Castro and LaHair on All Star Team

[Little Slide Rooter]

Per Sullivan and Bruce Miles

 

@PWSullivan: Starlin and LaHair All-Stars

.

 

Any chance it suckers teams into interest in LaHair?

[Guest]

lol

[Theo]

haterz gonna hate

[javy knows my name]

lol

 

I wish I thought it was funny anymore.

[davell]

By proxy, does Jeff Baker make it, as his designated platoon guy?

[AlwaysaCub]

The Cubs will be sending Rizzo in Lahair's place, right?

[Vanilla Ice]

I wonder how TT is feeling right now

[Guest]

I wonder how TT is feeling right now

 

Amused. And hopeful that Carlos Lee likes Houston a lot.

[UMFan83]

lol I hope he faces a lefty in the game.

 

That's so weird. I could understand if he was our only rep but damn

[KingCubsFan]

lol I hope he faces a lefty in the game.

 

That's so weird. I could understand if he was our only rep but damn

Apparently he was voted in by the players. Second in the player vote to Votto for first basemen.

[Andy]

A terrible All-Star pick but since the ASG means jack anyway, good for LaHair. A great moment for him.

[toonsterwu]

I wonder how TT is feeling right now

 

Amused. And hopeful that Carlos Lee likes Houston a lot.

 

I'm assuming that's a reference to the Dodgers trade rumors.

 

I'm kind of hoping that the Indians stick around. I can envision a small market team like Cleveland offering perhaps a bit more because of LaHair's status.

[Little Slide Rooter]

@CarrieMuskat: Both Castro and LaHair can thank their peers. Castro was 1st among NL SS & LaHair 2nd to #Reds Votto in player ballots. #Cubs

 

Despite the fact that he's been in free fall for over a month, interesting that the players voted him in. They're smarter than just blindly looking at a stat line. Is it just a testament to how weak the crop is beyond Votto? There has to be some NL 1st baseman besides Votto who hasn't been God awful for the past month. And then theres this from yesterday

 

@Rotoworld_BB: Votto leaves game with undisclosed injury http://t.co/hciIUnOC

 

any chance of him hitting the DL? Just sayin.

[17 Seconds]

what the hell

[toonsterwu]

@CarrieMuskat: Both Castro and LaHair can thank their peers. Castro was 1st among NL SS & LaHair 2nd to #Reds Votto in player ballots. #Cubs

 

Despite the fact that he's been in free fall for over a month, interesting that the players voted him in. They're smarter than just blindly looking at a stat line. Is it just a testament to how weak the crop is beyond Votto? There has to be some NL 1st baseman besides Votto who hasn't been God awful for the past month. And then theres this from yesterday

 

@Rotoworld_BB: Votto leaves game with undisclosed injury http://t.co/hciIUnOC

 

any chance of him hitting the DL? Just sayin.

 

If LaHair STARTS the ASG ... I'll have a good chuckle.

[Guest]

CHICAGO – Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro and first baseman Bryan LaHair were today named to the 2012 National League All-Star team. Castro has been named to his second All-Star team, while LaHair has earned the first selection of his major league career.

 

Castro and LaHair will join coach Dave McKay, a member of National League Manager Tony LaRussa’s coaching staff, in representing the Cubs at the 83rd Major League All-Star Game Tuesday, July 10 in Kansas City. The Cubs have multiple members on the All-Star team for the first time since 2008, when eight players represented the club at Yankee Stadium.

 

The 22-year-old Castro has earned his second All-Star honor in as many seasons, as he last year became the youngest player in franchise history to be named to an All-Star team. He is the first Cubs shortstop to be named to the All-Star team in consecutive seasons since Don Kessinger’s five-year run from 1968-72.

 

Last year, Castro became the first Cubs shortstop to be selected to the All-Star game since Shawon Dunston made the club in 1990. Castro is only the sixth shortstop in franchise history to be named to the All-Star team, the third in the last 50 seasons, joining Dunston (twice), Don Kessinger (six times), Ernie Banks (nine times as a shortstop), Billy Jurges (once) and Woody English (once).

