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In case you're a mean jerk who hates Lone Star Ball and didn't read the post I wrote this week about Prince Fielder getting vote blocked out of the All-Star Game by some overzealous Royals fans just because you saw that it was a sponsored post, here is an excerpt:
Prince Fielder is also just third at his position in the All-Star Game voting.
Making the All-Star team as a first baseman in either league is always tough since that's where power hitters call home. Fielder is perhaps docked by the fact that he's classified as a first baseman on the ballot rather than a designated hitter, which he's begun to embrace this season. However, Nelson Cruz is listed as a designated hitter and if anyone has been better than Prince Fielder at the plate in 2015, it's Cruz.
Among AL first basemen on the ballot, Prince Fielder is -- perhaps deservedly -- behind Miguel Cabrera. However, he's also behind Eric Hosmer. While Hosmer is having a breakthrough season, he hasn't been better than Prince Fielder this year and he certainly isn't more of a "star" than Prince.
I suppose you could make the argument that Hosmer and Prince are close when you include defense, baserunning, and the fact that Hosmer actually is manning the position this year, but Hosmer is currently ahead of Prince in the voting by 1,472,498 votes! Hosmer is ahead of Fielder in the voting by more votes than Prince has total votes by almost a million votes! Hosmer has 2,053,237 votes to Fielder's 580,739 votes as of the last released totals on Monday.
Cabrera, perhaps the greatest right-handed hitter ever, is currently only ahead of Hosmer at first base for the All-Star game by just 70,515 votes. That's absurd.
In fact, a Kansas City Royal current occupies the top spot in five of the nine starting positions and they have a guy in second place in the voting at three of the other positions. Alex Rios had been out since early April until the last day of May and he has 1,249,073 votes. Yes, that Alex Rios. That Alex Rios is in fifth place in the outfield voting and has over 300,000 more votes than Michael Brantley.
Kipnis and Ian Kinsler combined don't have as many votes as Omar Infante. Mike Moustakas has nearly double the number of votes as Josh Donaldson which is just about the only ballot stuffing I approve of. Lorenzo Cain (who should be an All-Star) has more votes than Mike Trout (who should have his own wing at Cooperstown). Just a few votes behind Trout in the overall vote totals? Alcides Escobar.
Royals fans, we get it. Your team had a fun run in October after eking into the Postseason. But stop it. No one wants to see Kendrys Morales (Over a million votes above Prince Fielder's total) in the All-Star Game.
Well, the Rangers have a chance to make an impression on those Bible Belt Ballot Stuffers this weekend.
They're not going to be All-Stars this year, but the likes of Chi Chi Gonzalez, Joey Gallo, Hanser Alberto, Keone Kela, and Delino DeShields figure to feature heavily in this series, and many more in the near and distant future, for the Rangers. If you're wondering why, if the season ended today, that the Rangers would possibly be playing these Royals in the Wild Card game, it's likely because youth is being served in Arlington.
Unlike last year, the Rangers have depth because they have players who are coming up and not just filling a spot. These guys are producing. In some ways, it might remind the Kansas City Royals fans of their own team a year ago.
NOW STOP VOTING FOR KENDRYS MORALES YOU WEIRDOS WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU
Series Schedule:
Friday, June 5 7:10 pm: RHP Edinson Volquez vs RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez
Saturday, June 6 1:10 pm: RHP Yordano Ventura vs LHP Wandy Rodriguez
Sunday, June 7 1:10 pm: RHP Jeremy Guthrie vs RHP Colby Lewis
Go Rangers!
Kansas City Royals (30-21, 2nd Place in AL Central)
Rangers' Record vs. Royals: 2-2 all at The Ballpark
Kansas City's Recent Results: 1-2 home series loss to the Cleveland Indians
Kansas City's Home Record: 18-9
Kauffman Stadium Park Factors (LHB/RHB): HR: 83/79 - Runs: 103/101
SB Nation Royals Blog: Royals Review
| Match-up: (as of 06/05) | Rangers | Royals | Advantage |
| Batting (RAR) | 1.0 (11th) | 12.4 (5th) | Royals |
| Base Running (RAR) | 5.9 (5th) | 1.2 (13th) | Rangers |
| Starters (RAR) | 15.4 | 9.6 | Rangers |
| Bullpen (RAR) | -0.1 (26th) | 11.9 (9th) | Royals |
| Defense (UZR) | -5.8 (21st) | 30.2 (1st) | Royals |
| Overall (UZR + RAR) | 16.4 | 65.3 | Royals |
Questions to Answer:
- Yay or Nay: Joey Gallo never plays another game of minor league baseball?
- Who is your Return of the McLemore Approved Player to Watch in this series? (Just go ahead and try to pretend that it's someone other than Joey Gallo.)
- Over/Under: 9.5 combined hits by Delino DeShields and Hanser Alberto in this series?
- What's your guess for line (IP/H/K/BB/ER) by Chi Chi Gonzalez -- who is now rightfully listed as Chi Chi instead of Alex on the major news outlets -- in tonight's game?
- Do the Rangers keep their series-winning winning streak alive by taking at least two from the KC Royals this weekend?
