No, no, not the So Cal Bombers’ Cesar Rodriguez. Cesar Izturis. Los Angeles Dodger shortstop. Well, if you don’t “hail” him, at least consider voting for him to be the starting shortstop in the July 12 MLB All Star Game at Detroit. Oh, I know it’s not fastpitch news, but close enough for a blog based in So Cal. Excuse the shameless plug for a local player here in L.A.
Apparently, I was not the only one dismayed by the fact that Garciaparra led the early voting returns – – despite the fact that he’s been out with an injury since April 20. Or that Izzy was way back in the early voting returns, trailing the likes of a .227 hitting Rafael Furcal and others in the “not worthy” category. Click their names if you can bear to see their stats. Garciappara has a .157 avg, .228 OBP — and all of 8 hits this season.
From MLB.com:
Amid international dismay at his not being listed among the top five vote-getters in initial All-Star balloting, a flurry of votes has inched Dodgers shortstop Cesar Izturis into the No. 4 slot in the most recent polling results.
With columns in the Los Angeles Times and three Venezuelan media outlets advocating his election, the league leader in multihit games, who has 260,683 votes, now ranks behind only Chicago’s Nomar Garciaparra (who’s been out since April 20 with an injury), St. Louis’ David Eckstein (who’s hitting .303 but has committed nine errors) and Atlanta’s Rafael Furcal (who’s batting .224).
Izturis, who is only 25, won his first Gold Glove last season, and has played highlight-reel defense all year, turning 35 double plays and making countless plays from deep in the hole. Through the first third of the season, he set a pace that would have him finish with 231 hits, 102 runs, 33 doubles, 12 steals and 60 RBIs as a leadoff man. Through Saturday, Izturis was batting .326.
It’s picking up for the man Vin Scully calls simply “Little Cesar”, and you can help by clicking that little picture of him here. Vote once — heck– vote 25 times as permitted by Major League Baseball. Haven’t been able to cast that many ballots since the old days in Chicago. All kidding aside, consider Izzy when casting that all star ballot.
Hey, you there in St. Louis, or San Diego, or Washington D.C. — who do you really want at shortstop in the all star game in the 9th inning, protecting that home field advantage for your team? Even you Cardinal fans — I know you love Eckstein — but don’t you want those World Series games at home in this last year of Busch stadium? Don’t like the Dodgers? I barely do myself, after DePodesta’s havoc. But throw us a bone….we stink and aren’t going to the playoffs anyway. Remind DePo that it was Dan Evans who signed our star player. Hail Cesar.