Braun v Fukudome - VOTE NOW FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME (merged with Braun 4th in All-Star voting)

[Oldcity]

Way to take "questioning whether he deserves it" and turn it into "lobbying against it."

[endaround]

Seriously, I doubt anyone has a problem with Sheets making it. I personally think Torres should make it but he likely has little shot.

[TooLiveBrew]

Way to take "questioning whether he deserves it" and turn it into "lobbying against it."

 

Where did the lobbying occur? I didn't read any.

[Robideaux]

Or there is more to a baseball player than a guy who walks but has no power or batting average.

I'm sure that the straw man that you're arguing against is now convinced you are correct. Who said that power is not important? You are creating a false binary. It is not against the rules to get on base a whole bunch and have power.

To wit: (OBP/SLG)

 

Pat Burrell .433/.614

Ryan Ludwick .380/ .648

Nate McLouth .385/ .567

Jason Bay .400/ .532

Matt Holiday .402/ .528

Adam Dunn .396/ .524

 

Ryan Braun .316/ .559

 

As a Milwaukean and Brewers fan I hope Braun makes it, but any argument that posits that Braun deserves to be a starter on the All-Star team is being guided by the heart (not that there is anything wrong with that--the game doesn't count after all).

 

 

[Postseason2006]

Am I missing something? Three guys less deserving are ahead of Braun and are disagreeing with voting for Braun? Yeah, makes logical sense???

[Oldcity]

Sure the three guys ahead of Braun are less deserving, but six or seven guys behind Braun are more deserving.

[zzzmanwitz]

But i think Braun has a more legit chance of making it than most of those guys... except maybe Burrell.

[BrewCrewForever]

I have been voting for Braun, Burrell and McClouth. I think Braun deserves it, sure his OBP is not high but he has the HR, RBI, SLG and has hit in the .290's all year (except the high .280's currently). All that plus he plays for my team and is my favorite player of course I voted for him.

[owbc]

It doesn't matter who is more deserving. Under the current system, the goal is for the fans to vote in their favorite players. It's about fan favorites more than numbers, and I don't know any Brewers fan who likes McClouth better than Ryan Braun, but if you do, feel free to vote for McClouth.

[rluzinski]

Under the current system, the goal is for the fans to vote in their favorite players.

 

No, the goal is for the fans to vote for whomever they want to, based on whatever criteria they want to. You've chosen yours and I've chosen mine and no one is right or wrong.

[mattsr0625]

i voted for braun just because he is so cocky and arrogant. and his ego needs it. then i hope he goes back to the "superstar" walk up music.

[Schlitz001]

I put in my votes for Braun. He didn't make the All-Star team last year because of his late call-up, but I bet if you compared offensive stats to the rest of the NL since his call-up last year he would rank very well.

[LouisEly]

When you hit in front of Fielder you get a lot of pitches to hit. Look at Hardy last year - is it any coincidence that when he was batting ahead of Fielder he had a career year in HRs? Look at Hardy's OPS and HR totals in April and May... then Braun comes up and hits in front of Fielder. Suddenly Hardy tapers off and Braun has a monster year. Then this year Fielder hits ahead of Braun and Braun struggles... until he is placed ahead of Fielder, then his numbers come back.

 

The person who should be in the All-Star game is Branyan. For some reason the Nashville site only lists current players stats, but so far he has 20 HRs and an OBP over .400 in a little over 200 plate appearances combined. That is just SICK. Yeah, yeah, I know, most was against AAA pitching but he hasn't slowed down a bit since coming to the NL. (And when I say "should" I mean he should have been on the roster sooner and accumulated more of his numbers in MIL.)

[TooLiveBrew]

Look at Hardy last year - is it any coincidence that when he was batting ahead of Fielder he had a career year in HRs? Look at Hardy's OPS and HR totals in April and May... then Braun comes up and hits in front of Fielder. Suddenly Hardy tapers off and Braun has a monster year. Then this year Fielder hits ahead of Braun and Braun struggles... until he is placed ahead of Fielder, then his numbers come back.

 

I think it'd take a much deeper dig into the numbers to prove anything here, or in short, yes I do think both were coincidental. Hardy was finally healthy, something NL pitchers had not seen (namely, his power). J.J. actually produced the best batting 8th last year, not sure why you say it's in front of Prince. Same goes for Braun in that he hadn't faced the pitchers yet, & had an incredible rookie campaign. I genuinely don't think Fielder had much (if anything) to do with either one. What's the logic that Braun hasn't been producing to 2007 levels this season? He's batting in front of Prince.

 

 

(And when I say "should" I mean he should have been on the roster sooner and accumulated more of his numbers in MIL.)

 

Could not agree with you more. The mystery of the TGJ lives on.

[mothershipconnection]

Kaz Matsui ahead of Uggla? Calos Lee 5th amongst OF's? Hunter Pence? Kendall ahead of Martin? Theriot in front of the reigning MVP?

[PrimeTime955]

You guys keep telling yourselves that Ryan Braun shouldn't start in this all star game. Keep telling yourself that.

[lcbj68c]

Who's Ryan Braun?

[JJHardy7]

I know you're into the stats and I appreciate that, but if we simply break it down to getting on base to get runs to me that really negates power. If Braun's OBP was .350 it probably wouldn't lead to as many runs as his pure power does. His OBP does need to improve, but to say there are 8 better offensive OFers in my mind is not right. Give me Braun and he will more than make up for the walks that ultimately would not lead to that many more runs compared to a OFer with a higher OBP with less power. To think Braun shouldn't be an all-star is mind blowing in my mind. What does he have to do next? Play catcher?

[ELCABALLO45]

Some of the voting is a joke. But Im going to vote for a little bit since I dont have anything to do tonight, we will see how many I can get in http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif VOTE BRAUN!

[Postseason2006]

Anyone trying to rationalize McClouth over Braun based on OBP needs some major help.

[B2k1121]

I just voted 50 times for Braun, as well as other Brewers and Chipper.

[ELCABALLO45]

Im up to 125 since 10, its hard making up emails and plus im busy, but its worth it http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif I have voted for

 

 

C McCann

1b Fielder

2b Utley

Ss Han Ram

3b Chipper

OF Braun

OF Hart

OF C. Lee

[TooLiveBrew]

Give me Braun and he will more than make up for the walks that ultimately would not lead to that many more runs compared to a OFer with a higher OBP with less power.

 

How do you back this up? It's just a convoluted statement. That's the problem with thinking that 'stat guys' are just out to be overly critical. The stats-oriented crowd tends to be very objective, which certainly means being critical of Brewers at times. There's nothing keeping the people who have pointed out that Ryan's OBP is not 'all-star caliber' from cheering their butts off for him & enjoying him, you know?

[lukevan]

As was posted earlier, Braun is behind 3 other OFs in SLG% who all have at least .069 points of OBP on him. Kind of hard to look past that and say that Braun is more deserving than any of those three. Having said that, I vote Braun.

[PeaveyFury]

How do you back this up?

 

Isn't it true to some extent (well, at least if he had left out 'more than')?

 

.325 OBP .600 Slg = .925 OPS

 

.375 OBP .550 Slg = .925 OPS