Milwaukee Brewers rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski's appointment as a replacement on the National League roster for Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game was met with skepticism from some pundits. The decision was even met with some backlash, most notably from the Philadelphia Phillies, who believed they had at least one pitcher deserving of receiving the nod over the still-green Misiorowski, who has just five career games under his belt.
But Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will also be managing Misiorowski as the NL's manager at the All-Star Game, sees reason in MLB's decision to include the Brewers famelthrowing rookie in the Midsummer Classic.
"The All-Star Game is about the fans," Roberts told The Associated Press. "Yes, this kid hasn’t pitched a whole lot in the big leagues but I do think it sparks some more excitement, seeing the velocity."
Roberts also made sure to clarify that he had nothing to do with the decision. Unsurprisingly, Brewers manager Pat Murphy was in agreement with Roberts, believing that the vast majority of fans would like to see the phenom, who got off to one of the fastest—literally and statistically speaking—starts in MLB history.
"People want to see Miz pitch," Murphy said. "He’s the new shiny toy in the league. It’s not deserving, that has nothing to do with it. He’s been given this opportunity. It’s not his fault. This wasn’t a fly by night decision. This is something they thought through. I think it would be really tough for the kid to say no to that."
Of course, Murphy's logic that the fans want to see Misiorowski more than others is precisely the argument decried by the Phillies.
"Yeah, 100 percent,” Turner told The Athletic in a piece published Saturday. “I mean, it’s not the All-Star Game in the sense that the best players go there, or people who have had the best season. It’s whoever sells the most tickets or has been put on social media the most. That’s essentially what it’s turned into."
The number of players opting out of the All-Star Game has forced MLB to become the primary decision-maker in terms of replacements—and the decisions have not always been popular, as one can see.
The All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dave Roberts, Brewers Manager Defend Jacob Misiorowski's MLB All-Star Game Nod.