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Major League Baseball released its ballot for the 2011 All-Star game this past week. It may be a little early to label a player’s 2011 season as All-Star caliber, but nevertheless votes casted today are worth just as much as those in late June. 

Last season, we saw a noticeable shortage of star talent at the National League outfield spots. There were so few All-Star worthy outfielders in the N.L. that Atlanta Braves rookie Jason Heyward was voted into the game, despite a mediocre first half in which he hit just .251 with 11 home runs.

On the other hand, there appear to be several N.L. outfielders that are poised to have great 2011 seasons. Currently, five different N.L. outfielders possess an OPS greater than 1.000, namely Matt Holiday, Lance Berkman, Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. All five of them are hitting at least .350 with 13 or more RBI.  

Berkman is the most surprising of the bunch. The five-time All-Star is coming off an injury-ridden 2010 season, in which he hit just .248 with 58 RBI in 122 games. He turned 35 years old before the season and is looking to make his first All-Star appearance since 2008.

Meanwhile, both Kemp and Ethier had disappointing 2010 seasons for the Dodgers, but have responded in a big way in the early going. If the two of them are voted into the All-Star game by the fans, it will be the first time that the Dodgers have had two All-Star starters since 1995 when the battery of pitcher Hideo Nomo and catcher Mike Piazza each started the Midsummer Classic.

Assuming that Kemp and Ethier are each named All-Stars one way or another, Los Angeles would have two All-Star outfielders for the first time since 1991. Also of note, the last time that two Dodger outfielders were voted into the All-Star game was back in 1954 (Duke Snider and Jackie Robinson).

If not for the early success of Kemp and Ethier, the Dodgers (13-13) could already be far out of playoff contention. The two outfielders have combined for nearly one-third of the Dodger hits this season, as well as eight of the 20 team home runs. 

Besides Kemp and Ethier, none of the other Dodger hitters have been particularly impressive. The Dodger pitching has been solid overall, but there has been no standout up to this point. Therefore, unless one of the Dodgers not named Kemp or Ethier tear it up over the next couple of months, we may see just two Dodgers in the Midsummer Classic. 

Currently, Braun and Holiday appear to be the front-runners to finish No. 1 and No. 2 in N.L. All-Star voting among outfielders, but it is far too early to tell.

The 2011 MLB All-Star Game will be played on July 12th at Chase Field in Phoenix.

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In the 127-year history of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, there have been many great seasons and Hall of Fame players, including several outstanding Aprils.

Originally from Brooklyn, the Dodgers not only switched cities, but also changed team names, including wacky names like the Robins, Atlantics, Grays, Superbas, Grooms and Bridegrooms.

The Major League Baseball season begins in late March or early April, and it can be tough to have a successful season without a strong start. As a franchise, the Dodgers have won 22 pennants, the second-most of any team behind the New York Yankees, due in big part to a plethora of great Aprils.

Here are the 10 greatest Aprils in Dodgers history.

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Barry Zito, who has struggled in a San Francisco Giants’ uniform, still has three years and $57 million left on his contract. There is a good chance that Zito will be boughtout by the Giants, who already have a deep array of starting pitchers

Since the offseason before the 1999 season, when Mike Piazza and Kevin Brown signed by far the two biggest contracts ever at that time, there have been many gigantic contracts, almost none of which worked as a whole.

In the case of many of these large contracts, it is almost as if players are earning money for what they have done in the past, as opposed to what they will bring to the table in the future.

It is unclear whether this tends to happen because players try harder the year before becoming free agents, or if it is simply a result of age and statistical odds catching up to you.

Here are the 10 worst MLB contracts of all-time.

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Thirty-one-year-old Albert Pujols has already racked up 10 seasons of hitting over .310 with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI, and has never finished outside the top nine in MVP voting.

A free agent after this season, the St. Louis Cardinals are desperately trying to keep the slugger, but they are reluctant to pay anywhere near the $300 million over 10 years Pujols is reportedly asking for. 

St. Louis may be one of the best teams this season, but faces a lot of uncertainty afterward. There is no bigger star in the game of baseball today than Albert Pujols, and if he becomes a free agent after the season, a plethora of teams are going to do their best to acquire him.

Here are 20 dark horse landing spots for the three-time MVP, Albert Pujols.

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After a very successful first four and a half years to start his major league career, Los Angeles Dodgers’ closer Jonathan Broxton had a miserable second half in 2010.

Broxton was an All-Star in 2010, putting up great first half numbers with an ERA of 2.11, as well as 19 saves in 21 chances.  

