Why MLB gambling will force robo umps sooner rather than later
Bob Nightengale and Pete Caldera give their opinions on if gambling may accelerate the use of robot umpires for MLB.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
As midsummer approaches it is once again time to engage with the USA’s favorite pastime:
Trivial grievances.
Oh, you were thinking baseball? Well, you’re in luck, as it’s once again time to explore the unlucky few who were most notably snubbed when Major League Baseball released rosters for its 92nd All-Star Game, to be played July 19 at Dodger Stadium.
Hey, these snubs aren’t what they used to be. Thanks largely to the paranoia of this game ending in a tie and the acknowledgement that the designated hitter exists, 32 players from each league are initially honored; pretty tough for the 65th-honored player to have too big a beef, right?
Additionally, many of the “disrespected” who didn’t hear their names called on roster-release Sunday will be summoned, some within hours, as injury replacements. (Or, “injury” replacements, in the event a well-decorated veteran decides Cabo sounds more alluring than Chavez Ravine).
Yet roster vagaries and the requirement that every team be represented can create traffic jams at certain positions, and legit superstars left off the initial list. We are here for them in their darkest professional hour.
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With that, a look at six players who should – and quite possibly will – be headed to Vin Scully Avenue and Stadium Way a week from Tuesday:
Austin Riley, Braves
This young man already has a Silver Slugger award, top-10 MVP finish and World Series ring to his credit. His .907 OPS is fourth in the NL, his 23 homers as much as any NL All-Star not named Kyle Schwarber.
Yet it will be teammate William Contreras, not Riley, who will join teammates Dansby Swanson and Travis d’Arnaud in L.A. Contreras will also reunite with older brother Willson, the Cubs catcher. It’s a Good Story.
But Contreras will make it as a player-voted designated hitter, a position that debatably doesn’t need to exist. He’s done his damage – 11 homers, a .924 OPS – over just 143 at-bats. Riley has amassed 333 at-bats, more than double Contreras’ sample, but has the misfortune of sharing a position with Manny Machado and Nolan Arenado, arguably 1-2 in NL MVP voting.
Bum deal. Hopefully Riley is granted his first All-Star nod sooner, not later.
Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
Nope, Freeman isn’t a Brave anymore (has he talked about that?) but has almost as strong a grievance as former teammate Riley. Freddie has been the most consistent performer on a Dodgers team that has lived up to record expectations despite several struggling or injured stars. His .853 OPS has come with no days off in this era of load management, his 26 doubles ranking third in the NL.
Despite his emotional conflicts, Freeman has lived up to expectations in his first year in L.A., and should be in this game.
Josh Bell, Nationals
With that in mind, we’re glad Juan Soto was the lone Nationals selection; despite his .243 average, Soto’s .870 OPS and status within the game earns him something of a perpetual spot on the NL roster.
It’s just a drag Bell can’t join him.
He may very well be the hottest name at the trade deadline, and his stat line in this era where it seems Nobody Can Hit is gorgeous: Bell’s .304 average is fifth in the NL, paired with a .386 OBP and 33 extra-base hits. There’s just no room at the inn for Bell, not with Paul Goldschmidt, Pete Alonso, C.J. Cron and the snubbed Freeman and Matt Olson needing accommodation, too.
Ty France, Mariners
Same problem, different league. France has looked like the Mariners’ best possible rep throughout a first half in which he ranks 12th in AL OPS and tied for seventh in batting average (.306). He outpoints fan-voted starter Vlad Guerrero Jr. in most rate stats, but Vladito’s 19 homers to France’s 10 and general popularity were too much to overcome.
MLB could have given the nod to France as the Mariners’ representative, but opted for dazzling rookie Julio Rodriguez in the endgame. Tough to argue with that, too, though perhaps the Mariners’ recent surge into contention and France’s return to health will inspire a replacement selection.
Brandon Drury, Reds
Hey, when your team is 32-54, you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. It’s just a mild bummer that Drury’s career year established him as the Reds’ relatively obvious choice as lone representative.
But in the end, the NL roster needed a pitcher, and it needed a Red, and so Luis Castillo was named to his second All-Star team, even if injury prevented him from debuting until May 9. Drury? His 18 homers and .873 OPS – both career bests – got him nothing more than a vacation and a longwinded explanation to tell his grandkids someday.
Will Smith, Dodgers
Hard to get too worked up over the No. 2 snub on a team with four selections. Yet Smith has established himself as the prototype of a modern, offensive catcher: He’s smacked 13 home runs and posted an .803 OPS over 71 games and proving too valuable to sit even on his traditional off days.
Fifty-seven of those appearances have come behind the plate, with another 11 starts at DH. Yes, the star-studded Dodgers think so highly of Smith’s bat that they insist it gets in there even when Austin Barnes is behind the dish.
