Locked On Cardinals - Daily Podcast On The St. Louis Cardinals - OUTRAGE: All-Star Game Voting System EXPOSED | Is It Time for RADICAL Change?

Episode Date: July 1, 2025

MLB All-Star Game voting ignites fierce debate. Is fan selection flawed? Our hosts analyze issues with the current voting system, suggesting radical changes to All-Star format. Ideas range from requiring starters to play full nine innings to implementing a "golden batter" rule. American and National League roster selections take center stage, with passionate arguments for overlooked stars. Could an all-Dodgers starting lineup become reality? Tune in for insider perspectives on revamping MLB's midsummer classic and shaping the future of All-Star voting. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Supply HouseJoin the TradeMaster program today at SupplyHouse.com/TM and start ordering plumbing, HVAC, and electrical supplies with just a few clicks. Plus, use promo code S-H-5 for 5% off your first order. That’s SupplyHouse.com! Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONMLB at monarchmoney.com/lockedonmlb for 50% off your first year. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuelRight now, new customers can get ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fan voting for the All-Star game does not work because we're missing the best shortstop of the National League on the finalist ballot. This is the Locked-on MLB Squad Show. Step up to the plate. It's the Locked-on MLB Squad Show, sponsored by Game Time. From the Dodgers to the Astros, the Mets to the Rangers, and everyone else in the league, with the experts of the Locked-on podcast network bringing you the most comprehensive breakdown of all the action around the horn. We're coming from spikes up. No hurt feelings allowed. So squad up.

Welcome in to the latest edition of the Lockdown MLB Squad show. So happy that you're alongside us here today as we are going to talk about the big stories going on to Major League Baseball with the hosts from the Lockdown MLB channel. My name is Jeff Carr. I am the Lockdown MLB channel manager and one half of Lockdown Reds. Alongside me here today's Booney from Lockdown A's. We got Sam over one half of Lockdown Cubs, Justin Lattah, one half of Lockdown Guardians and the man himself, Sully, from Lockdown. Locked-on MLB, and we're going to be talking about, we're past the halfway point in the season. So we can officially declare who's going to win the World Series, the American League Championship,

the National League Championship. We know who it's going to be. We'll tell you later on in the show. But I want to start today's show off by looking at these All-Star finalists that the fans have given to us on this Lockdown MLB squad show that is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the promo code Lockdown MLB. to save $20 off your first purchase. All right, gents, I'm going to tell you what. I am mad about all-star voting because the best shortstop in the National League is not a finalist.

Now, I get it. I understand. Dave Roberts is going to put them on the bench. But the fact that Ellie de la Cruz has to make it in as an alternate just shows the fallacy that is fan voting for the all-star game. I get it. big markets are going to dominate that. That's not right.

L.A. Dela Cruz is better than Mookie Bets. L.A. Dela Cruz is better than Francisco Lendor, and he should be starting the All-Star game. Tell me I'm wrong. Yeah, where's Trey Turner? You want the best shortstop to start the NL All-Star game. It's Trey Turner. It's not El-Dal-Cruz.

Trey Turner also not on the finalist ballot. He needs to be the first alternate. So, yeah, you're right. The best shortstop in the NL is not currently there. It is Trey Turner. Also a good argument, it's the big market thing. I mean, it's not like he plays for a small market team there in Philadelphia.

Yeah. I mean, I think sometimes the, whose starts is a little overrated because, like, all the starters are in their street clothes by the fourth inning. I have a rule. I have a couple rules that I would change to the All-Star game, but certainly one of them is your start, you need to have two members of your starting nine playing nine.

