Vote Kirk Nieuwenhuis: An Update

If you remember, I made a plea to vote Kirk Nieuwenhuis into the 2013 All-Star Game for various reasons. Now I don’t really have a vote total for you, but I do want to let you know that I’m not the only one with the hair brained idea to completely alter the All-Star vote to make a statement. I’ll let Scott from Daily Stache take it from here:

This system is so broken, that we Mets fans, on our own soil, must take down this monster. Let’s take control of a system that rewards players for merely playing in a city that is hosting the game, rather than outstanding accomplishment.

I ask all of you to stuff the ballots like maniacs and vote in our entire outfield. That’s right, vote in Lucas Duda (who may actually be All-Star worthy at this pace), Mike Baxter, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Those are the three Mets who are on the ballot this year. Duda is obviously the only starter on that trio. And what better way to make a mockery of this system, than to vote in two backup outfielders?  

See, I’m not the only one that sees this All-Star American Idol sham for what it is, and is perfectly willing to exploit it. Bravo. Brav-freaking-o.

Here’s what I fear with voting everybody in: Let’s say the fans make it a point to do this, and seven or eight Mets are starters. It would be so easy for Bud Selig to get on his perch and decree: “ballot stuffing”, and rescind the voting and then nobody from the Mets starts the game, then MLB can forget about it and nothing gets done to alter this stupid system. But if one perfectly healthy AAA outfielder gets voted to start the Major League All-Star Game, and Bud decides to void it for “good of the game” reasons or whatever self serving phrase he decides to use, it becomes personal and Bud looks like a villain for doing it to one person. Frankly, I don’t think he would do it because he doesn’t have the stones. Now, he might have somebody from Park Avenue call up Wally Backman and say “hey, you might want to check his hamstring for a mild strain.” Or maybe they go full out and pull a Victory and break Nieuwenhuis’ arm to escape embarrassment. But even then, if Nieuwenhuis is “injured” you know that the Internet conspiracy theorists will have a field day with that.

All this, of course, contingent on this being pulled off, which admittedly is a long shot. But I’ll still be voting and I hope you’ll join me.

(P.S. If you do join me, let’s be sure that a healthy shortstop gets in from the American League. I had previously voted for Jose Reyes for sentimental reasons. But I was reminded by a wise man that the powers at MLB would probably find a make Derek Jeter a part of this game, if only because the game is in New York and they’ll probably already be honoring Jackie Robinson and Mariano Rivera because heaven forbid the Mets are in any way honored during an All-Star Game at their Stadium … and yes, I know this is a baseball event and not a Mets event. So if Reyes is voted in and he’s replaced by Jeter due to “special baseball dispensation” or something, I’ll never forgive myself. So let’s choose a shortstop and go with it. Jhonny Peralta is having a good season, Elvis Andrus is a good player, and hey, Ronny Cedeno is batting .333.)