Joey Votto IS An All-Star And Colin Cowherd Again Proves His Idiocy

Yesterday at noon was the straw that broke the camel's back in regards to the present-day selection of "All-Star" teams. The fan vote needs to be stopped because, like 90% of people who vote in the governmental elections, they don't know, as Jim Mora once said, "diddly-poo." This is just not me being a fanatical Reds fan but Joey Votto deserved to be on the team and as a starter, however, he got jipped by the voters.

For years now, the starting 1B spot on the All-Star team has been hard to come by. You have to out vote Pujols, Howard, Fielder, and others. If the teams were selected by you know, on-field performance, which truly makes someone an All-Star, than Votto would be starting on the 13th at 1B. He is Top 5 in the NL in BA, HR, RBI, OBP, SLG, and OPS. Not to mention he is in the midst of a 41-game streak of reaching base safely. However, based on the fan vote, Pujols gets the start... and Votto is completely left out because Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard got the other 1B spots. Therefore, Votto is left off and now has to be voted in by the fans along with 4 other players. I'm not going to hold my breath. Look at the numbers and tell me who the real All-Star is:

Player AVG/HR/RBI - OBP/SLG/AB per HR

Votto: .312/19/57 - .412/.572/15

Pujols: .305/20/60 - .413/.567/14.9

Howard: .293/15/59 - .349/.502/21.13

Gonzalez: .291/16/51 - .386/.517/19.73

Clearly, Votto is the 1st or 2nd most deserving of the 4 players - not only due to the stats, but what he has meant to his team this year. Oh, and the Reds currently lead the Cardinals by 1.5 games in the NL Central. The MLB All-Star game is just a microcosm of how flawed fan voting has been. How many years does Yao Ming get voted to start at C for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game or Tracy McGrady when he played for the Rockets? The All-Star teams should not be based on fan voting - they show they can't be trusted to stay informed and choose based on merit and achievement rather than name and prestige.

Colin Cowherd: You freaking dumb@$$. You believe that Joey Votto does not deserve to make the team because:

A. Nobody outside of Ohio knows who he is.

B. He doesn't have the name recognition of Pujols, therefore he is not a true All-Star.

C. He doesn't rank high on Google Trends.

The name recognition thing is just incredulous and is just another example of why Cowherd is a blowhard. If that is the case Colin, then how does your name recognition compared to Mike and Mike? Dan Patrick? Jim Rome? You are at least 4th in the rankings based on those 3 and probably lower because I'm sure your show has turned many listeners off of ESPN Radio to listen to some real sports talk. Sadly, compared to you, Jim Rome IS real sports talk.

PHE-NO-ME-NAL! Cowherd's last point is laughable. Since he does not rank high on Google Trends, he is not an All-Star worthy player?? Using that logic, Colin, you aren't a popular sports talk host. I see the 1812 Overture ranks higher than you as does "rent a friend." How does that make you feel Colin? People would rather search a discreet escort service than your name on Google. Of course, to most of them, a good, stiff rod in the @$$ is probably more comfortable than listening to your sham of a radio show.

The All-Star Game is where people become recognizable! It's where deserving players from places like Cincinnati and Milwaukee get their moment to show the nation how good they are outside their fanbase. With Cowherd's logic, you would never get to be a breakthrough star unless you played in Boston, New York, or LA. Votto deserves to make the team. I will vote for him and so should you: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com.

Till next time, be careful out there.

Baseball Needs Instant Replay To Save Itself From Its Own Stupidity

An amazing third perfect game in less than a month just happened! What an unbelievable story and an all-time statistical wonder. 3 perfect games in such a short time and only the 21st in the 100+ year history of the Major Leagues. Detroit's unknown pitcher Armando Galarraga got 27 straight men out to etch his name into the history books forever.

Wait... it doesn't count? I'm confused... the last runner was out, right?

No flippin way! You're telling me an umpire with a fu manchu made a terrible call to rob Galarraga of his perfect game on the final out?

Oh, well... we can fix it with instant replay right? I mean, that would be the right thing to do...

Wait! We can't have it replayed!?!?! WTF is going on here??? You mean this guy that just pitched a historic perfect game didn't really pitch a perfect game because Angry Fu Manchu Guy screwed up?

This, Ladies and Gentlemen is Human Error and baseball at its finest!

