MLB All-Stars Named - How’d They Do?

By Brendon Rosenau
Love of Sports Correspondent

Baseball’s All-Star Game is one of my favorite events of the year.

Despite the fact it’s an exhibition game, it’s still always been taken seriously. You really think Alex Rodriguez isn’t trying to hit the cover off the ball each time he comes up, or that Mariano Rivera doesn’t want to save the game in what could be Yankee Stadium’s last big curtain call?

The names were just revealed, so here’s my immediate reaction to the selections.

NATIONAL LEAGUE STARTERS

C - Geovany Soto, Chicago - The rookie beats out both Russell Martin and Brian McCann for the top spot. Soto has better power numbers than both and plays for the first-place Cubs, which pushed him over the top in fan voting.

1B - Lance Berkman, Houston - His amazing run in May was historic. This year he gets the deserving nod over Albert Pujols, thanks to his leading the league in OPS and currently ranking third in average.

2B - Chase Utley, Philadelphia - Leads the N.L. in homers and is a legitimate MVP candidate. He’s head and shoulders above the rest of the league’s second basemen.

SS - Hanley Ramirez, Florida - I’m thrilled Han-Ram got the call over the other larger market shortstops around the league. He has almost twice as many homers as anyone else at the position and has scored 15 more runs than anyone else as well. He’s a well deserved starter.

3B - Chipper Jones, Atlanta - Has been flirting with .400 the first three months and has a 1.100 OPS that’s tops at his position and currently third in all of baseball. Just think what we could do if was healthy an entire season.

OF - Ryan Braun, Milwaukee - One of the league’s best hitters and is sure to be beginning a long run of All-Star starts. Fourth in the N.L. in home runs and tied for third in hits.

OF - Alfonso Soriano, Chicago - Has been injured for more than 30 games already this year, but 15 homers in 51 games would probably be good enough to be an All-Star even if he were healthy. However, I don’t think he should be starting this game.

OF - Kosuke Fukudome, Chicago - Benefits from both Japanese and Chicago ballot stuffing. Wouldn’t have made the team if he wasn’t voted in. Honestly, he’s the most undeserving of all the N.L. All-Stars.

NATIONAL LEAGUE RESERVES

C - Russell Martin, Los Angeles (Dodgers Only Selection)
C - Brian McCann, Atlanta
1B - Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego (Padres Only Selection)
1B - Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2B - Dan Uggla, Florida
SS - Christian Guzman, Washington (Nationals Only Selection)
SS - Miguel Tejada, Houston
3B - Aramis Ramirez, Chicago
OF - Matt Holliday, Colorado
OF - Ryan Ludwick, St. Louis
OF - Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh (Pirates Only selection)

N.L. Position Players Left Out

OF - Pat Burrell, Philadelphia - Pat the Bat should make his way on the team if Soriano can’t go. A classic case of being on the short end of the popularity contest against the Cubbies. Burrell’s currently second in the league in home runs, which makes this a crime.

OF - Carlos Lee, Houston - Another OF who got squeezed with the addition of Soriano and Fukudome. Lee’s second in RBI, fifth in HR and tied for third in hits.

3B - David Wright, New York - Leads all third basemen in RBI and has more HR and a higher average than Ramirez. Go figure.

NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHERS

SP - Aaron Cook, Colorado - 11-5, 3.38 – Cook’s having a nice year, but this is all about Clint Hurdle selecting his own guy. Not a bad choice, but it cost a deserving lefty a spot.

SP - Tim Lincecum, San Francisco - 10-1, 2.49, 122 K’s - Leads the league in strikeouts and is one of the most enjoyable pitchers to watch in all of baseball.

SP - Dan Haren, Arizona - 8-5, 2.83, 0.98 WHIP – That ridiculously low WHIP leads the league.

SP - Ben Sheets, Milwaukee - 10-2, 2.77, 3 CG, 1.11 WHIP (fourth) - When Sheets is healthy he’s one of the game’s best. A huge year for the free agent to be.

SP - Carlos Zambrano, Chicago - 9-3, 2.96 - Another solid year for the Big Z.

