The Weirdest All Stars in MLB History

[@joelnelson4770]

Another weird example I've seen was Shelby Miller in 2015 with his lone season for the Atlanta Braves. He made 33 starts, tossed over 200 innings with a 3.02 ERA, yet somehow ended the year with a record of 6-17, leading the league in losses. His overall numbers validated his all-star selection, but the win-loss record always jumped out to me as so jarring.

[@andyroid5028]

_Wow. Nice catch. That W-L was definitely BRUTAL! __#GoBraves_

[@fortynights1513]

If you think that’s bad, look up Billy Hunter in 1953. I believe his on base and slugging percentages were both under .300 (both before and after the break), and his OPS+ was 37.

[@DaDitka]

Kind of reminds me of what Nolan Ryan did in 1987. His numbers were excellent, even considering that he pitched in the Astrodome. But he had an 8-16 record.

[@Beenman2210]

Wasn’t Shelby Miller so good that season he tricked the diamondbacks into trading away dansby Swanson?

[@mpaulm]

Proving just how useless a win-loss record is.

[@LordTeaboBaggins]

Surprised Alfredo Griffin in 1984 didn’t come up. Back in the day, MLB allowed a selected All Star player to bring a guest. In 1984 Blue Jays 2B Damaso Garcia was selected for the ASG. And his guest wound up being his double play partner, Alfredo Griffin. However, during the pregame warmups, Alan Trammell hurt his arm and couldn’t suit up. So AL manager Joe Altobelli found Griffin in the stands and put him on the team because he needed a backup for Cal Ripken Jr. That season, Griffin had a slash of .241/.248/.298

[@CSDonohue11]

Now that's weird

[@queenautumnween2796]

That's probably the craziest story I've heard for a guy to be an star. Definitely has to the worst ops+ for an all star I've ever seen. He had an OPS+ of 48 that season. Also had a -1.5 WAR that season.

[@bedsoresttv]

from the SABR bio project, emphasis mine: “Major league baseball pays the expenses for each player here and for one guest. In most cases, players bring wives or girlfriends. Damaso Garcia, the Toronto Blue Jays’ second baseman, brought his shortstop, Alfredo Griffin. When the Tigers’ Alan Trammell hurt his arm and could not play tonight, Manager Joe Altobelli named Griffin to the team, ***partly because he’s a fine player, but mostly because he was here.***”

[@queenautumnween2796]

@@bedsoresttv that's so funny that he tries to play off that he's a good player and then is just like, "eh the guy was here, so I asked him to play"

[@WonkNRoll]

@@queenautumnween2796 To be fair, Griffin had a pretty good reputation as a player back then. He was considered a good fielder who hit for an OK average with plenty of doubles and triples and it was back when nobody (other than somewhat ironically Altobelli’s former boss, Earl Weaver) paid attention to things like OBP and caught stealing %.

[@SmoothCriminal12]

Speaking of weird 2006 all star selections, Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow made the all star squad despite having an era over 6 that year. And it's not even like they needed him as a representative as they already had Chris Capuano there as well.

[@Orioles1997]

Turnbow basically cratered off right after the break that year. He was a really good closer before that.

[@stevearchtoe7039]

Turnblow

[@JoeNathanLucroy]

Dude I’ve always thought of this being weird. His era was insanely high and wasn’t even that much better in the first half. Thanks for noticing

[@lordparquad1075]

Yea I was going to say, Mike Williams is definitely not the worst RP to make it, Turnbow’s AS season was much worse.

[@stevehardman4686]

@@JoeNathanLucroyTurnbow was coming off what looked like a great season, at least on paper. In 2006, he had an ERA an 1.80 in April, 2.84 in June, and 4.85 in May, so overall when the voting was going on and the teams were chosen, his numbers were good(a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings one month does not negate the otherwise outstanding looking performance of the previous 1.5 years). Just looking at the numbers of ERA and saves, figuring in his previous year(1.74 ERA, 39 saves, not an all-star) and the first 3 months of 2006, it is very easy to see how he was chosen to the team. Obviously, he fell apart in July, which ended up making his overall first half numbers look mediocre(4.74 ERA), but the other numbers(opposing hitters slash line was 223/331/396, including the bad July, but 211/293/299 for the first three months) absolutely say all-star. Even if he wasn't worthy, he may have been chosen to make up for the previous season when he wasn't picked. This is a case of hindsight because you know Turnbow fell apart after that, but he was an extremely valid choice for the all-star team at the time

[@jessicahadden2960]

Surprised not to see Jesse Crain, made the all-star team in his 10th season in 2013 as a Chicago White Sox. But never threw another pitch in the majors after being selected. It wasn't just his last season. His career was already over by the time he was named to the team. Wild

[@michealconnell7499]

Yep. I remember him even tho I a Braves fan so not a lot prior matchups. I do know that year In 13’ was first year inter league play was year round instead of all during week in June and maybe 1 weekend in may

[@cadenacree5236]