You know, the fact that, you know, Shohey Otani and Aaron Judge, well, we've got to take small market teams. We'll take, you know,

showy Otani and Aaron Judge. And if it's, if we're going into extra innings, the idea of one of them being a hero in the All-Star game is not going to happen. There's going to be someone, like the, the White Sox token All-Star is going to be the player who is coming up with the game of,

the line if opposed to extra innings. And, you know, and I remember the, the All-Star game where there was called a tie. And at the end, I think it was, you know, it was, you know, I forgot who was. It was like a pitcher for the Brewers who I couldn't name if you put $40,000 in front me right now, facing off the late Benito Santiago. He hasn't died, but I thought he was dead at that point in his career. And they are, they're facing off because both teams. lost all their pitchers because Barry Zito threw two pitches and was relieved because, you know,

he threw more pitches warming up than he did pitching. Like, oh, no, we've got to make sure everyone gets to play. And then next thing you know, they ran out of players. You know, it's the All-Star game. And we want to see, I mean, I'm not trying to be in my day, but in my day, I remember there was an extra inning all-star game in Oakland. And when I went to extra innings, freaking Tim Raines and, uh, uh, uh, We're still on the field.

You know? I remember I just watched like a like some sort of Ted Williams doc recently where like one of the highlights of his career was a walkoff in the All Star game. I think it might have been the same year he hit 400. It was. Yeah. And so it's like, you know, you look into it. You're just like, I agree. Like I don't think the starters matter that much because, you know, they're not.

really deciding the game. And, you know, it's, it would, I would be all team, team Jeff if, if this was going to be, how it was going to be. But now L.E. Dayla Cruz might make the difference in the game. You know what I mean? Versus, you know, back then, like in the, you know, 40s, 50, 60s or however it was, it's like, hey, these guys are going to play all nine. It actually matters to them. Like, I was really surprised when I was watching that documentary is like, like one of the five best moments of his career was hitting a walk off Homer in the All star game. And it's Ted Williams. Well, the national. in the America League were separate leagues then.

They were separate entities. And there was a rivalry. Major League Baseball refuses to use any type of imagination at times. So you're talking about that All-Star game that ended up in a tie in Milwaukee. As I'm sitting on the couch watching that game, the simple solution was just a home run derby. You pick up one guy, you pick another guy, go for two minutes, whoever has the best, go for it. And for some reason, that's not implemented today. That way, you have it.

You know you're going nine. You have a plan on when your pitchers are going to go and you call it in a day. They refuse to have anything, think anything outside the box. Yeah. Okay. By the way, one more, one more thing I want to throw in is if these finalists, the finalist gets to start and the runner up gets to finish. Hmm.

I think the top vote getter from each. Each side should play either all nine innings or they should be the golden batter rule, where whenever the top vote getter, so whenever Aaron Judge gets removed, they get to come back in and play the end of the game. I would do that. I still want it to be a baseball game. Yeah. I just, okay, hear me out. I know the NBA is sacrilege, whatever. The NBA, I know they got away from it this last offseason or this last season.

I liked the All-Star draft. I want to see Otani. Okay. And Aaron Judge draft teams. I want to see if Aaron Judge will draft Juan Soto to be on his All-Star team. Forget A-L-N-L. Italy play ended forever ago. It's no longer a novelty.

It happens every day now. I want the All-Star draft. I want to see Otani and Mike Trout play together again. I want to see Judge and Soto together again. I want to see teammates facing each other with a game on the line. I would see that, absolutely. Here's where I would disagree. The playoffs are still formatted like ALNL.

So, you know, it's, but, but at the same time, that's getting, it's a man to think, Booney. It doesn't. Let Booney talk. But that's good, that, that, that's who's getting the home field advantage at the same time, though. No, it isn't. Not anymore. I just don't have a huge interest in seeing guys play together because it's not like basketball.

They're not passing each other the ball. You know what I mean? They're hitting. You know what I mean? It's not like a complimentary, like, what would see Otani and Trout playing together again. So Trout just hits after him. You know what I mean? I mean, it doesn't, it doesn't resonate where it's like, oh, LeBron and Curry, that's different.

You know what I'm saying? Okay. Otani strikes out Mike Trout again, like we saw in the World Baseball Classic. Otani gets the pitch against Mike Trout again. Something like that. I'm not saying specifically them, but that's the idea behind it. Right. I wonder about the nine inning thing, like having a couple of guys play nine innings.

