Mauer Getting Hosed
This is my Template Tester.I’m sick of Joe Mauer getting overlooked. Seriously, can the All-Star voters please get their head out of their ass, and realize who is deserving? I know I already wrote an article about the All-Star balloting, but this is different. This is all about Joe Mauer.
I am not a fan of the Twins. No need for claims of homerism. I just have the ability to recognize a travesty when I see one.
Within the last few days, the major media outlets have finally started giving Mauer some air time. But, at last count, Mauer wasn’t even fifth, I repeat, fifth, in the AL All-Star voting for catchers. Joe Mauer is, in my opinion, having the best hitting season thus far by any position player in the AL.
There is no way there are five better catchers than Joe Mauer.
Please don’t even get me started on Jason Varitek. I know, I will always be a little tough on Varitek. That is why I decided to post a question on ESPN’s Red Sox message board. I asked, "Why does Jason Varitek deserve to start the All-Star game?" Their responses, you ask?
"Because the fans voted him in, and there are a lot more Red Sox fans than Twin fans."
"Because he has more fans than Mauer."
"Just because a player has better numbers is not going to make fans like him more than someone else."
"The All-Star game is for the fans, and who they want to see."
"For some reason people think only the players with the best numbers should play."
"And while his numbers are not as good as Mauer's, he is not totally undeserving. His defense is excellent (current gold-glove) and the pitchers think he is the best."
Basically, the main ideas they tried presenting were that Varitek has more fans, stats don’t determine who is deserving, and it’s all about who the fans want to see. Oh, and what a crazy idea I had; a player with better numbers should play. Call me crazy.
I thought the most thought out point was that Varitek’s defense at least makes him semi-deserving. I figured I should go take a look at the stats. Mauer has a .995 fielding percentage to Varitek’s .994. Both of them have committed two errors on the season. The thing separating them is assists. One has 24 to the other’s 13. Yes, Mauer has more throw outs. Not only is Joe Mauer better offensively, he has the defensive edge as well.
Now, we can’t really have a debate here without bringing up the offensive comparison. According to CBS Sportsline’s stats, Joe Mauer is hitting .381. Varitek is batting .258 (up since my last article). That comes out to be a difference of .123. Huge.
The difference in on-base percentage is almost as staggering; .101. Mauer has the edge in slugging percentage by .103. Varitek barely has half as many hits on the year (46 to 82). Joe Mauer has hit more doubles, stole more bases, scored more runs, and struck out fewer times.
The only category Jason Varitek has an edge in is home runs; 7 to 5. They both have 30 runs batted in.
There is really no doubt that Joe Mauer is far and away the better, more deserving player.
The only question left is, "How do we change the voting?" Honestly, there isn’t much we, as baseball fans, can do. Boston fans seem to have blind loyalty to their players, and ‘Tek seems to be their Jeter. All we can do is hope other fans step up to correct this travesty. In the meantime, we can try voting as much as we can. Please take the time to fill out your ballot with Joe Mauer as your starting catcher,
I mean, is a system where a team’s fans openly admit their player isn’t having as good of a season, yet still vote for him to be considered an All-Star truly that just? I was watching a segment of Inside Baseball today, and there was a piece that A’s pitcher Huston Street went to the local Wal-Mart, were some voting is conducted, and rounded up a ton of kids to vote for the entire A’s starting line-up. Those are the people we would be competing against.
Maybe I am a little to honest when it comes to my voting; maybe I am crazy for voting for the most deserving player. I hope all of you take the chance to fill Joe Mauer’s name on the ballot.
In Joe Mauer’s profile on CBS Sportsline it says, "Anyone who is voting for anyone other than Victor Martinez, Joe Mauer or Ramon Hernandez at the catcher position right now is just plain stupid."
I tend to agree.