That is just insane wow, baseball is a strange sport would never see or hear of something like that in any other sport

[@CyberchaoX]

What happened? Career-ending injury? I just looked at the 2013 season, and it's hard to argue with his inclusion--through Chicago's first 78 games, he appeared out of the bullpen in 38 of them, pitching 36⅔ innings to just a 0.74 ERA. And given that Chicago would finish 63-99, worse than all but the rebuilding Astros and the moribund Marlins, the latter by only one game, it's not surprising that a relief pitcher would be chosen, as that's often the solution to "every team must be represented". But his career just ends there. June 29, 2013, his last game pitched. Edit: That's exactly what happened. On July 3, he was put on the DL, and then he was traded to Tampa Bay who actually did activate him off the DL in late September but didn't use him or put him on their postseason roster. He signed a 1-year deal with the Astros in December but was put on the 60-day DL in March and never pitched for them, and then the White Sox resigned him to a minor league deal in 2015 but he just never made it back to the bigs.

[@jessicahadden2960]

@@CyberchaoX no doubt he deserved to be in! But the circumstances around it make him the weirdest all star selection I've seen imo.

[@billslocum9819]

Kirk Gibson never making an All Star Game was pretty weird, too.

[@dkroll92]

he got invited twice and declined both times

[@raschticky]

Frankie Zak, a player with 208 career at bats made the all star team in 1944 due to the best players at the time serving in the military.

[@memeteam2692]

Remember that the All Star game is in the middle of the season which is why some All Stars have underwhelming stats. A lot of them have a great first half then a lost second half

[@memeteam2692]

A lot of them get hurt too. Matt Wieters was an All Star in a year he only played 26 games. And Joey Gallo lost the second half of his first All Star campaign, his only batting at least .210 so far

[@warlordofbritannia]

Ewell Blackwell is the all-time weird all-star selection, marking six selections in a career of only 236 games. One of them came in the middle of season where he finished 7-9 with a 4.54 ERA (86 OPS+). The next year he went 5-5 in thirty games (only four starts) with a perfectly average 4.23 ERA. Here's the most inexplicable part--in two years before and after the above he was great with three FIP crowns and leading the league in K/9 twice. After that sixth straight all-star season he only pitched another 150 innings in his career, posting a 4.64 ERA (80 OPS+).

[@ILoveMisty1985]

Hey Mike Macdougal was a stud closer for the 2003 Royals that stormed out of the gate and was still leading the AL Central at the All-Star break. His 2.59 ERA and 24 saves in the first half suggested that he was a big part of the team's success. Of course the less said about the team and their second half the better.

[@fortynights1513]

If nothing else, that was a decent, winning team in a very long stretch of ineptitude.

[@lukedojo8028]

Ken Harvey

[@keithcarlson7267]

One that stands out to me is Sandy Alomar Jr in 1991. Played 51 games Avg: .217 HR: 0 Extra Base Hits: 9 Runs: 10 RBI: 7 Slugged .266

[@fortynights1513]

Must’ve been a good fielder then?

[@loringjohnson7797]

1989. Mike Schmidt got voted in as NL 3rd Baseman despite retiring at the end of May. Same year Jose Canseco got voted in as AL Outfielder despite not playing a lick due to a wrist injury.

[@ThatImpact]

Reggie also tried to kill the queen when he was on the california angels lmao

[@mrg8581]

Luckily, Frank Drebin was there to save the Queen and sing The National Anthem before the game. 😅

[@willpipa3813]

Those throwback pirates jerseys are wild

[@brainbarz]

lookin like an ump kinda

[@Nick_Valentine2702]

Those are weird but I really liked the home vest jersey with black sleeves

[@sk33t_38]

throwback games used to go crazy but Nike has sadly ruined everything with their arbitrary uniform limit rules. its crazy too cause Nike used to be known for their outlandish jerseys and creativity. Guess we have to wait until 2029 to see if another brand inks a deal and lets hope that brand isnt a boring uniform authoritarian.

[@mariofanalex4455]

I kinda wish they wore those more often just so I caulked laugh at them lol

[@Karmy.]

@@sk33t_38 yeah I miss Majestic

[@queenautumnween2796]

I think a weird example was the 2014 all star game where SIX OAKLAND A'S Players were selected to the all star game. It was a great year for Oakland and as an A's fan it was great to see, but for a small market team who gets usually one all star a season, 6 in one season is insane;

[@queenautumnween2796]

Another weird example is John Jaha in 1999. He's an example of a player who had a great season and deserved the all star nod but after his incredible season, batting .276/.414/.556/.970 with 35 HR and 111 RBI, he played in just 55 games in his last two seasons. Wasn't a one hit wonder guy either, having a 34 HR and 118 RBI season in 1996 and was a decent power bat his entire injury riddled career, but is just a weird selection simply because it's a guy probably not many people remember

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

​@@queenautumnween2796 I remembered him with Milwaukee

[@kylebittner1327]

Do the 6 include Jeff Samardzija? I remember the As traded for him right before the All Star game so he was on the NL all star roster but was on the As

[@queenautumnween2796]

@@kylebittner1327 nope. Didn't count samadzija. The six all stars were cespedes, Donaldson, Norris, moss, kazmir and Doolittle.