However, after the All-Star break Broxton proceeded to post an ERA of 7.13 with just three saves in eight opportunities, and Broxton had more walks than strikeouts.

By mid-August, the Dodgers were falling out of contention and essentially went with a closer by committee over the last month and a half of the season, with Broxton, Hong-Chi Kuo and Kenley Jansen splitting the closer duty,

Broxton’s struggles came as quite a shock, considering he had done so well prior to the second half of 2010.

He still has a career ERA of 3.11 and a great strikeout to walk ratio of 3.2, but with Broxton expected to be the primarily closer in 2011, the Dodgers have to be ready to take action in case he struggles.

Here are 10 potential alternative plans the Dodgers can make if Broxton is ineffective in 2011.

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With Spring Training rapidly approaching, the 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers‘ roster is nearly finalized. First-year manager, Don Mattingly, hopes to improve the team from the 2010 edition that was two games under .500.

Expectations were high going into last season after the 2009 club won a National League-high 95 games in 2009. A combination of bullpen injuries, a fading Manny Ramirez, and the messy owner situation resulted in a fourth-place finish in the NL West and frustrated fans.

“The question I have this year, that I didn’t have last year ago, is really rebounding from last season—’08 and ’09 were two really good years,” said GM Ned Colletti.

“We gained a lot, players matured a lot, got more understanding of the dynamics of competing at this level and playing in October.

Heading into the 2010 season, many thought that the Dodgers biggest issue would be their starting pitching. This was simply not the case as the Dodgers received productive seasons from starting pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda, and Vicente Padilla, as well as a bounce-back second half from Chad Billingsley.

The Dodgers’ biggest problem in 2010 was their lack of offensive fire power, with the Dodgers hitting just 120 home runs, second fewest in the NL, and consistently struggled to score from months June through September.

Despite having the second highest attendance of any NL team in 2010, and the highest in 2009, the Dodgers will likely head into 2011 with just the fifth highest payroll at $95 million.

However, this total does not include the near $35 million that the Dodgers still have to pay to several ex-Dodgers, in particular Manny Ramirez, Juan Pierre, Andrew Jones, and Jason Schmidt.

We have seen teams go deep into the playoffs without top payrolls before, most recently the 2010 AL Champion Texas Rangers, who had the 26th lowest payroll out of the 30 MLB teams.

Here is a comparison of the 2010 Dodgers starting lineup with the projected 2011 edition:

2010:

Rafael Furcal, SS
Andre Ethier, RF
Matt Kemp, CF
Manny Ramirez, LF
Casey Blake, 3B
James Loney, 1B
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Russell Martin, C

2011:

Rafael Furcal, SS
Andre Ethier, RF
Matt Kemp, CF
Casey Blake, 3B
Juan Uribe, 2B
James Loney, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Xavier Paul, OF

Offense

At first glance, the 2010 Dodgers lineup looks better on paper than the 2011 version, after the departures of Manny Ramirez, Russell Martin, and Ronnie Belliard. However, Ramirez, Martin and Belliard all had disappointing seasons, so Juan Uribe, Rod Barajas, and Xavier Paul should not be any worse than those three.

Above all else, among the 2010 starting Dodger position players that will return in 2011, it seemed like every one of them had a slightly worse season than expected, leading to a collective struggle on offense for much of the season.

With guys like Ethier, Kemp, and Loney hitting their prime years, as well as Blake and Furcal attempting to recover from disappointing 2010 seasons, the Dodgers might very well get more out of their 2010 starters in 2011.

Bench

Whereas Los Angeles should get solid production out of their veteran starters, the Dodgers do not quite know what to expect from their bench.

Newly-acquired outfielder, former Yankee Marcus Thames, should provide much needed power off of the bench. Thames, 33, had an OPS of .841 in 237 plate appearances last season, and hit at least 25 home runs in two of the last four seasons.

The starting lineup is not set in stone so, for example, impressive spring training results from Dioner Navarro, Jamey Carrol, or Marcus Thames could very well result in a 2011 starting lineup without second baseman Juan Uribe, catcher Rod Barajas, or outfielder Xavier Paul.

Outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. will be one of the team’s primary pinch runners and can also play centerfield.

Starting Rotation

The 2011 Dodgers’ starting rotation consist of five proven guys, each of whom had an ERA of less than 4.00 in 2010. Not many teams can say that.

The opening day starter figures to be 22-year-old southpaw Clayton Kershaw, fresh off his first All-Star game appearance, as well as his second straight season with an ERA under 3.00 and one of the best BAA (batting average against) in the league.

