Sort of. “There is no red-carpet parade,” writes Sportsline’s Scott Miller of his 9th annual Anti-All Star Team, who starts his roster with an unusual choice.
Catcher: Staff, San Diego Padres.
This is a historic moment: Never before have we asked multiple players to handle one Anti All-Star position. But there simply is no adequate way to put into words a major league team allowing 114 stolen bases in 132 attempts.
How, exactly, do you do that? Roll the ball down to second base as a bowler might? Continually heave it into center field? Keep throwing to third “accidentally” when the runner is stealing second?
Remember Rerun from What’s Happening!? Fat Albert from Saturday morning cartoons? These Padres could make each look like an Olympic sprinter.
It’s not only catchers. Padres pitchers consistently fail to hold base runners. Nevertheless, we roll out the welcome mat for all five men who have caught for the Padres this season: Michael Barrett, Josh Bard (above), Luke Carlin, Colt Morton and Nick Hundley. Exciting times for Hundley, no doubt: He was recalled from the minors the other day and has only played in three games, but you know how it is with guilt by association.
Barrett? It’s his third consecutive Anti All-Star season. At least this time he hasn’t fought with one of his own pitchers in the dugout. Or the opposing team’s catcher at the plate.
Citing Jose Reyes’ “infuriating immaturity”, Miller named the Mets shortstop to his Squad Of Shame, despite numbers he concedes are “respectable”.
As of this writing, Reyes is 5th in the NL in runs scored (67), 2nd in hits (115), first in triples (10), third in steals (32), has driven in 40 runs as a lead-off hitter, and possesses a higher OPS (.844) than newly-elected NL All-Star Corey Hart (.842). Somehow, I suspect the Mets will continue to look past Jose’s supposed immaturity.
I’m so glad there’s a forum where Beltran and Reyes are appreciated for the wonderful ballplayers they are. Sure, they can be frustrating, but that’s kind of the whole thing in baseball-the sublime mixed with the infuriating, the blooper falling in and the frozen rope going into Richardson’s glove. Without Beltran and Reyes, the Mets would be fighting the Nats for last place.
It’s amazing to me how much grief Reyes caught for slamming his glove down…during a campaign in which Beltran and Delgado are routinely blasted on WFAN for “not caring”. Seriously, if yack radio nation craves a ballplayer that wears his heart on his sleeve and is certain to toss his helmet and attack a water cooler the first time he goes 0-4, Shea Hillenbrand is out there, just waiting to take Carlos D.’s job.