A-Rod ‘Snubbed’?

Number one draft pick in 1993.  2,646 total games played in his Major League career.  670 career homeruns.  Career batting average just under .300.  14 time All Star, three time American League MVP, two time Gold Glove Award winner, World Series Champion.  These and numerous other awards and accolades are all items that Alex Rodriguez’s résumé currently boasts.  15 time All Star though?  Not this year.  With 77 hits, 16 homeruns, 47 RBIs and an on base percentage nearing .400, A-Rod’s numbers did not reserve him a spot of the coveted All Star roster for the 2015 season.  Did he deserve a spot on the roster?  The question has the sports world buzzing.

As talked about and debated by various sports broadcasters such as Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg on their daily radio show “Mike & Mike”, Collin Cowherd on his show “The Herd,” and other ESPN analysts, many seem to blame the MLB for putting too much emphasis on the All Star Game itself.  The game, known as the “Midsummer Classic”, which was first played in 1933, is surrounded by an entire weekend of sports festivities, such as the Home Run Derby and other off-field fan favorites.  It provides some much needed relaxation and rest for not only the players but the fans as well.  Let’s take a closer look though.  The MLB All Star Game, although supposedly a showcase for the greatest talent that the League has to offer, should be a fun filled nine innings with players coming together from teams across the country to enjoy playing the game they all love, right?  Wrong.  The winning league of the All Star Game is granted home field advantage in the World Series, putting a rather large amount of importance on this event.  Should the selected managers for each side be more concerned with selecting the players they think deserve to play in the game or should they think deeper on the strategy side and pick the players that would give them the best chance of winning the game and securing the ever-so-important home field advantage come October? 

In many cases, there doesn’t have to be much of a contradiction between these two category choices.  The best players, those that not only the managers but the fans want to see as well, should be the ones that give their side the best chance of pulling out a victory.  That may be true for the majority of the starting players for the American and National League teams, but in typical All Star Game fashion, the “starters” are soon rotated out and/or switch positions so that the greatest number of these star players get their time on the diamond.  If the managers of each team are expected to not only balance the egos and playing times of the greatest talents in the League, but are also expected to win in order to secure the home field advantage, how is this game supposed to fulfill the criteria of being a relaxing and laid back event? 

This is one of the many debates that went through the mind of manager Ned Yost (from the Kansas City Royals) when selecting the American League All Star roster.  Was having Alex Rodriguez, now a designated hitter rather than a third baseman, as a backup on the roster to Nelson Cruz and Prince Fielder going to give them any greater of an opportunity to win the game than they would have without A-Rod on the roster?  Based on the lineup selected, that answer was no, but lets look at the numbers more closely. 

Player	HR’s	RBI’s	Batting Avg
Nelson Cruz	20	50	.301
Prince Fielder	14	54	.339
Alex Rodruquez	16	47	.280

Both Fielder and Cruz put up better overall numbers compared to Rodriguez, making it completely justifiable to leave him off the All Star roster. On top of losing the numbers game Alex brings a lot of the drama to most situations due to his detailed past. Due to all of these factors and more Yost decided not to grant Rodriguez his 15^th selection to the All Star lineup.      

Is this a big predicament in the sports world?  Yes, only because of the buzz that is constantly associated with A-Rod.  Was it the wrong choice?  I don’t believe so.  When looking at all the statistical data, as well as the way Rodriguez stacks up with the rest of the All-Star lineup, I do not have a problem with Yost’s decision to not select Rodriguez.  Will it hurt his legacy?  No – 14 All Star appearances instead of 15 – get ‘em next year, A-Rod.  What I think would be more helpful to his legacy would be winning a title now that his P.E.D. (performance enhancing drug) scandal is over and the fact that Derek Jeter has retired.  Significantly contributing to a Yankee pennant run would surely put him in better standing than sitting on the bench during this year’s All Star Game. 

By Michael Cannon

Class of 2017

Sociology Major