Power Rankings: Snubs in the West

Beyond Golf — 07 July 2014 by Jim Street

There was no relief in San Diego or Seattle on Sunday when the All-Star Game rosters were announced.

Padres closer Huston Street was not selected to the National League roster and Mariners game-ender Fernando Rodney was not on the American League roster. Really?

Street (23-for-24 in save chances) and Rodney (25-for-27) are the premier closers in their respective leagues. Street has a 1.13 ERA while Rodney checks in with a 2.11 ERA. And neither one of them was selected as an All-Star.

We at Golferswest.com say, “Are you kidding me?”

Here are this week’s Power Rankings:

1. Athletics (1): Little did the AL West leaders know that they were getting a NL All-Star in RHP Jeff Samardzjia in their trade with the Cubs.

2. Angels (3): If Mike Trout declines to participate in Home Run Derby, why even have one?

3. Dodgers (2): Kudos to 2B Dee Gordon, son of Tom and first Dodgers second-base All-Star starter since Steve Sax in 1986.

4. Mariners (5): Pay special attention to this weekend’s three-game series against the A’s at Safeco Field.

5. Giants (4): June Swoon grabbed the former Division-leaders by their collective collars.

6. Astros: (6): Second baseman Jose Alteve might be the least-known player on either All-Star roster.

7. Rangers (7): Kudos to 3B Adrian Beltre for another All-Star Game selection – and staying healthy on an otherwise injury-riddled team.

8. Padres (10): Congrats Tyler Ross, but in the real world, teammate Huston Street would be representing San Diego in the All-Star Game. What was Mike Matheny thinking?

9. Rockies (8): Double-duty for Troy Tulowitzki at All-Star game: Home Run Derby captain and player.

10. Diamondbacks (9): D-Backs strike All-Star gold with Paul Goldschmidt in the NL starting lineup at first base.

(Last week’s ranking in parenthesis)

About Author

Jim Street

Jim’s 40-year sportswriting career started with the San Jose Mercury-News in 1970 and ended on a full-time basis on October 31, 2010 following a 10-year stint with MLB.com. He grew up in Dorris, Calif., several long drives from the nearest golf course. His first tee shot was a week before being inducted into the Army in 1968. Upon his return from Vietnam, where he was a war correspondent for the 9th Infantry Division, Jim took up golf semi-seriously while working for the Mercury-News and covered numerous tournaments, including the U.S. Open in 1982, when Tom Watson made the shot of his life on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach. Jim also covered several Bing Crosby Pro-Am tournaments, the women’s U.S. Open, and other golfing events in the San Francisco area. He has a 17-handicap, made his first and only hole-in-one on March 12, 2018 at Sand Point Country Club in Seattle and witnessed the first round Ken Griffey Jr. ever played – at Arizona State during Spring Training in 1990. Pebble Beach Golf Links, the Kapalua Plantation Course, Pinehurst No. 2, Spyglass Hill, Winged Foot, Torrey Pines, Medinah, Chambers Bay, North Berwick, Gleneagles and Castle Stuart in Scotland, and numerous gems in Hawaii are among the courses he has had the pleasure of playing. Hitting the ball down the middle of the fairway is not a strong part of Jim’s game, but he is known (in his own mind) as the best putter not on tour. Most of Jim’s writing career was spent covering Major League Baseball, a tenure that started with the Oakland Athletics, who won 101 games in 1971, and ended with the Seattle Mariners, who lost 101 games in 2010. Symmetry is a wonderful thing. He currently lives in Seattle and has an 8-year-old grandson, Andrew, who is the club's current junior champion at his home course (Oakmont CC) in Glendale, Calif.