SP - Brandon Webb, Arizona - 12-4, 3.43, 1.16 WHIP - He leads league in wins and started the season 9-0 before tailing off just a bit.

SP - Ryan Dempster, Chicago - 9-3, 3.24 - The biggest surprise on the Cubs staff this year. Could have been left off the roster and nobody would’ve noticed, though.

RP - Brain Wilson, San Francisco - 24 saves - You have to have the league’s saves leader on the team, right?

SP - Edison Volquez, Cincinnati - 10-3, 2.24, 113 K’s - Leads league in ERA and is second in strikeouts. Will battle Lincecum for the Cy Young this year.

RP - Kerry Wood, Chicago - 22 saves - Good for Wood. He came back from all kinds of injuries and earned this All-Star honor.

RP - Brad Lidge, Houston - 19 saves, 0.77 ERA - Lidge has yet to blow a game and is the best closer in the league at this point.

RP - Billy Wagner, New York - 19 saves, 1.85 ERA - One of the few Mets getting the job done in ‘08. Along with Lidge, they’re the only closers with sub 2.00 ERA’s.

WHERE IS? …

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia - He’s 9-5 with a 3.22 ERA, but leads the league in innings and batting average against. He’s second in WHIP (1.02), third in strikeouts and is the only pitcher with two shutouts. He’s the ace of a first place team. What the hell is going on here?

Johan Santana, New York - I don’t care that he’s just 7-7. He’s fifth in both ERA and strikeouts and third in innings pitched. I would’ve taken him over either Cook or Dempster.

N.L. NEWS & NOTES

--There are seven Cubs on the team, four of which are questionable at best. Ramirez is having a great year, but Wright and Colorado’s Garrett Atkins are having seasons just as good as the Cubbie’s third bagger. Fukudome bothers me the most. He’s obviously not an All-Star. I would rather have seen Ken Griffey, Jr. get the obligatory legend start more than a rookie who’s middle of the road.

--There are three catchers on the team only because the Dodgers have no one more deserving than Martin. This is more of a knock on the underachieving Dodgers then the selection committee here.

--Hamels not being on the team is the biggest omission. This bothers me more than anything. A deep look into his numbers show he could be the best pitcher in baseball, and it’s a shame he won’t be in New York. Hopefully he finds his way there via substitution.

AMERICAN LEAGUE STARTERS

C - Joe Mauer, Minnesota - Great pick, hitting .313 and is the best offensive catcher in the A.L. Thank God it wasn’t Jason Varitek (speaking to soon, perhaps?).

1B - Kevin Youkilis, Boston - The best defensive first baseman in the majors and a dynamite hitter. He’s as good as they say he is, and he isn’t just a product of the Red Sox popularity.

2B - Dustin Pedroia, Boston - Hottest hitter in baseball behind Ian Kinsler, who could’ve easily started as well. Pedroia’s very good with the glove, which gives him the edge.

SS - Derek Jeter, New York - Have to go with the Yankee captain with the game being in New York. Michael Young’s more deserving, but Jeter’s now in Cal Ripken territory where he’ll start until he retires. Considering the circumstances, you can’t be to upset with the pick.

3B - Alex Rodriguez, New York - If he wasn’t hurt, he’d be an MVP candidate and he’s still the best at his position. His only legitimate competition to start was Mike Lowell, who has been injured as well.

OF - Josh Hamilton, Texas - Front runner for the A.L. MVP right now and currently the most prolific offensive player in baseball. Glad the fans got this one right and didn’t go with the old standbys. They rewarded the feel good story of the year, and it is easily deserved.

OF – Ichiro, Seattle - He’s the best centerfielder in the business and fills the lone Mariners slot. An inside the park home run will be much more difficult in Yankee Stadium than it was last year.

OF - Manny Ramirez, Boston - Manny is having a good year, although teammate J.D. Drew is more deserving. Fans love to watch Manny play, and he tears up Yankee Stadium. Factor in that he’s now a member of the 500 home run club and it’s a deserving nod for the 12-time All-Star.

DH – David Ortiz, Boston - He’s injured now and likely won’t play, but he might be the most popular player in the game, so this was expected. He’s the fourth member of the Red Sox to be starting at Yankee Stadium this season. Ouch!

