The Year In Review and Charlie Manual is an idiot.

Generally, I have always felt that the MLB All-Star game did a much better job than any of the other sports all-star games.  They generally do a better job of putting them team together, fan voting notwithstanding.  This year just shot all of that built of tolerance right out the window.  Charlie Manual, your an idiot.  That is absolutely all there is to it.  Last year I railed on and on about Manual picking Ryan Howard for the team when he was about the tenth best first-basemen in the National League.  It was embarrassing then, and its even more embarrassing this year.  Why?  Because he left Joey Votto off the team.  Joey Votto who is probably the front runner for MVP.  Joey Votto who is leading the league in OPS.  THE Joey Votto that is a much better hitter at 26 than Ryan Howard is at 30.  Then he has the nerve to add a fifth Brave to the team over Votto.  A guy that isn't a full time player, isn't a regular on his on team, is putting up a .337 OBP with a .706 OPS.  Yes, folks, come on down Omar Infante.  Thats right, the same Omar Infante that was a super prospect with the Tigers way back when.  Apparently his .706 OPS in limited action is more impressive than a .997 everyday OPS.  To put it bluntly this is bullshit, and I hope Joey Votto sticks it to you in the playoffs.  I have no doubt that hitting bombs against the Phillies will be at least a bit sweeter than before.

Yes, folks, Stephen Stasburg is the real deal.  Yep, he will probably win a Cy Young award injuries not withstanding.  Yes, he is only 2 down from leading his team in K's with only a fraction of the innings.  But no he does not belong on the All-Star team, not this year anyway.  He will have plenty of those in his future, he has enough hype, let him earn it, and for once Manual actually got something right.  Also, keep in mind he hasn't even been the best rookie pitcher this season so far.  Jaime Garcia takes that honor, and he isn't an All-Star either, although he probably should be.  Thems the breaks of being a rookie.

I just don't like Colby Rasmus.  He is dumb as a box of hammers, makes dumb mistakes, can't throw the ball straight, doesn't learn from his mistakes as he repeats them, runs the bases like he has his eyes closed, has a diva complex, and his father things he should be on staff just to coach his swing.  The possible upside just isn't worth the negative baggage, plus I think he might be peaking this year.  At the end of the season I will break down his retrosheet, and I am quite certain I will discover he does poorly in games that matter, against quality pitching, and that his RISP numbers with 2 outs will be terrible because damn it, every time he comes up with runners on and two outs its generally a strikeout.  If you could get a good trade out of him that could make the difference this year I say do it.

Trevor Hoffman, call it quits, your just embarrassing yourself.

I have decided that on the whole I really just despise baseball journalists.  The beat writers anyway.  I used to think I liked Rob Neyer, but after following him on Twitter he really is just a pretentious prig.  The Cardinals beat is mainly covered by 4 guys, Matthew Leach, Joe Strauss, Derrick Gould, and Bernie Miklasz.  Leach is  talented writer, but practically just gushes at the seams trying to show the fans how well rounded he is and what a cool hipster he is.  Always talking about the new album or whatnot and reviewing it mostly during the Cardinals games.  Apparently it became enough of an issue that his bosses censured him and told him to focus more on baseball and less on being cool.  As it is, he basically spends his time trying to be a journalist, bookwriter, music reviewer, and stat guru, and unfortunately he just does a half-assed job at all of them.  He likes to gripe about managerial decisions with the pitchers and gripes constantly about the bunt.  Here is a hint Matt, if you think you are a better manager than TLR grow a pair and say so, if not quite being such a whiner, that type of stuff is not productive for the fan base or the team.  Joe Strauss is an all right who talks enough about poker and horse races that it makes me suspect he has a problem.  Miklasz is a confrontational burnout that rarely says anything relevant.  That leaves Derrick Gould, who is mostly just boring.  I think the state of journalism is really just depressing.  Getting to the point where now, I don't even like baseball writers, and that was pretty much the last group of journalists I had any tolerance for left.

When Roy wants out of Houston you know things have gotten REALLY bad.  I have a feeling its going to be a long 3 or 4 years there.  That team is pretty terrible, and it might get worse next year.  Fortunately at least Pittsburgh is in the division, and they might not could win in Double-A.

Which brings me to Pittsburgh.  In all the 17 years they have been losing, this might be the worst of those seasons.  The fans truly don't seem to care anymore.  They are going to see that cool ballpark more than to see that team.  Even at homes games the players often hear louder cheers for the away team than the home team.  Sad state of affairs for such a historic franchise.

Whats the deal with Ike Davis?  People talk about him like he is, well, good.  But, the numbers just don't really support that he is anything hype worthy.  I just don't get it.  East coast bias?  Last I heard . An average in the .250's a low .300 OBP and low .400 SLG were not anything to be exciting about in a corner infielder, even if he is a rookie.  Literally has next to the worst numbers at the position in the league.