Congratulations to Wayland High School pitching star Mallory Teunissen for being voted best softball player in West Michigan. It’s an honor well deserved, but I believe it’s an honor not worthy of her, her talent and her accomplishments.

Let me explain. I hope I am not misunderstood.

In a desperate attempt to remain relevant in the hustle and bustle of modern, now a-go-go society, the fading print news media has taken to gimmickry in order to keep readers interested. MLive, for example, has engineered voting contests on who has the best prom, on who has the coolest baseball or softball field or on who has the snazziest baseball or softball cap.

In an era in which Republicans are taking great pains to reduce political voting numbers at the polls, the media is taking great pains to get the common, unwashed masses to vote on the best American Idol or Dancing with the Stars candidates or even on who should play in the Major League All-Star game.

My understanding is that the winner doesn’t get anything except bragging rights. In other words, Mallory Teunissen with this award and 99 cents can get a cup of coffee at the Convenience Stores of Speedway. Any kind of award with monetary value would illegal anyway, if she wants to continue her status as an amateur while hurling for Davenport University next year.

The explosion of having common everyday folks vote on athletic, entertainment or other public performances cheapens the award by making it a popularity contest. Just like having fans vote for baseball all-stars has ruined that once special annual summer classic.

In bygone days, the all-star starting lineups were selected by managers, players and coaches, with the lone rule being you couldn’t vote for yourself or a teammate. So 50 years ago, if you were an all-star, you were recognized as being the best at your position by the people who had to play against you. Even if it was no monetary reward, it was respect.

I’d like to see MLive poll softball teams and coaches all over West Michigan to have them select their all-opponent teams and perhaps choose the best player they’ve seen this season. That would give the honor like the one won by Mallory a lot more meaning.

The way this “democratic” process works now, Wayland fans and friends can stuff the ballot box, just like Cincinnati Reds fans did in 1956 to have all their team’s starting eight named to the all-star team.

Perhaps it’s heresy that I suggest taking away voting power from fans, but most haven’t seen other players this season and even if they did, they would still vote for their favorite hometown player. Winners in this voting system are determined by who has the most active fan base and loyal hometown people willing to take the time to vote early and often.

Know this: If you ask me who I think is the best softball player in West Michigan, I wouldn’t hesitate to answer Mallory Teunissen, our Presley Hudson of softball. But I’m not really qualified because I haven’t seen all West Michigan softball players. And I am prejudiced.

If only there was a way we fans and media could come up with awards that really do honor the athlete or performer, so that all they could say in grateful but heartfelt response is, “Aw, shucks, Thanks. This means a lot to me.”