What Are Your Baseball All-Star Selections?

June 19, 2002 | Charlie Henrickson

[Charles Henrickson]

Thirty players on each side, at least one player from each team, starters listed first:

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Catcher:
Mike "Deep Dish" Piazza
Damian "The Omen" Miller

First Base:
Todd "Stayin' at the" Helton
Richie Sexson "The City"

Second Base:
Jose "In" Vidro
Luis "They Call Him 'The Streak'" Castillo

Shortstop:
Jimmy Rollins
Jose Hernandez

Third Base:
Mike Lowell
Edgardo Alfonzo

Outfield:
Barry "U.S." Bonds
Sammy Sosa
Jim Edmonds
Vladimir Guerrero
Luis "Gummo" Gonzalez
"The Life of" Brian Giles
Larry "Sky" Walker
Andruw "I Got a Baseball" Jones

Pitcher:
Tom Glavine
Curt "Half" Schilling
Randy Johnson
Matt Morris
Greg Maddux
Roy Oswalt
Byung-Hyun "A Slider" Kim
Eric "Vern" Gagne
Jason Isringhausen
Danny "Unmarked" Graves
Robb Nen
Trevor Hoffman

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Catcher:
"Jorgeous" Jorge Posada
A. J. "That Part Was Easy" Pierzynski

First Base:
Jason Giambi "Hind in My Payments"
Paul Konerko "The Dots"
Mike "Itsy Bitsy Teeny" Sweeney

Second Base:
Alfonso "Say You're" Soriano
Ray "Chicago Bull" Durham

Shortstop:
Alex "A+ Rod" Rodriquez
Nomar "Tears" Garciaparra
Omar "He's a Hitmaker, Too" Vizquel
Derek "Four Shortstops? Yes!" Jeter

Third Base:
Eric Chavez "Ravine"
Tony Batista

Outfield:
Ichiro Suzuki "Method"
Bernie "Down the House" Williams
Torii "Loyalist" Hunter
Johnny "Notre" Damon
"Artist's" Garrett Anderson
Randy "On a Team That Can't" Winn
Rob "Gotta Have a Tiger" Fick

Pitcher:
Derek "His ERA Is" Lowe
Bartolo "Semi" Colon
Mark Buehrle
Pedro "Dry" Martinez
Barry Zito
Freddy Garcia
Roy "Roman" Halladay
Ugueth "Yewz" Urbina
Kaz Sasaki
Eddie Guadardo

[AmishDude]

Well, my ballot is: NL

• 1B - T. Helton
• 2B - J. Vidro
• SS - J. Hernandez
• 3B - M. Lowell
• C - M. Piazza
• OF - B. Bonds, S. Sosa, V. Guerrero

AL

• 1B - J. Thome
• 2B - A. Soriano
• SS - A. Rodriguez
• 3B - T. Batista
• C - J. Posada
• OF - I. Suzuki, G. Anderson, T. Hunter

I haven't thought further. But who do you take from the Tigers?

[Charles Henrickson]

That's a good ballot, no bad choices. Who do you take from the Tigers? I pick Fick (see #18).

[AmishDude]

I'll have to give the full roster some thought. When are the managers due to pick their lineups?

[BluesDuke]

I wouldn't choose Danny Graves this year - his performance to date clearly marks him as overrated. Nen (who's beginning to show too much of his wear and tear and age) isn't doing close to the level of Gagne, Kim, and Hoffman. And Glavine is the more clear-cut All-Star pitching choice on the Braves than Maddux this season among the starters. Tom Glavine may actually be the most underrated front-line pitcher of his time. I can't recall his name off the top of my head, but that new guy on the Cardinals who bounced around the minors and indies and even the Italian Olympic team until he got a callup this season is putting on an All-Star worthy show so far, a starting pitcher. I'd pick him in a New York minute.

[Dales]

Oh man. I haven't done this in at least a year. Let's see. NL first.

