APA All-Star Snubs

By Ethen Lieser
AsianWeek Staff Writer

For the 73rd time, it was here again — when for one night, baseball was as sweet as cotton candy. It’s called the midsummer classic, where stars of the national pastime gather to play a meaningless, exhibition game.

But how much longer will the All-Star Game continue to excite? At this rate, not much longer. A game, nonetheless, which always manages to fire up the nation.

The game has been divested of its innocence this season. There have been plenty of allegations about players bulking up on steroids, destroying the integrity of the game. Now, fans are looking (or squinting) at Barry Bonds’ single-season home run record as if it were another Enron scandal. There have also been rumors of a labor strike that could once and for all drive fans away from ballparks. Fans forgave baseball in 1994, but don’t count on it again this season, Bud Selig.

Then there are the players who skipped this year’s All-Star Game. Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, two of the most dominating pitchers in the past decade, decided they had more important things to do. How are fans supposed to react to this? Wasn’t the game created for the fans?

Kazuhisa Ishii, the flame-throwing left-hander in his first big league season, has been dizzying hitters this season with his nasty slider, fastball combination. Yet, Ishii, who has an 11-5 record, was an All-Star snub. Maybe National League manager Bob Brenly forgot that Ishii’s 11 victories rank him third in the league. Plus, he’s a rookie — albeit a 28-year-old rookie — but you can’t deny his production. And thanks to Ishii, the once-forgotten Dodgers are on top of the National League West, two and a half games ahead of Brenly’s Diamondbacks.

Was it just spite, Brenly?

Ishii’s teammate Hideo Nomo, who has been one of the best pitchers in baseball the past month, also got the boot from the All-Star Game. In his last 10 starts, Nomo is a sizzling 7-0. He hasn’t lost since May 12 against Florida. Check out his numbers: a 9-5 record, 3.16 ERA and 90 strikeouts. For some reason that’s harder to swallow than wheat grass, Brenly decided to select the Cardinals’ Matt Morris and the Braves’ John Smoltz.

Then there is the selection of Smoltz, which questions whether Brenly is suffering from some sort of dementia. Smoltz, a converted closer, is having a good season. The key word there is good. To be an All-Star, one would think, you should be having a great season. Smoltz’s 31 saves appear radiant. But take a look at his ERA — 4.44 — it is by far the worst on either league’s All-Star pitching staff. Maybe Brenly wanted Morris and Smoltz just because they are household names, big players from big baseball cities. And Nomo is an old hat. But this old hat still has some juice left in the forkball, and he deserved the nod.

Another player that could have just as easily taken Smoltz’s spot is Cincinnati’s Danny Graves. Graves has been an absolutely dominant closer this season, racking up 26 saves, third in the National League. Graves, who is half Vietnamese, has also pitted the surprising Reds in playoff contention. The Reds are only two games behind the Cardinals in the National League Central.

Many would say the Reds are off to a stinging start because of its potent, young outfield: Adam Dunn, Juan Encarnacion and Austin Kearns. But it is Graves who has kept the inexperienced Reds from breaking apart in late innings. He’s got a closer’s mind and the tools to match. Smoltz only has the tools.

Those are three elite players who stayed home for All-Star Weekend. The Game suffered because of their absence. Four All-Stars of Asian descent: Now that’s something to smile about. But just as easily, there could have been seven.

Brenly, can you count that high?

Reach Ethen Lieser at elieser@asianweek.com.