[jers86]

Aweful all of last season? I am guessing you only watched the last two months when he was playing injured because they didn't have anyone better to replace him with.

I will say his last year was average for most players, but not aweful. (perhaps by Prado standards it was, but most big league players make a decent living hitting .260+ and having great defensive abilities.)

Aweful would be Heywards .230 average with 15 total hrs and only 40 some RBIs. didn't he flirt with the mendosa line most of last year?

Thats right Chipper Jones called him out for not playing because he didn't feel 100% and yet Prado and Chipper both played dispite their injuries.

Yet Heyward still is at the top of the list for All Star voting.

i watch every minute of every braves game...he wasn't "average" last season, he was awful...beginning to end. in fact, i'm pretty sure he was a contender for worst ops among outfielders last season. oh, and i'm not arguing for heyward as he wasn't any better.

[jasonmj]

I respectfully, disagree - it's the All-STAR game, not the All-STAT game.

First I agree....it isn't an All Stat game. I am just disappointed that people are so in love with a Home Run hit they over look the basic fundamentals of the game and many of it's outstanding players.

People going to the all star game aren't going to plop down a couple hundred bucks a ticket to see the Prados and CarGos of the world (no offense intended, of course) - they WANT to see the Jeters, Ripkens, Griffeys, etc.

Again I agree, but with one slightly different point of view. Why are these people stars? Because these are the only people covered by the media. I was watching ESPN the other day Prado had a 3-5 day with 2 doubles a Triple and 2 Runs scored. The braves lost that game. He was not covered once during the game discussion and at the end when they show the abriviated box score I think it looked something like this

Diaz 2-4 3RBIs
Freeman 0-5
Uggla 0-2 2 Walks 1 Run

And it had Ugglas name highlighted.

Now if you can't even make the teams score card with a 3 extra base hit day, you probably never will.

Braves MLB site isn't any better. All you ever see is Uggla Heyward Chipper and McCann (and assorted Pitchers) on their front page.

Not that they dont deserve it from time to time, but if the headline is Uggla/Heyward continue to struggle or McCann/Jones/Freeman on or off the DL and the top performances of players are never listed, then those players will never receive the credit they deserve.

I guess I get tired of the media telling us who the stars are and not letting the play and the character of the athletes determine it.

---

i watch every minute of every braves game...he wasn't "average" last season, he was awful...beginning to end. in fact, i'm pretty sure he was a contender for worst ops among outfielders last season. oh, and i'm not arguing for heyward as he wasn't any better.

beginning to end???? You must have been drinking a lot during the middle of the year. Prado had multiple injuries and a major staph infection and still went out there and gave it all he had every game.



Don't worry I am sure you will get it right next time.

[ceocards]

I guess I get tired of the media telling us who the stars are and not letting the play and the character of the athletes determine it.

I agree with that too - if you want to get into a discussion of what makes a "star" a "star" - that's an entirely different argument!

But that being said, my only point is that it is those "stars" (however they gain that title) that people are going to want to plop down the money for an all star ticket to see. And that's why (in my opinion) the fan vote should be the single biggest factor in picking the team(s). If you give the fans who they want to see, they'll buy the tickets.

It's also why I disagree with the whole 'every team has to have one representative' rule...again, I think people would much rather see a broken down A-Rod or Jeter than some middle reliever from the Padres.

[jers86]

First I agree....it isn't an All Stat game. I am just disappointed that people are so in love with a Home Run hit they over look the basic fundamentals of the game and many of it's outstanding players.


Again I agree, but with one slightly different point of view. Why are these people stars? Because these are the only people covered by the media. I was watching ESPN the other day Prado had a 3-5 day with 2 doubles a Triple and 2 Runs scored. The braves lost that game. He was not covered once during the game discussion and at the end when they show the abriviated box score I think it looked something like this

Diaz 2-4 3RBIs
Freeman 0-5
Uggla 0-2 2 Walks 1 Run

And it had Ugglas name highlighted.

