Paul Konerko and Shane Victorino have won the Final fan vote for the All-Star game. No qualms with the Konerko selection. He’s carried the White Sox offense with Adam Dunn’s… struggles. He’s 4th in the AL in batting average (.324), home runs (22) and RBI (64). Konerko is good addition for the AL especially in the late innings as a pinch hitter. An interesting note, the White Sox have won 3 of the 7 Final Votes (Scott Podsednik in 2005, and AJ Pierszynski in 2006).
My problem is with Shane Victorino. The guy plays for the Phillies who have a huge fan base of whom yours truly is not a part but, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s been an inferior player this year. Yes, he’s hit .303 and stolen 13 bases and belted 9 homers but, there were other more deserving players. Craig Kimbrel leads the NL in saves, strikeouts as a reliever and has been dominant. Tommy Hanson is in the top 5 in ERA and Andrew McCutchen has meant more to the Pirates than has Victorino to the Phillies. I don’t like fan vote and the number of Phillies (Red Sox or Yankees) on the rosters explains why.
Stat of the Day: Craig Kimbrel broke the record for saves by a record for a rookie before the All Star Break with his 27th save today against the Rockies.
-Sean Morash
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