C Mike Piazza, NYM
1B Todd Helton, Col
2B Junior Spivey, Ari (out by injury, replaced in lineup by Jose Vidro, Mon)
SS Rollins, Phi
3B Pujols, StL
OF Bonds, SF
OF Sosa, ChC
OF Green, LA
P Glavine, Atl

Damien Miller, Ari
Ryan Klesko, SD
Jose Vidro, Mtl
To take Spivey's place on the roster, Jeff Kent, SF
Jose Hernandez, Mil
Lowell, Fla
Berkman, Hou
Giles, Pit
Dunn, Cin
Walker, Col
(Boy, NL OF is a bear)
Schilling, Ari
Johnson, Ari
Leiter, NYM
Morris, StL
Padillia, Phi
Ishii, LA
Perez, LA
Burnett, Fla
Oswalt, Hou
Kim, Ari
Gagne, LA
Nen, SF

I think I counted right. That should be 31 names, with Spivey out to make 30.

AL is tougher. Give me a few.

[Dales]

If Pujols is listed as an OF in the ballot, then Lowell is my starter at 3B, and Pujols rides the pines (no need to carry another 3B, Pujols can be the backup).

[Dales]

I can't believe there is no room on my roster for Luis Gonzo, Vlad the Impaler, and Jim Edmonds. The NL outfield is loaded for bear.

[Dales]

Now my AL ballot.

C Pierzynski, Min
1B Jason Giambi, NYY
2B Alphonso Soriano, NYY (stay healthy, you are the only 2B I carry- a SS moves in an emergency)
SS Alex Rodriguez, Tex
3B Eric Chavez, Oak
OF Manny Ramierez (replaced in lineup by Bernie Williams, NYY)
OF Torii Hunter, Min
OF Ichiro, Sea
P Derek Lowe, Bos

Fick, Det
Sweeney, KC
Thome, Cle
Garciaparra, Bos
Jeter, NYY
Hinske, Tor
Williams, NYY
Salmon, Ana
Ordonez, ChW
Anderson, Ana (replacing Ramierez on the roster)
Beuhrle, CHW
Colon, Cle
Kennedy, TB
Ortiz, Ana
Zito, Oak
Garcia, Sea
Clemens, NYY
Martinez, Box
Rivera, NYY
Guardado, Min
Julio, Bal

This team sucks in comparison to the NL. As a matter of fact, two guys I left off the NL team probably would start in the AL OF.

[Charles Henrickson]

I can't believe there is no room on my roster for Luis Gonzo, Vlad the Impaler, and Jim Edmonds. The NL outfield is loaded for bear.

You got that right! Next to AL SS, I'd say NL OF is the most loaded position in baseball--I count about 14 guys who could go. You didn't even mention the Jones boys from Atlanta or Pat Burrell.

[Charles Henrickson]

If Pujols is listed as an OF in the ballot, then Lowell is my starter at 3B, and Pujols rides the pines (no need to carry another 3B, Pujols can be the backup).

2B Alphonso Soriano, NYY (stay healthy, you are the only 2B I carry- a SS moves in an emergency).

I thought about exactly the same roster considerations as you did. Pujols is hard to leave off, considering the year he had last year and is having this year, yet the NL outfield is so deep. But Alfonzo is not nearly the offensive force that Pujols is, and Pujols has played some 3b last year and this.

The AL move may be even more justified. Durham is kinda borderline to be an All-Star, and you ought to carry all three great shortstops, and this year you can make a strong case for Vizquel, too--not only is he still Omar the Outmaker on defense, he's even hitting a little better than Jeter.

[Charles Henrickson]

I wouldn't choose Danny Graves this year - his performance to date clearly marks him as overrated. Nen (who's beginning to show too much of his wear and tear and age) isn't doing close to the level of Gagne, Kim, and Hoffman.

I know what you're saying about Graves and Nen. It wouldn't be an outrage if either of them were left off the roster. However, they still are having pretty good years, and, based on their careers, I give them the edge over Odalis "Fort Worth" Perez and Mike Williams, for example. Also, Graves is my lone Reds' rep. Elmer "Fudd" Dessens or Adam "12" Dunn would be just as qualified as Graves for this season, but again, Graves has the slight edge based on career value.

