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Stephen Strasburg finally discussed his All-Star candidacy with the media this afternoon, two days after he was left off the National League squad. And in the wake of the month-long buzz about the rookie making the team, despite the fact he's made just six major-league starts, Strasburg himself said he didn't deserve to be there yet.
"I heard about it a little bit, but I wasn't really paying attention to it," Strasburg said. "Only having six starts over here, it didn't really matter what I was going to do. I didn't really feel like I was qualified to make the team, number one, based on how much experience I have. I'm sure I'll have opportunities somewhere down the road, but right now, it was never a goal of mine."
Strasburg went so far as to say it "would have been a real tough decision" about whether he would have played in the game if he'd been picked.
He has a 2-2 record and a 2.45 ERA in six starts, and has created enough attention for himself that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who will manage the National League team, said he thought about putting Strasburg on the team "quite a bit."
"It's flattering, but like I said, I didn't really pay much attention to it," Strasburg said. "I've got some goals in mind right here, and those goals don't involve the All-Star Game. It's important for some teams looking to have that home-field advantage in the playoffs, but right now, we're just looking to win as many games as we can."
