J's World: 2006 All-Alaska Baseball League team's a joke

I think I have decided that most All-Star teams are bogus.

None of the postseason all-league squads seem to be accurate. It doesn't matter if you're talking about an all-conference, all-state or all-league team at the prep, college or professional level. There always seems to be something wrong. There is always merit for some sort of complaint.

But even compared to some of the most mind-boggling omissions I have seen during my career, I cannot think of someone more deserving of being included on a postseason squad than Mat-Su Miners outfielder Joe Ercolano.

Despite being probably the most consistent hitter in the Alaska Baseball League this season, and putting up some staggering numbers, Ercolano was not one of 17 players named to the league all-star team.

The Lehigh product was not just an all-star candidate, but a potential league MVP.

Let me give you some numbers.

He posted a .344 batting average, 53 hits, 29 runs, 20 walks and 10 stolen bases in 41 games.

He started the season with a 13-game hitting streak. He ended the season with at least one hit in five-straight games.

And the most telling number of all - six.

Why six?

That's the number of games Ercolano didn't record a hit.

Only six.

That's out of 41 games.

That means Ecolano posted hits in 85 percent of Mat-Su's games this summer.

Ercolano was kept hitless in consecutive games only once this season. On July 19 and 20, Ercolano failed to get a hit against the Peninsula Oilers. But he still walked three times in those two games, and scored a run.

Flawed voting produces the most problems, and the method of selection for the 2006 All-ABL team was goofy indeed.

According to the press release issued by league spokesman Mike Baxter, each team was allowed to nominate up to five position players and three pitchers from their own team. Once all of the nominations were received, an official ballot was drafted. Voters were then asked to name their all-league player for each of the 14 positions on the ballot. Teams were not permitted to vote for players from their own teams.

The process was a bit complicated. What's the saying? Use the KISS method - keep it simple stupid.

The balloting consisted of the six teams in the ABL, but only five of the teams in the league included outfielders on the ballot, according to league sources. Why a team didn't vote for outfielders is beyond me. Probably to protect their own borderline talent.

Regardless, there was a clear lack of ballots.

Why else is there a three-way tie for the MVP. A three-way tie for MVP? That's nutty. Let's just nominate everybody. It'll be like Little League. Everybody gets an award.

Except, of course, Joe Ercolano - the most deserving player in the ABL.

Idiots.

Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz is demanding a recount and would like to submit the following ballot - first base: Joe Ercolano; second base: Joe Ercolano; third base: Joe Ercolano; Shortstop: Joe Ercolano; Outfield: Joe Ercolano; Joe Ercolano; Joe Ercolano; Utility: Joe Ercolano; Starting Pitcher: Joe Ercolano, Joe Ercolano, David Gruener; Relief pitcher: Joe Ercolano; Closer: Joe Ercolano … Had to throw Gruener in there. Left off despite a 1.54 earned run average and 41 strikeouts in 46 innings. What's with that?