Ryan Cook Named to the AL All Star Squad
Oakland’s new closer Ryan Cook was named to the American League All Star Team in Kansas City earlier today prior to the game. Including today’s matchup, Cook has thrown 35 innings this year in 35 appearances, pitching to a 1.54 ERA and 2.91 FIP for 0.7 WAR, with 9.5 K/9, a staggering 5.4 BB/9 and no home runs allowed. Cook has certainly been good, but if the A’s are to have one All-Star in Kansas City it undoubtedly should have been Josh Reddick.
Reddick’s snub is incredible, he is far and away the best A’s player with a .260/.340/.517 slash line through today’s ballgame, with 18 home runs in his 330 plate appearances. His wOBA stands at a team high .369, his wRC+ at a team high 136. A plus defender and plus baserunner he has been worth 3.1 WAR this year – one of just nine MLB players with a WAR above three. I long have felt that every team’s best player regardless of position should participate in the All Star Game, reflected in the Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan All Star Team and he would be a shoe-in on my squad. Rangers manager and American League manager Ron Washington, someone for whom I have little love for as a field general, selected Cook simply because he was a pitcher, providing further fodder for why this “this time it counts” crap is absolute nonsense. Cook will “play for the American League and win” or whatever the stupid motto is this year as if these allegiances somehow actually mean something while Reddick sits at home. Good for Cook, he undoubtedly was a good player and deserved recognition, but his advanced metrics just aren’t spectacular: 5.4 BB/9 is never All Star worthy, period.
