Saltzman Says...Bochy must pick his own for the All-Star game

Bruce Bochy is a very smart baseball man.  He knows what he's doing.  He wouldn't make a decision without thinking it through.

1. Brian Wilson was selected by the players, so there was no Giant that had to be added to the All-Star roster.

2. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain both were brilliant in the 2010 post season, which goes unrecognized by All-Star game selections.

3. Tommy Hanson of Atlanta, Kyle Lohse of St. Louis and Ian Kennedy of Arizona were all statistically better than all three Giants added by Bochy.

4. There are no rules saying a manager has the pick the most qualified for this exhibition game.

5. With the winner deciding home field advantage for the World Series, why wouldn't a manager wants his own guys?

Bottom line, not only does Bruce Bochy have every right to add Lincecum, Cain and Ryan Vogelsong to the All-Star game.  Also, it is much better to make sure the best players on your own team are happy instead of the best players on other teams.

Saltzman Says...Bochy should bring his arms

With the All-Star game approaching the Giants certainly deserve more than 1 representative.  Since every team must have one representative, it is very possible that some deserving Giants will stay home so other teams can have a player at the game. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Brian Wilson have represented the Giants over the last three seasons, with Lincecum at all three. 

Lincecum is still the best pitcher on arguably the best staff in baseball.  Even with Roy Halladay having the more impressive stats, Lincecum certainly should make his 4th straight appearance. 

The arguments could certainly start here as to who else the Giants should send to Arizona in July.  Both Cain and Wilson have had good years, and with Bochy getting the chance to manage, I can't imagine not seeing the Giant's closer at his third All-Star game.

Cain's numbers aren't necessarily All-Star worthy compared to others around the league, but the Giants have three other members of their staff that certainly could make the argument they belong.  Journeyman Ryan Vogelsong has an ERA below 2 in 11 starts and has been the best pitcher statistically since his call up from Fresno.  Relievers Sergio Romo and Javier Lopez have had closer like success for the Giant's bullpen.  All  three could be options for the Giant's skipper.

Will all six be a part of the mid-summer classic: very unlikely.  However, I could see at least three of the six making the trip.

1. Lincecum
2. Wilson
3. Romo
4. Vogelsong
5. Lopez
6. Cain

Will Wilson earn a 3rd trip to the Midsummer Classic?

Saltzman Says...2011 Dunk Contest is the 2nd Worst Ever

Andre Iguodala was robbed in 2006.  It was by far the worst dunk contest ever.  Nate Robinson tried over and over and over, etc... to do a dunk where he flipped the ball through his legs, but in the end, it was a simple dunk.  Iguodala had two of the best 10 dunks ever. Period.

2011 saw Serge Ibaka get robbed almost as badly. Ibaka dunked it from the foul line further back than anyone in history and he got a 45.  Brent Barry and Dr. J. were among the judges and they didn't give 10s for a fellow free throw-dunker. That's cold.  Blake Griffin, despite all the hype, ended up doing a simple 360.  It wasn't hard at all.  The initial attempt looked incredible, but he missed it.  His 3rd attempt was simply a 360.  Nothing more.  It was a 40 at best.  He got a 49.  Everyone in L.A. wanted to see Griffin advance.  Javale McGee gets an 'A' for creativity, but an 'F' for execution.  He made a dunk on his 1st attempt, yet because he was trying to dunk on two separate hoops, he kept being allowed to try it.  The same thing happened when he tried dunking three balls.  He kept getting one or two.  It was pathetic.  Ibaka's 2nd dunk was a play on the Gerald Green birthday cupcake dunk.  He grabbed a toy Oklahoma City Thunder mascot off the rim with his teeth and dunked it.  Again, a 45.  His lips were at the rim.

Ibaka's creativity wasn't awarded at the dunk contest.

Ibaka deserved to get to the final.  He didn't, and Blake Griffin, for all the buildup, ended up winning because he jumped over the hood of a Kia.  Not a Hummer, not the top of a car.  He did a regular two handed dunk over the hood of a car.  Every single contestant in the history of the dunk contest could do that dunk.

Nate Robinson stole the title in 2006. Griffin stole it in 2011.

This was a great dunk, but Blake Griffin didn't deserve the title

Saltzman Says...Monta Ellis doesn't deserve to be an All-Star

Monta Doesn't Deserve to be an All-Star

David Stern has set up the All-Star game exactly how he wants it.  He wants the fans to select the five most popular players in each conference, and the reserves will be the best players of the best teams.  That's it.  There are no exceptions.  If you want to make the all-star team on a team with a losing record, you better be a fan favorite.  Monta Ellis simply isn't.  He is scoring 25 points a game for a team that can't win.  He is a much better NBA player today than Russell Westbrook.  However, Westbrook is the 2nd best player on one of the best Western Conference teams.  If Monta was a teammate of Kevin Durant, he would be an All-Star.  However, he is a teammate of David Lee and Stephen Curry, so he isn't.  If the Warriors want their 1st all-star since 1997, WIN!  PERIOD!  THAT'S IT!   END OF SENTENCE!!

The last time Monta Ellis was in the All-Star game was his "sophomore" year

Marcus Thompson II article in the Oakland Tribune