Who are your baseball All-Stars? (Vanity)

[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)

[Charles Henrickson]

Holes?

I mean the loss of Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, and Derek Lowe, the top 60% of last year's rotation. I know about Clement, Arroyo, and Wakefield, but on the other days, do they pray for rain?

I noticed Wade Miller pitched last night, but he's no great shakes. Is he the 4th starter? Who's 5th? Do they overcome games where the pitching is lousy with their great offense?

[Charles Henrickson]

I should have directed my previous post to you, too.

[JohnnyZ]

Wade Miller is an excellent pitcher, but he's only at 85% right now coming off of injury. He's been giving them 5-7 innings allowing 2-4 runs, pretty consistent, which is all you need with the best offense in the majors. He kind of functions as a 5th these days but may improve depending on his health.

Then they have the Hefty Lefty, David Wells, who blows hot and cold. He's had four games of 7, 7, 8, and 8 shutout innings and been rocked a couple of times.

[JohnnyZ]

It should go to the team with the most wins.

I think the idea is that the leagues are separate but equal, so when it comes to playoff time Pennant Winner is Pennant Winner, no matter their regular season record. Two pennant winners in coequal leagues.

I suppose they could give home field to the league who wins more interleague games that year, but the All-Star game is a fine way too if you don't want to just switch back and forth or flip a coin.

[dfwgator]

Let's say a team has a 10 game advantage over any other team in their league with only a few weeks. But they only have a game or two edge over the best team in the other league. Now normally, they wouldn't have anything to play for, since they could not improve their position. But at least, they would still have to play to win the rest of the way so that they wouldn't lose home field for the World Series. The fewer meaningless games that are played, the better for the league as a whole.

[JohnnyZ]

That's a good point, but considering all the September call-ups and the number of teams out of playoff contention, the best record thing would be a drop in the bucket.

[Charles Henrickson]

I forgot about David Wells, who beat the Cardinals pretty convincingly this year. But, as you say, he has been inconsistent. And you never know if his health will break down.

[Charles Henrickson]

Here are the latest leaders and runners-up in the voting:

NATIONAL LEAGUE
C: Piazza, LoDuca
1B: Pujols, Lee (close)
2B: Kent, Grudzielanek
SS: Izturis, Eckstein (close)
3B: Rolen, Ramirez
OF: Abreu, Edmonds, Beltran; Cabrera, Griffey, Walker

AMERICAN LEAGUE
C: Varitek, Rodriguez
1B: Texeira, Martinez
2B: Roberts, Soriano (close)
SS: Tejada, Jeter
3B: Rodriguez, Mueller
OF: Ramirez, Guerrero, Suzuki; Damon (close), Sheffield, Matsui
DH: Ortiz, Palmeiro

The only guys leading in the voting who definitely should not be on the team this year are Rolen and Beltran.

Voting ends at 11:59 PM ET this Thursday, June 30. You get to vote up to 25 times online: All-Star Online Ballot

[Dashing Dasher]

Cal Ripken, Lou Gehrig and Roger Maris.

[GraniteStateConservative]

You'd put Millar and Bellhorn on the All Star team?

[frankiep]

Why is Cliff Floyd left off of everyone's list?

C. Floyd - .282 AVG, 20 HR, 51 RBI


As far as the Mets are concerned, Floyd deserves a spot much more than Beltran does.

C. Beltran - .265 AVG, 9 HR, 38 RBI

[JohnnyZ]

I might've considered Clifford the Big Red Slugger but I had OF Jason Bay as the Pirates lone rep and OF Moises Alou as the Giants'. David Wright also came close IMO but the errors hurt him. And of course the Mets already have my man Pedro.

[frankiep]

Oh yeah, that's right, the ridiculous rule that every team MUST have at least one representative.

Actually, it was a totally understandable rule. That is until MLB's genius (read: stupid) decision that the All-Star game would actually decide who has home field in the World Series. Once they made this decision the whole one rep from each team thing should have gone out the window in favor of the actual best players being selected, regardless of what team they are on.

[JohnnyZ]

If they wanted the actual best players they'd have to do away with fan voting as well.

[frankiep]

very true

[No Blue States]

Breaking in DFW, Texas Rangers Pitcher Kenny Rodgers attacks Fox Reporter and others.

Did anyone in the DFW area just see it on the news?

Reporters have the right to be on the field..

He totally lost his cool. One reporter left on a stretcher.

Charges will be filed.

[Charles Henrickson]

Kenny Rogers attacks Fox Reporter and others.

He's been very distraught since he broke up with the First Edition. Also, the Roasters are not doing too well.

[Charles Henrickson]

Breaking in DFW . . .

. . . would be Kenny Rogers' hand.

[martin_fierro]

He's been very distraught since he broke up with the First Edition. Also, the Roasters are not doing too well.

You gotta know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk the man
Don't 'llow no runs.

[frankiep]

I can't stand Kenny Rogers ever since game 6 of the 1999 NLCS.
GRRRRRRRRRR!!! What he did in that game still has me seeing red to this day.