Kuzul

We’re just a week away from the Midsummer Classic, which, despite the bastardization of the game by Bud Selig, remains a “must-see” on the sporting calendar. Unfortunately, due to roster limitations and obligations, not all of baseball’s finest get the opportunity to participate in the all-star spectacle. This has spawned the concept of the inaugural Whatifsports.com 2010 Fantasy All-Star rosters . Our selection committee was given two simple guidelines when constructing the starting lineups for both leagues:

1. Let the numbers speak for themselves.

2. Understand the preseason “value” of the selection. For example, young phenoms David Price and Felix Hernandez are having exceptional years. However, would you rather have Hernandez in the 4th round or Price in the 9th? Exactly.

Keeping these restrictions in mind, we present the Fantasy All-Stars of 2010.

First Base

AL: In many preseason rankings, this player was slotted in the high 20s at his position. Worse, he wasn’t even the highest graded 1st baseman on his own team. Yet through the first half of the season, this 4-time All-Star is hitting .299 with 20 bombs and 58 driven in.

Our AL choice: Paul Konerko .

NL:

To summarize, Player A is statistically superior in every category despite playing in three less ballgames, equating to 12-15 missed at-bat opportunities. Unlike Charlie Manuel, politics don’t dictate our All-Star selections, meaning “Player A” gets the nod at 1B.

Our NL choice: Joey Votto . (And in case you haven’t deduced the identity of the three remaining players: Albert Pujols , Adrian Gonzalez , and Ryan Howard , all of whom were initially picked over Votto.)

Second Base

AL: Although he was a trendy choice in the preseason, there’s no denying this pick deserves to start in the WIS All-Star gala. Second in the AL in hitting at .342, this second baseman has also added 16 HRs, 55 RBI and 59 Rs.

Our AL choice: Robinson Cano .

NL: Brandon Phillips has excelled for the Reds since moving to the top of the lineup, hitting .307 with 64 runs. However, BP was a top-5 preseason choice in most leagues at the position, while our candidate barely cracked the top-25. Yet our choice is ranking with a .331 average, 57 runs and 36 ribbies.

Our NL choice: Martin Prado. (While we are discussing the Braves – Omar Infante ? Really? What, was Mike Fontenot unable to play? It’s not like Atlanta needed a representative, as Prado, Tim Hudson , Brian McCann and Jason Heyward are headed to Anaheim. Fans get blasted all the time by the media for making their ballots a popularity contest, but Manuel has gone relatively unscathed for going with Infante over Votto, Miguel Olivo , Matt Cain , or the entire Padre pitching staff. Go figure.)

Shortstop

AL: Although he hasn’t been able to keep up with his April tear, his performance is still noteworthy, given that this SS was ranked in the 300s in overall player ratings to begin the season.

Our AL choice: Alex Gonzalez , whose 15 home runs are tops for shortstops in the majors.

NL: Statistically, Hanley Ramirez is the top-rated NL shortstop in 2010. However, most mock drafts had the Florida Marlin as a second or third overall pick, and in that regard, Ramirez has been somewhat of a disappointment. Instead, we are going with a .335 hitter who, despite only appearing in 52 games, has accumulated 30 RBI, 44 Rs, and 12 SBs.

Our NL choice: Rafael Furcal . (In case you needed more evidence of the irrationality of the Infante inclusion, Furcal has appeared in six less games, yet has a batting average 30 points higher, 8 more RBI, 21 more runs, and 9 more stolen bases. Let’s move on before my head explodes.)

Third Base

AL: Coming into 2010, this third baseman was ranked in the low-teens at his position. Yet at the halfway point, his production has earned him his first All-Star Game invitation, hitting .340 with 12 HRs, 54 RBI and 41 Rs.

Our AL choice: Adrian Beltre .

NL: Our selection on the Senior Circuit is second at his position in HRs (17) and RBI (57), and is rocking a .301 average. Not bad for someone who was projected as the 24th best third baseman before the season.

Our NL choice: Scott Rolen .

