Sunday, July 7, 2013

Yasiel Puig and the All-Star Game

Does Dodgers rookie phenom Yasiel Puig belong in the All-Star Game? Well, before I decide, I guess I still have to figure out what the MLB All-Star Game is.

Dodgers rookie phenom Yasiel Puig has been amazing
in a month on the job, but should he be an All-Star?
Major League Baseball delivers quite a mixed message with its All-Star Game. Is it an exhibition? Because, it lets fans pick the starters and top pitchers still skip the game if they have a start the Sunday before the game.

Or does it "count?" We're still letting this game decide home field in the World Series, right? Sigh. That's long been a point of contention for me, but I'm trying to let it go.

Whether it's about the fans or about the World Series, my conclusion is the same: Puig should be in the game.

If it's all about the fans and who they want to see, it's pretty clear they want to see Puig. That will be made clear when he runs away with the game's "Final Vote." There's a buzz about this kid, and it's not just media hyping him up. He's been terrific. Hitting over .400 in his first month in the big leagues, he is a legit five-tool star who has in the inside track to the NL Rookie of the Year. Just like Bryce Harper last year, he's a phenom who the fans want to see.

If it's about getting home field in the World Series, then I think it's hard to argue that the NL team is better without him. If this is an important game that counts, do you or do you not want the hottest hitter in baseball on your roster? For the same reason that useful utility players like Ben Zobrist and Omar Infante can make the team, a red-hot hitter like Puig should be there if all you want to do is win.

Am I being a bit sarcastic with this blog? Maybe. I'm obviously leaving out what the All-Star game selections should be about: rewarding the most deserving players in baseball with an All-Star selection. Based on that and that alone, does Puig deserve to be there? That's tough to say, as there are some very good players who have been good for three months instead of one. I think it would be more fair to give the nod to one of those guys.

But there are other factors at play here. Whether it's the fans who want to see him or the NL team just trying to win the game, Puig should be in New York to satisfy them both.