When leaving the New England Patriots, Bill Parcells famously complained that he didn't want to "cook the dinner" if he couldn't "shop for some of the groceries." For the managers of the MLB All-Star Game, the situation is a bit like those cooking competitions on television, where the ingredients are a random grab bag selected by somebody else.
While some of the ingredients might be sublime and blend together perfectly, there's always the chance of receiving some obscure and exotic ingredients that seems little more than rancid lard.
But when it comes to filling out the roster and nailing down the all-important pitching staff, the managers get the chance to go back to the pantry and pick out their own ingredients to salvage the overall dish.
I personally find the entire aspect of having the game determine home-field advantage in the World Series, so that it will "mean something," atrocious. However, I do think Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost and San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy will be motivated to fill out the roster as intelligently as possible. This is because each team enters the midway point positioned to make a second-half run for a repeat appearance in the Fall Classic.
That's why my first prediction for a "surprise" selection is Brock Holt of the Boston Red Sox. As a Sox fan since the 1977 season, this year has been a disappointment. The performance of super utility man Holt has been a rare pleasure.
Holt would have to be regarded as a surprise selection, due to the fact that he's technically not even a starter. He's remained a near-daily fixture in the lineup for the struggling Red Sox while playing everywhere on the field except pitcher and catcher.
And he's managed to be one of the few productive bats in the lineup, even as he's dealt with the uncertainty of knowing where he will play. He's batting nearly .300 while turning in an on-base percentage of .386 and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .819.
I'd like to see the Red Sox let him settle into a regular starting position in the second half and allow him to be an everyday player that can contribute solid numbers.
As a late-inning reserve in the All-Star Game, Holt would give Yost options while retaining a dangerous batting order. And since the Red Sox's lineup has been so disappointing, he makes the decision of who to select an easier one.
My other choice for a "surprise" selection kills me as a Red Sox fan, as I think former Sox's shortstop Jose Iglesias has an outstanding chance to be selected by either his fellow players and/or Yost. He provides one of the year's nicer comeback stories.
Iglesias certainly looked like a potential star back in his days as a minor league prospect at the start of this decade. I first became aware of him when he was a defensive wizard for the Portland Sea Dogs in Double-A.
After missing all of last season with a stress fracture, Iglesias has rebounded so far in 2015 to the tune of a .320/.372/.382 line with nine stolen bases.
It's always an advantage for a manager to have an exceptional defensive player on the bench late in a close game.
Beyond that, the All-Star Game is the type of exhibition where fans thrill at seeing players make spectacular plays at the plate, on the basepaths and in the field. Iglesias is the kind of exciting player with the potential to do at least two of the three.
Coming into 2015, it would have been tough to see Iglesias as a likely All-Star selection. But he makes a lot of sense now.
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