Outfield

AL: Our first nominee is arguably the top fantasy performer of the 1st half, which is incredible considering he was going as late as the 7th round in mock drafts. But after slugging 20 home runs to go along with a .340 average and 61 RBI, there’s no questioning the candidacy of Josh Hamilton on our roster. Our next pick is batting .315 on the season with 10 homers and 51 RBI. Ranked as high as 200 in overall player ratings, Magglio Ordonez has exceeded expectations in 2010. We rounded out our OF with Alex Rios , whose stat line reads: .299 BA/13 HR/45 RBI/49 R/22 SB. Although Rios was snubbed from Joe Girardi ‘s Anaheim lineup, I’m sure induction on our squad is adequate consolation.

NL: Young gun Carlos Gonzalez has been phenomenal in 2010, hitting .295 with 14 HRs, 52 RBI, and 49 runs scored for Colorado. Before he missed extended time due to injury, Andre Ethier was a serious Triple Crown-contender. Regardless of appearing in just 64 games, Ethier has 13 jacks, 49 RBI and 40 runs to go along with a .324 average. Corey Hart , whom most projections had going in the 15th-17th round range in mock drafts, gets the final spot thanks to smacking 19 dingers and driving in 61 runs.

Starters

AL: At age 38, Andy Pettitte was considered to be in the twilight of his career. Yet through 16 games in 2008, Pettitte is supporting a 10-2 record with a 2.82 ERA in 105.1 IP. Pettitte was going in late rounds of mocks, and even an undrafted Pettitte was not an anomaly in many leagues. This sentiment gives the Yankee left-hander our starting pitcher selection.

NL: On the opposite end from Pettitte on the age spectrum is Mat Latos , who’s all of 22 years young. Latos has an absurd 0.96 WHIP and 2.62 ERA in 99.2 IP through 16 games with the Padres in ’10. While Latos was a highly touted prospect heading into this season, this type of production was unforeseen by most fantasy forecasts, as Latos was ranked in the low 300s in overall player rankings.

Reliever

AL: Closers are always hard to gauge during draft day for fantasy owners, as one or two relief pitchers always fall through the cracks. This year’s diamond in the rough is Tampa Bay’s Rafael Soriano , who has amassed 22 saves so far in 2010. With a 1.42 ERA in 31.2 IP, Soriano has emerged as one of the AL’s most effective firemen.

NL: Like there was any doubt: Jonathon Broxton. Ox has racked up 17 saves on the season, despite going almost an entire month without a save. (In an unrelated note, although he’s never logged a minute on the court, I’d love to see Broxton declare himself a free-agent in the NBA. That proposal might seem ridiculous until you remember that Drew Gooden earned a 4 year, $32 million contract. Using this scale, Ox is worth the max.)

That’ll do it for this week. The “Dumb and Dumber” Quote of the Week is dedicated to those venturing on a summer road trip:

Lloyd: We don’t usually pick up hitchhikers… but I’m gonna go with my instincts on this one. Saddle up partner!

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The selection of mediocre ninth-inning reliever Matt Capps to the All-Star Game neatly sums up all the major reasons I get annoyed with the whole thing.

First, I really try not to care that much. After all, it’s such an obviously flawed process that it seems kinda pointless to fret over each individual misjudgment. Besides, it’s just an exhibition. Oh, wait, it’s not just an exhibition anymore, is it? Since the All-Star Game determines home field in the World Series, now I’m compelled to care.

My top pet peeve with ASG selections is the bizarre standards, by which the second halves of seasons never, ever seem to matter. If a player has a hot first half, he’s an all star, even if everyone knows that he’s performing way over his head and will crater any day.

Then again, a player can be one of the very best players at his position, but if he happens to have a couple bad Aprils, he might never go to the All Star Game at all.

Matt Capps is a classic example of this silliness. Sure, you could argue I suppose that his saves total justifies an All-Star Game appearance (I wouldn’t, but we’ll get to that in a minute). But does his mostly terrible track record prior to the last three months really count for nothing?

Shouldn’t the All-Star Game feature the best players in the game? And don’t you have to look at more of a player’s body of work to identify who those best players are?