And Glavine is the more clear-cut All-Star pitching choice on the Braves than Maddux this season among the starters. Tom Glavine may actually be the most underrated front-line pitcher of his time.

I agree with you on Glavine. He's my All-Star game starter, the Cy Young leader, and a realistic Hall of Famer. Maddux I picked because when I look at a sure Hall of Famer like Maddux, if he's having a pretty good yet borderline All-Star year, I'll pick Greg Maddux over an Odalis Perez or Kaz Ishii or Vicente Padilla or Pedro Astacio or Andy Ashby or even an Al Leiter. That's why I was thisclose to picking Roger Clemens in the AL--he has probably the highest career value of any pitcher, had a great last year, and an almost-pretty-good this year. Jamie Moyer also came close for me--he's no Hall of Famer, but has been very, very good the last five-seven years, and is doing all right this year.

In picking All-Stars, I consider three factors:
1) This season
2) Last season
3) Career

I think picking All-Stars just based on the first two or three months of the current season is not enough.

I can't recall his name off the top of my head, but that new guy on the Cardinals who bounced around the minors and indies and even the Italian Olympic team until he got a callup this season is putting on an All-Star worthy show so far, a starting pitcher. I'd pick him in a New York minute.

Jason Simontacchi. He's 5-0 so far, a real Cinderella story, but seven career starts in the major leagues is not enough for me to pick a guy as an All-Star.

[BluesDuke]

I know what you're saying about Graves and Nen. It wouldn't be an outrage if either of them were left off the roster. However, they still are having pretty good years, and, based on their careers, I give them the edge over Odalis "Fort Worth" Perez and Mike Williams, for example. Also, Graves is my lone Reds' rep. Elmer "Fudd" Dessens or Adam "12" Dunn would be just as qualified as Graves for this season, but again, Graves has the slight edge based on career value.

Career value has slightly more validity for picking the Hall of Fame than the All-Star Game, which by implication is a recognition of the here and now. (How many times have you seen players picked on career value despite incumbent seasons even worse than Graves is having?) Mike Williams is a way worthier All-Star pick than Danny Graves, even if he's slightly short of Gagne, Kim and Hoffman. So would be Adam Dunn and Elmer Dessens.

I agree with you on Glavine. He's my All-Star game starter, the Cy Young leader, and a realistic Hall of Famer.

He's a realistic Hall of Famer - he's a no questions asked Hall of Famer - and will likely finish in the top Cy Young voting. I'm not so sure he's quite earned the All-Star start, not with the year Schilling is putting up, but he belongs on the team and in the game. Ishii, Maddux and the Unit also belong on the team, though I'd give the edge to Ishii based on the season's cumulative performance. (Reality check: rookies make All-Star teams ahead of even high career value veterans, and Ishii has more than earned the honour this year.)

Roger Clemens isn't having a bad year, but methinks Derek Lowe has earned the top slot for the All-Star team this year and should get the game start.

[Charles Henrickson]

I can't go purely by the current season, because then you never consider the second halves of seasons, which are just as important (if not more so) than first halves. Think about it. A guys gets off to a hot start, it's the only year he's ever done anything, he gets named to the All-Star team, but then tails off in the second half, and in later years you wonder how this guy ever made an All-Star team. It happens. Just read the rosters of All-Star teams past. Conversely, sometimes a guy gets of to a so-so start, then really cranks it up in the second-half and ends up doing well in the MVP or Cy Young race, even though he didn't make the All-Star team. I've seen that happen many times. So I give the edge to consistently good performers, guys you know who are going be there at the end of the year.

I think you have to at least consider the previous season (if not career value) in making close decisions on All-Star selections.

[BluesDuke]

A guys gets off to a hot start, it's the only year he's ever done anything, he gets named to the All-Star team, but then tails off in the second half, and in later years you wonder how this guy ever made an All-Star team. It happens...Conversely, sometimes a guy gets of to a so-so start, then really cranks it up in the second-half and ends up doing well in the MVP or Cy Young race, even though he didn't make the All-Star team. I've seen that happen many times.

