The game is over, now vote for Giambi
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 09, 2008 
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This release from MLB:
NEW YORK — Over the past 24 hours, as fans continue to cast their votes for the final roster spot on the American and National League All-Star Teams, the Monster 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote program exclusively on MLB.com surpassed a pair of significant milestones.
The number of votes cast in the first three days of voting has reached 33 million, easily surpassing the previous mark of 23.1 million recorded last year with a full day of voting left. Additionally, the Monster All-Star Game Final Vote program has now totaled more than 100 million votes cast since its inception in 2002.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria continues to hold off the charges of his closest two competitors in the American League, Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox and Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees, as each has totaled more than 3.75 million votes. Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles and Jose Guillen of the Kansas City Royals round out the current standings in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
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What? Third? Do you realize how boring the All-Star Game will be without The Big G? Do you really want to read predictable quotes from Jeter and A-Rod for three days? Is the Billy Wagner story somehow compelling?
We need the ‘Stache in the game, if only to protect the people of Las Vegas from him being on the loose for four days. Save a showgirl, vote for The Big G.
Click the widget to the right and vote.
Giambi is not an All Star – and does not meet the criteria to become one
Not going to happen. Too many people hate the Yankees, and hate Giambi for the steroid stuff.
Besides, I’ll need steroids for my fingers if I keep voting.
retire51 – you shoud be banned for uselessness
I’ve voted probably over 2,000 times…. gotta beat out Dye and Longoria…. I think worst case Terry should name Giambi to take Ortiz’ place on the roster
This is f-ing ridiculous. I voted 30 plus times yesterday and assumed Giambi was shoe-in.
I will be horribly depressed if Giambi does not win this…How can there be more Rays fans voting than Yankees fans!?
It’s freaking NEW YORK! There’s 10 million people just in Manhattan!
still don’t get why people are caught up in the seriousness of the holy all star game when varitek and crede are on it. have fun, vote for giambi.
Pete are you having an affair with the big g and practicing some mystical religion?
Anthony – keep voting man! 30 times is nothing!!
I like the Big G but he has no chance.
Every non Yankee fan is voting for TBs Longoria/
I’ve voted 300 times – that’s enough for one man, especially when the difference between Giambi and Longoria is at least 1 million votes.
Not enough people care.
I suspect, though, that a contingent of baseball fans are doing what is probably right – vote for the promising young rookie, and not the admitted steroid abuser.
Pete
I trust you have been doing your part and tell the Big G we want a Lohud Blogger shout out during the Derby.
the more i think about this the more i realize that maybe we shouldn’t be voting. i absolutely hate that the fans vote in all stars. it is ridiculous. especially when you account for the fact that each person can vote more than once. its really stupid. the all start game has some actual importance now, both in determining home field advantage and in players contracts and stats. instead of being a great show of the best players in each league, it has become somewhat of a joke of a popularity contest.
all this has usually benefitted yankee fans and boston fans, as the most popular franchises in baseball get plenty of fan support and hence players voted in. i do like seeing lots of yankees in the contest every year, but i do beleive that they should be there on their marits, not their popularity. this year has shown that the fans don’t know hw to vote. even worse, it has shown that the players don’t deserve to vote either!!! it should be in the hands of the managers and/or BBWA or MLB. it is a hugely popular event and has some influence on players and teams. it deserves to be taken more seriously
as i say this, i realize that i myself have probably voted for jason giambi more than 150 times. well that is going to stop now. the more i vote, the more i realize that im playing right into MLB’s hands raising vote count further making them take this years voting as a success. they need to change it. i encourage all of you to not vote at all next year.
sorry for the excessively long post.
This is false news made up to discourage us Giambi fans! It’s a conspiracy I tells ya! Keep on voting!!!
I voted a few times and I actually NEVER vote in this junk. But how can we compete with those spiteful petty BoSox fans who vote 800 times because they have no lives?
I’m gonna keep on voting for a hour. I got nothing to do til 6 so I hope everybody votes at least 50 times. I know Giambi is not deserving of a spot but this is Yankees Stadium’s last year – I want to see at least 4 Yankees not 3. This is really depressing that Vartiek and Crede got voted in. Giambi is much better than these two.
DLev has it right.
Too many Yankee haters with nothing to do but vote for anyone but Giambi. As fun as it’s been, he will likely remain in third although the “support the ‘stache” effort has been a nice way to bring NYY fans togther to rally support for the team in general. if that’s all it does, I say mission accomplished.
I am beginning to wonder if all the mention of it on this blog is code for “f the yankees, vote for longoria.”
PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!!!
Alex – i get what you’re saying – but then even last year the two Detroit writers voted for Mags over A-Rod for MVP last season
I must have voted at least 100-200 times these past few days. I really want to see Giambi in the HR Derby.
As of 5:08 EDT, Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte both have better records and lower ERAs than Josh Beckett.
“As of 5:08 EDT, Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte both have better records and lower ERAs than Josh Beckett.”
Josh Beckett is not an Ace!
can we stop saying that Giambi doesn’t deserve a spot? i can see if the other candidates were head and shoulders above TBG, but they’re not. You could argue a case for any one of them 5.
raymagnetic,
At least not this year. Dice-K has probably has more wins.
Good to see Girardi force Mo to face his demons today.
joeT – that was pretty lousy. as was jeter getting voted 6th in MVP voting the previous year, but they are more right than they are wrong. its better than the fans voting, is all im saying.
someone should start a rumor that Dye pulled into the lead. Just so sox fans vote for him a little… dilute the total..
WHAT?!?!?!?!? Hes in 3rd?!?!?!? I voted 20 minutes straight last night, before taking a break, then I did another 20 minutes straight of voting! I just voted for another 20 minutes just now! THIS IS BULL! Longoria is a rookie who was called up in May, and hes in 1st for the final spot?!?!?!? Lets make a petition, no rookies allowed in the all star games, unless its a rookie from the Yankees.
I can think of many players, let alone yankees, that should be in over Longoria and Navarro. God, why the hell is Francona the manager?!?!? He picked a team that barely has guys that should be in the game. His ace, Josh Beckett is in, meanwhile both Moose and Pettitte are doing better this year than he is. I am willing to bet that half the people voting for Longoria are Red Sux fans, they make me sick.
I want to vote for the Stache, but all the A.L. candidates are clean shaven in that widget thingy.
Conspiracy?
Annie Savoy, There are no criteria to be voted on to the all star team. None. It’s a stupid popularity contest, and where I come from Mustaches are VERY popular.
Perfect timing onthe end of the game. It’s pouring out now.
It’s futile. Longoria has more fans than Giambi.
It’s a pain in the rump to keep on unclicking the receive MLB e-mails box thingie.
But..it’s for the Big G..so I guess I will unclick away..
saucY,
Something tells me that Red Sox nation’s (along with Francis) voting for Dye. They hate TB right now.
they should show how many votes they have…..so we’ll know how many we need
on another note….what are your thought on having rivera start the game?
SA, I was having the same annoyance last night until someone suggested just using a fake email addy. Saves time.
Better yet, use a real one of someone you don’t like.
Rubin-Gardner has finally been called up
uh…beckett is not on the all star team
Ooh! Good idea! I’ll use my brother’s. He’ll love it.
Save a Showgirl?!?!?! So, is he doing recon for A-Rod on his off days?
I guess the amount of people who are willing to take this vote seriously and vote for the best player amount to more than the amount of people who reallllly want Giambi to play and are voting their brains out.
Just for the record, though… I voted for Giambi about 30 times
“what are your thought on having rivera start the game?”
a nice gesture, but really it would just be to avoid having to publicly pick between Mo and Papsmear as the AL closer.
mel, the sox troll in the last thread said he voted Longoria 800 times. i don’t think they hate TB like that yet…
I would love to see Rivera start the game, i think that would be a great honor for him – with the career he’s had, to start the game at Yankee Stadium would be awesome BUTTTTTT what would be better then hearing “Enter Sandman” as Mo comes in from the bullpen in the 9th inning to save the game with a 1-run lead.
Why wont Giambi replace Ortiz?
saucY,
I don’t trust what any troll says.
>>> “Perfect timing onthe end of the game. It’s pouring out now.”
Big Surprise!!! it’s raining in NY. May be the all star game will get rained out, too.
just voted my 100 times
I doubt Longoria is leading because of a concerted effort by Rays fans.
I suspect he is winning because:
1. He’s a much more versatile player than Giambi,
2. His offense is comparable to Giambi’s, and
3. Lots of people hate the Yankees and want to vote in someone else ahead of Giambi (bonus if it’s a deserving player, like Longoria).
All this Giambi-worship is stunning. Pete’s support is all tongue-in-cheek, with frequent references to Giambi’s personality and quotability. But lots of people here seem passionately convinced that Giambi deserves an AS spot. All this for a guy who many people on this board absolutely slammed until he started to get hot this season.
Weatherwise, New York is really the crappiest city in the country.