I also get annoyed with the way the All-Star Game overvalues closers. Each year it seems like the ASG rosters are filled with about eight good starters, maybe 1-2 really dominant ace relievers, and then 3-4 really pretty lousy pitchers who happen to be used in the ninth inning by their managers.

The last thing that really annoys me about the All-Star Game is the requirement that every team gets one player selected to the team. If a team is so bad that no player is deserving, then none should go, period. It would be an embarrassment to the team, pushing them to do more to get better.

In the Nationals’ case, they had legitimate All-Stars. Ryan Zimmerman would have been my choice. But since Capps chosen–and it’s really hard to imagine that Capps would be counted among the top closers in the game–it’s fair to assume that if not for this rule, the Nationals might have no All-Stars at all.

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Every year, fans and writers bellyache over the MLB All-Star Game rosters. They complain that the teams are made up of fan favorites rather than rosters full of deserving league leaders. 

I am here to say, stop it!

Not only is this an issue each and every year, but it doesn’t matter. The All-Star game serves the purpose of entertaining the fans. Period.

After all, the fans are what this great sport is about. The rosters are determined by fan vote, manager selection, and some other variables such as the requirement to have at least one representative player from each team. 

The voting process is pretty straightforward. Anybody can vote online or at the ball park. Unlike a typical voting system, everybody can vote as many times as they wish. 

So why is the system set up this way? Well it’s pretty simple: The game is about the fans and the fans submit the votes. 

People seem to forget that the players represented in the All-Star game were all selected by the general public. This game is not about getting the best players of the season together, it is about the fans watching their favorite stars. 

Seriously, the game is played at the season’s midway point. Half the guys who are performing well now will fade off by September. 

The MLB All-Star game was created to entertain the fans and provide a brief break where players can re-group. 

Most importantly, the game is about creating revenue. As long as the game is getting attention and making money, the process of selecting the players will NEVER change.

And it shouldn’t.

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Unless you’re new to Major League Baseball, you know the American League has been unbeatable against the National League in the All-Star Game for the last 13 years.

Excluding the 2002 contest that ended in a tie and featured the infamous Bud Selig shrug, the Junior Circuit has won every game since being shutout in 1996.

Obviously, a 12-game winning streak that spans over a decade has a litany of explanations. For example, the AL has been quite a bit stronger at times during the run and Lady Luck has played her role as she always does on the diamond.

However, for at least the last several years, there’s been a blatant and irritating deficiency with the assortment of Senior Circuit talent. It’s opened the Midsummer Classic with a distinct disadvantage.

One that can be traced back to the voters—including the fans, players, and managers.

While the American League has suited up for the early July exhibition with its strongest roster of available athletes (give or take a couple on the fringe), the National League has been taking the field with a mixture of richly deserving stars and guys who rode the coattails of misplaced popularity to the honor.

Either the hometown fans in a large market ignorantly and blindly stuff the ballot box or the players/managers give a pseudo-lifetime achievement nod to a recognizable name. One way or another, glaring omissions are common-place and the team is weaker as a result.

The situation is no different in 2010.

The errors almost jump out at you:

—The San Francisco Giants’ Tim Lincecum hasn’t even been the best pitcher on his own team, yet he’s going to Anaheim and Matt Cain gets a long weekend.

—Or what about the St. Louis Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter getting the call over teammate Jaime Garcia or the San Diego Padres’ Mat Latos?

—The Friars are the Show’s biggest surprise, they’re tied for the NL’s best record with the Atlanta Braves, and have the same number of All Stars (one) as the putrid Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Arizona Diamondbacks. The Milwaukee Brewers, who are eight games under .500, have three.

Meanwhile, the Braves have five.

—One of those Bravos is a utility infielder with a painfully empty .311 average in only 164 AB. For some reason, though, Omar Infante beat out the Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto’s .312 BA and league-leading .984 OPS (over 200 points better than Infante’s).

Got that? A decent singles hitter who doesn’t play every day beat out arguably the NL’s Most Valuable Player for the first half.

Of course, the Philadelphia Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel—who’ll skipper the All-Star club for a second consecutive year—sees a ton of Atlanta. Apparently, Infante has played in enough of those games to impress one key set of eyes.