I like the idea in theory, but would you get people that would opt out of the All-Star game? Teams would hate it because they want, they want, they want some. of these guys to get a break. You need some semblance of rest. They've already got a lot of travel media. So right. So then is it in the wrong part of the season. Reentry rule. Yeah. Well, well, part of the season. Oh, that talk about, uh, the assist and take the shot there. I have been saying for over a decade and a half, start the season with the All Star game. That's, I mean, you, you have a big celebration of all the stars coming out and from the, The other thing is right now when we're looking, we're judging, these are the best players for the first half of the season.

And there's always players. It panelizes players who had good second halves. Remember, I have as many all-star game appearances as Kirk Gibson and Tim Salmon combined. And for letting you know, it's one. But, um, Kyle, Hank, Kyle Hendricks led the league in ERA, didn't make the all-star games. Well, I mean, there was one of the years Roger Clemens won the Cy Young War didn't win the All-Star game. Jake Gerietta dominated baseball the second half of 2015. He didn't make that year's All-Star team.

And I think on the ballot, they should combine their second half and first, the second half of the previous year and first stuff that you see what a full season of theirs would be starting from last year's All-Star game to present. And that way you can sort of see it isn't just someone who's had a really good first two months. There was a player named Tyler Green who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in the mid-90s and he had a really good two months at the beginning of 1995 and was named to the All-Star team. And if you looked at his record,

he finished like 7 and 9 with an ERA over 5 and was out of baseball in a couple of years. And he has All-Star on his baseball reference.com page unlike Kirk Gibson, unlike Tony Phillips. Brian LeHare. for the Cubs in 2012 made the All-Star team. By the end of the year, by the end of that year,

he was out of the league playing in, I believe it was Japan. You've got to love how. By the end of that season, he didn't even make it through the season. You've got to love the oddities of All-Star games, because as the wonderful baseball reference will inform me, you are right about the random Brewers pitcher that finished the game that ended in a tie, Sully. it was Freddie Garcia.

And we will get. I almost said Freddie Peralta. I knew it was a Freddie, but I was like, okay, Freddie Garcia. Wrong. Wrong, right. I would have said that. We will, we will pick coming up next, who should be the all-star team for each league. And then later on in the show, we'll get to that second half prediction on today's

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who make Lockdown MLB part of their everyday routine, whether it's Sully with the Lockdown MLB Daily show, whether it's the guys locked on MOB game night who watch every single game, every single night, or it's your favorite team. Lockdown Guardians maybe, Lockdown A's, maybe, maybe locked on Cubs, maybe, Lockdown Reds, maybe a different lockdown show that isn't currently on today's squad show. We're on every single day because we are part of the Lockdown podcast network, your team every single day. All right, guys.

So we complained about the All-Star running, but they have given us some finalists. So let's run through this really quickly on the American lead side for catcher. It's Cow Rally, right? Like, it's not going to be Alejandro Kirk over Cow rally. Like, it's got to be Cal Rally. Well, if it is, if it is, then I may not watch the game. If Cal Rallies that start in the All-Star game,

I may not watch until he comes in. Like, if he were going up against the National League catchers, he should beat out Will Smith and Carson Kelly. Well, definitely Carson Kelly, yes. Yeah, Will Smith leading the NL and batting average in on base. So plus I just love Bill Smith. Yeah, we got to catch her on pace for like 55 homers, though, man. Yeah, but it's the year he is having, man.

Yeah, it's crazy. Pretty amazing. That's a no-brainer, no-brainer. First base in the American League. We got Vlad and we got Paul Goldschmidt. Do you mean the guy who was benched today? the guy who said, oh, I don't know if we're, we're, we're, he's going to play because he's, we're going to have DJ LaMayhew in the lineup instead of him.

Yeah. Fan voting. Fan voting. Fan voting. It's Vladdy. It's Vladdy, Vladdy, Vladdy. We should get into. I'm with that.

Jonathan Oranda is, is having a hell of the first half as well. Yeah, he is. Yeah, he's not a snob. Is he the race, he's got to be the race selection. Yeah. Like, I don't think it's anybody else on that team. Yeah. So Cal Raleigh, Vlad, we're pretty much consensus there.

