ST. LOUIS -- I can't agree with fans more.
It's absolutely absurd this Los Angeles Dodger is not on the National League All-Star team.
He's hitting .410 with seven homers and 20 RBI in just 32 games.
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He has helped resurrect the team, turning the Dodgers from a laughingstock into a contender since joining the lineup.
I just can't believe shortstop Hanley Ramirez isn't an All-Star.
Oh, you mean you were talking about Yasiel Puig?
Well, Ramirez has a higher batting average, just one fewer homer, one more RBI, and a higher OPS in the same number of games.
So how come we aren't up in arms over Ramirez's slight?
It's time for everyone to pump their breaks, take a deep breath and calm down.
Does Puig, or even Ramirez, deserve to be an All-Star after playing just 31 games? Absolutely not.
They haven't even played in half of the Dodgers' games this season, going through the daily grind, the aches and pains, and, yes, that exasperating, mentally draining slump.
Then again, Puig will almost certainly be wearing a National League uniform at Citi Field next week, as he's a heavy favorite to win the online voting for the final roster spot for the NL team. You can be sure Fox-TV executives are rooting for the kid, refreshing their browsers until their fingers are raw.
"I can see both sides, so I don't get aggravated about it," St. Louis Cardinals veteran starter Chris Carpenter says. "There's no question a young guy like that brings excitement to the game. But does three good weeks or a month make you an All-Star? Does that mean you're deserving to be an All-Star? No."
The beauty of baseball is in the six-month season, which produces hot streaks and slumps. Puig can have the most hits in a month since Joe DiMaggio, and then strike out five consecutive times, as he did this weekend.
We have no idea how Puig will perform in the next week, let alone in a three-month stretch. But we do know there are players such as Josh Donaldson of the Oakland A's, Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals and Gerardo Parra of the Arizona Diamondbacks who have had fabulous first halves, and are scheduled to be sitting home during the All-Star Game.
And no one is screaming about it.
They don't have comedian George Lopez or singer Josh Groban persuading their Twitter followers to vote for them, or have viewing and voting parties scheduled like the Dodgers do for Puig.
"There are too many guys that are grinding it out, putting up numbers all year that deserve to be there more than a guy that's come up and hasn't really been around the league," Carpenter says. "Give him a chance to get scouted, give a team a chance to see him a few times, and let's see what happens."
The Nationals know that Desmond doesn't stand a prayer of beating out Puig in the MLB.com final vote, even though he's been their All-Star caliber shortstop all season. Parra, the Diamondbacks' most consistent performer, couldn't even crack the final fan balloting.
"We understand the politics of the game as far as Puig being a young star and watching to see him play," says Nationals center fielder Denard Span, "but I think you need to look at the whole picture. Ian's been here working his tail off. If you want to talk about someone who deserves it, it's Ian more so than a kid who's been up here, for what, a month or so."
It's no different than a year ago when there was an outcry over Bryce Harper not making the All-Star team — only for him to be selected as an injury replacement. And it was just three years ago when everyone wanted rookie Stephen Strasburg on the All-Star team after four June starts.
"It's just the generation we live in," says Miami Marlins outfielder Juan Pierre, a 14-year-veteran who didn't missed a game for five consecutive seasons but never made the All-Star team. "Before you were called up, you were only in Baseball America. You had to be a man to get on SportsCenter, and had to be really spectacular. Now, there's so much exposure, you're hearing about guys in Double-A, and even Fall League games are on TV.
"But if you get hot at the right moment, you're going to get blown up. That's what's happening now."
If you have a great three months, by all means, veteran players and managers say, you deserve All-Star consideration. If you have a great month, get back to us next year.
"If he's not an All-Star this year, he's going to be an All-Star for years to come," says San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who passed on selecting Puig in his role as the NL manager. "But I do think you have to play enough to earn a spot on the All-Star team."
And it's a viewpoint shared by most managers, if not all of them.
"The All-Star Game should represent guys who have had a strong full season," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny says, "Guys who have been there day in and day out. I'm a big fan of that. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Well, not unless you happen to have a great month like Ramirez.
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