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KC Royals: Tigers Ace David Price Unhappy With All-Star Vote

By John Viril |

KC Royals frustrated division-rival David Price tweeted that the All-Star game vote should not be a popularity contest on Wednesday night:

Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer’s 600,000 vote lead over Price’s teammate Miguel Cabrera led to Price’s Twitter outburst:

KC Royals fans immediately bombed David Price with Twitter hate, including this response from me:

Price then made clear that his problem is with the flawed voting process, not the Royals team or the actions of Kansas City fans:

KC Royals fans are not doing anything wrong. We’re being passionate about the best team we have seen in a generation. We’re voting according the to rules that major-league baseball created to pick the All-Star team.

Yet, David Price has a point. The voting system that allows each e-mail address vote 35 times is inherently flawed.

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The KC Royals thrilling October dash to the 2014 World Series has has charged-up the Kansas City fanbase into an unmatched frenzy. That frenzy, combined with the entirely-online voting system, has manifested in a deluge of KC Royals votes.

In short, the new voting system multiplies the voice of the most jazzed fanbase in America 35 times (or more, if you use multiple e-mail addresses).

While I don’t feel at all guilty for putting in my 35 votes for a KC Royals All-Star sweep, the current system is not designed to reflect the will of baseball fans across America, or to ensure the most deserving players suit up in the All-Star Game.

Instead, major-league baseball clearly designed the current system to maximize traffic on MLB.com. By keeping voters on their web site to vote 35 times, they’re keeping eyeballs on their web site—which makes their advertisers VERY happy.

In the end, major-league baseball isn’t serving the players, or the fans. They’re serving themselves.

The Major-League Players Association needs to weigh in on this issue next winter. Many player contracts include All-Star game appearances as incentive clauses, or triggers that can affect contract terms. All-Star appearances are a factor that Hall-Of-Fame voters consider to evaluate candidates for enshrinement.

The bottom line is All-Star game honors do have real world effects that extend beyond who plays on one night in July.

For once, major league baseball needs to serve someone besides themselves.

If you have not voted for the All-Star game, click this link: 2015 All-Star Game Vote

Next: KC Royals Fans Embrace True Nature Of ASG Vote

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