Stephen Strasburg has been such a phenomenon this season that some have even argued that he deserves a spot on the National League all-star roster. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the debate, which may intensify as we get closer to the mid-summer classic.

Cons:
As of June 25th, Strasburg had started just four big league games and will only get to seven starts before the all-star break. No matter how dominant he has been, most will justifiably argue that he simply hasn’t done enough yet this season to deserve being an all-star selection. After all, baseball is a numbers game – like it or not – and consistency over the long haul is the only real way that players can be evaluated. Selecting Strasburg, no matter how spectacular he has been, would likely mean that someone will be left off the roster who has been a contributor to his team all season long.

Looking at the extreme long-term, we see an even bigger potential problem. As of now, all-star appearances are a definite part of the Hall-of-Fame ballot, which means that the league has to take the all-star selection process seriously. If Strasburg can get selected after just seven total starts, it definitely gives an unfair advantage to a player who has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame in the baseball community, helping sell loads of Washington Nationals tickets in the process.

Giving Strasburg an all-star spot also could start an unsavory pattern in which players who have been injured for much of the first-half of the season could still be eligible for the all-star game. Nobody wants injuries, but injuries are simply part of the game and an athlete has to be on the field to help his team win ballgames. Strasburg, after all, has only even been on the field four times for the Nationals so far this season. An argument can definitely be made that this simply isn’t enough of an impact on his team, regardless of how closely his career has been followed so far.

Pros:
Even if Strasburg hasn’t been able to pitch in as many big league games as his counterparts this season, one cannot ignore that his season has been something unique and special. Just looking at his numbers through four starts, it’s easy to be simply overwhelmed. So far this year, Strasburg is 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA and a ridiculous WHIP of 0.95. Most impressive is his strikeout to walk ratio; in 25.1 innings, Strasburg has struck out an eye-popping 41 batters but only walked five. His only loss came on June 23rd, when he let up one run over six innings, striking out nine and walking none in the process.

Still, his short-term success would not satisfy those who believe that it doesn’t matter how dominant he has been. But the all-star game is also an exhibition that needs to take the fans into consideration, and no one has roused fans this season even close to the way that Strasburg has. Strasburg made a home game against the Pirates relevant in his first career start and the attendance has spiked in every outing that he’s had thus far; even outside of Washington, everyone wants to see Strasburg play. If the all-star game is about putting on the best show for the fans, it’s hard to imagine baseball not including their brightest young star, even if he’s only had a few starts to prove himself.

The other side that shouldn’t be ignored is that the all-star game actually counts toward World Series home-field advantage. Whether this should be the case is another issue altogether, but National League all-star manager Charlie Manuel needs to give his team the best chance to win. After all, Manuel’s Phillies, despite their struggles so far, still could end up in the World Series, where home-field advantage will be crucial. Considering that Manuel will have the final say on the last couple of all-star roster spots, it makes sense that he would select Strasburg, even though this would drive a fair share of baseball fans completely bonkers.

Also needing to be considered is the rule that every team has to have an all-star. Not including Strasburg, Ryan Zimmerman is probably the next best option, though he’s only having an all right season with 13 homers and 37 RBIs. Zimmerman would cialis cheap possibly have to knock out a third baseman like Troy Glaus or Scott Rolen – two candidates who are more deserving.

Overall:
There is a simple divide between fans that won’t likely be bridged. Some fans will just not believe that Strasburg should start in the all-star game because it’s not fair to the rest of the players on the fringe. On one level, sending Strasburg to an all-star game after such a limited time in the league does sound rather ridiculous. The other side of the coin, though, is that the all-star game is about celebrating the most popular baseball players in the league. Certainly Strasburg fits this category and it can already be argued that he’s among the most popular players in the bigs. It will Brand Viagra be interesting to see how it all shakes out, but it’s hard to argue that the game won’t be more interesting with Strasburg on the mound.

Author Bio: StubHub has sponsored this article. Stubhub.com is one of the leaders in the business of selling Washington Nationals tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets, or even special events tickets.

Category: Recreation and Leisure/Sports/Baseball
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