Next in the rotation will be 26-year-old Chad Billingsley, who has had a very good career in five seasons with the Dodgers, aside from a slump that lasted from mid-2009 until the All-Star break of 2010.

The Dodgers’ third starter is Hiroki Kuroda, who was now pitched three full season in the MLB, keeping his ERA under 4.00 all three seasons.

Old, but reliable veteran Ted Lilly will be the No. 4 starter. Lilly, 35, has had double-digit win totals in eight consecutive seasons and was a 2009 All-Star.

Always-consistent Jon Garland will be the fifth starter, carrying an even more impressive streak of nine straight 10-win seasons.

Vicente Padilla, 33, figures to be the Dodgers’ No. 1 option in a long-relief situation, as well as someone that can start if one of the starting five fails to stay healthy. Overall, the rotation is certainly stronger than it was last season, when the Dodgers struggled to find their fifth starter all year long.

Bullpen

One of the biggest concerns for the Dodgers going into 2011 is their bullpen, which did a nice job in 2010, but currently has many unproven guys aside from Hong-Chih-Kuo, Jonathan Broxton, and Vicente Padilla.

Relief pitchers Ramon Troncoso, Ronald Belisario, and Blake Hawksworth each had sub-par 2010 seasons after great 2009 campaigns, so it is tough to know what to expect from them. Aside from those six relievers, the Dodgers will most likely use the inexperienced Kenley Jansen and Scott Elbert, as well as second-year Dodgers John Ely and Carlos Monasterios.

The biggest concern might be the lack of left-handed throwers out of the pen, considering that Kuo and Elbert are the only two on their projected 25-man roster.

Fielding

On the defensive side, the Dodgers should be solid. Their starting infield has the experience of Juan Uribe, Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal to go along with above-average defenders James Loney and Rod Barajas.

With Manny out of left field, and Xavier Paul expected to take his spot, the Dodgers should be better defensively in the outfield as well.

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The Dodgers appear to have truly found their core guys, most of whom came out of the Dodger farm system in 2006. This includes starters James Loney, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp, as well as pitchers Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton.

Every one of them has already been to the postseason with the Dodgers three times, and they are all hungry to finally make it past the second round. The one exception is Kershaw, who came up in 2008.

Presumably, the Dodgers success will hinge on whether they can produce sufficient power and timely hitting—two aspects of the game that the Dodgers never got right in 2010.

The Dodgers could really use big years out of outfielders Matt Kemp, 26, and 28 year-old Andre Ethier, each of whom declined in 2010 after career years in 2009. When at their best, we have seen both guys play as well as any outfielders in the National League.

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Among the nine positions in baseball, the catcher is oftentimes the most overlooked.

For every pitch, there is someone behind the plate ready to catch the ball. A pitch is not released to the batter until after the pitcher receives a sign from the catcher.

Inning after inning, the catcher has the rough task of crouching in a very uncomfortable position that seems to take a toll after a while, as we see catchers traditionally regress late in the season.

When catchers struggle at the plate offensively, they can get a bad rap. However, historically they tend to take more pride in the defensive side of their game.

During baseball’s long history, some teams have had more memorable catchers than others. Here we list the top catcher in each team’s history.

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With Alex Rodriguez’s recent 600th career home run causing many fans to roll their eyes or talk smack about the 13 time All-Star, I rank the top 25 most significant steroid driven seasons of all time. All of these players are believed to have used steroids during the seasons mentioned. The only catch is that no player appears on this list more than once. Every player ranked below has either admitted to using illegal steroids, has been suspended for use, has appeared on the Mitchell Report, or at the very least, has been heavily rumored to have cheated.

25. Eric Gagne, 2003, (1.20 era, 55 saves, 0 blown saves, 137 k’s in 82.1 innings) This was the second of Gagne’s three consecutive dominant closing seasons for the Dodgers, as Gagne became the first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in 11 years. Gagne broke the record for consecutive saves, eventually reaching 84 during the 2004 season. Ironically, while Gagne did not blow any saves during the regular season, Gagne blew a save during the 2003 All-Star Game, which helped the A.L. earn home field advantage in the World Series.

24. Brady Anderson, 1996, (.297, 50, 110). Before 1996, Anderson had been a solid leadoff man for many years in Baltimore, whose previous career high was 21 home runs. But in 1996, Anderson shocked the world by hitting 50 home runs while helping Baltimore reach the postseason for the first time in 13 years. Anderson was voted in to his first All-Star game in 1996 after hitting 30 homers by the All-Star break, and was also voted into the 1997 All-Star Game, likely due to the popularity he gained from hitting 50 home runs the season before. Anderson never went on to hit more than 24 home runs in a season, which raises the question: Are we supposed to believe this guy didn’t do steroids?

