GaryMrMets
07-01-2004, 03:19 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/9051511.htm
Posted on Thu, Jul. 01, 2004
Phillies Notes | Thome not getting the votes
By Todd Zolecki
Inquirer Staff Writer
Phillies first baseman Jim Thome would appear to be a lock to make the National League all-star team.
But he's not. And while it's no guarantee that Thome would have been named the starting NL first baseman, it appears the Phillies cost him votes at Citizens Bank Park, where they have the second-highest average attendance in the league and fourth-highest average attendance in baseball.
"We don't think we did a good enough job with that this year," said Larry Shenk, the Phillies' vice president of public relations. "I don't know why. It's puzzling. We have to look at that next year. At the Vet, we seemed to get a better return on the ballots."
Fans have said in numerous e-mails and phone calls to The Inquirer that ushers at Citizens Bank Park didn't hand out ballots during the game like they did at Veterans Stadium. Or if they did, they didn't collect them before the end of the game.
There were 75 ballot boxes around the ballpark, but fans typically don't go out of their way to find a ballot box on their way out of the park.
Thome is a distant fourth in fan voting, which ended at 11:59 last night. Voting at Citizens Bank Park ended during the Phillies' last homestand. St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols leads with 1,533,898 votes. Houston's Jeff Bagwell is second with 1,226,637 and Cincinnati's Sean Casey is third with 711,488.
Thome has just 667,214 votes. To make the team, he would have to be selected as a reserve. Rosters will be announced Sunday.
Entering last night's game, in five offensive categories - batting average, home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage - Thome had better numbers than Pujols, Bagwell and Casey in every category except one. Casey (.352) had a better batting average than Thome (.309).
Going into last night's game against Montreal, Thome was first in the league in home runs (26) and extra-base hits (44), second in slugging percentage (.703) and fifth in RBIs (55) and on-base percentage (.420). Thome added to those numbers with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.
"I would love to go," Thome said before the game. "It would be a great honor."
But here's another head-scratcher: 68 percent of the team's single-game ticket sales are purchased on the Internet.
Fans can vote up to 25 times online.
One would think that a fan who purchased tickets online might stick around and vote for the Phillies.
That apparently didn't happen.
"The other puzzling thing is that Thome isn't just a Philadelphia-known name," Shenk said.
Thome hasn't made the all-star team since 1999 with Cleveland. In the last four seasons, he has averaged 46.3 homers and 120 RBIs.
Extra bases. Leftfielder Pat Burrell suffered a mild groin strain Tuesday night, and didn't play last night. He said he thought he might have been in the lineup, but thinks he could be back tonight....The Sporting News reported that the Kansas City Royals asked for righthander Gavin Floyd if they were to trade centerfielder Carlos Beltran to the Phillies. No surprise there. Floyd is one of the Phillies' top two prospects. It also reported that the Phillies said they couldn't make a deal for Beltran unless they moved righthander Kevin Millwood's $11 million salary.... The June 10 postponed game between the Phillies and Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago has been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30. Comcast SportsNet will televise the game.
Posted on Thu, Jul. 01, 2004
Phillies Notes | Thome not getting the votes
By Todd Zolecki
Inquirer Staff Writer
Phillies first baseman Jim Thome would appear to be a lock to make the National League all-star team.
But he's not. And while it's no guarantee that Thome would have been named the starting NL first baseman, it appears the Phillies cost him votes at Citizens Bank Park, where they have the second-highest average attendance in the league and fourth-highest average attendance in baseball.
"We don't think we did a good enough job with that this year," said Larry Shenk, the Phillies' vice president of public relations. "I don't know why. It's puzzling. We have to look at that next year. At the Vet, we seemed to get a better return on the ballots."
Fans have said in numerous e-mails and phone calls to The Inquirer that ushers at Citizens Bank Park didn't hand out ballots during the game like they did at Veterans Stadium. Or if they did, they didn't collect them before the end of the game.
There were 75 ballot boxes around the ballpark, but fans typically don't go out of their way to find a ballot box on their way out of the park.
Thome is a distant fourth in fan voting, which ended at 11:59 last night. Voting at Citizens Bank Park ended during the Phillies' last homestand. St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols leads with 1,533,898 votes. Houston's Jeff Bagwell is second with 1,226,637 and Cincinnati's Sean Casey is third with 711,488.
Thome has just 667,214 votes. To make the team, he would have to be selected as a reserve. Rosters will be announced Sunday.
Entering last night's game, in five offensive categories - batting average, home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage - Thome had better numbers than Pujols, Bagwell and Casey in every category except one. Casey (.352) had a better batting average than Thome (.309).
Going into last night's game against Montreal, Thome was first in the league in home runs (26) and extra-base hits (44), second in slugging percentage (.703) and fifth in RBIs (55) and on-base percentage (.420). Thome added to those numbers with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.
"I would love to go," Thome said before the game. "It would be a great honor."
But here's another head-scratcher: 68 percent of the team's single-game ticket sales are purchased on the Internet.
Fans can vote up to 25 times online.
One would think that a fan who purchased tickets online might stick around and vote for the Phillies.
That apparently didn't happen.
"The other puzzling thing is that Thome isn't just a Philadelphia-known name," Shenk said.
Thome hasn't made the all-star team since 1999 with Cleveland. In the last four seasons, he has averaged 46.3 homers and 120 RBIs.
Extra bases. Leftfielder Pat Burrell suffered a mild groin strain Tuesday night, and didn't play last night. He said he thought he might have been in the lineup, but thinks he could be back tonight....The Sporting News reported that the Kansas City Royals asked for righthander Gavin Floyd if they were to trade centerfielder Carlos Beltran to the Phillies. No surprise there. Floyd is one of the Phillies' top two prospects. It also reported that the Phillies said they couldn't make a deal for Beltran unless they moved righthander Kevin Millwood's $11 million salary.... The June 10 postponed game between the Phillies and Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago has been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30. Comcast SportsNet will televise the game.