All-Star updates, plus notes from around the minor leagues. (Getty)
I’m not exactly sure how Placido Polanco managed to entice 1,418,096 voters to stuff the ballot box on his behalf, but good for him. I’ve always considered Polly to be a player who easily faded into the background, so I guess I’ve underestimated his appeal. Still, his lead is down to 22,635 votes over Mets third baseman David Wright and his elbow injury will take him out of the picture somewhat. Polanco, who received his biggest voting surge during a May homestand, ranks second in the National League with a .318 batting average, while Wright’s 61 RBIs leads the league. That said, my vote goes to Scotty Rolen. Wright and Rolen will make the team one way or another, so it's moot. In other All-Star news, Shane Victorino lost a little ground in the outfield, slipping from fifth to sixth in vote totals. Online voting ends Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET. The starting position players will be revealed Sunday.
Brown rated No. 1: ESPN Insider Keith Law rated Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown as the best prospect in the minors in his latest Top 25 update. The 22-year-old outfielder recently earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he has gone 5-for-14 (.357). Meanwhile, right-hander Jarred Cosart has cracked the Top 25. Law considers Cosart’s fastball to be among the best in the minors. View the entire list here.
Minor notes: Clearwater second baseman Harold Garcia went 1-for-4 yesterday, extending his hitting streak to 31 games. It’s the longest in the minors this season and he’s five away from matching the Florida State League record. … The Phillies have signed 19-year-old catcher Angel Chavarin out of the Mexican League. … J.A. Happ will pitch the first game of Lehigh Valley’s doubleheader with Rochester tonight. This will be his fifth rehab start.
voting for polly to piss off Matt Cerrone who has a daily post bitching about the fact that Wright is behind Placido
Posted by: Ryan | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:45 PM
I might just go vote for Polly 25 times just to do that.
Posted by: NEPP | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:50 PM
Metsblog:
…in terms of wright, he’s better than polanco… end of story… i mean, the guy is being talked about as a possible National League MVP, yet he’s trailing a guy with five home runs and 27 RBI… frankly, i’m not sure polanco is even among the top five, let alone ‘the best,’ as i’d rather much rather watch, wright, Ryan Zimmerman, Martin Prado, Scott Rolen and Casey McGehee… of course, polanco is a Phillie, which i am sure is clouding my judgment…
Did Chipper retire?
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:50 PM
Mets fan here. Of Course, my bias means that Wright clearly gets my vote. However, I agree with Ryan that Cerrone's daily campaign for David is getting seriously tired.
Posted by: Greg | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:51 PM
"Yup, that's exactly what we both said. Way to not deliberately misquote it or anything.
Errors ARE NOT irrelevant, they just aren't the whole story like awh contends.
Posted by: NEPP"
NEPP, your hypocrisy is stunning.
You accuse clout of something that you've been doing all day - IN THE SAME POST.
Posted by: awh | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:51 PM
Evidently, Larry has swapped positions with Martin Prado.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:52 PM
Actually, NEPP, that should say "you do in the same post what you accuse clout of doing".
Posted by: awh | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:55 PM
Crasnick just Tweeted:
Double whammy for the Phillies: Team is expected to place both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco on the DL later Tuesday.
Posted by: Bridoc10 | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:56 PM
oh dear
Posted by: st | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:57 PM
Re: Crasnick
Why would a national guy have this info before the beat guys? Where's Zolecki, Gelb, etc., on this?
Posted by: Bridoc10 | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:59 PM
Wright is having another very good season and seems to have re-discovered his power stroke. Still, I'm inclined to vote for Rolen, who is leading hte league in slugging, primarily based on the fact that he doesn't wear a Mets uniform.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 01:59 PM
Does news like that - losing half the infield to the DL - make guys like Valdez, Castro and Dobbs happy?
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:01 PM
****Team is expected to place both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco on the DL later Tuesday.****
Game over man...Game Over.
Posted by: NEPP | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:01 PM
Wow can't wait to see an infield with both Valdez and Castro! This is great!
Posted by: Greg V. | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:04 PM
Rollins
Dobbs
Werth
Howard
Victorino
Ibanez
Valdez
Schneider
Pitcher
awesome
Posted by: BobbyD | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:05 PM
Boo Scott Rolen, Boo
Posted by: Jbird | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:07 PM
They need to try and stay around .500 until these guys can come back.
Posted by: Bay Slugga | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:09 PM
I really hope Ibanez starts hitting for reals.
Posted by: Jbird | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:09 PM
Can Dom Brown play 2B?
Posted by: Bridoc10 | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:10 PM
Dobbs and Bocock up.
