Kieth Law! ESPN! WTF?!
Kieth Law of ESPN calls to task the players who voted in their poll for reserves and compares Jason Varitek to "various multicellular [sic] organisms capable of wearing a catcher's mitt."
What he fails to mention in his (article) is that while yes, Tek is in the worst slump of his career, his BA on May 24th was sitting at a very healthy .295. Millions of votes had been cast at that point, placing 'Tek 2nd in the catcher balloting. Law mentions nothing, absolutely nothing, of Tek's knowledge of batters, pitches, and his game calling abilities or defense. (Let's not discount his A-Rod smackdown talents, too.)
The All Star Game is not only about the best hitters at each position. One could make a case that Omar Vizquel, whose BA is somewhere below the Mendoza Line, could be an All Star with his glove alone. Picture the NL with a short lead in the 9th and no chance for him to come to the plate. Would you rather have Vizquel (1 error this year so far, .994 fielding pct.) or someone comaparable to say Jeter with 7 errors (.976) come in at that point?
I believe all the MLB players who voted know that Jason is much, much, MUCH more than just his bat. (Witnesss the Red Sox implosion of '06 the instant he hurt his knee.) They know, and rewarded him with what could be his last All Star game.
Law, as a baseball writer for ESPN, you should know that there is much more to this game we love than just hitting.
Kieth Law, you owe Jason Varitek an apology.
The other big snub is the one Mike Lowell got. His numbers are as good as they get, on the field or at the plate, and I would much rather have him on my team than A-Rod (who needs that freak show circus?) Knowing that Big Papi would not be able to represent the Sox in the game, I would have thought that at least one of the two L's, Lester and Lowell, should have been named to the team. (And I would have picked Lester over Pap, too.)
That being said, I have to agree with Law in regards to Jon Lester getting snubbed. No Beckett? No Dice-K? Understandable, but not Lester.
5 comments:
1. It's "Keith". Try spellcheck if you want to be taken seriously.
2. Your arbitrary May 24th evaluation date doesn't matter because it was not the fan vote that put him on the team. The players voted him in. Tek's BA on May 24th is irrelevant.
3. I cannot stand A-Rod, but he is the best baseball player of his generation. Anyone who thinks otherwise is biased, an idiot, or doesn't know what the heck they're talking about.
4. There are SEVEN Sox on the team. Seven. Seriously, quit bitching.
1. I did spell check (and I justified the post, too.)
“Multicellular”, the word made up by Mr. Law, came up flagged.
I learned “I before E, except after C…” His name didn’t come up flagged, and if he wants to be weird and spell it that way…
2.Yes, the players voted him in, and I noted that in the post. The post was more about Law’s insult of Tek, than of him making the team. He must have been playing some damn good ball in order to get all those fan votes. He must be a damn good catcher if the players’ themselves voted him in. Take exception to him making the team, but the insult was unnecessary.
3. Well, we agree on one thing, but I never really said anything bad about A-Rod in that post.
Just because he's one of the best players of his generation, doesn't mean I'd automatically want him on my team. And then I noted how Tek deals with him.
4. Again, this post wasn’t about who made the team, it was about Law’s insult.
Thanks for the hit.
One other accomplishment I forgot to mention~ Jason Varitek now holds the record for most no-hitters caught.
My first troll? I feel special.
This is from http://www.sawxheads.com/news_hype/51764/11764
First, I love it that you spelled Keith Law's name wrong. (Call me the spelling nazi, I have broad shoulders....) The reason I love it is because it is so fitting. Who the hell is Keith Law? And more importantly, who cares? Tek was the second highest vote getter at his position from the fan vote and the TOP VOTE GETTER at his position from the players. What that tells me is that he is known by his reputation and his integrity and his heart to be the best. Quite worthy to play in any all star game. I dare say, Keith Law would not be voted tops in his field by his peers. Especially not after that big of a blunder.
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