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Monday, July 09, 2012

NY Times: Matt Cain, Not Dickey, to Start All-Star Game

First Wright, now Dickey…

The variable, of course, is that Dickey throws a knuckleball, and the starting N.L. catcher – Buster Posey, Cain’s teammate – has never caught a knuckleball pitcher. ...

La Russa indicated that the backup catcher, Carlos Ruiz, would warm up with Dickey and then catch him during the game. He said Dickey would not come in during the middle of an inning, and said that while he was aware of Dickey’s unusual path to the All-Star Game, he wanted to honor Cain’s “career of excellence, and it’s getting better and better.”

Dwight Gooden remains the last Mets pitcher to start an All-Star Game, doing so in Cincinnati in 1988. Dickey had hoped to be the first knuckleballer to start an All-Star Game since Cincinnati’s Bob Purkey started for the N.L. in Boston in 1961.

bobm Posted: July 09, 2012 at 09:26 PM | 30 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: all star game, giants, mets, national league

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1. Walt Davis Posted: July 09, 2012 at 10:35 PM (#4177909)

I can't believe Matt Cain is starting over David Wright!

2. Bruce Markusen Posted: July 09, 2012 at 10:39 PM (#4177912)

Is Buster Posey so lacking as a major league catcher that he could not have taken a crash course in handling the knuckleball? It's not like Dickey is a wild knuckleballer; he has good control and has had very few passed balls or wild pitches this season. A weak decision by LaRussa.

3. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 09, 2012 at 10:42 PM (#4177914)

Yes Tony, let's honor the guy who is only going to get better and have several shots at starting All-Star Games, rather than the really unique story and fun-to-watch pitcher who may be getting his last shot an All-Star.

4. shoewizard Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:00 PM (#4177950)

It's not like he isn't going to pitch in the game. Sure...getting the start is the bigger honor, but fans will still get to see him.

I'm completely fine with this. Cain is the better pitcher, has been for a long time, and will be in the future.

5. Srul Itza Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:00 PM (#4177951)

Yet another reason to hate Tony LaRussa -- like any decent human being actually needed another.

6. The Clarence Thomas of BBTF (scott) Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:01 PM (#4177952)

When the Mets win the WS behind MVP David Wright and Cy Young RA Dickey, I will remember this day and the vengeance sworn because of it.

7. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:26 PM (#4177986)

I bet if RA Dickey was a dog, TLR would start him.

8. tshipman

Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:31 PM (#4177991)

Jesus Christ, Mets fans are touchy about this ####.

Just let the whole ####### team start the ASG.

9. Everybody Loves Tyrus Raymond Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:36 PM (#4177996)

Yes Tony, let's honor the guy who is only going to get better and have several shots at starting All-Star Games, rather than the really unique story and fun-to-watch pitcher who may be getting his last shot an All-Star.

I'm completely fine with this. Cain is the better pitcher, has been for a long time, and will be in the future.

I think you guys are minimizing the impact of the ... da-duh-da SUPER KNUCKLER!!

I hope R.A. doesn't get bummed out about this and sleep in an abandoned house tonight.

10. boteman is not here 'til October Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:40 PM (#4177998)

Geeeeeeze, it's an exhibition game, it's not like it counts for anything. Relax, would ya?

11. The Yankee Clapper Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:44 PM (#4178001)

When the Mets win the WS behind MVP David Wright and Cy Young RA Dickey, I will remember this day and the vengeance sworn because of it.

If the Mets can even win a pennant, their Manager can select whoever he wants to start the next ASG.

Who remembers who starts an All-Star game, unless he strikes out 6 in a row?

12. Russlan is fond of Dillon Gee Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:48 PM (#4178004)

Dickey has been better so far this season but only by a slight margin. Dickey has the better narrative as well so it would have been nice for him to get the start. I can't disagree with Cain, who has paid some dues and has been underrated for most of his career. This year isn't even his best year.

Cain has been an AS before and has that amazing 2010 postseason to his credit. He's an excellent choice.

Who remembers who starts an All-Star game, unless he strikes out 6 in a row?

I'm sure the guy who starts it remembers. Not the worst thing in the world to say to your grandkids.

13. PreservedFish Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:58 PM (#4178007)

LaRussa!!!

14. The District Attorney Posted: July 10, 2012 at 12:02 AM (#4178011)

I remember Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, started once.

I don't remember when actual good pitchers do it, though.

15. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: July 10, 2012 at 12:37 AM (#4178026)

I bet if RA Dickey was a dog, TLR would start him.

Or a fellow drunk.

Or a steroids freak.

16. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: July 10, 2012 at 12:47 AM (#4178031)

Who remembers who starts an All-Star game,

How quickly we forget the much-anticipated Kenny Rogers-Brad Penny duel.

17. Tom Nawrocki Posted: July 10, 2012 at 01:17 AM (#4178040)

I bet if RA Dickey was a dog, TLR would start him.

If RA Dickey was ten dogs, Tommy Lasorda would ask him for advice.

18. shock Posted: July 10, 2012 at 02:28 AM (#4178063)

Just let the whole ####### team start the ASG.

Better yet, let's scrap the whole thing. The incessant whining by fans of every team over SOMETHING isn't worth the bore of the ####### game.