Posted by: EastFallowfield | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:11 PM
Birdoc10: he has zero errors at the position, I don't see why not.
Posted by: Jbird | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:11 PM
Zolecki (via Twitter): "Chase Utley (sprained right thumb) and Placido Polanco headed to the DL. Greg Dobbs and Brian Bocock are up."
Posted by: GTown_Dave | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:11 PM
This could get ugly . . .
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:14 PM
Just had a minor heart attack... I read Utley and Polonco to the DL but thats just ridiculous.
Posted by: Cipper | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:18 PM
Bocock? Seriously? The guy is hitting .179 in AAA.
Posted by: cjp | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:18 PM
Not that I expect anyone here to care, but Wright beats Rolen in basically every offensive category except Slugging and Hrs and obviously plays in a much more homer-friendly park.
Wright is the clear 3b all-star, he's having a tremendous season with an anemic Jason Bay hitting behind him.
Posted by: Met fan | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:19 PM
season=over
Almost no doubt about that now. I suppose there is a chance that both the Braves and Mets cool off for the next 15 days and aren't able to run up a big lead on the Phils. But things have to break just right for the Phils to even be in contention by the time Uts and Polanco are back and healthy, because this is going to be a very bad offense for the next couple weeks.
Posted by: timr | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:21 PM
I have to figure bringing up Bocock is a sign that they're looking to make a move. No reason to use an option on or expose a guy to waivers (when eventually demoted), if you're going to add someone via trade or pick up someone off the scrap heap.
Posted by: cjp | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:21 PM
Met fan: Does David Wright still wear the ridiculous over sized (dark) helmet? That alone should disqualify him from all future all star games.
Posted by: Jbird | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:21 PM
Geez, C Ransom is WAAY down in the pecking order. Why do they even bother having him on the LV roster?
Posted by: Bonehead | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:22 PM
Bocock and Dobbs? This team is just terrible now. Maybe Rube should have paid attention to the bench last off-season, eh?
This is brutal. Rube NEEDS to make a trade. We cant play Valdez/Castro/Bocock/Dobbs (2 of that group) every night and hope to compete. Not with Ibanez still scuffling and Schneider out there and Jimmy at 3/4 speed.
This will show us what type of GM Amaro really is.
Posted by: NEPP | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:22 PM
Well, at least Dobbs has been playing everday down in Trip A to get his stroke back...oh, wait.
Posted by: clout | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:22 PM
Y N T
Posted by: Bonehead | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:24 PM
Id rather see Ferrous up before Dobbs comes back...
Posted by: Cipper | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:24 PM
No JBird, he shedded the big helmet at the end of last year, but I'm glad a guy getting concussed after being hit in the head with a 95mph Matt Cain fastball amuses you
Posted by: Met fan | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:25 PM
Maybe we can table the debate over just how lousy Utley is in the field for a week or two now.
Guessing we'll miss him some by them, no matter what error pace he was on til the DL deal came along.
Posted by: EastFallowfield | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:26 PM
Jbird: Wright only wore the Dark Helmet for a few days (thankfully). I think Cervelli on the Yankees still wears it though. Bums.
Posted by: Greg | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:26 PM
"This will show us what type of GM Amaro really is."
I'm fairly certain I already know: one that might eventually make a superficial move, but will mostly be content to say he's done what he can do, & concede the season to injury. Monty will, of course, back him in this.
Posted by: GTown_Dave | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:27 PM
Mets fan: settle down, settle down. The concussion wasn't amusing. The helmet was. Say it wasn't and I'll call you a liar.
Posted by: Jbird | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:29 PM
Met fans saying it's karma, while posting celebratory words, almost as if tempting karma their very own selves.
Posted by: EastFallowfield | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:29 PM
m'eh, I still think we win the division. How could we not with the three headed pitching monster of Halladay, Hamels, and . . . Moyer. Eat your heart out Mets & Braves fans.
Posted by: Jbird | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:32 PM
Posted by: EastFallowfield | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:34 PM
Just for the record, I was referring to the Bronx Bums (i.e. re: Cervelli), not the Phillies or their fans. The helmet was hilarious. Not knocking you guys. Frankly, I work in Center City and spend about 75% of my day on Metsblog, but I find the conversation on this site to be on the whole more intelligent.
Posted by: Greg | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:43 PM
For the record, I was referring to the Bronx Bums (i.e. re: Cervelli), not to the Phillies or their fans. The helmet was hilarious. Frankly, I work in Center City and spend about 75% of my day on Metsblog, but I find the conversation over here to be on the whole more intellgent.
Also, sorry if this was a double post.
Posted by: Greg | Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 02:46 PM