He wasn’t a manager’s choice.

I think Dice-K had a better resume than Lester, even though Lester is pitching well right now. Dice-K has more wins, fewer losses, and a better ERA. But Dice-K’s time missed really counts against him.

The players voted in 8 of the eleven pitchers, and 9 position players. From MLB.com:

“American League position players who are invited to the 79th All-Star Game as a result of Player Balloting are catcher Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox; first baseman Justin Morneau of the
Minnesota Twins; the double-play combination of the Texas Rangers, second baseman Ian Kinsler and shortstop Michael Young; third baseman Joe Crede of the Chicago White Sox; outfielders J.D. Drew of the Red Sox, Grady Sizemore of the Cleveland Indians and Carlos Quentin of the White Sox; and designated hitter Milton Bradley of the Rangers.”

“American League pitchers who have made the All-Star Game as a result of the Player Ballot include left-hander Cliff Lee of the Indians; Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay; Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim teammates Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana and Francisco Rodriguez; closer Mariano Rivera of the host New York Yankees; and closer Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox. “

At that point, all that Francona had to add people to make sure each team was ‘represented’.

“Francona had six selections to fill out much of the remainder of the A.L. roster, which included the five spots usually allotted to the A.L. manager when the All-Star Game is held in an A.L. park and an additional choice to fill the roster spot of Boston’s David Ortiz, the fan-elected starting designated hitter, who is on the disabled list and will be unable to play in the Midsummer Classic. Among these choices are infielder Carlos Guillen of the Detroit Tigers and catcher Dioner Navarro of the Rays. The pitchers include starter Justin Duchscherer of the Oakland Athletics and closers George Sherrill of the Baltimore Orioles, Joakim Soria of the Kansas City Royals and Joe Nathan of the Twins.”

Seems like a lot of closers. Nathan, Papelbon, Rivera, and K-Rod seem like no-brainers. Was there nobody else from the Royals or Orioles who would have been better? Aubrey Huff? David DeJesus?

Tek can handle the pitching staff well, but he is the worst offensive catcher in the American League.
Jermaine Dye should’ve gotten left field; Manny isnt hitting well (understatement?)
Papi did not deserve it. Plain and simple.