[@fortynights1513]

Also, the 2002 Red Sox (a pretty good team, but one who didn’t make the playoffs) had seven all stars.

[@bmac4]

I'm of the honest opinion that it's good every team gets a representative. The All Star game is a celebration of baseball and the people who play it. People will debate tirelessly over how ridiculous Cooperstown is, how guys who deserve it don't get into the hall, it's nice to have an event that isn't just completely exclusive. Every team gets someone to rally around, and for a brief period we get to celebrate the sport for what it is, a fun pastime, and not just a cutthroat competitive game. I know the concern is some guys get snubbed, but the All Star game rosters already have more spots than can possibly give everyone playing time in the game itself, there's plenty of room for a few fringe guys to give their fans something to cheer for and rally behind for a time. Are people worried about diluting the talent pool of an all star roster or something? Especially since they did away with that "winning team gets world series home field advantage" crap. A lot of the fringe guys who do get in end up with some incredible stories of what the all star game means. Many of them it ends up being a rare chance to be seen with some legends of the game and they come away with amazing stories. There's also some great stories that come out of it for the rest of us. Alex Cobb getting his first all star nod this year at 35, and hearing how much he wanted it for a long time, is endearing on a personal level. If you look at other sports, the NHL has some fantastic cases. In 2015, Zemgus Girgensons was voted to the All Star team, and though he wasn't completely undeserving, he was a fringe all star who was the best player on the worst team who got in because his entire home country (Latvia) voted to get him in as both the pride of his team and the pride of a country that is more on the fringes of hockey greatness. The next year was the John Scott year, arguably the worst all star selection in any of the North American major sports leagues ever, who was voted in basically to make a mockery of the vote itself...and ended up becoming one of the greatest stories in all of 2010s sports as players and fans across rallied behind him as he shared how much it meant to him, despite the league doing everything it can to keep him from going. It's outright awesome to be there representing your team, and the journey you went on to become an all star. Who cares if a couple guys who look comparatively mortal get to stand next to legends of the game for a day on a roster that's already overflowing as is for the sake of inclusivity? Like I'm not saying we should just have a team of Jordan Lyles and leave off the likes of Ohtani, but I think it's okay to not have to split hairs to make sure that the absolute best 68 players get in every year in favor of allowing every team to at least have one guy to get behind who can often be one of the better players on a really bad team.

[@Elias-Alexander]

@@emilianocelaya8635I did, was not that hard emi.

[@tomf5823]

stop it this isn't little league.

[@brettwalker8877]

This was too good a take to just leave hidden on this vid!!!!!! 1000% right

[@KTF0]

Yeah, it's also good for kids to see their team have at least 1 All Star participating.

[@komickaze85]

There was one year when Jason Varitek was an All Star with like a .210 AVG, but was elected by the players because he was well-respected and started the season out decently, then hit a huge slump.

[@thefish3199]

La Stella was something else man Loved watching him play for the Angels

[@LukeClosson]

hated watching him play for the giants! lol

[@haditahir9608]

Yeah every Giant's fan had a great day the day he was DFA'd

[@reed5369]

i loved him with the braves. finally got uggla off the field and took strasburg deep

[@bigkahuna5381]

Aledmys Diaz was a great weird all star for the cardinals in 2016, his rookie year as the only representative on a fairly competitive team only to get traded and become a backup utility infielder for the rest of his career

[@macwages3924]

1999 Braves is a weird one. On a stacked roster, Kevin Millwood and Brian Jordan got the nod with Smoltz, Maddux, Glavine, Lopez, Klesko, C. Jones and A. Jones missing out. Millwood did finish 3rd in the Cy voting but still weird. Chipper ended up winning MVP but missing the All-Star game. Past 3 Braves MVPs have actually missed the all-star game the year they won it (Freeman, Jones, Pendleton).

[@reed5369]

yeah freakin Matt Williams got in as the top vote getting 3rd baseman that year over Chipper. As an 8 year old I remember being pretty upset about it. Also, apparently a player named Ed Sprague Jr. of the Pirates made it as the reserve 3rd baseman

[@dumbguyheath4264]

Neal Heaton was a weird one. Doug Drabek was on the same team, won the Cy Young that year and did not go. I think Heaton was also just temporarily in the rotation because of injuries

[@Neckrollios18]

Seeing the Reggie Jackson entry reminded me of when MLB created 2 roster spots to honor career achievements... Last year was Pujols and Miggy. Are they doing that again this year? If so, who are those players, or who would you nominate from each league?

[@bmac4]

Scherzer, Verlander, and Votto all spring to mind as players nearing ends of careers that should end with Cooperstown plaques. I'd say at least one of them.