 

LaHair, 29, is the first Cub to be elected as a first baseman since Derrek Lee in 2007 and only the third Cubs first baseman to make the team in the last 30 years (also Mark Grace).

 

Entering Sunday, Castro ranks tied for sixth in the National League with 94 hits, tied for second with seven triples, tied for fifth with 28 multi-hit games and tied for ninth with 16 stolen bases. Overall, he enters the day batting .298 (94-for-315) with 10 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBI in 77 games. LaHair enters the day batting .284 (60-for-211) with 12 doubles, 13 home runs and 28 RBI in 67 games.

 

Both Castro and LaHair were voted to the All-Star team by way of the player ballot.

[UMFan83]

After picking Felix Hernandez to represent the Mariners, Joe Mauer to represent the Twins and Billy Butler to represent the Royals, Washington was left with four picks. He took three of his own Rangers players (Matt Harrison, Joe Nathan and Elvis Andrus), and one ex-Ranger (Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson, who replaced Sabathia).

 

Also, in the players vote, Castro was selected as their choice for starting SS

[NonProfitCow]

@CarrieMuskat: Both Castro and LaHair can thank their peers. Castro was 1st among NL SS & LaHair 2nd to #Reds Votto in player ballots. #Cubs

 

Despite the fact that he's been in free fall for over a month, interesting that the players voted him in. They're smarter than just blindly looking at a stat line. Is it just a testament to how weak the crop is beyond Votto? There has to be some NL 1st baseman besides Votto who hasn't been God awful for the past month. And then theres this from yesterday

 

@Rotoworld_BB: Votto leaves game with undisclosed injury http://t.co/hciIUnOC

 

any chance of him hitting the DL? Just sayin.

Baseball players aren't smart in any way.

[Tyrant]

After picking Felix Hernandez to represent the Mariners, Joe Mauer to represent the Twins and Billy Butler to represent the Royals, Washington was left with four picks. He took three of his own Rangers players (Matt Harrison, Joe Nathan and Elvis Andrus), and one ex-Ranger (Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson, who replaced Sabathia).

 

That's annoying. Not that any of those four are indefensible picks, but something about it is annoying.

[sneakypower]

he's 3rd amongst NL 1B in wOBA for the year, and came in 2nd in the voting; why exactly is this a travesty?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

he's 3rd amongst NL 1B in wOBA for the year, and came in 2nd in the voting; why exactly is this a travesty?

You have to split his season up into arbitrary samples to see it.

[Illini Iceman]

After picking Felix Hernandez to represent the Mariners, Joe Mauer to represent the Twins and Billy Butler to represent the Royals, Washington was left with four picks. He took three of his own Rangers players (Matt Harrison, Joe Nathan and Elvis Andrus), and one ex-Ranger (Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson, who replaced Sabathia).

 

That's annoying. Not that any of those four are indefensible picks, but something about it is annoying.

 

Part of the reason it is stupid to let the managers make any selections. I don't think they let the head coach in any other sport do it.

[rawaction]

I thought LaHair as an All-Star was a joke, but the NL 1B are pretty bad as a group. The only person with a possible argument over LaHair is Paul Goldschmidt for the D-Backs, who's been just slightly better than LaHair overall. Allen Craig would have an argument if he had more ABs.

[17 Seconds]

the problem i have with it is that he doesn't even play all the time. how many plate appearances is he on pace for? hard to say a guy is an all-star when he doesn't even play against lefties, but whatever. the asg is meaningless.

[Guest]

I don't have a problem with it, I try to care as little as possible about All-Star game, postseason award, HOF stuff as I can. I just think it's amusing that a guy I'm pretty sure will have a hard time staying in a MLB lineup 12 months from now and has probably been figured out by pitchers at this point made the roster. Good for him though, LaHair has worked a long time and he's not a wholly unworthy selection even if it's from having a .500 BABIP month.