Who are your baseball All-Stars?

But see this story from when it happened, two years ago:

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Indians reliever Rafael Betancourt said Friday that while he accepts punishment for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy he will continue his appeal to get the word “steroids” dropped from the official record.

The right-hander was suspended July 8 for 10 days after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.

“I don’t care about the suspension or the money they took,” Betancourt said. “Just clear my name from that word.”

Betancourt, on the disabled list since June 30 with a shoulder injury, does not dispute testing positive, though he says he has not been told exactly what substance was detected during a mid-May test.

“I was tested twice in 2003, twice last year and nothing,” he said. “Now, they say I test positive.”

The test could be the result of an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine Betancourt got while pitching winter ball in his native Venezuela.

“I ask myself, ‘How did this happen?’” he said. “Back home, I bought some Voltaren — this is something that anybody can buy, even a 10-year-old kid. After I pitched, I would take one pill.”

Betancourt equated the drug to Americans taking Advil or Tylenol. He said that once he got to spring training, he took medicine only prescribed by the Indians.

He did acknowledge that conditions in Venezeula are vastly different.

“Sometimes, I’m afraid to drink the water,” he said. “But that is why I am upset. I have always respected this game.”

There are only players leading in fan balloting right now who I don't think deserve to be on the team this year: OF Carlos Beltran in the NL and C Ivan Rodriguez in the AL, and neither of those is a *bad* choice. (Posada is 2nd at AL C, and Matt Holliday is 6th at NL OF.)

Three guys are leading who I don't think should *start* but still should be on the team: Ortiz, Fielder, and Wright.

So all in all, the fans are doing a good job.

I would never go with Soriano. He’s an overpaid primadonna. Lousy fielder. . . .

I've watched and heard a number of Cubs' games recently. Soriano is a dynamic player, a real talent. Power and speed from the leadoff spot. And he's made a bunch of excellent throws from the outfield to cut down runners. Soriano definitely is an All-Star. If you don't have him start, who would you put in his place? Carlos Lee?

I think the NL SS position should cause the most debate. Reyes, Renteria, and Ramirez are all worthy, but I fear Reyes made it on his geography (NY) and stolen base total. As I am not a homer for any of them, I would probably pick Ramirez on stats alone, Renteria second, and Reyes third.

But I'm also probably a little biased against Reyes, as a Met. In a different way, Rey Ordonez was sainted by the NY media as the human highlight film. He ended up with fairly pedestrian fielding stats. I promise to come around on Reyes if he keeps up his pace through the year, but his caught stealing percentage is troublesome, and SB's are his claim to superiority.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.