REDS: WIRE TO WIRE - We recap June and get ready for July as well as talk minor league stuff w/Pete Muehlenkamp
The All-Star voting comes to an end today and it is apparent that no Red will be voted in by the fans and rightfully so.
With every team having to represented someone from the team will have to go. Reds' beat writer Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News posed the very question on his blog today.
There is no doubt that Joey Votto would be a hands down pick had he not missed the better part of a month. Votto is hitting .354 and has clubbed 9 HR's and 38 RBI's in just 158 at bats. If he had enough at bats to qualify, Votto would be leading the NL in batting (Hanley Ramirez current leader with .348 average).
While the argument can be made that Brandon Phillips is the team's most valuable player, his .269 batting average drags down the fact that he has hit 11 HR's and driven in 52 runs. His gold-glove caliber defense shouldn't be overlooked, but it will.
McCoy suggests there are only two candidates to consider - starter Johnny Cueto and closer Francisco Cordero.
Cordero is currently tied for fourth in the NL with 19 saves, three behind league-leader Heath Bell. He has converted 19 of his 20 save opportunites and posted a 1.91 ERA.
Cueto is 8-4 with a 2.69 ERA. There are so many starter options to consider though.
Manager Dusty Baker thinks the young hurler is deserving.
“I haven’t thought about it. But Cueto’s ERA is indicative of being an All-Star," Baker said. "But there are a lot of good pitchers in our league.”
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MLB
reds, mlb all-star game, johnny cueto, francisco cordero, joey votto, brandon phillips