all-star

Dusty Baker, Joe Morgan, and everyone else who forgot what the point of the MLB All-Star Game once was can now relax, because Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg has not made the National League’s roster for the Midsummer Classic. Instead, the NL players voted in Nats closer Matt Capps, who has racked up 22 saves thus far with a 2-3 record. Better luck next year, Wil Nieves.

Strasburg, who has previously openly railed against the media’s obsession with him, is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA in six starts since his rapid fire promotion to the Big Leagues in June. He told MLB.com’s Bill Ladson that he respects the guys who have been in the game at least as long as Opening Day this year, and while he’s content with the arguable All-Star “snub” this season, he’s looking forward to earning the honor in the future. Like when he’s making $80 million per season as a Yankee.

Earn your keep, rookie beeyotch:

“I have six starts [in the Major Leagues],” Strasburg said. “It didn’t matter what I was going to do. I didn’t feel I was qualified to make the team, No. 1, based on the experience that I have. I’m sure I’ll have an opportunity down the road. It was never a goal of mine.

“You look at the guys that are going to the All-Star Game and look at the years they have had, they have done that from Opening Day. I haven’t been here since Opening Day. They deserve it. Hopefully, someday, I’ll deserve it, too.”

Speaking of snubs, the man of the hour is Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who leads the NL in homeruns (21) ahead of top fan vote recipient Albert Pujols (20) and reserves Adrian Gonzalez (16) and Ryan Howard (15). Votto is also currently fifth in batting average in the NL, and he just jacked two bombs in one game for his first place team yesterday. He’s a Virgo, enjoys both cats and dogs and sometimes takes underprivileged children shopping for life-saving medications.

Votto is currently leading the NL Final Vote contest, barely holding off Strasburg’s Washington teammate Ryan Zimmerman. So if Zimmerman should win and you have paper bags full of dog poop laying around, I’m just saying you might kill two birds with one stone.