Alex Rodriguez Deserved Better Than That

While all of this is subject to change both the American League and National League starters, reserves and pitchers have been announced and Alex Rodriguez is not an All-Star this season. Rodriguez, despite his 2014 suspension for his role in the Biogenesis Clinic and despite his use of steroids should have been an All-Star based on his numbers, not his morals, and frankly I believe Alex deserved better than that.

I’m not really all that upset about it only because I didn’t expect many people outside of New York to vote for him, I didn’t expect Ned Yost to choose him and after all the bridges he’s burnt I didn’t expect his peers to choose him, but he still deserved better than this. Rodriguez finished fifth in voting at the designated hitter position despite better numbers than the likes of David Ortiz and others on the list, although I do admit that Nelson Cruz absolutely should have won the starting nod there.

At the time of this writing Rodriguez was currently batting .284 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI just a few weeks short of his 40^th birthday. That’s before mentioning that Alex missed most of the 2013 season with a second hip surgery and various lower leg injuries and the entire 2014 season due to suspension, this is the epitome of a “comeback” player of the year. Alex is halfway to his first full season since the 2007 season and is a 14 time All-Star but has not been named to the team since 2011, but he should have made it this season.

In my opinion I believe Alex is better than and more deserving than Kendrys Morales, Victor Martinez and Edwin Encarnacion, although a debate could be made with Encarnacion due to his power and RBI totals. Cruz had a .304 average with 21 home runs and 50 RBI at the time the voting ended and won the vote despite missing the final 50 games of 2013 due to the same Biogenesis fallout as Alex while the National League’s starting shortstop, Jhonny Peralta, was also suspended the final 50 games and was also named a starter in the game. If it’s good for one it’s good for all, no? Alex deserved better than that and he deserves better than this, although you won’t hear him say a word about it.