YEA!!

Seriously, this is one of... no, scratch that, the absolute worst umpiring/refereeing decision in the history of sports. Forget the Soviet Basketball team, forget the French judge, forget Phil Luckett, and forget Don Denkinger - Angry Fu Manchu Man (aka Jim Joyce) is now the pinnacle for terrible officiating. To rob someone of a perfect game, something that defines a career and a lifetime, on that call is a travesty, a call that was not even close, a call that saw the baserunner out by a full step. Even the runner (Cleveland's Jason Donald) thought he was out! Donald throws his hands on his head in disbelief after the play's end because he knew what had happened, too.

I hope this is what the baseball purists want. I hope that they are cheering their precious human error, and the sanctity of the game, and all of that other worthless crap now. I hope they were watching when a 28 year old Venezuelan had the night of his life taken away by human error and baseball tradition. It makes me sick. Because baseball is the most stubborn and inept of the major sports, this idiotic series of events happened. Simply put, baseball needs expansive instant replay tomorrow. Anything but balls and strikes (home runs, plays at bases, catch/no catches) should be up for review.

But, there was something more disturbing than even the stolen perfect game. It was the reaction of umpire Jim Joyce that was symbolic of how backwards and idiotic baseball has become. Joyce had the nerve, after making a historically bad call, to angrily go at Jim Leyland, and then engage in more histrionics with the Detroit bench after the game. Joyce makes his sport and his profession look all the more insane with his angry, childish reaction. You know what though - I don't totally blame Joyce. I blame the culture of baseball that wants its umpires to bump chests with managers instead of worrying about getting calls right. But hey, I guess that's part of the game too, right?

***Update: In fairness to Joyce, he seems remorseful after blowing the call. Maybe now he thinks his reaction was silly as well. I feel bad for Galrraga certainly, but Joyce too. He has no support from MLB and no instant replay to back him up. Instant replay affects the umps as much as the players and surely Joyce feels worse than anyone over the blown call.***

Bud Selig has one option - institute instant replay immediately, and take the drastic and unheard of step of giving Galarraga credit for the final out and the perfect game. As of now, the only person in the world that probably thinks it wasn't a perfect game is the record books. For Uncle Bud to ignore Garlarraga's stolen perfect game would be perhaps as damning a comment on his time as commissioner than ignoring the steroid era (of course he'll probably convene some phony panel that will do nothing until the smoke clears). The entire system is broken. We're told that human error and old men in uniforms arguing like children are "the way the game is supposed to be played." Well, if that's the way that baseball wants its sport to look, they can have it. Maybe it was Jim Joyce who described tonight's events best when he was arguing with Jim Leyland...

Tonight was bull$h*t.

Quick Hits: Floyd Landis Is A Dope

Today, Floyd Landis admitted to years of performance enhancing drug abuse after several years denying it since he tested positive during the 2006 Tour de France and had his title stripped away. However, not only did Floyd come out today and finally admit to his own PED use in a mea culpa, but implicated basically every other major cyclist in the world in steroid abuse... most notably Lance Armstrong.

Landis tested positive for a testosterone level that was 11 times above normal in 2006 and subsequently went on an endless crusade to clear his name. Everywhere you looked after that tour, you saw Floyd Landis going on a Rose-esque mission to clear his name of the doping verdict. Even after appeals failed, Landis maintained his innocence against all odds. And now, he's just another Pete Rose - a guy who lied for years and now suddenly wants us to believe that he's the beacon of truth that's trying to clean up his sport. Remember when we all thought that all it would take was Pete Rose to come clean to get into Cooperstown, then we realized how mad we were at lying for so many years? Landis will find a similar lack of sympathy.

And, this is the problem with Landis. He spent millions of dollars and several years trying to clear his name when he knew all along that it wasn't true. Oh, well, it's kinda true... Landis still disputes the elevated testosterone result but admits to using HGH that year. Whatever.

And in truth, this is the real shame of Floyd Landis' case. Even if all of his intentions are suddenly noble, and even if all of the Canseco-like allegations are true, nobody is going to take his word for it. Lance Armstrong will rely on his credibility, public persona, and lack of a positive test to defend himself against these accusations. Floyd Landis just looks like another guy out of a ride either looking to take the sport down with him, or gain vengeance on other cyclists. Let's be honest, even Jose Canseco has more credibility than Landis at this point.