23. Rafael Palmeiro, 1999 (.324, 47, 148). When the Cubs traded Palmeiro to Texas after the 1988 season, the Cubs organization hinted that it was due to Palmeiro’s lack of power. Palmeiro was a frequent .300 hitter and made multiple All-Star appearances throughout his 20s, but did not put up serious power numbers until the Steroid Era. From 1995-2003, Palmeiro hit at least 38 home runs in a record 9 consecutive seasons. Also worth mentioning, Palmeiro is one of four players in history with 3000 hits and 500 home runs over a career. Palmeiro’s most significant season was probably 1999, when he set career highs in Batting Average, Home Runs, RBI, On Base percentage, and Slugging Percentage, while leading the Rangers to a franchise high 95 wins.

 22. Greg Vaughn, 1998, (.272, 50, 119) From 1996-1999, Greg Vaughn rejuvenated his career by hitting over 40 home runs three times in his 30s, including 50 in 1998. At the time it was easy to overlook Greg Vaughn’s impressive home run total in 1998 because his 50 home runs ranked just 3rd in the National League, behind McGwire and Sosa.

21. Richard Hidalgo, 2000 (.314, 44, 122) Richard Hidalgo hit 44 home runs out of nowhere for the Houston Astros in the first year of Enron Field, which immediately earned him a 30 million dollar contract at the age of 25. Hidalgo proved to be somewhat of a bust, never reaching 30 home runs ever again, while hitting under .260 throughout the rest of his career.

20. Bret Boone, 2001 (.331, 37, 141) This was Boone’s 10th major league season, but he miraculously shattered his previous single season career highs by 13 home runs, 46 RBI, 93 total bases, and 64 points in his batting average, all for the 2001 Mariners who won 116 regular season games. Boone went on to have just one other All-Star season before being released by the Mariners and Twins in 2006.

19. Javy Lopez, 2003 (.328, 43, 109, .678 SLG ) Javy Lopez is one of the better hitting catchers of all time, but unfortunately steroids were likely a factor. Javy Lopez hit 43 home runs in 2003, including 42 as a catcher, which remains the all time record for a single season.

18. Jose Canseco, 1988 (.307, 42, 124) Canseco admitted having used steroids as early as 1988. Now famous for being one of the most outspoken players regarding the steroid era, Canseco won the A.L. MVP in 1988, became the first 40-40 player, and led the A’s to 104 wins and a World Series appearance.

17. Kevin Brown, 1998, (18-7, 2.38 era), Brown won a career high 21 games back in 1992 with Texas, but did not become a consistent dominant force until the steroid era. In 1998, Brown struck out a career high 257 batters, while leading the Padres to their only World Series appearance in the last 25 years. Brown’s 3 year run of dominance from 1996-1998 earned him a 105 million dollar deal for 7 years, the biggest contract ever at the time.

16. Mo Vaughn, 1995, (.300, 39, 126) Vaughn had several great seasons from 1995-2000, including an MVP season in 1995. The Red Sox, led by Vaughn, won the AL East in 1995; their only division title from 1991-2006.

15. Albert Belle, 1995, (.317, 50, 126) Belle had his best season in 1995, hitting a career high 50 home runs, and could have hit even more had the season not started 18 games late due to the strike. 1995 was an unbelievable season for Belle, who led the A.L. in home runs, as well as doubles.

14. Juan Gonzalez, 1998 (.318, 45, 157) Juan Gonzalez was one of the best hitters in baseball from 1992 until 2001, hitting 35 home runs 7 times in those 10 years and winning 2 MVPs. His 157 RBI in 1998 were the most in the American League in 49 years.

13. Jeff Bagwell, 1994, (.368. 39, 116) Bagwell was rumored to have started taking steroids in 1993, the first .300 BA and 20 home run season of his career. 1994 was Bagwell’s best season, though strike shortened, as he won the NL MVP and posted an extremely high 1.201 OPS.

12. Andy Pettite, 2005 (17-9, 2.38 era) Pettite will be remembered most as a Yankee. However, arguably Pettite’s best season was 2005 when he had a career best 2.39 era and helped the Houston Astros win their franchises only 2 post season series, before losing to the White Sox in the World Series.

11. Ken Caminitti 1996 (.326, 40, 130) 1996 was Caminitti’s only 30 home run season, as he helped lead the Padres to a division title. Caminitti won the MVP that season and became a very popular San Diego player, until he later admitted that he took steroids during the 1996 season.