Second base. We got Glaber Torres and we got Jackson Hollad. Ooh, that's a pretty weak. Glaboros having a great year. It's got to be Glaboros. And the Tigers have the best record in the AL. They deserve more people because they have the best record. I'm sorry, well, you have the best record.

You deserve more representatives if they're good enough. I admire the fact that he bet on himself too, right? Like, I mean, he took the deal that it's like, I think I'm going to be able to make more money next season. and I'm going to just go kill it. And he's having a good year. I'm with you. Yeah.

And by the way, the Yankees are looking for a middle infielder right now. Yeah, I'm not saying. I'm just saying. Glaver Torres. Yeah, Glaver Torres for sure.

All right. So now we come to third base and we come to our first position of which one of our esteemed squad hosts has a bit of it. I don't think it's a hard conversation. Devers. Jose Ramirez. Rafael Devers. We're not talking about VH.

Yeah, that's right. The guy who actually wants to play third base, the guy who actually wanted to stay with his team, he wanted to no trade clause so they wouldn't trade him away. That guy deserves it. Yes. The guy who's been there since they were one swing away from winning the World Series. Is he the best third baseman in baseball?

I think so. Right now, yeah, absolutely. I mean, Mike Schmidt was better. Well, I'm not saying ever. Mike Smith has got a pretty good argument there, but no, I'm talking about right now. No, Ramirez is, I think, by far the best in the AL and probably the best overall. He will hit a ball tomorrow at Wrigley Field that lands on Waveland Avenue. Carry on.

I like that. As a righty as a righty versus lefty. It's going to be interesting to see. I kind of like this one because we got We got Star Power versus a dude that's just had a heck of a first half. And the fact that this is the one thing that really kind of throws into the face of like fan voting.

Like the fans kind of got this one right that Jacob Wilson should be a finalist for the shortstop position. Yeah. He's going against Bobby Witt Jr. you're like, I don't know, man. Yeah. That's so tough. But Wilson has played really well.

He has, but, but his first half, second half, second half last year plus first half. Yeah, I think it's a no, it's a no brainer. It's Bobby Witt, but Jacob Wilson certainly deserves to be an all star. Yeah, I think it's one of those things when it's close like that. You go with the, the totality, the incumbent sort of situation. And Witt is, I still like a really important face of the league. But, you know, maybe, maybe if it's the same.

same thing next year. It could be a different conversation. Booney. We got, yeah, we got an A's here. Let's talk about the A's for God. You can remember Wilson at one point was hitting about 375. No, I'm a huge fan. He's been in a little bit of a slump, like three for his last 26.

Had two hits tonight and a win, but he's been in a little bit of a slump. But defensively, he's been unbelievable as well. And just the presence he brings. He has some pop, too. So he has about 10, 11 bombs, I believe. I believe he's beating wit in almost every single category. No, I know. Strikeout rates like what, like 2% for Jake Wilson?

He just does not strike out. Same with this walk rate. Yeah. He doesn't like, he likes to hit the ball. He's still good. This does bring up a problem because there's such obvious ballot stuffing in Sacramento right now. Just so just all the fans are just chummy. No.

What you mean like the stadium is the ballot? Like, I mean. Oh, man. But yeah, man, that is a tough one. But you're right. It's about the first half and Jacob Wilson has had a better first half. So I think I'm with you. I'll take Jay.

I'm going with. I have to go with because of, I put Jacob Wilson on the All-Star team, no doubt about it. And look, if he's starting, I'm not going to bring a picket sign and start to protest, you know. But I think Bobby. Whit Jr., you know, but again, this is where another big problem is you've these big market teams, you got Kansas City, you got Sacramento.

I mean, I mean, how can a Dodger or Yankees sort of sneak in this? And it's really, you know, it's what's wrong with the game and why we need a salary cap. Bobby Witt's the third best shortstop in the American League. He's not even the second. Jerry Pena is having a better year than

him. He just on the IEL, so he's on the I. He's on the IEL and a MED. Second half, first half, boom. Didn't they used to have two All-Star games, Sully? Didn't we used to have two? Yes, they did.