N.L. RESERVES

C - Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay
C - Jason Varitek, Boston
1B - Justin Morneau, Minnesota
2B - Ian Kinsler, Texas
SS - Michael Young, Texas
3B - Joe Crede, Chicago
IF - Carlos Guillen, Detroit (Tigers Only Selection)
OF - Milton Bradley, Texas (Will start at DH for Oritz)
OF - J.D. Drew, Boston
OF - Carlos Quentin, Chicago
OF - Grady Sizemore, Cleveland

N.L. Position Players Left Out

3B - Mike Lowell, Boston - Most RBI at third and is second in average and OPS to A-Rod. Was left out over Crede probably because there were too many Red Sox on the roster. Should be the first player picked to replace Ortiz.

OF - Jermaine Dye, Chicago – His .919 OPS is third amongst OF and better than all the starters. His .308 average, 19 HR and 52 RBI make him tough to leave off. Most likely the victim of to many good OF’s in the A.L.

NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHERS

SP - Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay - 7-3, 2.63 - Missed time at the beginning of the year and is the ace of baseball’s best team. Over a strikeout an inning for this lefty who hasn’t even touched his potential.

RP - George Sherrill, Baltimore - He has 27 saves and averages over a K an inning. He makes the game as Baltimore’s only selection.

SP - Roy Halladay, Toronto - 10-6, 2.88 ERA – Will someone please give Toronto’s only selection a winning team to play for? Halladay has six complete games, 113 K’s and a 1.04 WHIP this season. He’ll be Canada’s only player on the squad.

RP - Mariano Rivera, New York - 23 Saves, 1.17 ERA - Having the best year of his career, going a perfect 23 for 23 in save opportunities. What a fitting way for the A.L. to close the game with Big Mo on the hill.

RP - Jonathan Papelbon, Boston - 25 saves, 2.19 ERA - Leads all relievers with 47 strikeouts. For my money, he’s the best closer in the game.

SP - Justin Duchscherer, Oakland - 9-5, 1.96 ERA - Oakland’s lone selection leads the league in ERA, WHIP (0.92) and BAA (.198). Bet you didn’t know this is actually his second All-Star Game.

SP - Joe Nathan, Minnesota - 24 saves, 1.26 ERA – Nathan’s been a staple on this team for years now and is one of the most underappreciated firemen in baseball.

RP - Joakim Soria, Kansas City - 23 saves, 1.22 ERA - Kansas City’s only selection has allowed runs in only three of his 37 appearances this season.

SP - Cliff Lee, Cleveland - 11-1, 2.26 - Is the runaway candidate for the Cy Young in the A.L. right now. Without him, Cleveland would be in last place.

RP - Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles - 34 Saves, 1.93 ERA - On pace to shatter the single-season saves mark and has allowed just one home run all year.

SP - Ervin Santana, Los Angeles - 9-3, 3.28 ERA - With Saunders, makes up the best one-two combination of any rotation in the A.L. Has 106 strikeouts, which ranks fifth in the league.

SP - Joe Saunders, Los Angeles - 12-4, 3.04 ERA - Leads A.L. in wins and was phenomenal early on. Continues to get hitters out without overpowering stuff.

WHERE IS? …

Not too many notables missing here. Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Mike Mussina and John Lackey are having good years, but all have been injured or simply not as good as the pitchers who ended up making the squad.

A.L. NEWS & NOTES

--The Red Sox will saunter into the All-Star Game ahead of New York in the standings and with seven players on the roster, not including their manager as well. It should be pointed out that reserves J.D. Drew and Jason Varitek were selected by the players and not by Terry Francona.

--Texas has the league’s best offense and is well represented with Kinsler, Young, Bradley and Hamilton. In my mind, all four should be starting (with Bradley filling in for Ortiz).

--The Tigers, everyone’s preseason World Series pick, has just one All Star.

(You have a problem with any of these selections? Then cool your anger off with a nice cold beer. You can find some suggestions on our sister site, The Love of Beer, which reviews at least one beer everyday.)