Joe Maddon needed a 'Wake' up call

Tampa Rays' Manager Joe Maddon was this year’s American League manager for the All-Star game. He also had the duty of completing the All-Star roster by hand picking the final few players.
Maddon chose Boston's 42 year-old knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield to join the arsenal of arms for the American League. This selection would be Wakefield's first in his 17 year MLB career, making him the oldest selection since Satchel Page in 1952. Maddon stated in an interview that Wakefield's selection was 'kind of a lifetime achievement' for the knuckleballer.
Seriously, Joe? You’re adding a man to your roster that has a better winning percentage and win total than EVERY pitcher on the All-Star staff. Shouldn’t you be adding him because he is the best in the league and will help you win the game that ‘means something’?

Maddon spoke to Wakefield about his roll on the team, and Wakefield was comfortable with being the guy that would pitch if the game went into extra innings. If it was your first All-Star selection, would you say no to anything asked of you by the manager? Maddon could have asked Wakefield to pitch batting practice and Wake would have with no questions asked. Way to take advantage of the situation, Joe.

Wakefield never did get into the game, with reasons/excuses ranging from the AL’s lead wasn’t large enough to no catcher on the roster was comfortable catching a knuckleballer. No matter what the real reason, it is disrespectful and unacceptable.

The goal is to win the All-Star game, and gain home-field advantage for your league in the World Series. If winning the game 'means something' shouldn't you put your best lineup on the field? Doesn't that include the best pitcher in your league?

Mr. Maddon, your managerial style may work with the Tampa Rays, a team full of young up-and-coming superstars and mediocre veterans, but it doesn’t work for the Summer Classic, which only exists for the enjoyment of the fans.

For the good of the All-Star Game, I hope the Rays don’t make it to the World Series again while you are at the helm.

Forget reality, this is the MLB All-Star Game

As of June 8th, according to MLB.com, Manny Ramirez was the fifth highest vote getter among National League outfielders.

Seriously?

Yes, Manny was only trailing the MLB HR leader Raul Ibanez, Ryan Braun, and perennial all-star candidates Carlos Beltran and Alfonso Soriano for a starting job in this years summer classic in St. Louis on July 14th.

I understand that the voting for the All-Star game is one big popularity contest, but do intelligence and ethics go out the window when the voters have the chance to pick the game's starters?

Manny Ramirez has played in 27 games in 2009, as of June 14th, and has a .348 batting average with 6 HR and 20 RBI. Not bad numbers but by no means Manny-esque for half of a season. I have no problem with Manny's fans voting for him to make the All-Star game, despite a sub-par season. I do, however, have a problem with Manny's fans voting for him this year!

Nearly 860,000 votes have been tallied for quite possibly the biggest the biggest name in baseball to be suspended for violating the performance-enhancing drug policy. That's right, more than three quarters of a million people have voted to have a drug user start the All-Star game. Now I'm not about to get on my soapbox to discuss the drug use in baseball. In fact, I wouldn't doubt that there are more than a few players on the all star roster that have used recreational drugs once before. My beef is the fact that the popularity contest, known as the MLB All-Star Game, is being voted on by not the baseball enthusiast but the baseball oblivious.

Manny Ramirez has NOT BEEN ALLOWED to play almost twice as many as he has played this season. Man Ram, as some call him, has not just been 'Manny being Manny' or hurt for 50 games. Major League Baseball suspended him! Plain and simple, he can't play because he had a banned substance in his bloodstream. How does that make him All-Star material?

'Dry eyes' with that batting average?

With a batting average of .197, through 51 games, most major leaguers would not be suffering from dry eyes. In fact, they would probably cry themselves to sleep nightly.

It is reported that David Ortiz visited an optometrist on Monday, for his dry eyes. Ortiz's slump continues as he left the optometrist's office with only a prescription for eye drops.