Posted on 06/27/2005 1:20:17 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson
OK, baseball fans, who are your picks for this year's All-Star Game in Detroit? 32 players on a side, and each team must be represented.
I look at three criteria: 1) What a guy is doing this year; 2) What a guy did last year; and 3) What a guy has done throughout his career. (Factors 2 and 3 are the reason I put Pujols ahead Lee at 1B, even though Derrek Lee is the best player in baseball so far this year.) Here are my picks:
NATIONAL LEAGUE: 18 position, 14 pitchers (8 S, 6 R)
C: Paul LoDuca (FLA), Mike Piazza (NYM)
1B: Albert Pujols (STL), Derrek Lee (CHC), Carlos Delgado (FLA)
2B: Jeff Kent (LAD), Chase Utley (PHI)
SS: Omar Vizquel (SF), Felipe Lopez (CIN)
3B: Aramis Ramirez (CHC), Morgan Ensberg (HOU)
OF: Bobby Abreu (PHI), Miguel Cabrera (FLA), Jim Edmonds (STL); Andruw Jones (ATL), Carlos Lee (MIL), Jason Bay (PIT), Luis Gonzalez (ARI)
P: Roger Clemens (HOU), Pedro Martinez (NYM), Dontrelle Willis (FLA), Chris Carpenter (STL), Roy Oswalt (HOU), John Smoltz (ATL), Jake Peavy (SD), Livan Hernandez (WSH); Chad Cordero (WSH), Jason Isringhausen (STL), Billy Wagner (PHI), Brad Lidge (HOU), Trevor Hoffman (SD), Jay Witasick (COL)
AMERICAN LEAGUE: 20 position (inc. 1 DH), 12 pitchers (7 S, 5 R)
C: Jason Varitek (BOS), Jorge Posada (NYY), Ivan Rodriguez (DET)
1B: Mark Texeira (TEX), Mike Sweeney (KC)
2B: Brian Roberts (BAL), Alfonso Soriano (TEX)
SS: Miguel Tejada (BAL), Derek Jeter (NYY), Carlos Guillen (DET)
3B: Alex Rodriguez (NYY), Eric Chavez (OAK)
OF: Vladimir Guerrero (LAA), Johnny Damon (BOS), Manny Ramirez (BOS); Gary Sheffield (NYY), Torii Hunter (MIN), Ichiro Suzuki (SEA), Carl Crawford (TB)
DH: David Ortiz (BOS)
P: Roy Halladay (TOR), Mark Buehrle (CHW), Kenny Rogers (TEX), Bartolo Colon (LAA), Johan Santana (MIN), Jon Garland (CHW), Matt Clement (BOS); Mariano Rivera (NYY), B.J. Ryan (BAL), Eddie Guardado (SEA), Bob Wickman (CLE), Dustin Hermanson (CHW)
So I take into account the previous season, and then also career, in order to evaluate true "stars." For example, this year you could put Piazza, Michael Barrett, and Ramon Hernandez in a hat an dpick one, their stats are that close. But I give the nod to Piazza--behind LoDuca--based on career achievement. Similarly, how do you choose among Vizguel, Lopez, Rollins, Izturis, and Eckstein? There is no real standout over the rest, based on these first three months. So I reward Vizguel, who is the equal of these other guys this year, and their superior over his career.
Another real close call: Jim Edmonds vs. Andruw Jones. Edmonds had a much better year last year, and has the better last few years and career. So I give the nod to Edmonds, even though Jones might have a slight edge just on these first three months.
Actually, no. The winning league gets the home-field advantage in the World Series.
Neither deserves to be on the team this year. Rolen you could almost understand, because he was excellent last year and the last few years, and there is otherwise a dearth at 3B in the NL. Beltran must be because of a) his sensational postseason last year, and b) the New York factor. But he is having a mediocre year, and there are many better outfielders this year.
There is a Red Sox player at every position...
Though it would be hard to vote against guys like Roberts and Tejada.
As for the All Stars, I have ignored it ever since it became a popularity contest.