[@Neckrollios18]

@@bmac4 I like the choice of Votto, I'm not sure how much longer he will be in the majors. I think Scherzer has another year or two so we can wait on him.

[@CSDonohue11]

@@bmac4 VOTTO!

[@bmac4]

​@@Neckrollios18their contracts all end next year. I wouldnt be surprised if at least Scherzer and Verlander played in 2025, good pitchers can go well into their 40's, but they've both looked quite mortal this year and I also wouldn't be surprised to see them hang it up after their contract ends.

[@poindextertunes]

@@bmac4Verlander is a 1st ballot guy, no question

[@TheGLORY13]

Well at the end of the day it's for the fans. Fans vote. Then the MLB has to take one player from each team and sometimes they seemingly just take a random player based on the positions that have already been taken and try to fill a need elsewhere, or they just take the "big name" on the team no matter their stats. All-Star selections are just a mixed bag, you'd like to think the best of the best get chosen but that's not always the case, and I'm perfectly fine with players who are retiring at the end of the year (who were long time players and produced) being selected one last time.

[@zacharyeick5967]

What about those Tigers greats like Robert Fick (2002) and Brandon Inge (2009). Fick scored the tying run of a MLB All-Star Game that ended in a tie! Inge even went to be in the Home Run Derby (we try to forget) and put up an o'fer. These were both defensively minded players but still some interesting choices. There's your new video series idea: weirdest Home Run Derby participants. I can think of a few

[@fortynights1513]

A weird participant in my book: Edgar Martinez for my Mariners in 2000. On his numbers at the break I could see why they picked him that year, but when I think of the best home run hitters of the early 2000’s, I generally don’t think of him.

[@reidstewart7147]

Jason Bay, although I guess at the time it made sense since the derby was organized by nationality, and he was hitting some bombs

[@Karmy.]

Inge rocked

[@cassiemigues3196]

​@@reidstewart7147Jason Bay had some solid power though... I remember when the Astros were horrible and we played him every year he used to torch us

[@alwillk]

Inge had 21 homers at the AS break in 2009.

[@TheRandalHandle]

Random coincidence with you posting this video, but earlier I was looking at Jim Thome stats. Despite having over 600 home runs and being a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee, he was only a 5 time all star according to baseball reference. Would you consider a video comparing all star appearances (or lack thereof) vs Hall of Fame careers?

[@collinf4228]

I couldn’t believe that when I read this. He was totally snubbed every year from 2000-2003. I guess Giambi was the better player at the time, but Thome not being a reserve doesn’t make sense to me.

[@TheRandalHandle]

@@collinf4228 so true. In 2002 he had the best OPS and in 2003 he had the league lead for HR. Make it make sense!

[@mattsbaseballcardbreaks5952]

Jim Thome was a PED user.

[@italianwaterice9594]

@@TheRandalHandle well,, he was a horrible fielder and AL had great firstbasemen during that roided era

[@thanksgivingmcdaniels3335]

And if you do, do Robin Yount, who only made it twice in 19 years

[@brendan7030ify]

Personally I hate having washed up legends at the end of their careers in the all star game. There are some players who might put up a great first half and only have this one chance to be an all star for there whole career, and then that spot is taken by a guy in his late 30s early 40s who can barely even swing a bat or throw a ball anymore. If you wanna have them at the all star game as an extra roster spot then fine its an all star game it doesn't really matter but don't take those chances away from the young/fringe all star players who might never get another real shot

[@NickKaminski1980]

I mean Bret Boone was pretty weird. Not his selection though. He did miss that ball in the '03 Home Run Derby, and scored zero, so there's that.

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

I never realized in 87 the Athletics could have McGwire Canseco Reggie and Ron Cey in the same lineup. No Rickey that year though.

[@randallwong7196]

Reggie and Cey were pretty old and both doing DH work, so it was rare they'd be in the lineup at the same time. Then Cey got released leaving Reggie as the main guy.

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

@@randallwong7196 Thanks for this reply. I suppose May 2nd of that year would be one example I could cite. I was going to try to pick the best or my favorite one. Obviously that checks out. I almost wanted to find a line up with those 4 guys and Mickey Tettleton in it, too. Actually May 3rd was crazy stacked.

[@maxxramas]

Matt Wieters 2014. Played 26 games all year as O’s catcher. Somehow voted in as starting catcher.

[@aguy6098]

Why did you show David Ortiz as someone who only earned the all-star due to it being his last year? Ortiz was a monster during his last year. Bro had one of his best seasons of his entire career.

[@rhodesfunk2996]

Lol right what a clown Papi was slashing .332/.426/.682 with a 1.107 OPS at the all star break in 2016

[@reed5369]

Omar Infante was a strange selection in 2010 for the Braves as a utility man. But it actually wasn't terrible reasoning by Phillies manager, Charlie Manuel, to pick the one of the most versatile pinch hitters in the league who was use to coming in games cold off the bench.

