I Promised Myself I Wouldn't Get Mad About The All Star Game This Year
Every single year this happens. I tell myself that I won’t get mad about the All Star Game, and then I lose my mind over the All Star Game.
I finally thought this was the year. Of the three position players on the Red Sox who deserved a trip to the All Star Game, Dustin Pedroia was on the disabled list, I figured there’s a very slim chance that Brock Holt would make it as a utility player, and Xander Bogaerts is the best shortstop in the American League, so he’s gotta be the Red Sox lone All Star. I’m totally cool with that. Those three deserved it, but I was completely fine with Bogaerts being the only guy.
Then, when I saw that Holt made the team and Bogaerts didn’t, I officially lost my mind. And hey, that’s not a knock on Holt. Like I said, he totally deserves it, leads the Red Sox in on-base percentage, and is a huge reason as to why this team is still alive. But Bogaerts deserves it more. If I had to pick between the two, one or the other, Bogaerts is going to Cincinnati.
On Tuesday night, we saw exactly why Bogaerts is an All Star. In the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded, two outs, full count, trailing 3-1, Bogaerts cleared the bases with a three-run single to right field. If that sounds weird to you, it’s because it’s the first time a Red Sox player hit a three-run single in a regular season game since 1982. Bogaerts is now hitting .388 with runners in scoring position this year, which is fourth best in the American League. And for the past month, since June 7, Bogaerts is hitting .500 with runners in scoring position, second best in the American League, with an OPS of 1.160. And according to FanGraphs, he leads all qualified American League shortstops in WAR. But he’s not an All Star? God, I hate fan voting.
Bogaerts’ three-run single gave the Red Sox a 4-3 victory over the Marlins to bring Boston within five games of first place. If the Red Sox actually pull this thing out, forget about the All Star voting, we’ll be talking about the MVP voting. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…yet.
To vote for Xander Bogaerts for the American League All Star team, you can text A1 to 89269, vote online by clicking HERE, and you can use the hashtag #XforASG this Friday, July 10, from 10am to 4pm ET. This ain’t no delusional Kansas City Royal fan ballot box stuffing. The man deserves it, so do your job and help him out.
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