When you look at the starters for the NL in the All Star Game you can't help wonder what the Manager was thinking when he set the batting order. The Brewers are all at the bottom? Three key players from the Division Leader and the team with the Second best record in the NL?
Lucroy is batting 8th? He is 5th in the NL in average and only two other starting NL All Stars are ahead of him. Yet 8th? He is 8th in on base percentage for the NL, 5 ahead of him on the NL starting team. Yet he bats 8th? He has been batting generally in the 3 spot for the Brewers this year and one of their top producers.
Gomez is even worse. He is in the 9th spot in the order. 9th? 11th in average for the NL. 14th in on base percentage. 8th in Slugging and 7th in OPS. He also has more stolen bases than any other starter on the team. So lets put him 9th in the order.
Ramirez is batting 6th. That is about the only one that makes any sense.
Now lets get to the starting Pitcher for the NL tonight. Wainright? Yeah he is having a really good year, but how about Kershaw? They argue that he was on the DL and hasn't pitched as many games. OK. So? Kershaw has pitched in 14 games, has an 11-2 record with a 1.78 era. Also has a no hit/no walk game this year and also pitched 41 consecutive scoreless innings this year. How about Wainright? Pitched in 19 games and is 12-4 with a 1.83 era. Never had a no hitter however did pitch his first career 1 hit game earlier this year. He also had a 25 inning scoreless streak earlier in the year.
I guess it goes to show you that there are politics in every level of sports. The Cardinals skipper is also the skipper for the NL All Stars. If the Cardinal skipper hadn't named his pitcher the starter, the Cardinals wouldn't have a starter on the field after Molina went out with an injury.
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