Red Sox ask MLB to sub Youk for Papi on All Star Ballot

[SteveNYY]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2903072

The Boston Red Sox have asked Major League Baseball to substitute hot-hitting Kevin Youkilis for David Ortiz as the team's first base entrant on the All-Star ballot distributed to other players, a gesture meant to help Youkilis' chances to help make the American League squad.

There are just 15 full days remaining in the fan balloting. In the most recent ballot results announced by MLB, Ortiz is by far the leading vote-getter among AL first basemen, with 1,055,260 votes, more than double the second-leading vote-getter, Minnesota's Justin Morneau.
Because it appears that Ortiz will be the starting first baseman for the AL, based on the fans' voting, the team asked Ortiz if he would be OK with it if Youkilis could be listed on the ballot sent to players.

"He was all for it," said one Major League Baseball source, "and excited about Youkilis' chances."

Major League Baseball does not require that the same players who are listed on the fans' ballot appear on the ballots given to players.

Ortiz is primarily a designated hitter, of course, but because DHs are not listed on the ballot, Ortiz was placed among the first basemen. Youkilis, Boston's regular first baseman, is having a breakout season, hitting .335 with eight homers, 33 RBIs and a .421 on-base percentage.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2903072

I think it'd be absurd if Youk wasn't on the all star roster this year, he's been playing amazing.. but this brings to my attention that Ortiz shouldnt be on the ballot for first base as he never plays it and Youk has had the year that he has... I think that for the all star game, the AL should have a DH in their lineup and the NL should have the pitcher hit

[ReignInBlood]

I think that for the all star game, the AL should have a DH in their lineup and the NL should have the pitcher hit

:confused: You realize what you're saying here right.

[SteveNYY]

lol yea i kno it sounds retarded.. just my opinion tho... we play with a DH in the AL, the NL doesnt... there are ppl whose job it is to hit and not play the field, such as ortiz.. why should he take someone like Youk's spot at first base when he doesnt even play first....... just my solution to that problem

[Captain Cold Nose]

The split rules were going to cause a situation like this eventually, if they hadn't already. But one league or team should never gain an advantage like that in a game. I'm not against the DH, but I am for an even-playing field. It's quite a difference when you have Ortiz as opposed to Peavy.

[Williamsburg2599]

Even if they get rid of the DH in the AL someday,(which most likely won't happen, but still) I think they should keep it for the ASG and ST. I don't want to see Josh Beckett batting in an All-star game, or in ST where a prospect could take his place in the lineup.

[Knick9]

Personally, why would it hurt Ortiz to play first for a few innings? He does it sometimes in interleague play.

I mean, hey, it's the fans who voted for Ortiz at first base. MLB had him on the ballot as a first baseman in the first place. You're gonna change the rules while it's going on? You better not. Like Cold Nose said, it would give the AL an unfair advantage. The All-Star game is in a National League ballpark, which means National League rules, and that's that. This game counts now, so all the more reason.

You made the salad, now eat the salad.

[NYMets523]

They should list Papi as the CF, RF, or SS. The 3 positions where the Red Sox have crap.

[VTSoxFan]

Personally, why would it hurt Ortiz to play first for a few innings? He does it sometimes in interleague play.


I think the point of the exercise is that Youk has been playing really, really well, and deserves an All-Star spot as much as, if not more than, Ortiz.

They should list Papi as the CF, RF, or SS. The 3 positions where the Red Sox have crap.

The image of Ortiz playing any of those positions -- especially shortstop -- is either really funny or scary, and I can't decide which. :D

[Westlake]

They should list Papi as the CF, RF, or SS. The 3 positions where the Red Sox have crap.

Yeah, J.D. Drew sucks. :crazy

[Mariano_Rivera]

To be honest I think they should play with the DH in the ASG all the time. The idea is to showcase the stars of baseball right? Why not give the fans a chance to see another one of baseball's stars?

[NewEnglandAmazins]

To be honest I think they should play with the DH in the ASG all the time. The idea is to showcase the stars of baseball right? Why not give the fans a chance to see another one of baseball's stars?

Interesting concept, I too would rather see pitchers pitch than try to hit.

[SteveNYY]

thatd be great if the NL would just use the DH in the all star game......

i never said there was something wrong with ortiz trying to play first base (key word: trying).. i said he doesnt play first base and therefore shouldnt be on the ballot for first base.. they have an every day first baseman in Youk and he happens to be an all star whose gonna get shafted out of the spot

NYMets that doesnt make sense.. JD Drew and coco crisp suck? coco could get a gold glove this year and is a great center fielder lol... altho i hate them both.

[Erik Bedard]

It's not like the NL isn't going to pinch-hit for the pitcher spot every single time it comes up, though.

[NYMets523]

NYMets that doesnt make sense.. JD Drew and coco crisp suck? coco could get a gold glove this year and is a great center fielder lol... altho i hate them both.

Look at their stats.

Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
J.D. Drew 55 182 32 43 7 1 4 25 31 38 1 1 .236 .344 .352 .696
Coco Crisp 59 217 31 48 9 2 1 16 16 30 12 2 .221 .277 .295 .572


Sorry I made it really long, I don't have time right now to shorten it.

[Erik Bedard]

Drew hasn't been that bad this year. Crisp and Lugo, though...

[Westlake]

Look at their stats.

Well, the first third of a season is alway indicative on how good a player is. J.D. Drew is a .284 .390 .503 CAREER hitter. Seems a little ignorant to say he sucks at this point.

Also, Steve mentioned Coco's defense. Pretty much the only reason he's still in the lineup. GG caliber.

