July 2, 201214 yr I'm listening to STL radio today. They ALL hope TLR did use the grudge as the excuse. They are still not happy with Cueto kicking Larue.
July 2, 201214 yr Author I got a question if Phillips is so deserving an all star spot then why didn't the players vote him in? Phillips is good but it comes down to who the fans vote in followed by the players. Then they have to take in account what teams have not received an invite yet. I think they need to take the rule that every team has to be represented and that would help. How does the player vote work? Does every player just cast one vote for each position? I'm sure no Cardinals would have voted for BP. Does every player the players vote for make the squad if they aren't the same player the fans voted for at that position? Who did the players vote for at 2B?
July 2, 201214 yr From the Post dispatch. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-baker-s-obsession-honors-la-russa/article_edd02608-4224-5edb-a2fa-433b96a14908.htmlA few points to consider: • After the fans and players voted, La Russa was left with nine roster spots to fill. The number was actually less than that, given that La Russa had to follow the rules and add several players based on the need to ensure All-Star representation for every NL team. The bottom line? To fill his few available roster spots, La Russa did not give preferential treatment to players from his immediate past. No Cardinal was added via manager's choice. But La Russa did honor Cincinnati outfielder Jay Bruce by putting him on the NL squad. • At second base, the fans messed up by voting in the undeserving Dan Uggla (Atlanta) as the starter. The players voted for Houston second baseman Jose Altuve. Just how many second basemen do you need for one game? More than anything the fan and player votes cost Phillips a spot. • Phillips is having a good, not great, first half. Arizona second basemen Aaron Hill has a combined onbase-slugging percentage that's around 100 points higher than the Phillips OPS. But Hill was left off the NL roster, and he's having a better season than Phillips. Sure, Phillips is the superior defensive player. But All-Star choices almost always are based on offense. • La Russa did use one of his invitations on a middle infielder, Washington shortstop Ian Desmond. He leads NL shortstops in RBIs and extra base hits and is second in homers. Desmond can also play second base or the outfield if there's a problem. The NL has three shortstops and two second basemen. If you're going to go with five middle infielders, it makes sense to give the extra slot to a shortstop. Unless, of course, you think it's a wise idea to move the range-challenged Uggla over to shortstop if the game drags on and the managers begin running out of players. • If Baker wants to be mad, why isn't he raging against NL players who voted for Altuve instead of Phillips? I'm confused. If Phillips is so richly deserving, then why did the fans and the NL players snub him? Was this another conspiracy? Did the insidious La Russa find a way to fix the vote? • Cueto is having a terrific season as the Reds' ace. He belonged on the NL pitching staff. But this is Year of the Pitcher, loaded with attractive and worthy candidates. You can't take them all. Milwaukee's Zack Greinke was just as deserving as Cueto, and he didn't receive the All-Star call. Neither did Pittsburgh's A.J. Burnett and James McDonald, San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Vogelsong, and LA's Chris Capuano. • La Russa did use two spots on starters Cole Hamels (Philadelphia) and Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers.) Yes, I think Cueto is having a better season than Hamels. But Hamels isn't bogus; his numbers are more than sufficient for All-Star certification. • Cueto is scheduled to start for the Reds Sunday; that would make him unavailable to pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game. Is that La Russa's fault? Did La Russa set the Reds' rotation schedule? The NL players didn't vote for Cueto, either. Heck, they picked Lance Lynn over him. Uh-oh, must be another anti-Reds conspiracy. One more thing: if Baker is so passionate about Cueto's case for All-Star membership, why didn't he use the phone to give La Russa a call? Other managers do some lobbying on behalf of their players. • If La Russa was burning to disrespect the Reds, then why did he choose Bruce? I think Bruce is worthy of the recognition, but it's not as if La Russa lacked other options. He could have tormented the Reds by opting for Matt Holliday, his former player and a personal favorite. After a quiet first two weeks, Holliday is batting .336 with a .427 onbase percentage and a .542 slugging pct. since April 19. Holliday has a 44-point edge on Bruce in OPS. TLR went with Baker's outfielder instead. Read more: Bernie: Baker's obsession honors La Russa
July 2, 201214 yr Author I'm listening to STL radio today. They ALL hope TLR did use the grudge as the excuse. They are still not happy with Cueto kicking Larue. And if I were a Cardinals fan I'm sure I would feel the same way.
July 2, 201214 yr I like Bernie Miklasz, but he's acting a little homerish there. Cueto is having a better year than Hamels ... he's fourth in the league in ERA, and he's second in ERA among guys eligible to be picked for the ASG roster because Beachy had surgery and Dempster is on the DL. It isn't like Cueto is working in a pitcher-friendly environment, either.
July 2, 201214 yr I like Bernie Miklasz, but he's acting a little homerish there. Cueto is having a better year than Hamels ... he's fourth in the league in ERA, and he's second in ERA among guys eligible to be picked for the ASG roster because Beachy had surgery and Dempster is on the DL. It isn't like Cueto is working in a pitcher-friendly environment, either. Don't we all act a little homerish at times?
July 2, 201214 yr I like Bernie Miklasz, but he's acting a little homerish there. Cueto is having a better year than Hamels ... he's fourth in the league in ERA, and he's second in ERA among guys eligible to be picked for the ASG roster because Beachy had surgery and Dempster is on the DL. It isn't like Cueto is working in a pitcher-friendly environment, either. He said earlier he thought Cueto should be on but he understands.
July 2, 201214 yr He said earlier he thought Cueto should be on but he understands. I would say Cueto before Phillips just based on who had to be on the team and what selections were left.
July 2, 201214 yr If the Reds are upset about BP and Cueto not making the team they should pay them both any bonuses that are in their contracts immediately.
July 2, 201214 yr I voted 50 times and Im sure many of us on here did the same. We the fans can't help the market we are in. Voted 100x's myself...
July 3, 201214 yr Reds' anger toward La Russa misplaced - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN Reds' anger toward La Russa misplaced July, 2, 2012 Jul 2 5:40 PM ET By David Schoenfield | ESPN.com Recommend6 Tweet11 Comments208 Email Print The Cincinnati Reds are angry. Dusty Baker is very angry, accusing Tony La Russa of deliberately bypassing Johnny Cueto and Brandon Phillips in making his All-Star selections because of the infamous Reds-Cardinals brawl in 2010. "A snub like that looks bad," Baker told reporters. "Johnny and Brandon were at the center of a skirmish between us and the Cardinals. Some of the Cardinals who aren't there anymore are making some of the selections." La RussaLook, Cueto deserved to make the team. La Russa countered Baker by saying, "If Dusty had been more interested in Cueto being on the team, then he wouldn't be pitching him on Sunday. Cueto probably would be on the team if he wasn't pitching Sunday." Still when you go through the process step by step it's clear why Phillips and Cueto didn't make the team.
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