AMERICAN LEAGUE: 19 position (inc. 1 DH), 13 pitchers (6 S, 6 R)
C: Jason Varitek (BOS), Joe Mauer (Twinkies)
1B: Mark Texeira (TEX), Paul Konerko (ChiSox)
2B: Brian Roberts (BAL), Jorge Cantu (Tampa), Soriano (Tex)
SS: Miguel Tejada (BAL), Carlos Guillen (DET)
3B: Alex Rodriguez (NYY), Melvin Mora (O's), Eric Chavez (OAK)
OF: Vladimir Guerrero (LAA), Johnny Damon (BOS), Manny Ramirez (BOS); Gary Sheffield (NYY), Ichiro Suzuki (SEA), Emil Brown (KC) DH: David Ortiz (Bos)
P: Roy Halladay (TOR), Mark Buehrle (CHW), Bartolo Colon (LAA), Johan Santana (MIN), Jon Garland (CHW), Matt Clement (BOS), Kenny Rogers (Tex)
Mariano Rivera (NYY), Dustin Hermanson (CHW), Mike Timlin (BoSox), Arthur Rhodes (Tribe), BJ Ryan (O's), Everyday Eddie Guardado (M's)
Hope I counted right.
True -- see Jack Armstrong starting for the NL -- but you don't want to miss out on getting one of those near-stars an All-Star berth in what might be their career year, their only chance at being selected, IMO. Doesn't need to be all celebrities.
Here are our differences on who makes the team:
NL
You have: Estrada, A. Gonzalez, Dunn, Alou, Hall, Hammond, Lyon
I have: LoDuca, Vizguel, C. Lee, L. Gonzalez, Oswalt, Smoltz, Hoffman
AL
You have: Mauer, Konerko, Cantu, Mora, Brown, Timlin, Rhodes
I have: Posada, I. Rodriguez, Sweeney, Jeter, Hunter, Crawford, Wickman
I had Mora on my team, but had to bump him to make room for Chavez, my only A.
I am glad to see tek leading catchers. He has had an outstanding year. mueller at third should be higher up in the voting. I know A-rod will win But muellar is so under rated. He is Mr. Clutch also I would like to see Trot in there somewhere.
BTW, John Kerry is voting for his favorite player, Manny Ortez.
I wonder if Kerry Has ever been to Fenway other than to throw out that limp wristed first pitch last year. He wouldnt know how to eat a fenway frank if it came with instructions.
Note that I have 5 BoSox on my squad, the most from any team--although tied with . . . the Yankees. The difference is, most of my BoSox are starters, and most of the Yanks are reserves.
Clement has really stepped up to fill the void left by Pedro and Schill (and Lowe). Who else is in the rotation these days? Arroyo, Wakefield . . . ? Foulke is good once again as the closer, but not quite up to All-Star standards. Timlin is a good hold man.
The biggest surprise to me is how to Red Sox have managed to overcome the holes in their starting rotation.
I'm a bit of a Reds fan...as if ya couldn't tell. I could add a lot more Reds...Vada Pinson...
It appears I completely misunderstood this thread....never mind.
This is an artificial prize from an artificial man for an artificial victory. What do Cubs players care who gets home field in the World Series?
Partly because I used your list as a starting point ;)
I had Mora on my team, but had to bump him to make room for Chavez, my only A.
I know what you mean. But I didn't want to punish Mora for the lack of stars on the A's. I even thought about Matt Stairs at DH instead of Chavez at 3rd, but it just wasn't gonna work. And yes I purposely excluded some of the "team of All-Stars" struggling along at .500 known as the Yankees.
The biggest surprise to me is how to Red Sox have managed to overcome the holes in their starting rotation.
Holes? Just because Arroyo isn't a name pitcher doesn't make him any less good. He's a solid #3 starter. And Wake is having a Great year -- when Mirabelli is catching him. He struggled a lot when 'tek was behind the plate, part coincidence, some tough opponents, but when he's missing his personal catcher that could have thrown him off. He was 4-2, 3.61 to start the year before Doug got hurt, and since Mirabelli's been back he's 2-0 with 1 ER in 22 innings. With 'tek, 0-4 with an ERA of about 9.00.
That is so wrong. It should go to the team with the most wins. But that would make too much sense.
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