Yeah, they did. And it made really, really confusing when I was, when I do the In-Memorium video and I list how many All-Star teams someone's been on. I go, like, how did that guy beg nine All-Star teams? He played eight years. And then it's like, oh. I'm all for him. He's a Sully more. Yeah, keep, by the way, keep that in mind when people talk about the tradition.

You can't change in the All-Star game. At one point, there's a terrible of another one. All right. I'll put a second All-Star game, be honest. I'll have a weekly one. Wilson or Whits? Sully's going Whit, Justin.

I got to go Witt. It's an all-star game. I love Jacob Wilson, but it's star, star, sorry. Wilson, Wilson, no-brainer. He's a bigger star than Witt. I'd probably lean Witt. I think I've got to go Wilson on this one just for the fun thing.

Because, look, I love what Jacob Wilson has done, but I also think Jacob Wilson could easily enter that category of, does he have All-Star Games and what did his career end up being? Like, that's still on the table there, unfortunately. All right, D.H., we got Ryan O'Hern and Ben Rice. Wow. I think it should have been Raphael Devers, but he's in the National League now.

I'm not answering. As we all predicted, as we all predicted at the beginning of the year, it's going to be between Ryan O'Hern and Ben Rice. Isn't it Ben Rice heading like 235? or something. Yeah. Like 111. Yeah,

I'm not, I like to put the question on that one, Jeff. The loser of, the loser of Jacob Wilson and Bobby which should be the D.A. Yeah. Yes. Now we're talking.

That's the move. I'm in. I'm in. I'm in. I know. This is definitely a good category for, they're going to be an all star. And then that's going to be like the,

the bar trivia for their career between O'Hern and Rice. Wow. That's weak. Man. I'm just to say O'Harton. isn't going to be O'Hern's probably going to be on a different team after the trade deadline is over. So probably go with O'Hern, I guess just by default. He's got more votes. All right. Cool. Good for help. Outfield. Wow. I got Judge already. Interesting. So we've, yeah, judges in. That's right. That's it was, it was throwing me off just looking at the finalist list. I forgot. Judges in no matter what, he skips this two spots. He skips this thing. So two spots four guys. Riley Green, Javier Baez, Mike Trout, and Steve Kwan.

Wow. Buxton's not on it, huh? No, and Buxton belongs on it. The American League is sure a little different than it used to be. That is. Yeah, the aisle has gone far. I'm going. I'm going, Rude. I'm going Riley Green because he's on the best team. I know Hobby Javier has that a great bounce back year. I'm going Kwan. I know I said before like Star power but i'm sorry stephen kwan's having a better year than mike trout and the guardians the guardians don't deserve two all-stars let me be clear about that but stephen quans having the the second best year behind riley green and this of this group yeah yeah shoot i'll go riley green and quaint yeah i feel like

i feel like ste i go i feel like step i feel like stephen kwan is like one of the most forgotten and underrated players in the entire league like if he hits 300 does anyone outside of cleveland and hear it. You know, like, does a tree fall in the woods and no one's around to see it? Does anybody hear it? Or whatever the thing is. Yeah. Well, next year when he's traded to somebody, yeah. This is probably a little bit of a softer take, but I might just say trout to make it look a little better. Make it a little more interesting, you know, someone might just say, oh, trouts on the American League. I mean, if we got Riley Green, Ryan O'Hern and one, I mean.

Riley Green's a star, man. Come on. Riley Green is right. He's very good. Yeah, I know. Can he hit left-handed pitching? I don't know. I mean, I just, I don't know. I get what you're saying. I think we lost.

I of this group, I definitely put Kwan in there. I definitely put Kwan in there. I'm going to go green just because it seems like every single time the Tigers win a game, he's somehow in the middle of one of the rallies. No, you're right. For Star Power, obviously Trout. And I mean, but, and, you know, I'm a huge Mike Trout fan. And I love to see him play.

I would love to see him in the postseason. But this is, please, I mean, he's not an all-star this year. Green's a lock for sure. Yeah, green. Ah, man, I kind of want to go Javier by as just from what he's been doing this year. I mean, he hit a tank against the Reds a couple of weeks ago. He's looking much better than he ever has. So it's personal.

