Detroit Tigers Ian Kinsler Has a Day But Still Isn’t in All-Star Game

Detroit Tigers second baseman and lead-off hitter Ian Kinsler showed his teammates how to get the job done.

Whether it’s making outstanding defensive plays, baserunning like a boss, or hitting home run number 200, Kinsler won the game for the “Comeback Cats.”

But, the craziest thing about Ian Kinsler isn’t how quickly he earned his 200th home run or how he plays as if he is years younger than 33; it is the fact that he is not in the top five votes for the All-Star Game.

Over the history of baseball, only six men have stolen 200 bases, hit 200 home runs, and earned 1000 runs faster than Kinsler has. Those men include names like Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Bobby Bonds.

Add in his 1600 hits and there are only 39 other men who have a similar milestone. The other players with those numbers include Hank Aaron, Bo Jackson, Derek Jeter, and Willie Mays.

With numbers like these, the talk of Ian Kinsler reaching Hall of Fame numbers is a reality. But, the 33-year-old four-time All-Star can’t beat out Omar Infante to get into the 2016 All-Star Game.

To put this snub in perspective, Omar Infante (the one-time Tigers second baseman) was released by the Kansas City Royals and signed by the Atlanta Braves on June 30. No, he won’t be playing in Atlanta. He was signed to their Rookie team, the Danville Braves. Yeah…that guy has more All-Star votes than Ian Kinsler.

The other American League players who are still actually playing in the Major Leagues who are ahead of Kinsler include Jose Altuve, Dustin Pedroia, Robinson Cano, and Ryan Goins. Yes, the second base spot is manned several men who know how to field and hit, but to leave Kinsler off of this list seems practically criminal. Goins isn’t even an everyday player at second base. 

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The odds are that Ian Kinsler will play in the All-Star Game in San Diego, but not through fan votes. And, it isn’t because Kinsler doesn’t have fans. There are several teams who would love to see Kinsler stop playing ball, but the Detroit Tigers fans love him.

But for some odd reason, Tigers fans do not go overboard voting for their favorite players. This is evident not only in Kinsler’s lack of votes, but also in the fact that Miguel Cabrera is sitting in second place behind Eric Hosmer, Victor Martinez sitting in fourth, Nick Castellanos sitting in fifth, and Jose Iglesias is completely off of the shortstop list.

Why are fans not voting in their favorite Tigers? Could the lack of votes be due to the impression that the All-Star fan vote seems meaningless? When players like Omar Infante and Ryan Goins get on the list, it does seem to reduce the validity of the other players in their respective positions.

Next: Fulmer & Iglesias Detroit Tigers Players of the Month in June

If Kinsler does not make an appearance in at least one inning of the All-Star Game due to the ridiculousness of the fan voting, it is clear proof that the All-Star Game player selections need to be done differently.