[@maxbutler2185]

A deep dive into Dee Gordon’s career would be very intriguing

[@thomasguglielmo1509]

Mike sweeny really should've been the only representative of kc for like 6 years at the beginning of the 00's lol

[@skorpiontamer]

Yonder Alonso 2017 (stole Hosmer's rightful roster spot because the A's needed a player)

[@tomf5823]

well hosmer stole about 160 million so there's that.

[@EFFamily]

I don’t know about whit, I mean he is the best utility player. I think he deserves it because he fits that spot really well.

[@bigrich6075]

Javier Vazquez was an all star in 2004 with the Yankees he finished the season with a 14-10 record with a 4.91 ERA. It was is only all star selection of his career.

[@tomf5823]

he was actually good the first half.

[@bigrich6075]

@@tomf5823 true.

[@TacoKing01]

I know this is a baseball list but whenever I think of weird All-Stars I go to Zemgus Girgensons of the Buffalo Sabres. He only made it because his native country of Latvia flooded the NHL fan vote

[@ramuelcruzada3207]

Man, it almost happened to... ZAZA PACHULIA. Not once, but twice

[@TacoKing01]

@@ramuelcruzada3207 that's a name I haven't heard of in years lol

[@robertcrist6059]

5:05 I indeed remember Ken Harvey and Mike MacDougal sadly - Doogie. Along with Angel Berroa. Kila Ka'aihue - great name. Shane Costa - wholesale. I gotta stop, it's been bad as a KC fan.

[@justincline01]

Omar Infante 2010. If I can remember, he wasn’t even starting everyday for the Braves. I can remember everyone being pissed off about that one

[@EPCISTIRED]

as a cubs fan, i’d have to say it’s not all that strange tommy lastella made an all star team. he was a beast off the bench and was clutch in a lot of at bats for the cubs in that timeframe of us being contenders. i always knew he’d be a good player if he signed elsewhere, but since he played with prime baez and russell in the middle infield, he couldn’t really shine like he should have.

[@dissipatedtaint]

I'm so glad you included LaHair. As a Cubs fan I will never forget him momentarily catching fire in that first half only to literally disappear off the face of the earth lol

[@Keonelehua]

6:50 Greinke brushing back Trout putting him on base lmao

[@sirstewartwallace3917]

Special mention to Scott Cooper, the worst two time All-Star ever. A merely average player than got in twice for some reason, followed by the Red Sox making the playoffs the year after he left. He played for the Cardinals for a year, who also made the playoffs the year after he left, and after a forgettable stint with the Royals, he was out of the league.

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

I thought or assumed he was pretty good but these were my very very early years watching the Red Sox. I remember a little.

[@andrewarnold9751]

This is great. I would most DEFINITELY include 1984 Alfredo Griffin. His teammate and double play partner Damaso Garcia made the team and Griffin went to the game as his guest, essentially as a fan. Alan Trammell got injured during warm-ups, the night before. Robin Yount was on the team but also injured, so they needed a back-up SS. Manager Joe Altobelli invited Griffin, he of the .578 OPS heading into the game, to play. He had to borrow Garcia’s spare glove and jersey to practice until his stuff was shipping the next day. He even got into the game as a defensive replacement. It was his only all star game. According to baseballl reference, Alfredo Griffin has the worse WPA in the history of baseball, making him quite possibly the worst MLB long term positional regular in baseball history.

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

I have never heard that before this "taking a guest" but it makes a lot of sense. Even just for safety reasons it makes sense. I wonder who people have brought with then historically. But anyways. I like this anecdote.

[@randallwong7196]

He was a world champion with the '88 Dodgers, which brought along the trivia that he was a victim of a perfect game three times ( Browning vs LAD as one ).

[@andrewarnold9751]

@@randallwong7196 he was a world champion in 1992 and 1993, as well. He also somehow managed to be last among qualified hitters in 1990 in .BAA, .OBP AND .SLG. He has the the second world SB percentage of all time. All the metrics point to him being a bad fielder. Somehow this man was a starter for 13 years

[@randallwong7196]

For decades if a player could put the ball in ( aka not strike out too much ) and run a little, that ( undeservedly ) earned a spot hitting 2nd in a batting order sometimes. Defensive metrics were not as detailed back then. People looked at fielding %, error numbers, and guessed if someone had good/bad range and a good/bad arm. Teams didn't know he was worse than they thought! 😁

[@andrewarnold9751]

@@randallwong7196 yep. Griffin us usually hit 9th, but they’d stick him 2nd at times for sure. He could bunt. He was a switch hitter. And he had a decent reputation as a fielding shortstop.

[@onefoundationministries1988]

Ronnie Belliard was an all star (journey man second baseman)

[@mauruhkatigaming4807]

The one that will always stand out in my mind is Ron Coomer in 1999, a corner infielder who managed a mighty 16 homers and 82 OPS+ in the heart of the Steroid Era. You'd think this wouldn't be too remarkable - bad teams always get their obligatory All Star selection, after all. The problem is, those Twins also had Brad Radke, who finished fourth among all pitchers in bWAR that year. But this was when people still thought pitcher W/L record still mattered, and a member of the horrible offense responsible for his middling record was rewarded for his incompetence.

