New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter watches as Chicago White Sox right fielder Alex Rios catches his fly ball in foul territory during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, in Chicago.The Atlanta Braves landed three players on the National League All-Star roster that was released Sunday. The starters were voted on by the fans — a tradition up there with using leeches for blood disease and horse-and-buggies, considering the stakes — and the reserves and the pitchers were voted on by the players, who did only marginally better, all things considered.
So congrats to Julio Teheran, who deserved to make it even if he was included only after Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija was traded to the American League this past weekend, closer Craig Kimbrel and first baseman Freddie Freeman.
That said, the obvious switch in talent and star power to the AL is staggering, looking at these rosters. Josh Harrison made it? He’s a utility man and has great value during the marathon that is the regular season, but really? Jerry Royster 3.0 is an All-Star now? OK. Somewhere Jose Oquendo just fainted.
The other debate about these particular All-Star selections beyond the usual “This guy got snubbed; that guy doesn’t deserve it” revolves around Derek Jeter being the starter at shortstop for the AL. If you have a problem with that, well, you have our permission to quit reading and go on about your day.
The All-Star game should be a celebration of the best the game has to offer. Period. And for two decades, Jeter has been right there among the best things about baseball, especially considering the storylines and painful revelations of those two decades. Jeter has been a mainstay through the strike of 1994, the steroids debacle that haunted the game and now the dragging attendance and uncertainty of the future.