So it does. And I'm not entirely crazy about the thought, either. Unfortunately, you cannot pick an All-Star Game based on what a player could do, or might do, or should do, but what he did do. And unless you think baseball is ready (I'd better not talk too loudly, the assholes running the game now just might go for it) to play the All-Star Game after the World Series (I sure wouldn't consider it, considering the regular season grind and the assoholically-assembled longer postseason, but what do I know, I think baseball should never have gone to three divisions and the wild card), to paraphrase Art Rust: last season's a canceled check and the rest of this season is a promissory note.

[Charles Henrickson]

Here are some objective stats, complete through June 20. I got them from the mlb.com website. This gives you a good pool of players from which to choose your All-Stars. There are a few surprises here! I know I will have to change some of my picks.

Listed are offensive players who rank in the top five at their position in Total Bases, with an OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) Percentage of at least .770. They are listed in order of OPS.

* An asterisk marks players who rank in the top two at their position in TB, with an OPS of at least .870.

Listed are starting pitchers who rank in the top sixteen in Innings Pitched, with an ERA under 3.30. They are listed in order of ERA.

* An asterisk marks starting pitchers who rank in the top twelve in IP, with an ERA under 3.00.

Listed are relief pitchers who rank in the top eight in Relief Man Points (accounting for wins, losses, saves, tough saves, and blown saves), with an ERA under 2.70. They are listed in order of ERA.

* An asterisk marks relief pitchers who rank in the top four in RMP, with an ERA under 2.50.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Catcher (OPS, TB):
* Mike Piazza, NYM - .918, 113
Damian Miller, ARI - .869, 94
Michael Barrett, MON - .868, 85
Benito Santiago, SF - .812, 104
Paul LoDuca, LA - .806, 106

First Base (OPS, TB):
* Todd Helton, COL - 1.049, 160
Ryan Klesko, SD - .949, 123
Richie Sexson, MIL - .924, 150
Jeff Bagwell, HOU - .863, 122
Derrek Lee, FLA - .855, 136

Second Base (OPS, TB):
( * ) Junior Spivey (DL), ARI - .997, 125
* Jose Vidro, MON - .877, 137
Jeff Kent, SF - .834, 125
Luis Castillo, FLA - .793, 109

Shortstop (OPS, TB):
* Jose Hernandez, MIL - .873, 121
Edgar Renteria, STL - .779, 98
Jimmy Rollins, PHI - .775, 130

Third Base (OPS, TB):
* Mike Lowell, FLA - .937, 147
Todd Zeile, COL - .869, 116

Outfielders (OPS, TB):
* Barry Bonds, SF - 1.362, 144
* Sammy Sosa, CHC - 1.122, 174
Brian Giles, PIT - 1.060, 141
Larry Walker, COL - 1.032, 136
Adam Dunn, CIN - 1.018, 126
* Shawn Green, LA - .995, 154
Lance Berkman, HOU - .987, 152
Pat Burrell, PHI - .982, 142
Vladimir Guerrero, MON - .966, 151
Andruw Jones, ATL - .954, 150
Luis Gonzalez, ARI - .939, 136
Albert Pujols, STL - .933, 139
Cliff Floyd, FLA - .929, 125
Richard Hidalgo, HOU - .875, 124
Chipper Jones, ATL - .872, 124

Pitchers, Starting (ERA, IP, W-L):
* Tom Glavine, ATL - 1.71, 110, 11-3
* Odalis Perez, LA - 2.52, 107, 8-3
* Randy Johnson, ARI - 2.55, 116, 11-2
Pedro Astacio, NYM - 2.71, 96, 7-2
Vicente Padilla, PHI - 3.01, 104, 9-4
Matt Morris, STL - 3.06, 109, 10-4
A. J. Burnett, FLA - 3.12, 112, 8-5
Brian Lawrence, SD - 3.21, 103, 7-4
Roy Oswalt, HOU - 3.24, 102, 7-5
Russ Ortiz, SF - 3.24, 94, 6-4
Curt Schilling, ARI - 3.28, 115, 12-3