So, we'll most likely brush aside these wild accusations unless some real proof shows up regarding the extent of PED use in cycling. The sport of cycling desperately needs cleaned up... but Floyd Landis ain't the guy to do it. Meanwhile, the American sporting public will sit through another drawn out steroid scandal and wonder if the end is somewhere in sight, or if this is just one more tough climb through the Alps.

A Brother Yohey Special Comment: Derek Anderson Trashes Cleveland Browns Fans

I was going to start looking over and studying the top DL in the upcoming NFL Draft for our continuing series today. However, this little nugget came across the wire this evening, courtesy of my uncle. The provider of this quote; the NFL's representation of David Caruso's acting career, Derek Anderson:

"The fans are ruthless and don't deserve a winner. I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured. I know at times I wasn't great. I hope and pray I'm playing when my team comes to town and [we] roll them."

Very courteous and gentlemanly Derek, you incessant moron. Cleveland fans are ruthless, huh? Really? Thanks for the insight Einstein. This is the city that would throw dog bones and batteries at the opposition at the old stadium and the site of Bottlegate in 2001. When your team hasn't had a championship since 1964, a playoff game since 1994 and one 2 winning seasons since the playoff season of 1994, you tell me why they shouldn't be ruthless?

Not deserving a winner? You kidding me? This team was set to fail (read Terry Pluto's False Start and you tell me there was no fudge up on the part of the NFL owners), and have had management whose incompetency is only rivaled by that of Enron and Worldcom. Cleveland has the best fans in the entire NFL. Browns Backers exist worldwide and only Cleveland would have their team returned in 3 years after it was soullessly ripped away from them.

You got cheered when you were injured. Hmm..wonder why, Derek? Maybe it was your ability to complete more passes to the defense than your own receivers, or the fact that you took the helm when the team ended the season on a 6-game losing streak. Or, the attitude you possessed, where you could be seeing laughing and joking when the Steelers where handing it to you twice a season. Or the fact that you, SIR, lost the Cincinnati game in Week 16 of the 2007 season that would have put the Browns into the playoffs. Your 4 INT performance that afternoon was epic. It reminded me of the Doug Pederson/Spurgeon Wynn days of glory.

"I know at times I wasn't great" Too easy.

"I hope and pray I'm playing when my team comes to town and [we] roll them." Way to burn the bridge, Derek, when this team shelled out $14 million plus the past two seasons to give your hick @$$. NEWSFLASH: You won't be starting, wherever you go. Teams are going to love your rocket arm but when your rocket arm has the accuracy of a mid-90's Iraqi SCUD missle (cha-cha) you won't get very far. You have no touch on the short passes, you can't hit the 20 yarders that need to be dropped between the LB and the safety, you can't throw the deep ball.

Okay, I realize that Anderson was at the helm when the Browns went 10-6, threw for 3700+ yards and 29 TD. Yes, he made the Pro Bowl. However, the tandem of Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb led Cleveland to their most recent playoff appearance in 2002. This year you were 3-5 as a starter. In those 3 wins, you averaged 76.6 yards per game including the epic 2/17 23 yards 0 TD 1 INT 0.0 Passer Rating game in Buffalo.

Anderson is the epitome of what is wrong with the modern athlete; they presume that the people owe them for what they did on the field. Their blood, sweat, tears mumbo jumbo and sacrificing their bodies. You had one good season Derek and got your swindle of Phil Savage (which wasn't hard -- see Corey Williams, Kevin Shaffer, LeCharles Bentley, Donte Stallworth) and now you are looking for more millions. I hope you find work and when your team does come back to town I hope you are playing; maybe then you will be able to complete some passes for the Browns.

Be careful out there.

Epilogue: I guess my words have some credence. After a "heartfelt" apology from Anderson, stating how the people the know him will say that wasn't the real him and how he enjoyed his time in Cleveland, I just want to vomit. You enjoyed your time in Cleveland because you got paid $10+ million to give away more games than the WNBA. Seriously, Derek, you should have just stuck your foot right in your mouth to begin with and not said a word. I would say stick a football in your mouth but given your history of lackluster ( and that is putting it nicely) accuracy, you probably would have hit your eye or nose.