Josh beckett isn't starting all star game?

Because people like you only look at record and discount everything else like ERA and the fact that Haren has pitched way better than Beckett.

Yeah, it's because Dan Haren is having an awesome season. Haren is doing it with a much weaker lineup.

Not to take anything away from Beckett, as he is having an awesome year.

Beckett has more wins, and that is a tribute to the team he pitches for. But Haren has more than a full run less for an ERA (2.29) which is sick in the American League. a better strikeout to walk ratio, a better WHIP, and the most impressive...he has 17 quality starts in his 19 starts. That means he has gone at least 6 innings, giving up 3 runs or less, in 17 of 19 starts.

Beckett has 10 of his 17 starts as quality.

If you look at the two teams, the two players, and the #'s, there was no doubt who should be starting...Leyland got it right.

Beckett does not suck by the way...Haren is just pitching out of his mind right now.

Dan Haren's ERA is more than a run per game lower than that put up by Beckett. And wins are not a good measure of a pitcher's effectiveness, because they depend so much on the run support a pitcher gets from his offense.

I like Beckett, but a 3.44 ERA shouldn't get you the start in the All-Star game.

I would have liked to see Josh Beckett get the start as well, but the game is being played in SF. And if you think about it, Oakland, being right across the Bay, is very close. Le-dubbs said location, and for the A's Haren (who has great numbers too) it is almost like pitching in front of his home crowd. So it is better that he gets the start; being able to pitch at the All-Star game in front of basically your home crowd is something pretty special. Peavy is from Cali, so other than being the top NL pitcher, it's like pitching on home soil for him also.

I like the choices of the managers for starting pitchers.

Question to anyone else.... I am suprised Manny is even going to be at the game, but do you think he'll even play in the game?

I agree with you, Haren is cool, but Josh Beckett is friggin awsome, he is a Cy Young Canidate and he hasa goo year, but Jim Leyland made his desicion and nothing can be done, but watch the game and hope the AL wins.

Needless to say, Beckett's ERA does not match up to Haren's.That why Dan got the nod, and not Josh.

leylan said it

location

location

location

its in So.Cal. Haren plays in Oakland (very close to SF) so he got the start. Leyland said had it been in the Midwest he wouldve picked Sabathia, and in the Northeast he wouldve picked Beckett

he made the decision based on really where the game was being played, plus Haren has a better ERA

he is 12-2, yes, and that is good

but bottom line, he hasnt been as good as dan haren

haren has better era and more k's

beckett plays for a beter team where he can get more wins too

beckett would be 3rd behind haren and sabathia of the indians i feel

dan haren's era is more than a whole point lower than beckett's. harren's whip is also better than becketts. also haren's opponent's batting average is 0.205 while beckett's is a little higher than 0.240. although beckett has more wins that's because boston's a better overall team than oakland.

haren deserves to start and Jim Leyland said the fact haren pitches in the bay area he thinks that is an added bonus of starting him over the other AL starting pitchers