Pitchers, Relief (ERA, IP, RMP):
Jason Isringhausen, STL - 1.08, 33, 49
* Eric Gagne, LA - 1.22, 37, 75
* Byung-Hyun Kim, ARI - 1.25, 43, 62
* Trevor Hoffman, SD - 1.37, 26, 59
Robb Nen, SF - 2.10, 30, 54
Mike Williams, PIT - 2.30, 27, 51
Danny Graves, CIN - 2.63, 41, 57

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Catcher (OPS, TB):
* A. J. Pierzynski, MIN - .879, 104
Jorge Posada, NYY - .844, 115

First Base (OPS, TB):
* Jason Giambi, NYY - 1.022, 157
Jim Thome, CLE - .964, 129
Mike Sweeney, KC - .934, 134
Carlos Delgado, TOR - .920, 128
Paul Konerko, CWS - .894, 144

Second Base (OPS, TB):
* Alfonso Soriano, NYY - .924, 177

Shortstop (OPS, TB):
* Alex Rodriquez, TEX - .961, 153
* Nomar Garciaparra, BOS - .906, 145
Omar Vizquel, CLE - .880, 131
Miquel Tejada, OAK - .816, 142
Derek Jeter, NYY - .813, 130

Third Base (OPS, TB):
Robin Ventura, NYY - .915, 118
Eric Chavez, OAK - .890, 135
Tony Batista, BAL - .869, 139
Shea Hillenbrand, BOS - .847, 141
Troy Glaus, ANA - .808, 118

Outfielders (OPS, TB):
* Magglio Ordonez, CWS - .919, 139
Tim Salmon, ANA - .908, 124
Bernie Williams, NYY - .906, 130
* Torii Hunter, MIN - .903, 155
* Ichiro Suzuki, SEA - .901, 131
* Garret Anderson, ANA - .879, 157
Jacque Jones, MIN - .875, 147
Johnny Damon, BOS - .868, 132
Randy Winn, TB - .829, 128
Rob Fick, DET - .827, 121
Carlos Beltran, KC - .821, 128
Jay Gibbons, BAL - .801, 105
Melvin Mora, BAL - .770, 103

Pitchers, Starting (ERA, IP, W-L):
* Derek Lowe, BOS - 1.85, 97, 11-2
* Bartolo Colon, CLE - 2.58, 108, 9-4
* Mark Buehrle, CWS - 2.86, 110, 10-5
Pedro Martinez, BOS - 2.92, 95, 8-2
Barry Zito, OAK - 3.01, 95, 9-2
Freddy Garcia, SEA - 3.02, 110, 10-4
Roy Halladay, TOR - 3.11, 107, 8-3

Pitchers, Relief (ERA, IP, RMP):
* Kaz Sasaki, SEA - 0.35, 26, 48
( * ) Mariano Rivera (DL), NYY - 1.69, 26, 48
* Ugueth Urbina, BOS - 2.05, 26, 54
* Eddie Guardado, MIN - 2.41, 33, 56
Troy Percival, ANA - 2.49, 21, 46

[Charles Henrickson]

Updated stats and rankings ping. See post #35.

[BluesDuke]

I can tell you at least one sleeper in the pack: Eddie Guardado, the Twins' reliever. He's been one of the unsung stoppers in the American League this season. I'd put him on the AL All-Star club in a New York minute. He's actually having a better season than Mariano Rivera, if anyone would care to believe that.

[BluesDuke]

By the way, I hope like hell that Luis Castillo breaks Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak. It would serve Bug Selig and today's baseball governors right.

[socal_parrot]

I'm not a Dodger fan, but I think Ishii should get some consideration at pitcher.

[Charles Henrickson]

Ishii's W-L record is spectacular, 11-2, one the three or four best in the league. However, he ranks tied for 40th in innings pitched, with 84. And of those pitchers, he ranks tied for 23rd in ERA, with a 3.54. He really hasn't pitched that great--his teammates Odalis Perez and Andy Ashby have pitched much better--but apparently Ishii has been the guy blessed with the most run support. Also, Ishii is a rookie, and less than three months in the majors is not enough to prove oneself.