Every Major League Baseball All-Star Game has its share of snubs, and one of Long Beach State’s own can add his name to this year’s list.
Los Angeles Angels ace and former Dirtbag Jered Weaver was inexplicably left off the initial American League roster, which was announced Sunday.
There is still a possibility the 6-foot-7 right-hander could be added on as an injury replacement or because a pitcher won’t be available due to a start on the Sunday before the July 13 contest. At least one pitcher, the Boston Red Sox’ Clay Buchholz, won’t be available because of the former, but Yankees manager and AL skipper Joe Girardi said today that fellow Yankee Andy Pettitte will take Buchholz’s spot on the team.
Another New York starter, CC Sabathia, will be unavailable because of a Sunday start prior to the game, which will be played at Angel Stadium. His replacement has yet to be determined and could be Weaver’s last hope.
Girardi knew Sabathia wasn’t going to be available for the game and openly hinted that he designed his selection that way to give Pettitte that roster spot. If Buchholz was never placed on the 15-day disabled list, then every spot would already be filled.
The location — Weaver’s home stadium and Southern California roots — along with his stats should make the 27-year-old a no-brainer selection. As of today, Weaver is the major league leader in strikeouts (124) and owns an 8-3 record to go with a 2.82 ERA. Those numbers are worthy of early Cy Young award discussion, let alone an All-Star selection.
“Leads the league in strikeouts and strikeout ratio. Tied for the lead in quality starts. Fourth in WHIP. Seventh in ERA. The game is being played in his home park,” ESPN’s Jayson Stark wrote Sunday. “How’d they leave him off? I don’t get it.”
Keep in mind that because of the league rules that state every team must be represented with at least one All-Star, the Cleveland Indians’ Fausto Carmona and his mediocre 7-7 record, 3.69 ERA and 57 strikeouts was selected to a game that determines home-field advantage in the World Series. Yeah, that makes sense.
The league office also goofed up when five players — Michael Young, Paul Konerko, Nick Swisher, Delmon Young and Kevin Youkilis — were named to the final fan ballot for the team’s last spot. The rule to include at least one All-Star representative is ridiculous enough, but for Weaver to be overlooked again is laughable. Not to mention, the Yankees already have seven All-Stars and Swisher would be the eighth if he wins the vote.
Another thing to take into account is that Weaver has never been named an All-Star. With the game being played in Anaheim, just Torii Hunter will represent the Angels if Weaver is not added to the roster. The Angels are a team just 3 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West despite an injury-riddled season, and Weaver is the No. 1 reason.
“I’ve seen a lot of guys get snubbed in my day, and he was one of them,” Hunter said to the Los Angeles Times. “Especially for a team that was hosting the All-Star game. I thought there’d be at least two of us.”
Here’s hoping that commissioner Bud Selig runs into another 2002 fiasco when both All-Star teams ran out of pitchers and the game ended in a 7-7 tie. I guarantee that Weaver’s name would then come up, but for all the wrong reasons.
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