Cleveland Indians: Jason Kipnis Not Starting In All Star Game

The Cleveland Indians have one A.L. All Star this season in second baseman Jason Kipnis but he is not starting. Comparing Kipnis with Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who got voted as the starter, shows there is not much difference.

Jose Altuve will start at 2B for the AL. Here's how @Indians' All-Star Jason Kipnis stacks up pic.twitter.com/UZsDvT4Ptd
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) July 7, 2015

Not to take away from Altuve, who has had a good season and is a solid choice to start, but are records the reason he got so many votes? One has to believe if Cleveland had a better record at the break, Kipnis could possibly have been given the appropriate number of votes to start.

Kipnis is not the first player nor the last who had good enough stats to start in the game. The main thing with the all star game is that he is there and that is what matters the most.

Like all all star games, they are to reward the players because of their success. But it also puts fans in a position of power to watch their favorite players because of their voting. Then again, for certain sports like baseball, the all star game has more riding on its results than an ordinary exhibition game. The winner gets home-field advantage in the world series.

Sports is not perfect and changes to the rules will continue to happen. What can baseball do to get bench players who are just as qualified as the starting players and make an impact during the game? They have made changes I have not liked or made a ton of sense at the time, so you never know. Now these two ideas are a little out there, but just think about it.

If the fans want to see their favorite players, then that should occur regardless of position for players. In the case of Altuve and Kipnis, two of the top players receiving votes at their position, if both players had more than the starting shortstop or third baseman, then one of those two players should move elsewhere, so both would start.

Since each team is purposely trying to win, what if the fan voting power decreased? I do not like that idea, but what if the voting power decreased and managers had more of a role in deciding on the team, specifically with starters? Fans would still get to vote, but for the bench players and pitching staffs.

Again those are hypothetical thoughts, but you never know if, how, or when baseball may want to adjust their all star game.

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