Link – Dodgers have no All-Star starters, and Kenley Jansen blames the fans

Is it fair to blame this on Dodger fans? It might be, actually. When Kenley was first quoted, Twitter blew up with talk about how people in Los Angeles can’t even see the games, and haven’t for four years so the team doesn’t get any exposure. That might be true, but it doesn’t explain this:

The Dodgers have not had an elected starter since Yasiel Puig in 2014; they have not had an elected infielder since Jeff Kent in 2005. According to the Dodgers’ media guide, they have not had more than one elected starter since 1980 — the last time the All-Star game was held at Dodger Stadium.

Maybe Dodger fans have just not been as fanatic as other teams when it comes to getting their players into the All-Star game? Maybe they are a bit more casual about what is, essentially, just an exhibition game? Yes, the current local TV situation hurts, but that wasn’t a problem in the 90s and 2000s, and there weren’t a bunch of Dodgers starting in the AS game. Also, it was a problem in 2014 and Puig still managed to get voted in. Granted, Puig got in because he was a league-wide phenom and story. The Dodgers haven’t had that same kind of press for Cory Seager and JustinTurner.

Others have pointed out that Seager and Turner maybe just were outdone by other players at their position. I could be persuaded that Zack Cozart and Arenado are having pretty similar statistical seasons thus far. At least, the gap between them isn’t much to go on. You could make a case about which is more deserving. That only intensifies Kenley’s point though. In a close race, the vote comes done to who’s fans are more likely to get out and vote. The Dodgers, in the Los Angeles market, should have an advantage there, but it doesn’t show up often. That’s on the fans. The lack of local TV is on the team, and the inherent East Coast bias of the media is on the league. (I don;t think there’s a huge bias, but I do know lots of people on the East Coast see almost nothing about West Coast teams.  All of it adds up to no Dodgers starting.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/mlb/la-sp-mlb-all-stars-20170702-story.html