FYI – those with unlimited text messages and a phone that allows you to send messages to multiple recipients: send A2 to 36197 as many times as it allows in a single message. then click ‘resend’ a bunch of times.
i’ve voted over 300 times since Pete made this post
Needless to say, good job by Ponson and the bullpen today.
Hard to believe that’s Abreu’s first walkoff hit as a Yankee. Congrats to him.
The ‘stache is so hypnotizing
http://www.nj.com/yankees/inde....._name.html
INJURED: Trenton outfielder Jose Tabata, the third-best prospect in the Yankees’ farm system according to Baseball America, strained his hamstring running the bases last Tuesday and will likely be out for the remainder of the season.
Tabata is rehabbing at the Yankees’ facility in Tampa, Fla., with what Trenton manager Tony Franklin told the Trenton Times “seems to be a fairly severe” injury.
Until further notice, Ponson is gold.
This meeting is adjourned!
I voted for Longoria. Not only is he having a better season I prefer my all star games to be HGH free. Hence, no Giambi.
No, not the hamstring!
“But lots of people here seem passionately convinced that Giambi deserves an AS spot”
I dont really care if giambi is an all star i just wanna see him in the Hr Derby
When those other guys grow a ‘stache like Giambi then they can go to the All-Star Game!!
Trenton outfielder Jose Tabata, the third-best prospect in the Yankees’ farm system according to Baseball America, strained his hamstring running the bases last Tuesday and will likely be out for the remainder of the season.
I love it when reporters infer, the team hasn’t told them anything, he is likely gone for the season, Franklin didn’t say that, Newman hasn’t nor Cashman how is he likely done for the season if no one hinted to that. Oh well if anything I bet they sent him to Tampa for instructionals too. We’ll see.
Mo shouldn’t start the game. Francona would be tempted to leave him out there for 5 innings.
my thing with Longoria winning is this: I don’t think there are as many Rays fans sitting down trying to vote Longoria in (by voting hundreds and thousands of times each) as there are Yankees fans (such as ourselves) who have donated plenty of time trying to get Giambi there
I just did 50 votes. Keep em coming!
Brandon:
I reported the Tabata hamstring injury (via Mike Ashmore) last week. Tony Franklin said it was “pretty severe” and Yankees officials believe he is in fact done for the season.
The minor league season has about 8 weeks left. A pretty severe hamstring injury would take about that long to heal. Even if it is quicker, what is the point of bringing him back? Tabata had a miserable year at Trenton. Best to leave him Tampa, get himself right and start over again next season.
“Big Surprise!!! it’s raining in NY.”
The Yankees could cure drought this year. Seems that wherever they go, there has been at least a threat of rain in the forecast. I was half expecting a pipe to burst in the Trop.
Mo shouldn’t start because we all know that he’s a failed starter and he can’t pitch in non-save situations.
Pete,
Do you have an “exclusive” cell phone shot of Girardi and his ‘stache?
i’m voting as fast as my fingers will text.
i can’t believe he’s not the front runner.
I posted the other day that I hope Giambi has a hot through the second half and gets himself a good contract (extension) … elsewhere.
Vote for him for the all-star game? Sure, why the heck not. I too hope nobody’s fooling themselves into believing that its a true player evaluation. Yeah, Longoria is far more deserving as a player than Giambi (especially on defense) but the game is in NY, Giambi plays for NY, the game doesn’t count for much of anything anyways, and fan voting is just a popularity contest. He’ll pinch hit once, foul a few off and draw an 8-pitch walk and that’ll be fine with everyone.
When you consider the expectations when he was signed, the numbers he put up in Oakland leading up to his Yanks contract, and then all the ensuing defensive foibles, slumps & injuries, Giambi has been pretty much a failure most of his time in pinstripes.
Why not root for him to hit as well for the second half of this season as he was supposed to have hit for the 4 1/2 years leading up to it? I say go for it. Then have a great end to your playing career in Texas, Toronto, Baltimore or wherever.
“When you consider the expectations when he was signed, the numbers he put up in Oakland leading up to his Yanks contract, and then all the ensuing defensive foibles, slumps & injuries, Giambi has been pretty much a failure most of his time in pinstripes.”
No he hasn’t. If he continues at his hitting pace this year he will have had five top ten offensive seasons during his 7 years with the Yankees.
That’s no where near pretty much a failure most of his time.
I almost get the feeling that Pete would like to see Giambi get into the All Star Game. Or is it just me?
I’ve been voting for Giambi for the past 4 hours. If he’s not in the lead now, he’s never going to be. Grife my fingers hurt.
