/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/33864987/20120710_ajl_sr6_054.0.jpg)
I'm not much of an All-Star voter. Maybe I think I'm just too cool to click a link and vote 25 times, dunno. But check this crap out.
NL #ASG ballot update: 1B Adrian 2B Utley SS Tulo (vote leader) 3B Arenado C Molina OF Puig OF Blackmon OF Stanton pic.twitter.com/zDQpMnJ3Zu
— MLB (@MLB) June 3, 2014
Every one of those dudes is a dillweed except for Giancarlo Stanton. The guy next to Stanton is there because of one fluke month, which is an abominable way to vote. The guy on the left is broken. The guy next to him isn't as good as Paul Goldschmidt.
And they're all wearing hats that annoy you. All of them. The Phillies hat is the least objectionable of the bunch. This should probably be a wake-up call, then. Okay, fine, you got it, I'm voting, I'm voting. Sheesh.
The problem is that the Giants don't have an obvious candidate to rally behind. We've talked about this before, but there are two legitimate options:
1. Buster Posey because he's the best catcher in baseball, and the Yadier yankers can go collide with themselves.
2. Hunter Pence because he makes great faces and is having a legitimately good season.
CATCHER
1. Yadier Molina, Cardinals: 1,210,579
2. Buster Posey, Giants: 766,356
3. Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers: 522,310
4. Evan Gattis, Braves: 388,548
5. Devin Mesoraco, Reds: 258,528FIRST BASE
1. Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers: 647,826
2. Justin Morneau, Rockies: 525,614
3. Freddie Freeman, Braves: 511,177
4. Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs: 490,659
5. Brandon Belt, Giants: 421,900SECOND BASE
1. Chase Utley, Phillies: 974,196
2. Dee Gordon, Dodgers: 530,289
3. Neil Walker, Pirates: 365,050
4. Brandon Phillips, Reds: 304,541
5. Daniel Murphy, Mets: 298,611THIRD BASE
1. Nolan Arenado, Rockies: 590,745
2. David Wright, Mets: 565,982
3. Aramis Ramirez, Brewers: 472,321
4. Pablo Sandoval, Giants: 463,050
5. Juan Uribe, Dodgers: 436,776SHORTSTOP
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies: 1,419,718
2. Brandon Crawford, Giants: 446,937
3. Jean Segura, Brewers: 403,259
4. Hanley Ramirez, Dodgers: 366,355
5. Jhonny Peralta, Cardinals: 347,854
OUTFIELD
1. Yasiel Puig, Dodgers: 935,276
2. Charlie Blackmon, Rockies: 883,186
3. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins: 863,307
4. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates: 823,862
5. Carlos Gomez, Brewers: 819,385
6. Ryan Braun, Brewers: 750,672
7. Justin Upton, Braves: 556,305
8. Angel Pagan, Giants: 536,006
9. Michael Morse, Giants: 501,711
10. Hunter Pence, Giants: 463,266
11. Matt Holliday, Cardinals: 406,720
12. Michael Cuddyer, Rockies: 357,277
13. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies: 332,600
14. Khris Davis, Brewers: 329,744
15. Bryce Harper, Nationals: 314,860
Posey ain't catching up unless he goes on a tear that's big enough to become a national story. Pence is still far behind, but it's hard to justify him cracking a Puig/Stanton/McCutchen outfield without becoming a ridiculous homer. Which I'm okay with. But, still, it's ... an inelegant solution. I'd feel bad.
That leaves two illegitimate options. And I love them both. They're both attainable, too.
Option #1: Pablo
Eh, so his start was slow. He's still a star, as far as these things go. Wright's going to make it as a reserve because he deserves to be there. Arenado's hurt, and nobody cares about the other jokers. Giants fans can easily make up a 150,000-vote gap, and quickly.
Option #2: Brandon Belt
Because it would be amazing. It already is amazing that he's so close, but a coordinated effort could put him in the lead. This isn't even justifiable by the dubious "he's a star" qualifier for Pablo up there. This would be nothing but Grade-A trolling. It would troll Dodgers fans and Diamondbacks fans alive, with some Braves and Rockies fans for good measure.
I'm kind of in love with this idea.
But! I also don't have the energy to click a bunch of buttons 25 times, so I'm not going to pretend I'm going to lead the movement. I'm just a man with a dream. The Giants almost certainly aren't going to get an All-Star starter. But it's fun to imagine Brandon Belt, busted All-Star and memento to great moments in coordinated trolling.
Also, Charlie Blackmon, get outta here.