[@kylenorman5250]

This is really funny to me because now he's the color commentator for the Cubs radio broadcasts and as a result of that selection is always introduced as "former all star Ron Coomer" by Pat Hughes.

[@ben10nnery]

Merrifield is having a great clutch year

[@nathansheeler1663]

Watching this video last week helped me nail a Royals all-star on immaculate grid. Never knew anything about Mark Redman until this video

[@nfugitt89]

Bryan LaHair wasn't just a first half wonder, he was like a first half of April wonder.

[@packerdrew20088]

Jeff smarjidza in 2014 all star for cubs got traded like 3 days before all star game. I’m sure there are plenty of other traded all stars that couldn’t play.

[@domchota]

I was at that 2003 Home Run Derby & All Start Game at Comiskey, we had season tickets on the first base line, fifth & sixth row, section 121. My brother & I were avid Fantasy Baseball enthusiasts and knew every All Star player's stats well. We're getting pretty hammered during all the pre-game pageantry when all of the sudden these two little girls dressed adorably in Pittsburgh Pirates gear made their way down our aisle, passing us as they got to the front row. It was Mike Williams family, and he was right in front of us as his wife passed the kids over the barrier onto the field. I of course loudly, & drunkenly, let our section know about Mr. Williams high ERA and perplexing section to the NL squad. He immediately shouts "Who said that!?!?" and I point to my brother, who sheepishly reacts with "NO!, I have you on my Fantasy Team!" (He needed those saves) Mike's wife calls us "jerks" (deserved) and the family enjoyed the rest of the exhibition on the field, away from us. The next day, at the actual All Star Game, a guy one row back of us was still cracking up over the encounter, claiming he told all his buddies at work about it. I still feel bad about pissing off Mike's wife, but hey, makes a great story for KZbin comments.

[@ryno0344]

Scooter gennet gotta be an honorable mention

[@hannibalhobbes4289]

What about Tim Wakefield? He made his first all-star team in his 40s after bouncing between the starting rotation and bullpen.

[@stevegallo8483]

That would qualify as weird. Fun fact on Wakefield. He had 200 career wins, with 186 coming as a member of the Red Sox. That 186 wins puts Wakefield 3rd all time in career wins with the Red Sox. The only Red Sox pitchers with more wins are Roger Clemens and Cy Young who are tied with 192.

[@italianwaterice9594]

@@stevegallo8483 omg,, im going to read these stats instead of Playboy

[@geoffreyhooker9005]

Biff Pocoroba. All-Star catcher for the Atlanta Braves. In 1978, he finished the season .242/.312/.332. Runners stole 82 of the 107 bases they attempted. But Phil Neikro was an all-star, and Tommy Lasorda wanted someone who could catch a knuckleball.

[@AndThatsBaseball]

Bryan LaHair, Somerset Patriots (pre-affiliation) legend

[@CharmCityGamer]

.194 and Reggie was an All-Star. Wow. Thanks Jolly!

[@Extinguisher10]

David Bell was the best third baseman in the AL at the 2001 All Star Break, but I do understand why Cal was voted in.

[@fortynights1513]

Was Ripken the only Oriole that year? David Bell was a decent player, but from an M’s fan, not sure I’d call him the best AL third baseman that year. I’d have to double check but I think he played even better the following year in San Fran, but probably against a tougher field of third basemen.

[@Extinguisher10]

@@fortynights1513 I don't remember if there was any other Orioles, I just remember that Ripken was voted in and it felt like at the time that Bell was having the best year in the AL among third baseman (in a very weak year). Granted this was using the more basic stats we had back then.

[@fortynights1513]

@@Extinguisher10 looked it up. The Orioles had no other players make it to the all star game in 2001. Their best hitter was Jeff Conine. (At least for the whole season he hit .311, and the OPS+ stat puts him at about 123 I believe, but Jason Giambi and John Olerud both played the same position so he had no shot really), and none of their pitchers appear significantly above average. So you could understand why Ripken even if he didn’t have a good last year himself would be their lone representative. As for Bell relative to third baseman. His OPS+ was 92 in 2001. Corey Koskie of Minnesota shows up as the best player at third base by advanced metrics (Bell comes up fourth), and by slash lines he’s at least on the same level. Bell may have been in contention by virtue of the Mariners having 63 wins at the break (and 116 ultimately of course), but if the selections went to the best player at each position (and on each team afterward), it wouldn’t have gone to him.

[@Extinguisher10]

@@fortynights1513 Fair enough. I must have done some mental gymnastics at the time to come up with that conclusion at the time :)

[@fortynights1513]

@@Extinguisher10One other thing on a side note: The 01 Mariners had eight all stars, and it wouldn’t take long for another team to have seven: The 02 Red Sox (a team who missed the playoffs entirely mind you). And if I’m not mistaken Atlanta this year is the first team since the 02 Red Sox to have seven all stars.

