The Lunatic Fringe

Pablo Sandoval is an All-Star Starter, and David Wright is not.

And you know what?  This is for those years where we had to see Placido Polanco.  This is for Shane Victorino winning that final vote.

Every year, some one is going to be upset.  This year, it’s the entire National League other than San Francisco.  And let me tell you, as a Giants fan, it’s damn hilarious.  All the outrage, all the huffing of chests and quoting of stats.  I love it.  Every tired stereotype of San Francisco fans have been trotted out, now added with “They’re masters with them computers”.

That laugh you heard was every person who participated in this vote, who wonders why people still think the heart of this vote were the very punchcards that caused upheaval in 2000.

Someday, someone will seriously bring up a new way to vote for the All-Star Game.  But it won’t be because of the Giants fans voting in two very qualified candidates, and one questionable one.  Maybe it should be that the American League has three starters with batting averages under .250 (Mike Napoli, .235; Curtis Granderson, .246; Jose Bautista, .239).

No, it’ll be the day that some team’s fans go so crazy that you get a group of fans who vote in seven of their team members out of eight.  Because that’s never happened before….oh wait, it did.  In 1957.  Pre-computer vote.  Older fans might remember it because they didn’t get to vote again until 1970 as punishment/correction.

There is an interesting philosophical debate to put on here about what a “Star” is.  Is a Star a good player, or a popular player?  Don’t fans get to see who they want?  Are we ever going to admit that no one’s really comfortable with anyone not them voting for a game that matters?

But not here.  This is a damn webcomic, people.  The Giants have three position players in the All-Star Game, and that’s awesome.

But…Ryan Vogelsong and Madison Bumgarner were very deserving All-Stars, and they got snubbed.  And I’m pissed off about that, too.

See?  We can all be pissed off together, too!