds-cubs game, t(h)om brenneman said that nobody who was in the top 5 of as many different statistical categories as Votto had been left out of the all-star game except for one since 1953 (i think).

by Heeringa on Jul 4, 2010 10:30 PM EDT reply actions

It's a real insut to intelligent baseball fans to leave them off.

Maybe Manuel feels that winning the game is the most important thing. But he will most likely be winning the game for someone not named the Philadelphia Phillies.

I hate the Phillies and stuff like this just fuels my hate.

On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park.

by souldrummer on Jul 4, 2010 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I hate the Phillies too!

wow Charlie Manuel just absolutely butchered the manager selections this year. Worst I’ve ever seen, and I remember some bad manager favoritism before.

Omar Infante??!? He’s not even a starter on his team!!!!! I honestly have no idea how that can be allowed to happen.

by kcgard2 on Jul 5, 2010 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

espn said today,

that Infante doesn’t even have enough at-bats to QUALIFY for the batting % title, let alone, he has 1 home run. sounds like an all-star to me.

by Heeringa on Jul 5, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Votto can come out of this looking like a champ, though.

Gets voted by a landslide and he’s going to get lots of people talking about how he’s the bigger snub. Like the screwup perfect game that’s get Gallaraga a lot of notice, the screwup snub can help him get some pub. Manuel looks like an idiot as well, and many people will get to focus on how overrated Ryan Howard is.

On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park.

by souldrummer on Jul 5, 2010 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I think this is already happening.

National writers and commentators are calling him the first half MVP and a triple crown threat. In a fan poll (I think on ESPN’s website) voters were picking Votto as NL MVP by a landslide. Pujols wasn’t even close. Reds fans haven’t even been using that language up until this point, I don’t htink. Joey’s getting waaaaay more good attention this way than he would have without the snub. I just hope he ultimately gets to go to Anaheim.

by the finest muffins on Jul 5, 2010 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions

for some reason

it didn’t post that i had “traveshamockery” as the first word of the comment, after the subject.

by Heeringa on Jul 4, 2010 10:31 PM EDT reply actions

I voted for Votto more than once

Somebody should be charged with a felony if he doesn’t go. Looking at his season and not getting on the All Star team at all is just awful.

This is why I’m 100% against the all star game being for World Series home field advantage. People don’t care about anything than names most of the time, and they place massive importance on something the players don’t truly care about. I hate you, Selig.

"Bears are crazy, Willie. They'll bite your head off if you're wearing steak on it."

by Blank x2 on Jul 4, 2010 11:04 PM EDT reply actions

I tried to vote him on before. I'm campainging for him on Talkin' Chop, Federal Baseball and other boards I wander across.

Charlie Manuel just inspires more Phillies hate with the Infante selection.

On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park.

by souldrummer on Jul 4, 2010 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Heed the words of Vanilla Ice, Charlie Manuel

Sending “anything less than [your] best is a felony.”

by Brendanukkah on Jul 4, 2010 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I have spent nearly 1 and 1/2 hours today voting for Votto and so should every red blooded baseball fan in America.

My name is Madville and I'm a JonnyGomesLaynceNixaddict.

by Madville on Jul 4, 2010 11:19 PM EDT reply actions

Y'all need to spend your time representing elsewhere rather than preaching to the choir.

SBnation appears to be leaning towards Bell or Wagner to help them win the game.
Thanks, Bud Selig.
There’s a post on Federal Baseball right now where you can make your case amongst the Nats faithful if that’s your cup of tea.

On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park.

by souldrummer on Jul 4, 2010 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions

That's Patriotism, Mads!

Even though Votto’s Canadian

by Highlifeman21 on Jul 5, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions

I a flag waver fer shur

Though some might argue that "best utility player" is a contradiction in terms.
BuubaFan...

by Madville on Jul 8, 2010 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Souldrummer

I appreciate the support. I know the All-Star Game is some kind of big thing to you, and it’s quite a thing to vote for someone as deserving as Joey Votto instead of someone like Ryan Zimmerman, who is also deserving (though not as good of a season as Votto is having), and is the face of your franchise.

So from this Reds fan, thanks.

P.S. Where did you watch the fireworks? I hiked up to Cardozo High School after work to watch them, and it was awesome up there.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 4, 2010 11:32 PM EDT reply actions

Didn't watch the fireworks.

Went to the game and schlepped my way home. That was an awful, awful game. 4 hours of 9 inning baseball managed by Jerry Manuel and Riggleman while you’re team is getting blown up is some form of torture. I almost felt like Mets fans who stayed til the end deserved to win that game for watching paint dry for 4 hours. Maybe 1/3-1/4 of the crowd stayed until the bloody end.

Why I care about who makes the all-star team:

1) It effects contracts and bonuses.

2) There’s a baseball desert for three days. I would like to have something to fill it up with. If I can’t watch the players from my own team who deserve to go, it’s kind of hard for me to care or watch. Strasburg for an inning would have been riveting but probably undeserved television. Willingham getting an at bat would be satisfying. Seeing if Zim could pull of a web gem in the game would be riveting. Watching Matt Capps see if he can minimize his singles on the national stage? Meh….

3) It effects marketing and endorsement dollars for players. Votto is a really likable personable dude who has a moving backstory that deserves a wider audience. You get that audience with national games that the Reds don’t get enough of, All-star appearances, and postseason success.

4) Storylines can help govern who gets the national games. I want more people to see my team playing their best. If you have a Heyward or a Strasburg you get some national games. If you have all-stars that come up large on the big stage they can get the national games.

On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park.

by souldrummer on Jul 4, 2010 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions

drove 6 hours from Dayton to Chicago last night

for the game today.

Livid to find out about Votto, so every Reds fan (lots of them) I saw in the Windy City I told “Vote Votto”!

He deserves to make it more than anybody. Now, I haven’t slept in around 35 hours. Night y’all! Helluva game!

by onemoreredoctober on Jul 5, 2010 12:35 AM EDT reply actions

Wow, thanks, souldrummer!

My condolences on Zimmerman. I’d be voting for him like crazy if not for the whole “Joey Votto getting mercilessly disrespected” thing. I hope he makes it still somehow. Maybe someone will volunteer to Nancy Kerrigan Omar Infante.

by the finest muffins on Jul 5, 2010 10:57 AM EDT reply actions

Zimmerman isn't really a crime.

Wright and Rolen outplayed him by a pretty wide margin in June. If Reyes doesn’t get to go or an infielder gets hurt, they will probably name Zim anyways. I don’t see how Votto would get named, though. It’s a game with a DH and having mashers in their would make more sense.

Spent way too much time trying to learn what Braves fans were thinking. Seems to me that the Final Vote is basically a referendum on “This Time It Counts” vs. “All-Star”. This Time it Counts people believe that the NL needs a a lefty reliever late in the game to increase their chance of winning. “All-star” people see Votto as being the biggest snub and most deserving of votes.

On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park.

by souldrummer on Jul 5, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Perhaps the Braves fans missed the fact that the NL already has a lefty reliever who's nails in the late innings.

"Red Reporter - An elitist clique full of like-minded douchebags." - BK

by ZJiff30 on Jul 5, 2010 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

The 2010 Reds: or how Scott Rolen Taught me to stop Worrying and love Cold Play.

by justin007000 on Jul 6, 2010 2:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Why the hell do you need 8 OFs?

Not only that but they have Marlon Byrd, Michael Bourn, and Matt Holliday in it. I know there is a DH, but come on there are so many better players than any of these guys.

by kyleb740 on Jul 5, 2010 9:56 PM EDT reply actions