[@speakinfaxonly21]

The best part about that Mark Lehair all star bid, wasnt because of the rule that at least 1 player from each team minimum. They genuinely thiutght he was worthy. The cubs already had their 1 guy minimum. As we can see Starlin Castro next to him.

[@KenshinPlayz57]

Great video Jolly! Could you do a video about players you forgot that were on a team? An example would be Nelson Cruz on the Orioles and Adrein Beltre on the Red sox and Mariners

[@michealconnell7499]

Josh Donaldson Cleveland

[@Karmy.]

JJ Hardy on the Twins Brandon Phillips on the Braves

[@chrisuncleahmad666]

Juan Gonzalez Cleveland

[@itsScottyJ]

Travis Hafner and Matt Holiday on the Yankees

[@orcbollg]

David Dahl was one of those 2019 juiced ball all-stars I loved

[@camuquengue]

I'm surprised Omar Infante didn't make the list

[@Karmy.]

Should've be a whole section dedicated to that 2015 Royals fan vote disaster

[@TheForeverRanger]

@@Karmy. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

[@gravylawyer]

I think of Zack Cozart in 2017. Great for the Reds in his final year Cincy but after becoming a free agent and getting signed by the Angels, he never reached those numbers again.

[@ZachNarwhal]

He had those numbers all for a donkey and I refuse to be convinced otherwise

[@ralphus44]

Cozart was actually a very good shortstop for the Reds for several years, and definitely deserved his All-Star selection. Injuries were what killed his career prematurely.

[@ZachNarwhal]

@@ralphus44 fair and accurate, I just prefer to think he just wanted the Donkey tho, it's just funny

[@maliklyttle]

alfredo griffin is the worst all star ever, they put him in the game just because he was there as damaso garcia's plus one and the AL needed another player asap

[@Karmy.]

I will never understand why Nick Markakis never made an AS team with the Orioles

[@zachschoeneman5638]

I'll never understand why the Orioles picked Ty Wigginton to represent them in 2010 over Markakis

[@whereisspacebar2991]

Wigginton is a more fun name to say.

[@sgreenlee713]

George Sherrill made the All Star game in 2008 for the Orioles. He was a closer with a 4.73 ERA. 4.08 ERA in the first half. With a team that had Abrey Huff, Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts and you selected George Sherrill?

[@fortynights1513]

Did the other guys you named not make it either?

[@Karmy.]

Yeah I really really don't understand why Markakis never made the AS team with the Orioles

[@nathanuber530]

Devers has had a good year he deserves the nod in ‘23

[@skalty9868]

Ortiz deserved his All Star nod in his last year full stop

[@rhodesfunk2996]

.332/.426/.682 with a 1.107 OPS at the all star break in 2016

[@fortynights1513]

Definitely deserved, but Probably shown because he was one in his last year

[@EthanRKassel]

Jeff Locke had the most BABIP-fueled run ever. It was amazing for him to even carry it through half a season.

[@jaytrace1006]

2011 Royals had pitcher Aaron Crow as their lone All-Star. He had been originally called up from the minors on Opening day of that year, making his debut on March 31. I think he was selected as the AS rep as he might have not screwed up as bad as his fellow players so far that year.

[@aidanknight]

2:15 this jersey 😂

[@collectingwithconnor5931]

Remember Jeremy Jeffress… idk just thought we should say him

[@chrislewis5069]

I’ve never heard you drop an f bomb. It really caught me off guard

[@jesserusso28]

Brock Holt was a weird all star.

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

In the current year where the Sox have only one representative as they did that year (2015 I think) is fitting. Highly appropriate

[@marrey7913]

Can you do non-all stars with the best seasons. Maybe add in if they were snubs at the time or just had average first haves and monster 2nd halves. Dylan Cease is the most recent example

[@itsScottyJ]

Albert Belle 1998

[@fortynights1513]

John Valentin in 1995

[@nathaniellevesque2782]

Chipper Jones 1999

[@kylenorman5250]

Jake Arrieta 2015 and Kyle Hendricks 2016.

[@CarsAcrossTexas]

“Tommy *fuckin* La Stella” 😂😂

[@austineasterling4535]

LOVE when the thumbnail is actually the first example shown.

[@kylebittner1327]

Odubel Herrera was an all star for one of the bad phillies teams of the mid 2010s. He deserved to be one that year but just a weird name to look at now

[@floydfanTN]

Brian Harvey: made an All Star as an NL and AL All star but only lasted 8 years in the MLB

[@SmoothCriminal12]

Was also the Marlins first all star selection alongside Sheffield.

[@54raynor]

Mike Sharperson in 1992 rates up there for weirdness. He was the lone rep from the worst Dodgers team in history, and he was only a part-time utility player who had fewer than 400 PA on the season. What makes it even weirder is that the Dodgers had a perfectly good alternative in Brett Butler, who finished 3rd in the NL in OBP that season. While Butler was wildly under appreciated in his career, he wasn’t exactly a secret as he was an All-Star the year before. Clearly, the Sharperson selection wouldn’t happen again in today’s game.

