PING LIST
Posted on 07/02/2009 3:17:09 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson
Who are your picks, baseball fans? Voting at mlb.com ends TONIGHT at 11:59 (Eastern). MLB has just added a 33rd slot to the roster, which should include 20 position players and 13 pitchers (at least three of which should be relievers). Every team has to be represented, of course.
My personal criteria balances current performance, last year's performance, and career performance. Here are my choices (starters in bold):
NATIONAL LEAGUE
C: Y. Molina (STL), B. McCann (ATL)
1b: A. Pujols (STL), P. Fielder (MIL), A. Gonzalez (SD)
2b: C. Utley (PHI), F. Sanchez (PIT), O. Hudson (LAD)
SS: H. Ramirez (FLA), M. Tejada (HOU)
3b: D. Wright (NYM), C. Jones (ATL), R. Zimmerman (WAS)
OF: R. Ibanez (PHI), C. Beltran (NYM), R. Braun (MIL), A. Dunn (WAS), J. Upton (ARI), B. Hawpe (COL), H. Pence (HOU)
P: T. Lincecum (SF), D. Haren (ARI), M. Cain (SF), J. Cueto (CIN), Y. Gallardo (MIL), J. Johnson (FLA), C. Billingsley (LAD), J. Santana (NYM), T. Lilly (CHC), J. Marquis (COL); H. Bell (SD), F. Rodriguez (NYM), J. Broxton (LAD)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
C: J. Mauer (MIN), V. Martinez (CLE)
1b: J. Morneau (MIN), K. Youkilis (BOS), M. Cabrera (DET)
2b: I. Kinsler (TEX), A. Hill (TOR), D. Pedroia (BOS)
SS: J. Bartlett (TB), D. Jeter (NYY)
3b: E. Longoria (TB), S. Rolen (TOR)
OF: J. Bay (BOS), T. Hunter (LAA), I. Suzuki (SEA), J. Damon (NYY), C. Crawford (TB), J. Dye (CWS), N. Markakis (BAL), M. Holliday (OAK)
P: Z. Greinke (KC), E. Jackson (DET), F. Hernandez (SEA), R. Halladay (TOR), K. Millwood (TEX), J. Weaver (LAA), M. Buehrle (CWS), J. Verlander (DET), C. Sabathia (NYY), J. Beckett (BOS); J. Nathan (MIN), J. Papelbon (BOS), M. Rivera (NYY)
Send out a baseball ping, please!
At first base for the AL, it has to be Mark Teixeira from the Yankees.
I think AL is making a mistake not taking Brandon Inge for 3rd base. He’s a spectacular 3rd baseman and he leads the Tigers with home runs so far.
On the other hand, sometimes its good to be unnoticed.
I know he has been out awhile but where is Josh Hamilton?
Dont worry. In the end all the AL starters will be Red Sox and Yankees.
I nominate the 1967 Cardinals starting lineup.
Right off the ballot that I just submitted.
NL
First Base: Pujols, A., STL
Second Base: Hudson, O., LAD
Third Base: Zimmerman, R., WAS
Shortstop: Ramirez, H., FLA
Catcher: Molina, B., SF
Outfielder: Ethier, A., LAD
Outfielder: Hawpe, B., COL
Outfielder: Ibañez, R., PHI
Write-in:
I’ll give Inge some votes. ;-)
American League
First Base: Youkilis, K., BOS
Second Base: Pedroia, D., BOS
Third Base: Inge, B., DET
Shortstop: Bartlett, J., TB
Catcher: Mauer, J., MIN
Outfielder: Bay, J., BOS
Outfielder: Ellsbury, J., BOS
Outfielder:
Write-in: Adam Lind, TOR
Unfortunately, it’s not up to the AL; it’s up to the fans. I wissh it would go back to voting by the players. Means more to those elected and removes the popuarity contest it has become.
Mario and Rod (Tigers announcers) were talking about that the other day. The big market teams get the exposure and the attention.
In a way I wish it were strictly up to the managers to pick the teams.
Then which of these guys would you leave off: Morneau, Youkilis, Cabrera? Each guy's stats are as good as or a little better than Teixeira's this year, and they've all been solid players in the past. Teixeira would be a good choice on the squad, but I'd still put Morneau as the starter. I can't see having four first basemen, though.
Longoria definitely needs to be the starter. He's a cut above everyone else at that position this year, and he was excellent last year, too. BInge would not be a bad choice for the backup. Rolen's average is about 60 points higher, but he's not hitting for power. Rolen is great defensively.
Cey, Garvey, Russell and Lopes....
Hamilton has appeared in less than half of the games, and is hitting only .240 with 6 HRs and 24 RBI. He's still on the DL, but will be coming off it soon.
I think I would have also gone with Placido Polanco at SS. Jeter is good but Polanco set an all time record for most consecutive plays without an error last year. (over 800) Also he’s a fair bat.
1B - Texiera, Morneau
2B - Cano, Hill
SS - Jeter
3B - Longoria, A.Rod
C - Martinez
OF - Crawford, Suzuki, Hunter
P - Greinke, Halliday, Hernandez
- I’m a Yankees fan. So sue me for Tex and Cano!
NL
1B - Pujols, Fielder
2B - Utley
SS - Ramirez
3B - Wright
C - Benjie Molina
OF - Ibanez, Beltran, Upton
P - Lincecum, Harren, Vasquez
Doesn't he play 2b?
OK, just voted for Polanco — sent to MLB. I’ll send a few more.