10. Jason Giambi, 2000 (.333, 43, 137) The Oakland A’s, from 1999-2006, were best known for their big 3 starting pitchers; Hudson, Mulder, and Zito. However, from 1999-2001, Jason Giambi tore up the league for the Oakland A’s. Giambi enjoyed an MVP season in 2000, while the Oakland A’s scored 947 runs with a lineup built around Giambi, who had a .476 on base percentage for the playoff bound A’s.

9. Mike Piazza, 1997, (.362, 40, 124) Piazza put up probably the best hitting season for a catcher of all time in 1997. His .362 BA tied an MLB record for catchers and his 40 home runs were one short of Todd Hundley’s record for catchers, but this was likely the product of a 62^ndround pick exceeding expectations in big part due to steroids.

8. David Ortiz, 2003 (.288, 31, 101) David Ortiz was released in 2002 by the Twins, but miraculously turned his career around the following season, in 2003 with Boston, and ended up averaging 41 home runs from 2003-2007, while helping the Red Sox win 2 World Series.

7. Manny Ramirez, 1999, (.333, 44, 165) No player in the last 60 years has had more RBI in a single season than Manny Ramirez had in 1999, driving in 165. That season, the Cleveland Indians had one of the best offenses of all time, scoring a rare 1009 runs, with Ramirez in the middle of the lineup, driving in Lofton, Vizuel, and Alomar on a nightly basis. 

6. Alex Rodriguez, 2002, (.300, 57, 142) A-Rod recently admitted to steroid use during his 3 years in Texas, from 2001-2003. Rodriguez had great statistics in all 3 of his seasons with Texas, but his 2002 season featured a career high 57 home runs, 1 more than Ken Griffey Jr. ever hit in a single season.

5. Roger Clemens, 1997, (21-7, 2.05 era) Clemens was arguably the best major league pitcher from 1986 until 1992, a span in which he won 3 Cy Young awards, winning at least 17 games all 7 years. However, Clemens failed to win more than 11 games in any of his last 4 years in Boston, before somehow turning things around in Toronto. Clemens won the Cy Young award and the pitcher’s triple crown in each of his 2 season with Toronto, and his 2.05 era in 1997 was the lowest of any of Clemens’ record 7 Cy Young seasons. Clemens later went on to win 2 more Cy Young awards, with the Yankees and Astros, at the ages of 39 and 42.

4. Luis Gonzalez, 2001, (.328, 57, 145) Luis Gonzalez was one of the better hitters in the league from 1999- 2003, but nobody expected the kind of protection Gonzalez enjoyed in 2001, as Gonzalez demolished his previous season high of 31 homers by cranking out 57. This season also included Gonzalez enjoying the game winning hit in the bottom of the 9th in game 7 of the World Series, as well as a Home Run Derby title. 2001 defined Luis Gonzalez’s career and was one of the best seasons of all time, but was likely influenced by steroids.

 3. Sammy Sosa, 1998 (.308, 66, 158) It was difficult to decide between 1998 or 2001 as Sosa’s most significant season, but while Sosa hit 64 home runs and drove in a career high 160 runs in 2001, Sosa won his only MVP award in 1998 and hit a career high 66 home runs, becoming just the 2nd player ever to crack 61 at the time. Sosa averaged 57 home runs from 1998-2001, hitting the most homers ever by a player in a 5 year period. Somehow Sosa managed to have 3 seasons in which he hit 63 or more home runs, but did not lead the NL in homers.

2. Mark McGwire, 1998, (.299 70 147) 1998 was the year of the epic home run race between McGwire and Sammy Sosa, and the year that most defines the steroid era. McGwire’s 62nd home run excited America, breaking the 37 year old, record. However, these days it seems like people forget how great of a moment it was at the time, after all of the steroid allegations. McGwire posted unbelievable statistics in 1998, with not only 70 home runs, but a .470 On Base Percentage and .752 Slugging Percentage; numbers that were exceeded by Bonds in the first half of the 2000s.

1. Barry Bonds, 2001, (.328 73, 137) Bonds was one of the best all around players before the steroid era really began and may have been clean throughout that period. Towards the end of 1999, after an elbow injury, Bonds’ career seemed to be on the decline . However, Bonds suddenly tore up the league like nothing we have ever seen in the the first half of the 2000s, highlighted by 2001, when Bonds broke the all time single season home run record, set 3 years before by McGwire. Bonds set several OPS records from 2001-2004 and Bonds remains the all time leader for both single season home runs and all time home runs. Notably, Bonds never hit more than 49 homer runs in any season other than 2001.

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