All-Star Musings (Hoppy Endings, post sim 13) [PP:2054.22]

[neugey]

Among Jackrabbits fans, anticipation of All-Star voting results is reaching its climax. Unlike other recent seasons, Edmonton has a solid chance to attain multiple all-star selections. Here's a look at some possible candidates:

SP Gary Owens. Chris Moran should have been the Jackrabbit starter with all-star votes, but a severe ankle injury derailed his chances. Owens is the next-best starter on the staff and there's an outside chance he could make the team. He did manage to make it as an all-star in 2051 his rookie season and he's a better pitcher now (even if the stat line doesn't totally show it)

CL Jim Conley. Conley doesn't have the big save count to grab attention (only 8) but what he does have is 1.44 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over 56.1 innings pitched. Those sublime numbers will be hard to look past when voters are making their selections for reliever spots in the Johnson.

DH Gonzalo Martinez. He hasn't been an all-star since 2047, but it would be a massive snub if he is not selected. He's powered Edmonton with a .320 average, 25 homers, 66 RBI and 1.028 OPS thus far.

C Ron Shiplack. A 6-time all-star, Shiplack is currently hitting .299/.312/.443 for the Jackrabbits. But since he got a late start as a mid-April free agent signing, he may lack the at-bats other catchers have. There are other catchers performing well in the Johnson so it seems like he is on the bubble unless his reputation as an all-star regular aids him.

SS Damek Korbel. He hasn't made an all-star team since 2051, but his glove and bat are both producing fairly well in 2054. It's a long shot, and he will probably bypassed by younger and better players, but there have been bigger all-star surprises in the Brewster before.

[JimSlade]

Love the plug for your closer. Voting on RPs for the All-Star Game warrants some extra attention. If you look across the numbers, you may find that saves don't tell the whole story - or whether a reliever is the closet or not.