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Morning Commute: The Nationals' Other All-Star Snub

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Everything you need to know about D.C. Sports in one place.

Much has been made of Stephen Strasburg's absence from the all-star game, but honestly, I'm not here to complain about that. The whole thing was merely an argument between the "do it for the fans" side and the "he hasn't paid his dues" side, with the latter winning out in a debate where both talked right past each other. So while I'm not ready to say Strasburg's snub was a good thing for him, I am ready to move on.

Instead, I want to talk about the other National that was snubbed: Josh Willingham. Yeah, yeah, I know, the "snubbed" thing is one of the lamest arguments in sports. You could fill an entire ballroom with MLB players who were "snubbed" in one way or another. But riddle me this for a second.

How is it that the guy who leads all NL outfielders in on-base percentagewalks and runs created not in the All-Star game? How is it that the guy who is 15th in all of baseball in VORP not in the All-Star Game? How is the guy who is second among NL outfielders in WAR not in the All-Star Game?

Those are pretty good questions, aren't they? 

Here are today's links around the SB Nation network:

  • Here's a fun hypothetical discussion: is there anyone you would trade John Wall for right now? Bullets Forever provides a list of possible players here
  • If you aren't tired of the Stephen Strasburg argument, here's another good discussion piece by Federal Baseball on the issue.
  • Testudo Times and Casual Hoya both discuss how they became fans of their teams.
On tap at SB Nation D.C.: We have three features ready for you today. First and foremost, Scott Jackson discusses whether we have unreasonable expectations for athletes in this town. Also, Kyle Weidie talks about Rob Dibble and asks for your feedback. Later, Brian Murphy will discuss Capitals GM George McPhee and his offseason strategy.