Fan voting has sometimes produced some strange outcomes for the MLB All-Star Game. Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker thinks it might cause issues again, but this time for his team.
On Monday, Baker questioned whether some Astros players might not get the votes necessary to start the 2021 All-Star Game despite having the stats to back it up. The reason is their mere association with the Astros, a team many baseball fans still associate with their 2017 cheating scandal.
Dusty Baker: “I think we have quite a few All-Stars here. I think some of them might not have gotten the necessary votes because of we’re on the Astros. It’s good when you’re at home right before the All-Star break because the people tend to vote a whole lot when you’re at home.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) June 28, 2021
Baker’s theory doesn’t have much evidence behind it so far. MLB’s new system means the field of potential picks has been narrowed to three finalists per position, and at least one Astros player made the cut at every position on the AL ballot. That even includes catcher, where light-hitting Martin Maldonado features alongside Yasmani Grandal and Salvador Perez.
The Astros boast the best record in the AL, so they definitely deserve some All-Stars. On one hand, maybe the lingering fallout from the scandal will prove costly to some of their hopes of starting the game. On the other hand, maybe the Astros can make use of Baker’s new nickname for the team and get their fans to turn out in big numbers.
The Houston Astros are confirmed cheaters and deserve an asterisk. Send that message by wearing our Houston Asterisks T-shirt! You can buy it here:
