Online All-Star Voting: Popularity Contest or "Balanced"?

Derek Jeter is hitting .280, has 4 HRs and 35 RBIs. Rankings? Jeter ranks tied for 36th in Avg., tied for 96th in HRs, and tied at 50th for RBIs. He’s also ranked #2 in American League All-Star voting with 2,507,534. There are other examples. Ichiro Suzuki, who is dazzling to watch, is currently having his worst season yet, but leads voting in the AL for outfielders.Most talented rosters? You make the call. Such is how the All-Star Game’s rosters have been formed. With the outcome of the game hinging on who will have home field advantage for the World Series, the game has become a showcase for players that are, in some cases, the most popular rather than the most talented. Maybe that’s the definition of “Star” but it calls into question whether managers are given the best tools to help win the game for their respective leagues. One of the questions that many have had revolves around allowing fans to vote up to 25 times online via MLB.com. Press r...