It's personal. Like, like, like, you know, he has to go for next cup. I can't. Like, Jaws the revenge. this time it's personal. Exactly. So, all right. So let's go through that.

American League. We'll finish off the National League in the next segment. But American League, we've got Calrari, Vlad Guerrero, Jr. We've got Glabertores, Jose Ramirez. I think we're going Bobby Witt, Jr. on shortstop. Booney will abstain from that vote. Designated hitter, we'll go with Jacob Wilson.

Yes. It should be Ryan O'Hard or Ben Rice. And then the other two outfield spots, we're going to go Riley Green and Steve Kwan. All right, nationally coming up next and we'll give you our early or halfway point predictions. If you're just like us and you're all about baseball here on the Lockdown MLB Squad Show, you've got to take your baseball knowledge on over to Fandall because it's the best way to make every game that much more exciting. And if you're a new user to Fandul, you can place a $5 bet. And if it wins, you'll get $150 in bonus bets.

You won't find odds like that, even on Dinger, Tuesday, Tinger Tuesday, got some pumped up odds for the long ball. Go check those out today. But I'm looking at some futures. I'm looking at league winners right now. Fandul has the favorites to be repeats. Dodgers and Yankees, Dodgers at plus 115 to win the National League and the Yankees at plus 250 to win the American League. Tigers right on the Yankee's heels, though, plus 280, all about Terik Scoobel there. Philly's second best odds in the national league at five to one. That's all over. at Fandul. Go check it out today. FanDuel.com. They are the official sportsbook of Lockdown.

If you can't watch us on YouTube, you can always listen to us on your favorite podcast app. Your favorite LodontMMB show is on your favorite podcast app. Literally all of them out there. Go check us out today. All right. So we did the American League. Now let's do the National League. Sam, Carson Kelly, Kelly, going to make sure that there is not an all Dodgers starting lineup. here? No, no, Will Smith will win that vote. Yeah, and I think so too neat. Well, Carson Kelly's had a heck of a first half. He had a tremendous first month and a halfish. And then since then it's, it's come down quick. But yeah, it definitely deserves to be in a conversation for sure, but not, not Will Smith. Brian LeHen first, you. Yeah, right. So we got Will Smith a catcher.

honestly, all right, which position? Let's go down and look at this because literally there's a finalist from the Dodgers and then there's somebody else at every single position. And of course, outfield, you got to pick three guys and there's only two Dodgers finalists. So there will be a non-Dodgers starter in the outfield. But there's no guarantee that the entire starting lineup won't be made up of Dodgers. is there any position that the Dodgers are at risk of losing? Who's the second base in foulness? Edmund and who? Edmund.

Second base is Edmund and Marta, yeah. It needs to be Marte. Yeah. Shortstop, too. I think Lindor is going to be. Neco's the best second base. Well, and I think Pete Alonzo.

I think Pete Alonzo is having a better year than Freddie Freeman. I think so. And he's got New York behind him. So he's got a good shot. Yeah. I think Alonzo's in, yeah. I mean, Freeman got off to a really good start, but so did Alonzo,

and I just feel like he's, like when Soto was really struggling early, Alonzo was carrying that team. Can I just say there is part of me that would love the All-Star team to be questionable AL All-Stars versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.

And Kyle Tucker. That could be your second All-Star game. You could have the World Series champions, versus the all stars of the other league. There's your second all-star game. And the Dodgers can acquire Kyle Tucker by the all-star game anyway, just to make it so they get the final all-star pick in there. And what the hell?

Yeah, yeah. Trade everybody over. I think it's, I think it's phenomenal that Ronald Acuna made a finalist in here, even though he's only played like, has he played a full month yet? No. He's played a full-month?

Yeah, he came back and, you're right. So he played all in June, yeah. And look, it's been, I mean, he's played really well since he's came off. of injury, but man, it's, it's crazy to see this. Pete Crow Armstrong. Pete Crow Armstrong has to be an all-star. I think, I mean, obviously, hosted the Cubs show, but I think the Cubs deserve too.

