Phillies Nation

One of the perks of being the manager of the National League is the ability to make a decision like this.  And now, with the ASG determining home-field advantage in the World Series, it’s important to field a team that has the best chance at victory.  Does Werth give them the best shot at that?

Many baseball pundits around the country second-guessed the move, believing others were more deserved of the void left by the Mets center fielder.  Pablo Sandoval is the name that comes to the forefront. He lost the 33rd player vote to Shane Victorino and is more than worthy of consideration. Mark Reynolds and Matt Kemp have had stellar seasons as well, and should be included in the discussion.

2009 numbers:

Werth: .268 avg., 20 HR, 56 RBI, .895 OPS
Reynolds: .260, 24 HR, 62 RBI, .891 OPS
Kemp: .324, 11 HR, 50 RBI, .892 OPS
Sandoval: .331, 14 HR, 53 RBI, .954 OPS

If you take into account the numbers as a whole, all five players are nearly equal.  Werth has the power, as does Reynolds, but Kemp and Sandoval have ascended to the top of the NL in hitting.  Werth got the call because, lets face it, he is a Manuel product.  Whether or not it’s wrong or right, it’s hard to determine that one of these mashers is better than the other.

Another addition to this process – one that is often overlooked – is how the player fared after the All-Star break the previous season.  It’s fairly clear that it’s something that isn’t used as a barometer on who to pick, but it certainly could be.  It takes into account how well the player has performed over an entire year.

2009 numbers plus 2008 post ASG numbers:

Werth: .270, 32 HR, 87 RBI
Reynolds: .245, 33 HR, 101 RBI
Kemp: .312, 20 HR, 75 RBI
Sandoval: .335, 17 HR, 77 RBI

Overall, Hawpe has the best ASG to ASG numbers, but Werth definitely held his own.  We know in Philly that Werth was just becoming an everyday player late in 2008, so his numbers did suffer in the regard.  However, with a defensive element added in, the case for the Phillies right fielder becomes even stronger.

It’s tough to fault Manuel on his decision, but there will be people who believe others deserved the shot. Going strictly by this seasons stats, Sandoval appears to have the edge. Adding the defense into it, Werth rises to the top. It was a tough call for Charlie, but one Phils fans are excited about.  To be honest, it comes down to the ring.  Werth has one; the others do not.  He has earned that right.  See you in St. Louis, Jayson.

14 Responses to “Werth a Worthy All-Star Selection?”

1. noduh Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 3:08 pm

   Brad Hawpe already made the all-star team.

2. Griffin Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 3:20 pm

   I love the Phils, but this was blatant homerism. Victorino has no business being on the final ballot and Sandoval and Kemp should be on the team.

3. Kevin Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

   Werth should have been on the last chance ballot over Victorino, but I do not think that the country would have taken to Werth like they did Victorino. Maybe some other players were more deserving of the two, but both have the numbers to be considered an “All Star.”

4. Dice Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 4:20 pm

   This just shows people will complain about anything

5. Abreu Fan Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 4:21 pm

   Shane Victorino is second in the National League in runs scored, only to Albert Pujols. Also, he is hitting .314 with over 40 RBIs in a lineup featuring Utley, Howard, Ibanez, and Werth. Combined with his Gold Glove, how could he NOT be an all-star? As for Werth, I like him, but I think Charlie gave a pretty blatant snub to Kemp and Sandoval, whom he supposedly thought were 2 of the most deserving players left off.

6. Chris L Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

   Sandoval lost out because of positioning. One would have a better argument that he should have made it over one of the 1B rather than Werth. Why would they add another LH corner IF who would probably only PH when they need an OF? Remember there’s a chance Raul will only play 2 innings you need depth in the OF to help out. Plus if you want a late inning replacement for defense or running is kung fu panda going to help?

   Kemp and Werth are just about a coin flip but give Werth the win because of Manuel and the Righty bat (remember Fuentes is the setp guy) that has been on fire. Neither of these guys should be starters but they both belong in the conversation. Werth would have been in the voting too but they did not want 2 guys from the same team – I mean Christian Guzman, a 2nd National?

7. Miles Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   Chris L is right on the money with his post. It was basically Kemp vs. Werth and Charlie picked Werth. Sandoval’s chance to be on the team was hurt the most when Charlie picked Howard as a 4th firstbaseman. If you have a fight to pick about Sandoval, it should be about Howard being on the team ahead of him instead of him.

   Plus, Werth has a hot bat and has been hitting for power off of lefties and righties in recent weeks. That’s a nice bat off the bench to have.

8. Greg B Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

   Was Werth’s selection favoritism on Charlie’s part? Yes. So what? To the victor go the spoils. It’s within the rules so good for Charlie to reward one of his players. If Sandoval and Kemp want to stick it to Charlie, then they can do that when they play us.
   I’m not sure what Griffin’s point is about Victorino being on the extra All-Star ballot is, nor do I think it had to do with anything related to homerism.

9. The Big Dipper Says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 7:01 pm

   I agree with Greg B. and just to follow up so many people who post here just make assumptions and run with them.

   Like that Hawpe isn’t on the AS team but he is. And that it was homerism that Cholly added Victornio to the Final Vote. The manager does not pick the 5 players to be included in the Final Vote, he has nothing to do with who is put on the ballot.

   The Big Dipper

10. Kathryn Azar Says:
    July 11th, 2009 at 8:11 pm

    Jayson Werth is soooo worth his weight. He is a very under-rated player and deserves any great chance at being in the spotlight this July 14th.

11. Griffin Says:
    July 11th, 2009 at 10:05 pm

    Dipsy, who picks the final 5 for the vote?

    I don’t care about the All-star game, but the fact that Sandoval is staying home and Vic and Werth are going is thanks to Chollie.

    To the victor goes the spoils, but Phillies fans now can’t complain when one of our guys gets snubbed in the next few years.

12. Keith E Says:
    July 12th, 2009 at 8:18 am

    Griffin, I’m with you. Win the World Series and you get the benefits that go along with winning. These players worked hard for Charlie last year and he is showing them as much appreciation as he can. Let’s not forget a few years back when Charlie got left off the coaching staff.
    GO PHILLIES!!!

13. Amazinsux Says:
    July 12th, 2009 at 9:46 am

    Sandoval is a cute little story, but get over it. The NL squad already has FOUR firstbasemen! Try a little harder next year, Sandy. Vic & Werth are both worthy choices, so quit your crying, it’a a done deal. GEEZ!

14. Bruce Says:
    July 12th, 2009 at 10:50 pm

    Hey, being a Phillies fan, why would I quarrel with Manuel’s choice?

    I understand the other players that were mentioned by the blogger, Pat Gallen.. Reynolds, Kemp and Sandoval all have very solid credentials and are equally deserving to be chosen for the All Star game. However, as Pat described, Werth is “Manuel product”. Another manager may have chosen a different player. But Werth is a Phillie, so there will be no complaint from me.

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