MSNBC Reports NL and AL Starters (Lincecum Not Starting)

by camwoody on Jul 5, 2008 7:32 PM PDT

A supposed leak has revealed the AL and NL starters for the allstar game and our boy is not the starter. Instead Arizona Diamondbacks' starter Brandon Webb will be the starter.

I have to admit that I am a bit disapointed that Timmy won't be starting the game but I am more upset that apparently wins count more than anything else when determining quality of pitchers. Here are the stats and you tell me if this is a smart decision.

Webb- 12-4 3.34era 118ip 100k 31bb

Lincecum- 10-1 2.49era 115.2ip 122k 44bb

I don't personally see how you can justify that decision. What about you?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25546896/

Poll

Who should have been the NL starter?

Tim Lincecum

73 votes

Edinson Volquez

17 votes

Brandon Webb

2 votes

Barry Zito

25 votes

117 votes | Poll has closed

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

0 recs | Comment 29 comments

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Comments

Well, I think making All Star decisions based on a single half of a season is a bit rash, and if you take last year’s second half into consideration, Webb seems like more of a solid choice.

by cheno on Jul 5, 2008 7:42 PM PDT 0 recs

Wait isn't this the 2008 All Star Game not the 2007 2nd 1/2-2008 1st 1/2 All Star Game

I am Cameron Wood and this is my son and business partner CW Culberson.

by camwoody on Jul 5, 2008 7:44 PM PDT 0 recs

Well if you want to be persnickety it’s the all STAR game and Webb’s Cy Young Award does push him more into that star realm than Timmy’s gotten thus far. The SI cover’s nice; maybe a Cy of his very own will await him in a few months, and stardom seems imminent, but it might not be quite here yet.

I’ve never been able to get to worked up about all star game decisions personally, it’s just an exhibition, a PR stunt (and frankly I rarely watch much of it anyway), what’s the point in getting upset about it?

My boy ain't fat, he's just big boned. Big bat, too.

by Roger on Jul 5, 2008 9:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

My snarky replay to your snarky point would be “Then why don’t they call it the ‘Only first 1/2 of 2008 all-stat game’?”

If the game is about “Stars” like Roger says, Webb has been a bigger star for longer than Tim. Will Ferrell might not be a better technical actor than Edward Norton, but he’s a bigger star.

2008 Giants: Scrappy! Scrappy! Joy! Joy!

by Goofus on Jul 6, 2008 8:35 AM PDT up 0 recs

Don't Blame Me!

i voted for zito.

BROCK BOND LIKES HIS MARTINIS PUNCHED IN THE FACE, NOT STIRRED.

by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jul 5, 2008 8:00 PM PDT 0 recs

Please don’t blame me either!

by withclubsauce on Jul 5, 2008 8:19 PM PDT up 0 recs

Current Baseball Prospectus VORP Numbers

has Webb as fifteenth best starter in the NL, Timmy at number one

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sortable/index.php?cid=204030

Tim Lincecum – SFN – 38.1
Ben Sheets – MIL – 38.0
Dan Haren – ARI – 35.0
Cole Hamels – PHI – 34.9
Edinson Volquez – CIN – 34.2
Carlos Zambrano – CHN – 33.1
Tim Hudson – ATL – 31.3
Aaron Cook – COL – 30.2
Johan Santana – NYN – 28.6
Chad Billingsley – LAN – 26.0
Jair Jurrjens – ATL – 25.3
Ryan Dempster – CHN – 24.6
Adam Wainwright – SLN – 23.6
Jake Peavy – SDN – 23.1
Brandon Webb – ARI – 22.3

The ESPN baseball writing group gave 17 NL starting pitcher votes in its all-star game survey to Volquez, and then Timmy 11, Webb 3, and Dan Haren 1

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08/news/story?id=3472772

Only other Giant to get some ESPN love was Benji, 3 votes

by SnowLeopard on Jul 5, 2008 8:24 PM PDT 0 recs

Webb is not a good choice, though I guess last year counts too.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Jul 5, 2008 8:35 PM PDT up 0 recs

Webb is not even the best choice from his team.

