Dickey Snubbed by Larussa

It was announced recently that R.A. Dickey will not be the National League's Starting Pitcher this year, and as most baseball fans realize this is a travesty of justice.

I've read the comments on different blogs up and down, and one of the major themes of these posts, all by San Francisco Giant fans no doubt (the same people who try to defend starting Sandoval over David Wright at 3b this year), saying “the call could have gone either way.”

My answer? No, not really, or at least it shouldn't have. Dickey doesn't just have a lead over Cain in ERA (Dickey 2.40 vx. 2.62 for Cain), W's (12 for Dickey, 9 for Cain), and K's (Dickey 123, Cain 118). Dickey also leads the league in WHIP (.933 to .956 for Cain), Complete Games (3), and Shutouts (2). Cain is tied with Dickey and Santana with 2 Shutouts, but it's the only meaningful stat where Cain ties or has a lead on Dickey. Of course, Dickey has also thrown back to back 1 hitters, and threw, IIRC 48 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

Matt Cain threw a perfect game... which is amazing, but then so did Humber for the White Sox and you won't find him on ANYONE'S All-Star team. Back to back 1 hitters, OTOH (and it could be argued, not should be, but could be argued it was a no-hitter followed by a 1 hitter). Dickey is the best pitcher in the game right now, and not by a little bit.

Additionally, Dickey is the feel good story pick, the “pro-fan“ pick (minus the majority of SF Giant fans I imagine). He's 37 for chrissakes, and chances are likely the guy will never have another season, or half season like this, whereas Cain is young, and will have plenty of opportunities in the future. Not only is Cain the wrong pick by the numbers, but he's the wrong pick when it comes to the hearts of true baseball fans. Dickey has become baseball's answer to Jeremy Lin.

The difference is, when a similar situation to this problem popped up in the NBA, the NBA found a way to fix it. With Jeremy Lin coming out of nowhere to put up record #'s in his first 3,4,5,6, and I believe 7 starts, the NBA made an exception for the fans and put Lin in the rising stars game. Baseball should have followed suit and started Dickey, if for no other reason than he's the first white pitcher ever to make his first A-S game at age 37. There's simply no way of defending the Cain pick except to snub the Mets... perhaps it was the way the Mets dominated the Cardinals, or perhaps LaRussa just doesn't believe Dickey's for real, but no matter how you slice it, there was only one correct selection for the starting pitcher of this year's all-star game for the National League, and that pick was R.A. Dickey.