Now if you can't even make the teams score card with a 3 extra base hit day, you probably never will.

Braves MLB site isn't any better. All you ever see is Uggla Heyward Chipper and McCann (and assorted Pitchers) on their front page.

Not that they dont deserve it from time to time, but if the headline is Uggla/Heyward continue to struggle or McCann/Jones/Freeman on or off the DL and the top performances of players are never listed, then those players will never receive the credit they deserve.

I guess I get tired of the media telling us who the stars are and not letting the play and the character of the athletes determine it.

---

beginning to end???? You must have been drinking a lot during the middle of the year. Prado had multiple injuries and a major staph infection and still went out there and gave it all he had every game.



Don't worry I am sure you will get it right next time.

omg, you're right! and i just thought you were blinded by insane bias! lmao

[spazmatastic]

Sorry, jasonmj! I totally agree with CEO on this one. I think that the fan-vote is the way to go for the AS Game. Yes, it IS totally biased b/c of the fans, BUT how can you change it to make EVERYONE happy. The votes are from the fans and they vote for who they want to see in the game! I used to vote for my favorite players at each position (mostly on my STL team), until I realized that I won't be there to see the game anyway. I rarely bother to vote now, but when I do, it is for the best player at EACH position, no matter what team they are on!
I think that the MLB messed it up by making the AS game decide homefield advantage for the WS. That is still stupid and unneccessary to me. The best team making it to the WS should have homefield advantage, no matter what!
Just look at the homefield-advantage in the WS for the last several years, where was the difference significant? The STL Cardinals won twice without having the homefield advantage AND they weren't a top 2 or 3-ranked NL team either time.

[jasonmj]

spazmatastic - I also agree. I am dissappointed in the fans that Prado isn't even in the top 10 in votes. Just like I said in my first post I don't expect him to win, but if Bourn and Heyward are on the list......I just think there would have to be room for Prado there also.

I just can't believe that NL voters seem so fixed on aged stars that they struggle to put together a winning team.

Personally I think all players should be picked like pitchers. By the coaches and players. (but that's just me, and my "VOTE" doesn't count for much)

Thanks for all the input fokes! I didn't expect this thread to get one response let alone a gaggle of them.

[rybowski97]

We all want to see players we follow and collect get accolades, especially when they are having big years and some of the guys winning awards and getting on the AS team have awful numbers. Prado is playing great, just no power in his gam

[kstjst]

the all star game is a popularity contest...and rightfully so. it's who the fans WANT to see, not who DESERVES to go. I'd rather go and see a legend or a future hall of famer as opposed to some guy who's having a hot odd year. so give me an all star game team contains the likes of jeter, arod, pujols, hamilton, ichiro, fielder, braun, and cano as opposed to the guys that are the tops at their position...who wants to really see that?! if a player makes a name for themselves then the all star game will be a reality over the course of their career.

[nolan5000]

Darvish, Nap, Moreland, Kins, Beltre, Andrus, Nellie Cruz, Hamilton, Murph.

[jasonmj]

the all star game is a popularity contest...and rightfully so. it's who the fans WANT to see, not who DESERVES to go. I'd rather go and see a legend or a future hall of famer as opposed to some guy who's having a hot odd year. so give me an all star game team contains the likes of jeter, arod, pujols, hamilton, ichiro, fielder, braun, and cano as opposed to the guys that are the tops at their position...who wants to really see that?! if a player makes a name for themselves then the all star game will be a reality over the course of their career.

I would love to see a game with the best of the best vs the most popular.

Give me a team of great team players and great players over most lists of the most popular any day!

Of course I grew up a Braves fan and learned to enjoy the game watching how Bobby Cox managed a ball club. I know for sure he didn't buy into the celeberty players. If you were a Brave....you were there to give 100%

I miss those 1 - 0 Braves victories by Maddux Glavine and Smoltz