Castillo hits doubles.

by kennv on Jul 5, 2008 9:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

I knew it would be Webb. Just like with the opening day starter they go with the veteran over the kid.

Brian Sabean's new dad: Firm believer in corporal punishment

by rxmeister on Jul 5, 2008 8:36 PM PDT 0 recs

i hope Webb gets rocked so hard that they have to pull him before he gets out of the first.

hurdle=FAIL

by ExcuseMeSwing on Jul 5, 2008 9:00 PM PDT up 0 recs

I’m just glad they chose the most veteran-y veteran-tastic pitcher to start.

Giants Cove: You'll be a better person for reading

by Chulk on Jul 5, 2008 9:35 PM PDT up 0 recs

he's only

29.

BROCK BOND LIKES HIS MARTINIS PUNCHED IN THE FACE, NOT STIRRED.

by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jul 6, 2008 2:37 PM PDT up 0 recs

Didn't Jason Schmidt

injure himself in an all-star game, and was never exactly the same since?

by SnowLeopard on Jul 5, 2008 9:44 PM PDT 0 recs

i.e.

I am fine with Timmy not being under the pressure of starting the game, maybe under short rest

by SnowLeopard on Jul 5, 2008 9:45 PM PDT up 0 recs

No he just hit Edgar Martinez in the head.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Jul 5, 2008 9:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

Pretty much. Didn’t he get hit by a line drive?

by Hobbes2d on Jul 6, 2008 2:26 AM PDT up 0 recs

Don’t forget Atlee Hammaker in 1983: 7 runs in 2/3 of an inning, I believe. Never the same after.

by jcb9 on Jul 6, 2008 11:17 AM PDT up 0 recs

i love the 0 votes for brandon webb.. now that i’ve said that, i’ll be somebody will toss in the vote :P

If my head is full of white hairs by the end of this season.. I blame Brian Wilson. (I'm only 22, dammit!)

by GiNgiNxbOi on Jul 5, 2008 10:01 PM PDT 0 recs

Choice 5: Who cares.

“Justifying decisions” usually is a need that is reserved for stuff that matters. I, personally, would prefer that no Giant appears in an AS game, as it is very tiring and very time-consuming (the logistics of travel to and from are pretty fierce—and all this while the rest of your competition is resting). So whether Tim pitches Innings 1-2 vs. 3-4 is a good, old-fashioned Who Gives A Damn.

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 5, 2008 10:40 PM PDT 0 recs

agreed

nobody over the age of 16 should give a flying fuck about the All-Star Game. It is a useless exhibition.

by FluLikeSymptoms on Jul 5, 2008 10:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

Obviously the MLB marketing team and their message isn't sinking in...

Remember….THIS time it counts!

blah

Adoptive papa to Omar...so basically I'm screwed.

by PacBellBoozer on Jul 5, 2008 11:30 PM PDT up 0 recs

And the result has been the same every year

I don’t think the new strategy is working

by positiveuphemism on Jul 6, 2008 11:02 AM PDT up 0 recs

Just like the Grammies. 16 years old, and out.

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 5, 2008 11:40 PM PDT up 0 recs

The AL should run Livo out there!! How great would that be?!

by StickRat on Jul 6, 2008 12:18 AM PDT 0 recs

That would be hi-larious.

Everybody Loves Durham
comics | cartoons | Nattowear

by Natto on Jul 6, 2008 12:20 AM PDT up 0 recs

I’ve always said they should use the worst pitchers in baseball for the all star game. It would make it an exciting slugfest instead of the boring 2-1 games we always see. Zito vs. Livan would be a perfect matchup

Brian Sabean's new dad: Firm believer in corporal punishment

by rxmeister on Jul 6, 2008 6:21 AM PDT 0 recs

This would indeed be a fun spectacle.

by positiveuphemism on Jul 6, 2008 11:03 AM PDT up 0 recs