[@Matt-nt2lm]

Idk Mark Redman sounds like a CHAD Innings eater to me

[@BurtTheWalrus]

Look into Matt Young and his 1983 All Star year on the Mariners. Another guy that came up and did well as a rookie. But then nearly nothing.

[@mfm4205]

jay howell, 87 a's. ended up an all star, even lost the game, despite having a horrible 1st half (and not like he had to be picked, big mac had already been named, so the a's had a rep). guessing pitcher got hurt or pulled, and since all star game was in oakland, he was there so they took him. ended up losing his closer job a few weeks later to some guy named dennis eckersley.

[@brooksdior3531]

I hate to be that guy but whit is not a random all star if anything he’s overdue

[@richardbecker7421]

I think 1992 was the year Wade Boggs was under .200 and was elected the starter at 3B for the AL. He made four years after that, as well. That was just a blip, and they gave him the respect from previous seasons.

[@adampomietlarz1518]

Now I understand why Mike Williams was always a free agent in mvp baseball 2003. He had garbage numbers for a season and wanted so much money that no one would pick him up despite being ranked as the best relief free agent pitcher by a ton.

[@ItThatLed]

"Dude is gonna be in a Jolly Olive video!" is a legit dig these days. lol

[@baileysmith4744]

Josh Hader 2022 is gonna look so odd in a few years when people dont bother looking at the splits. he had terrible end of season stats, but his first month and a half were the best he had ever had, and then his overall first half statistics were pretty good when he got the nod

[@Twhistle]

Dom Brown, Omar Infante, Michael Saunders, Joe Saunders, Odubel Herrera, Jake Lamb, Devin Mesoraco, Gaby Sanchez, Jason Marquis, Martin Perez, Aledmys Diaz

[@bvd7517]

The triumphant return of pre-game Jolly

[@gabebishop228]

i would love to see a video about Aramis Ramirez, he was amazing and i bet a lot of people forgot how good he was

[@paulamiles9559]

It was worth watching the Cubs just to see him.

[@stevehardman4686]

What is an all-star? Is it choosing the players who got off to the best start to the season, or the best players, the most popular, it has never really been defined. If Aaron Judge is hitting 250 with 20 HR, and Adolis Garcia is hitting 280 with 25 HR 3 months into the season, is that proof that Garcia is the better player? Bill James once gave the example of people complaining that Toby Harrah wasn't chosen ahead of George Brett in spite of the fact that his hitting stats for the first part of that season were better, but when you look back and think which of those guys exemplifies the term all-star, do you think of Toby Harrah(whose power/speed/90+ walk combo I personally loved).Reggie Jackson showed he was an all-star talent for 15 years before 1983, the fans wanted to see him, so in the end, does it really matter that his stats for the first half of the season were a tiny bit down from his usual norms....and when you look at the numbers aside from batting average, he really was still a productive hitter halfway into the year

[@robertcrist6059]

9:56 Somebody check the stats on La Stella and Anthony Rendon up to this point! Rendon literally did this the other day and his injury prone self will probably be out the rest of the season. Will this be the end of the 2023 Angels and NOT the Trout injury?? haha

[@SamtheBravesFan]

My favorite weird All-Star off the top of my head is 2010 NL All-Star Omar Infante, who got in because the brass thought the teams needed utility players.

[@Karmy.]

He almost became an AS in 2015 too due to the Royals fan vote incident

[@TheTEN24]

Love a video topic like this Jolly make a pt2

[@austinrodriguez4272]

Being an all star in your only mlb season is pretty badass

[@WonkNRoll]

Mark Grudzielanek should have been KC’s All Star in 2006, he had solid half at the plate and was stellar in the field and was having a better overall first half than Jose Lopez for the Mariners. Lopez was Seattle’s lone ASG member that year, but Beltre was having a better first half. Troy Glaus might have been having a slightly better year than Beltre but there were already several Blue Jays on that ASG roster.

[@letsgoblues21]

I love how you covered Mark Redmond's face as if anyone would have any idea who the hell that is lol

[@DouglasFilmsLtd]

Just 650k more votes (about 2% of the total) and this video could have featured 2015 Omar Infante being selected to start the game over Jose Altuve.

[@LordBarros]

I'm just glad no Mariners made this list. People sleep on them, but they've had MANY hall of famers (Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr, A-Rod, Edgar Martinez, etc) It's just they couldn't afford to keep them and they all finished with other clubs.

[@unclejune2839]

Whit is having a solid season tho

[@Jrodsly]

This reminds me just how farcical giving every team an all star selection really is. Teams well below .500 do not deserve to drag the game down with a participation trophy. Give the actual best players a chance to play in the game and leave the tanking teams on the sidelines. Fans upset? Tell them to take issue with their teams, not the league.