19. Shooty Survived the Shutdown of '14!

Posted: July 10, 2012 at 06:36 AM (#4178082)

My Mets fan boss was in a real lather over this as if Cain had no argument at all and LaRussa was going out of his way to insult, GRIEVOUSLY insult, the Mets. Met fans are so cute!

20. Lassus Posted: July 10, 2012 at 07:09 AM (#4178090)

My Mets fan boss was in a real lather over this as if Cain had no argument at all and LaRussa was going out of his way to insult, GRIEVOUSLY insult, the Mets. Met fans are so cute!

I don't think it's insulting, but I think it makes Posey and LaRussa look worse than if Dickey had started the game and Posey had allowed 3 or 4 passed balls. I would have thought Posery would be pretty pissed at the stories of his general incompetence at catching a knuckler causing this.

Maybe if Keith hadn't done so much coke this wouldn't have happened.

21. Benji Gil Gamesh Rises Posted: July 10, 2012 at 07:18 AM (#4178093)

With the 12-1 record, seems like Dickey would have been the normal pick.

Then again, the knuckleball isn't something that just any catcher can handle.

Then again again, that would make a lot more sense as a deciding factor if, say, Thole (or someone else with knuckleball experience) was on the AS roster and could be paired with Dickey.

Then again again again, Dickey whining about it makes me less sympathetic.

22. Lassus Posted: July 10, 2012 at 07:26 AM (#4178097)

Then again again again, Dickey whining about it makes me less sympathetic.

Oh, he did? Yes, it does, I agree. Now everyone looks bad.

23. formerly dp Posted: July 10, 2012 at 08:11 AM (#4178109)

Maybe if Keith hadn't done so much coke this wouldn't have happened.

I endorse this message.

I also want to register my OUTRAGE over Dickey not starting. I was already planning to not watch the game, because it's boring as hell. Then some cyborgs in SF engaging in digital ballot-stuffing and Wright lost to Panda. And then I decided I would still not watch the game, but in addition, I would ##### about it on the internet. Now with this Dickey thing, I'm going to ##### more and louder and still not watch the game.

If I were planning to watch the game, Dickey's the player I'd be most excited about seeing. And maybe I'd watch Harper's AB, just to see if some old-skooler drills that punk in the noggin, to teach him a lesson.

24. Bug Selig Posted: July 10, 2012 at 08:14 AM (#4178110)

Not the worst thing in the world to say to your grandkids.

I'm fairly sure Jerry Sandusky has the all of the "worst thing to say" awards wrapped up for awhile.

25. Slivers of Maranville descends into chaos (SdeB) Posted: July 10, 2012 at 08:14 AM (#4178111)

The incessant whining by fans of every team over SOMETHING isn't worth the bore of the ####### game.

I thought the whole point of the game was to give fans something to whine over.

26. Shooty Survived the Shutdown of '14!

Posted: July 10, 2012 at 08:56 AM (#4178128)

I thought the whole point of the game was to give fans something to whine over.

I don't recall as a kid getting worked up about who made the team even though it was my favorite game of the year. Most of the big stars were there even if not all of them were. The only real controversy I remember was Davey Lopes in, I think, 1981, and when the A's stuffed the ballot box and got Terry Steinbach elected (though he ended up hitting a HR off Gooden and winning the MVP award). ESPN and the internet have obviously increased our capacity to whine by orders of magnitude.

27. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 10, 2012 at 09:39 AM (#4178157)

I don't recall as a kid getting worked up about who made the team even though it was my favorite game of the year. Most of the big stars were there even if not all of them were.

I remember in the late 80s my dad going apeshit over Paul Molitor getting elected at 2B even though he was essentially a DH at that point. He wanted Lou Whitaker or Frank White starting.

I'm guessing you don't recall getting worked up because kids are pretty easy-going while adults get worked up.

28. A big pile of nonsense (gef the talking mongoose) Posted: July 10, 2012 at 09:44 AM (#4178164)

I thought the whole point of the game was to give fans something to whine over.

If by "the game" you mean "baseball, period," then you are correct.

29. Shooty Survived the Shutdown of '14!

Posted: July 10, 2012 at 09:50 AM (#4178173)

I'm guessing you don't recall getting worked up because kids are pretty easy-going while adults get worked up.

Oh, I think they just get worked up about different things. Everytime I go to a park in Manhattan it seems like half the little kids are having some kind of psychopathic seizure.

If by "the game" you mean "baseball, period," then you are correct.

Whitey Herzog basically made this same argument in his book and is why he's against the DH. His point was that second-guessing the manager is part of the fun for a lot of people and the DH takes away in-game manager moves for people to ##### about. I think it's actually a good point.

30. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: July 10, 2012 at 10:40 AM (#4178253)

I'm a Mets fan, but I'm not upset about this. Dickey had a chance to make this a no-brainer over the last couple of weeks, but he didn't pitch that well in two of his last three starts (4.29 ERA) and left TLR an opening to pick someone else. Cain is a great pitcher and a perfectly acceptable choice.

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Monday, July 09, 2012

NY Times: Matt Cain, Not Dickey, to Start All-Star Game

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