The man at the center of this year's biggest All-Star controversy finally got to have his say on whether he should be headed to the Midsummer Classic next week. Unsurprisingly, he falls more in line with the thinking of baseball traditionalists.Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg said he did not deserve to make this year's National League All-Star team Tuesday.
"Obviously, only having six starts over here, it didn't really matter what I was going to do," Strasburg told reporters. "I really didn't feel like I was qualified to make the team, No. 1, based on how much experience I have. I'm sure I'll have some opportunities somewhere down the road. Right now, it was never a goal of mine.
"You look at the guys that are going to the All-Star Game and the years that they've had, they did that from Opening Day. I haven't been here since Opening Day. They deserve it. Hopefully someday I'll deserve it, too."
The prospect of being named to the team apparently made Strasburg so uncomfortable that he was considering declining the invitation if it was offered to him.
"It would have been a real tough decision," Strasburg said. "I never really felt like it was going to happen. I didn't really put much thought into it. Right now, I'd much rather pitch this team to the World Series before I make the All-Star team, to be quite honest."