I think Pete and Kyle Tucker should start the all-star game. I mean, Tucker's been the steady, the steady presence, but without Pete, I mean, with his defense and center, his base stealing, he's been, you know, a little bit of a slump here lately, but he absolutely should be the starting center fielder. Absolutely, I think 100%. You can make an argument. Nico Horns may be the best second baseman in all national league. Yeah, I don't think.

I think he has a case to be there for sure. For sure. Yeah, tell him, Marthe is Ersbyn. Marte's better. And I think Soto, when you look at he's on a tear right now, and again, add the second half he had with the Yankees last year. Yeah, that'd be a great thing. Soto, PCA, Tucker, that would be my honor.

That's your outfield right there. Yeah, and that's a fun. That's a fun outfield. But you're making up your own criteria there, Sully. Yeah, no kidding. So are the people who are, who voted for Ronald Lacunae Jr. as a finalist.

I'm sorry, did I have to get a papal decree? Yeah, I'm creating my own criteria. My criteria is it all. And the other one's Tayasker, right? Is the other father? Who's sloppy last now? Andy Pace. Andy Pace.

Neither, neither. God's sake. Yeah, yeah, I'm making up my own criteria. As we just finished saying, either Ryan O'Hern or Ben Rice they're going to be starting in the damn All-Star game. I would hate it if my own criteria got in the way of such a pristine. But, Sully, just a focus, just to focus, you said you need a pay-poly decree.

That's only if a white sock player is a finalist. That's true. Which are a few years away. A few years away from that probably. One of their pitchers, one of their pitchers probably, whites a lot. So let's see. All right. Catcher we got Will Smith. First base, we got Pete Alonzo. Second base, we got Citelle Marte.

Third base, we're taking Machado over Muncie, right? I don't think we're going to put a platoon thing for the All-Star game. So, yeah, it's got to be Machado over Monty. Shortstop. We're taking Lindor over bets. Outfield, we're going to take PCA. We're going to take Kyle Tucker and we're going to take Juan Soto. I'm there. I like Coonia, but yeah, that's fair. Yeah. How can it be a Coonia? He might get in, but how How could a Cooja Bacon? He missed. I mean, he's probably had the best month. If you compared months, if you just compared a month, he's probably had as good a month as anyone in this list.

Yeah. James Wood is a huge. I complain a lot, but if Ryan Clare were on here with us on the squad show, he'd be yelling louder than me. James Woods is a star. It's an all-star game. You need star power.

And, well, but, you know, and Ronald Acuna has played one more month than the actor, James Woods. So let's just sort of Let's pump the brakes a little bit here He's a star I want stars He's a star

But but But he was also a star James Woods Two-time Oscar nominee But the three dudes He has a star in the walk of fame But the three dudes that we have Are all stars

You know Pizza's I think Pete's a Blossoming star Tucker and Soto You know what I mean It's not like we have Ryan O'Hern in the outfield Oh PCA should be there

Just based on his defense alone So, yeah, absolutely. I think it should be in there based on a badass nickname. Yeah. And to rub it to have PCA and Javier Bayez there just so the Mets can go, God, we just, we didn't get, we totally lost that. He's the only player on the list that had a mom who played in a great baseball movie, too. That's, you know what?

Talk about creating your own criteria. Boone, putty, let that slide. No, it's a great movie. I get crap for saying let's take the whole season of account. And Justin Lott is talking about a movie directed by Laverne. Well, Alex Briggman's in there. His dad's a congressman. I don't care about that.

Alex Breggman's in a full body cast right now. And the Red Sox didn't even need them on Monday night. All right, that's going to do it. I think I teased the fact that we were going to talk about who's going to win the World Series here. I think we're going to talk about that in the Dodgers. On the M.O.B. Squad show. I propose, an All-Star change, one All-Star change?

No, another one. Okay. I know the NBA, I know the NBA, I know the NBA's All-Star game is absolute garbage. But I think they did it right. The end of the baseball game, yeah. No, no, no. One third fan vote, one third media vote, one third player vote. Yeah.

That's how they pick a Pope. You know, it should. That shouldn't. And I think that's where we got to call us. We're pulling the air on this one. Thanks to everybody for checking out this edition of a lockdown M-O-B squad. We'll see you guys next week.