Alex Rodriguez is defying odds at age 39, but he apparently has not done enough to earn a spot on the American League All-Star team.
A-Rod was not selected to the squad by the fans or players, and AL manager Ned Yost also chose to leave him out of the Final Vote competition. Rodriguez is hitting .284 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI.
On Monday, Yost was asked to explain why A-Rod was not given an opportunity to win the Final Vote.
“We talked about A-Rod a lot,” Yost told ESPN, per NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty. “You look back at this five-man vote and we have three infielders, two outfielders, and we felt that it was important that we don’t — we have Brock Holt that can play anywhere in the infield, but any other position we have a starter and a backup. In the outfield we have three starters and three backups. So I just felt very strongly that if we could get another infielder or another outfielder out of that five-man vote it would help us. That’s what went in that decision.”
We know the All-Star Game “counts” now, but the game is still about ratings above all else. And, as many of you know, those ratings had not been very strong before Derek Jeter appeared in his final All-Star Game last season.
Yost has every right to try to put the AL in the best position to win, but you have to wonder if A-Rod’s recent history with performance-enhancing drugs played a role in the decision. We doubt Yost and his staff care that Rodriguez reached this major milestone earlier this season. Given A-Rod’s reputation, I doubt anyone spoke up for him during a meeting about the Final Vote. And for that, I don’t blame them.
H/T Deadspin