Pete then I apologize. That’s a different case.
think they’d put Tabata in winter league?
Raymagnetic –
IMO, only IF he continues to raise his average and hits close to .300 by the end of this year, I would then see 2 seasons worth the contract. The first one and (hopefully) the last one.
A lot of Red Sux websites and blogs are encouraging Sux fans to vote for Longoria because Giambi “cost the sox an ’03 World Series appearance”.
mel, good point. He might break down and cry!
Seriously, I hope Mo’s performance today puts the save/nonsave debate to rest forever!
“No he hasn’t. If he continues at his hitting pace this year he will have had five top ten offensive seasons during his 7 years with the Yankees.
That’s no where near pretty much a failure most of his time.”
Thank goodness. I thought I was crazy for not believing that Giambi’s contract was an abject disaster for the Yankees.
The Yankees gave Giambi a contract that virtually no performance by a 1B/DH could justify. But there’s no denying he’s been a great, great hitter through much of that contract. A disaster isn’t overpaying for a great hitter, it’s overpaying for a mediocre one.
Sorry it took time to follow up on Giambi, raymagnetic:
His first year in NY he batted .314 then he fell to .250, .208, .271, .253, .236, and .257 so far this year.
His OBPs? .435, .412, .342, .440(very good), .413(also good) .356, .394 (so far this year)
HR? 41, 41, 12, 32(OK), 37(good), 14, 18 (so far this year).
Games played? After his first 2 seasons here (155 & 156 games) he’s played just short of 140 games twice and he’s played half a season twice.
The Giambi they signed in the winter after ’01 raised made his batting average climb every year for the 6 previous years, from .291 to .342. His OBP rose each year from .355 to .477 and his HRs looked like he’d average almost 40 per year. He also played 152-158 per years for the 4 years before NY signed him.
IMO, for him to be worth the contract he signed over 6 years ago he should be playing at least 150 games each & every year, hit close to 40HR each & every year, have a batting average of at least .310 each & every year, and if he’s having an off year his OBP should still be at least .400 all freakin’ year. And he should be more competent with a glove but thats a whole different topic to look at statistically speaking.
Whether he’s ‘getting hot’ now, just warming up, or barely defrosting (as IMO) he just ain’t doing it to what the expectations really should be. Among things the Yanks signed him for was his potential greatness, but you’ve become anesthetized by the slumps enough to actually be pumped about him merely getting back to being above average in just some aspects of the game.
Ack, Annie Savoy, do you ever get down off the stable of moral high horses you seem to have, and live in the real world amongst real human beings who are fallible and far from perfect?
Nice to see Bobby being the man of the moment today.
Enough of the preaching! I am so glad so many of you are so gosh darn perfect to write a one page diatribe of the many ways that Giambi has ruined our universe!
Go Stache! If nothing else we need him in the derby to royally pi$$ off our friends in Queens by having Willie pitch to him.
Wait – is this a blog by a reporter or a fan?
I don’t understand anyone saying Giambi doesn’t deserve to be an all-star as much as Dye or Longoria. OPS+…Longoria and Dye are both at 136 which is excellent and definitely all-star worthy, but Giambi is at 148 which is even more ridiculous.
Steve-Shouldnt the website give you a clue? He even has a small about me posted on the side of the page. Peter Abraham is a journalist for The Journal News, in New York.
I admit, Longoria is good. Hes really good. You know you have a star on your hands when the kid was dominating in Hudson Valley too badly, that you had to promote him to AA after a week in A-SS.I think his numbers are a bit decieving though. If he was in Tampa for the whole 1st half of this season, and started everyday, like Giambino has, with minimal games off, his numbers wouldnt be as good. Also when voting, I feel its important to look at which teams hes doing good against. If there poor teams, obviuosly a kid like Longoria is going to wreck them. But so does Giambi. The difference between Giambi and Evan is easy, pitchers have figured out Giambi, a while ago, yet he is still a force in the bigs. Evan hasnt been figured out yet. Meanwhile, he not doing so good against strong teams.
The reasoning for Longoria leading, as of the last update, is that the Rays blog and the Mets blog, over at MLBlogs, has made a pact for all Rays and Mut fans to vote Longoria and Wright. Also because, what better thing do those schmucks in Boston have to do, than to be dicks to a team who they know is better than them?
If you want the All-Star to be a Smash….You Must vote the Stache!
I did my 1000 X for Giambi. Just hoping that Youkillus and Manhole Ramirez get the reception they deserve at the game!