St. Louis Cardinals: The All-Star conundrum part 2- reserves

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was selected to the 2018 All-Star Game as a reserve for Buster Posey. With all the controversy surrounding Yadi’s election and All-Star voting in general, it’s time to question how much merit being an All-Star should actually have.

Aside from winning an MVP, Cy Young award, or setting some record, being called an All-Star is one of the only tangible accolades to distinguish one’s season’s excellence. It is still very much considered part of a player’s career resume despite the rather biased nature in its voting. Such can be said for many members of the St. Louis Cardinals throughout history.

A different kind of controversy can play an even bigger part in reserve election, despite not actually having fan influence. There are quite a few issues that can come into play with who deserves what, particularly with injuries. When a catcher drops out because of injury, another catcher is nominated. This can mean that a lot of luck can be involved in an All-Star nomination, and St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina‘s election this year is demonstrative of that.

Buster Posey pulled out of the game this year due to a hip contusion on July 9, paving the way for Molina to be selected. However, the validity of this injury is somewhat in question among fans, as Posey has started in all but one of the Giants games since then, clearly demonstrating that he has the ability to play. Posey sitting out is more of a matter of rest than an actual injury.

So does a player simply sitting out because he wants to make the next player in line worthy? Is it satisfying for players or fans to get in on a technicality? The number of All-Stars is constantly changing as well, as there are obviously different injuries every season. As we’ve seen year in and year out these same issues play out, this year being no exception.

The second problem that occurs is that those responsible for naming reserves can fall prey to the some of the same biases that fan voters have when voting for players. This can result in players getting in on superficial things, and not actually based on their worth. For the St. Louis Cardinals, who exist in a smaller local market, this can be a big disadvantage at times.

There is an argument that Molina was actually favored by such bias. Many people believe that Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli is the one who deserves to be in the All-Star game, and there is certainly an argument when comparing straight statistics.

Both catchers have compelling cases, but Molina’s superior team success at the time and ability to contact the ball and do so with power pushed him over the hump against Cervelli, despite Cervelli’s superior OPS, wRC+, and WAR. On the other hand, many people believe that having superiority in the stats that Cervelli does.

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Am I saying that Molina doesn’t deserve to be an All-Star? Absolutely not, but that doesn’t mean that given the circumstances, other players aren’t deserving as well.

Within all of these issues, the subjectivity of the elections is the root of all these issues. People are attempting to use opinionated and subjective facts in an attempt to prove objective points. This is obviously a fallacy, and a problem that the MLB and its fans should work to rectify.

One of the biggest reasons that people get upset with the snubs in an All-Star game is because All-Star nominations are still part of the impression of a player’s career, and a missed All-Star game in turn is detrimental to a way a player is remembered. It’s not healthy for the sport and its’ history because the All-Star game should be perceived for what it is: subjective and influenced by popularity.

Next: Make changes to front office

Do you agree that a player’s merit should not be judged on their All-Star appearances? There are too many other subjective factors in the game? Do you feel satisfied with Yadi getting into the game, despite the roundabout method that was required? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.