[SteveNYY]

I was clearly referring to Coco's defense lol, like he said ^, only reason he's still in the lineup and he has a very good shot at a Gold Glove.. and ok, JD Drew sucks? cause hes had a bad first third of the season? mets fans........

[redlegsfan21]

I think the Reds should replace Ryan Freel with Josh Hamilton. Josh Hamilton has 66,745 votes already and note, he's not on the ballot. Those are write-ins.

[NYMets523]

Well, the first third of a season is alway indicative on how good a player is. J.D. Drew is a .284 .390 .503 CAREER hitter. Seems a little ignorant to say he sucks at this point.
He's a young Moises Alou, productive but constantly nagged by injury. He also doesn't seem to have much passion.

Also, Steve mentioned Coco's defense. Pretty much the only reason he's still in the lineup. GG caliber.

He tries to show off too much. He takes too many risks with dives and will end up hurting himself like Griffey did.

[Mission27]

if by taking too many risks you mean hustling for every ball he can get and getting most of them...... i guess i agree with that^

[TheDatch]

He's a young Moises Alou, productive but constantly nagged by injury. He also doesn't seem to have much passion.



He tries to show off too much. He takes too many risks with dives and will end up hurting himself like Griffey did.

thanks Ms. Cleo :)

[Williamsburg2599]

He's a young Moises Alou, productive but constantly nagged by injury. He also doesn't seem to have much passion.



He tries to show off too much. He takes too many risks with dives and will end up hurting himself like Griffey did.

Showing off? Making diving catches is showing off? He hustles, he plays hard. I've never seen him dive when he doesn't have to.

[natsnsoxfan]

They shouldn't have the pitcher hit in the AS game even if it is an NL park anyways. The fans that shell out big money to go see it in person don't want to see Josh Beckett looking like an idiot against Jake Peavy. Its supposed to be a high scoring slugfest and having the pitcher in the lineup detracts from that.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

Boston is asking to replace Big Papi with Youk? OK Youk should be on the ballot, but IMO it is an insult to Ortiz; a slap in the face.

[west coast orange and black]

vtsoxfan: Youk has been playing really, really well, and deserves an All-Star spot as much as, if not more than, Ortiz.

that's what the write-in section is for.

[Mattingly]

My feeling is that there shouldn't be any split rules. If one team has a DH, then it doesn't make sense for the next team to not allow this. If that were the case, then Interleague play doesn't have this.

I'm personally opposed to a DH in an All-Star Game, but if it's in an AL park, I guess it wouldn't be totally bad on principle. If anything, they could simply have a person used as either a pinch hitter, or hit, field once and hit again, then leave.

I also don't think it's appropriate for a team to ask that one player be substituted for another. I seriously doubt that Youkilis, who doesn't have anywhere near the same name recognition as Ortiz, would've gotten voted in on their own. To me, a player should either be selected or ask to be removed. Anyone who's put in his place should also be substituted. Otherwise, it's as if a team gets a guaranteed player in the game.

BTW, which stadium is the 2007 ASG being played in?

EDIT:

Here's a press release, and it's being played in San Francisco, CA:

Umpires, official scorers announced for 78th All-Star Game
Bruce Froemming to serve as Crew Chief at the 2007 Midsummer Classic (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070614&content_id=2026346&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb)
Bruce Froemming, who has the most consecutive years of service by an active Major League Umpire in baseball history, will work behind the plate and serve as the Crew Chief at the 78th All-Star Game, to be played on Tuesday, July 10th at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Froemming, who is in his 37th year of Major League service, will work his third Midsummer Classic, having also been a part of the All-Star Game crews in 1975 and 1986. He has been a part of eight Division Series, 10 League Championship Series and five World Series. Froemming will be joined by 18th year Major League Umpire Charlie Reliford, a regular season Crew Chief who will be at first base, along with Mike Winters (second base), Kerwin Danley (third base), Ted Barrett (left field) and Bill Miller (right field). This is the second All-Star Game for Reliford and Winters and the first for Danley, Barrett and Miller.

The official scorers for the 78th All-Star Game will be Chuck Dybdal, a longtime Major League Baseball scorer of games for the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics; the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes, President of the Baseball Writers Association of America; and the San Jose Mercury News' Andrew Baggarly, Chairman of the San Francisco-Oakland Chapter of the BBWAA.

The Minor League Baseball Umpires who will work the XM All-Star Futures Game are David Rackley (home plate) of the Texas League, John Brammer (first base) of the Texas League, Jason Bradley (second base) of the Southern League and Francis Burke (third base) of the Eastern League. The four umpires will split officiating duties during the Taco Bell® All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game (Brammer and Bradley) and the Home Run Derby (Rackley and Burke).

The 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will decide home-field advantage in the 2007 World Series, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage. XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage of the XM All-Star Futures Game. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of all festivities surrounding the 2007 All-Star Game.

[Mission27]

Ortiz is already going to be voted into the all star game by the fans.. Youk is just going to be on the ballot that the players vote on.. It's not like Ortiz isn't gonna be in the ASG anymore, and they asked him if he was ok with it first, so there's no logic behind it being a slap in the face to papi

[natsnsoxfan]

Boston is asking to replace Big Papi with Youk? OK Youk should be on the ballot, but IMO it is an insult to Ortiz; a slap in the face.

They asked Ortiz if he was OK with it and he was all for it. Not to mention its just the PLAYERS ballot, not fans ballot, and I think i recall hearing on the Red Sox telecast last night that they will both be on the players ballot anyways.