All-Star Final Vote - NL

All-Star fever may have reached it's pinnacle this season, as we head into the final 24 hours of the "Final Vote."  MLB has been doing this for the past ten years or so to drum up fan support heading into the break, and it's done a fine job.

Not only have we seen two-man teams jockey for votes (shades of racing at Daytona...), but now teams are offering perks (50% off tickets, auction entries, etc.) to drum up support for their players on the final ballot.  Not necessarily a great gauge of who is the most deserving, but interesting none the less. 

The one downside of having fans vote on the final spot is it means someone that might be more deserving will get snubbed at the last minute.  Here's my take on this year's NL ballot:

THE CANDIDATES:

Ian Kennedy, P- Arizona Diamondbacks
Michael Morse, 1B- Washington Nationals
Shane Victorino, OF- Philadelphia Phillies
Todd Helton, 1B- Colorado Rockies
Andre Ethier, OF- LA Dodgers

THE LEADER (as of Wednesday, July 6):

Shane Victorino, PHI

WHO SHOULD WIN:

Michael Morse, WAS
Whether he's a late bloomer or just a one-hit wonder, Morse has been the heart and should of the Nationals lineup this season.  Rapidly approaching 30-years old, Morse came to the Nationals in a trade for Ryan Langerhans (Remember him? He's in AAA now barely hitting his weight). 

Since April (where he hit under .215), Morse's numbers have been outstanding- .298 BA for the year, 15 HR, and 46 RBI.  The strikeout-to-walk ratio is a little out of whack (62 K's to just 16 BB), but here's a guy that's only registered 870 career at bats.  The whole package is just too good to turn your head- Morse gets my vote for most deserving. 



Michael Morse should be an All-Star

 Morse has come a long way since being drafted by the White Sox as a SS- a few years in the minors, and a run in with PED's to recover from a thigh injury.  The biggest thing he has going against him, is Joe-Blow baseball fan has no idea who he is.  He plays for the Nationals, and if you Google his name, he's not even the first picture that pops up (some cracked out looking mug shot does).  You've got to go three or four deep in baseball photos before you find one of him in a Nationals uniform.

Ethier and Kennedy should also get some recognition.  Kennedy has had a fringe-Cy Young type year so far, 8 wins with a 3.38 ERA and over 100 K's.  Plus he'll get some hometown love with the game being in Phoenix.  Ethier's overall numbers have not been great, but he did put together a 30-game hit streak to bring some positive vibes to a team that really needed the goodwill.

WHO WILL WIN:

Shane Victorino- PHI
Why?  Because he plays for the Phillies, who happen to be the best team in baseball, and have sold out every home game since Christ left Chicago.  He won the final vote last year (which is a great reason why he shouldn't be eligible this year- but that's a whole different topic), and as an added bonus, any crazed Philly fan that votes for him at least 100 times is entered into a drawing to meet him at the ballpark!  Of the hitters on the ballot, he's probably the least worthy of an All-Star trip, but the most likely to get it.  Maybe I'll spend all afternoon voting for Morse to even up the stakes.