American League
First Base: Youkilis, K., BOS
Second Base: Polanco, P., DET
Third Base: Inge, B., DET
Shortstop: Bartlett, J., TB
Catcher: Mauer, J., MIN
Outfielder: Bay, J., BOS
Outfielder: Ellsbury, J., BOS
Outfielder:
Write-in: Adam Lind, TOR
Both you guys put Bengie Molina as your NL catcher. I’m going with Yadier Molina. Bengie is not a bad choice for the squad, but for this year, at least, I’d put his brother Yadi ahead of him. Living here in St. Louis, I get to see Yadi on a regular basis, and he is excellent defensively, with a clutch bat too. Plus, the All-Star Game is here is St. Louis this year, and the fans here all love Yadi.
Duh, yeah he does now. He spent so much of his career at SS that I can’t think of him as anything but short stop.
For some strange reason, I actually agree with all of your picks.
I can see that. No Red Sox on your squad.
That's because you are an intelligent baseball fan! ;^)
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
59 200 23 62 14 1 8 33 102 26 28 3 1 .396 .510 .310 Brian McCann
72 270 26 70 14 1 10 46 116 3 33 0 0 .267 .430 .259 Bengie Molina
69 244 25 68 8 1 5 24 93 24 19 4 1 .347 .381 .279 Yadier Molina
I don’t have an hour to mess with the formatting, and I’m not too good at it, but Brian McCann is far better than both Molina’s offensively.
All three teams have ERAs less than 4.
I nominate the 1968 Tigers starting lineup.
Or their 1984 lineup.
2006 Tigers weren’t too bad either. This year they’ve held the ALC lead since mid May.
Jim Hendry would resign if he a shred of honor....
Derosa now a Cardinal and for next to nothing....
Yes. I voted for him (25 times).
We sure loved him here in Anaheim.
Your assessment is absolutely correct and mirror my thoughts. Lilly is a “maybe” and will probably be the only Cub on the All-Stars.
I find it hard to believe that Soriano has so many votes with the kind of season he’s having. Nevertheless...
GO CUBS GO!!!
Yah, Hendry screwed the pooch by letting DeRosa go. He gave up a solid on-field performer (and clubhouse leader/catalyst) for a “cancer” (Bradley) in the clubhouse and a solid .230 hitter.
Way to go, Jim.
A playoff spot is there for the taking if even half of the guys get back to normal!
You’re absolutely right. But, I think the problem is that the goal should have been to try to make moves to get to the next level. Going into the season Hendry had to know he already had a playoff level team. However, he also had to know that he did not have a World Series team. The evidence is that they have had the their asses whipped two years in a row in the playoffs before even reaching the Series.
Given this information, Hendry’s solution to get them over the top and move them up the ladder? Subtract Kerry Wood and Derosa and add Gregg and Bradley.
Wow. I see another playoff sweep in our future (if they make the playoffs).
Ok, enough venting and ranting (one thing that we Cubs are good at is complaining....:) about Hendry.....
But three of the regulars they did keep and were counting on—Soriano, Soto, and Fontenot—have been way, way off their performance of a year ago, each over 100 points lower in OPS! And Bradley was excellent last year for Texas—you wouldn’t think he would fall off as much as he has so far. And then the Cubs’ best offensive player, Aramis Ramirez, has missed two months of the season. So it wasn’t just getting rid of DeRosa—a move I didn’t agree with either. Gregg hasn’t been that bad, overall. Wood is doing even worse for the Indians.
Definitely agree on all that. My point is that if you don’t change the make-up of the team in some meaningful way, you shouldn’t expect any improvement — and by improvement I mean to move from a playoff team (in the Central, no less) to a World Series team.
I think if their pitching can hold up in the playoffs they might be able to advance, but we shouldn’t expect them to beat advance a lot further than they have the last two years.
I’d love to come back here and eat crow in October — believe me!!
At this moment in the National League, there is one really good team (Dodgers), three bad teams (Pirates, Padres, D’backs), and one really bad team (Nats). But there are ELEVEN teams that are really mediocre, all around .500, all bunched up within FOUR GAMES of one another!
I sort of buy Steve Stone’s notion that if you can get to the playoffs, anything can happen....but....
If you would like to be on the ping list let me know.
This will be a medium volume ping list during the baseball season and a low volume ping list when all life stops in late October.
I like your list. More than that though I would really like to see an NL win because I’m sick of the cheating* AL winning every year.
(DH = Cheating)
Personally I think the cubs should all be taken out and beaten with sticks.
At least Aramis comes back this week for my birthday
Soto is starting to come around and I think Soriano will be fine.
Bradley is even hitting a little better as of late.
And Aram is back Monday or Tuesday. I think Aram is the most underrated player in baseball.
A site I’m a regular on did a takeoff on Chuck Norris facts to Ted Lilly facts.
If you’re over there you probably know who I am because I am the only non Obama sycophant there.
As long as Manny Ramirez is not on the team and Soriano is I’m happy.
Would rather have someone struggling and not having usual numbers than someone not having numbers because he’s not playing because he kept jabbing himself in the butt.
I agree on Bradley vs. DeRosa at this point at least. Wouldn’t be surprised if Bradley’s numbers are closer to DeRosas by seasons end. And DeRosa was a media butt sucker but as much of a clubhouse problem as Bradley is exaggerated to be by the scumbag media.
But I am Kerry Wood’s biggest fan and Gregg is actually doing better than him this year.
Pitching is key in the playoffs.
I expect once we get Ramirez back the lineup is going to relax. I think they are all tense and think they have to do everything themselves. Ramirez is the straw that stirs the drink on this team. I’ve been saying this for years and now people believe me.
I would have kept Chicago’s best wide receiver in Iowa though still working on becoming a starter.
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