All-Star Grievances: National League West

Maybe the All-Star Game is a meaningless to the players and just an excuse for Bud Selig to admire himself for a week. That doesn't mean that the selections should be stupid. Today, the MLB 'Haus gives you All-Star Grievances.

Grievance: Aaron Cook over Cole Hamels, or to stay in division, Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Sanchez. Mmmm-mmm. Home cookin'! Cook has been pretty good this year, but to call him All Star quality dominant might be a bit of a stretch. Hamels is a no-brainer and Billingsley and Sanchez have been erratic at times, but both have helped shore up their respective team's rotations with high strikeout pitching (they are 20 shy of collectively quadrupling Cook's totals.) Also, it really bothers me when the manager for a team uses his power to grab a homer pick. Or when people reward wins (which, partially = luck).

Grievance: Brandon Webb starting over Edinson Volquez or Tim Lincecum. Webb has been great this season, but he's scuffled recently. All three deserve to be heading to New York, but the reality is that Lincecum or Volquez should be starting, if we're basing the "award" on recognizing the entire first half of the season.

Grievance: Brian Wilson over Brandon Lyon or Takashi Saito. Saves shouldn't be the only number. As Lackey mentioned, are we not far enough along as fans to recognize that saves are primarily luck? Now, Wilson has been pretty good about shutting the door on teams, but he's done it in mini-Borowski like fashion, posting a 1.40 WHIP and 4.37 ERA. Lyon, meanwhile, has had less chances, but his numbers (2.65 and 1.15) are substantially better. It's a bit of a nitpick, but still.

Grievance: Aaron Rowand over Randy Winn. Breakin' my nose, Kenny, breakin' my nose. I don't really understand what Rowand is doing on the bonus ballot in the first place, but he's there, so we'll deal with it. Let's do some anonymous Player 1/Player 2 stuff, shall we?
Player 1: 314 ABs, .293/.360/.417, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 36 BB, 16 SB
Player 2: 304 ABs, .301/.370/.467, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 24 BB, 01 SB

Player 1 is not Aaron Rowand. (And neither's stats are All Star quality, for the record.)

Other Snubs: I'm tempted to make a case that Matt Holliday shouldn't have been a lock for the outfield spot in the NL, but he's been killing it in limited AB's; Carlos Lee has still been better though.