The list of self-inflicted wounds could go on and on—no Ryan Zimmerman, no Aubrey Huff, no Josh Willingham, etc.

But an exhaustive and tedious look at all the snubs isn’t necessary because there’s one in particular that demonstrates the ill-fated phenomenon to a perfect tee.

Athletic injustice, thy name is Miguel Olivo.

The Colorado Rockie hasn’t just been the best catcher in the Senior Circuit, but he’s been the best one in all of baseball. If you don’t believe me, take a quick look (minimum of 200 PA):

—His .308 BA, 5 3B, .540 SLG, .905 OPS, and 3.0 WAR lead all MLB catchers.

—His 39 RBI are tied for second.

—His 11 HR and 37 R are tied for third.

—His 4 SB are fourth.

—His .365 OBP is fifth.

If you narrow the contenders to the relevant field (NL backstops), Olivo leads the way in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base-plus-slugging percentage, runs batted in, home runs (tied with the New York Mets’ Rod Barajas), and triples.

Pump your brakes; there are two sides to the ball, you say?

Fine, Miguel has also been the best defensive catcher in all of baseball and the margin’s even clearer over here.

To give you an idea of exactly how suffocating a weapon the 31-year-old has been, you have to go beyond his .993 fielding percentage. You have to look at his 20 runners caught stealing against only 19 successful swipes, good for a 51.3 percent success rate.

It’s not often you stumble across a rifle arm that nabs more would-be thieves than it suffers, but the more staggering observation is the company it keeps with that lofty caught stealing statistic.

Olivo’s 20 CS is good for second in the Majors behind the 22 belonging to Jason Kendall of the Kansas City Royals.

In stark contrast to Colorado’s sparkler, Kendall has a meager 25.0 percent success rate courtesy of 66 thefts allowed. Only Yadier Molina’s 47.4 percent clip (18 CS against 20 SB) can hang with Olivo and the Redbird will start the All Star Game simply for his defense i.e. it’s his only contribution and it’s still not better than Miguel’s.

That’s really where this charade becomes perversely laughable.

Neither All-Star rep that “earned” the selection over Olivo—neither the Braves’ Brian McCann nor Molina—can beat the rightful starter in anything except doubles and on-base percentage (in McCann’s case).

St. Louis Cardinal fans should be flat-out embarrassed by their counterproductive idiocy, masquerading as bias.

Their team stands a very good chance of actually making the World Series where home-field advantage could be a huge asset. In other words, it ultimately might not be just an exhibition for the Cards and their faithful.

Yet, they voted their guy to start the game despite offensive metrics that rank dead last almost across the board. What is supposed to be an intelligent baseball city just delivered a .231 hitter with a .616 OPS to the All-Star Game, trying to justify it by pointing out he’s a defensive specialist.

Trouble is, he’s the second-best defender at the position and can’t hold a candle to the lumber swung by the real defensive leader.

Sadly, the fanatics under the Gateway Arch are just the latest example of National League stupidity.

Which is why the Senior Circuit is already trailing the American League, for a 14th straight year.

And the All-Star Game hasn’t even started.

**Click hear to learn more about the Paralyzed Veterans of America**

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First off, let me preface the rest of this post by saying that I am vehemently opposed to requiring that each team have a representative in the MLB All-Star game. Especially if MLB insists on using the All-Star game to determine home-field advantage for the World Series, watering down each team for some bogus “everyone’s a winner” type of reason is insane.

But since I am hamstringed by this rule, I’ll work in a representative from each team, whether I agree with the practice or not.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Here’s a list of the National League starters, as voted on by fans.

C Yadier Molina, St. Louis
1B Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2B Chase Utley, Philadelphia (unable to play)
3B David Wright, NY Mets
SS Hanley Ramirez, Florida
OF Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
OF Jason Heyward, Atlanta
OF Andre Ethier, LA Dodgers

The infield is fine, but I’d make a few changes in the outfield. Ryan Braun and Jason Heyward have had solid seasons, but neither has sustained spectacular all-star play this season.

Heyward started hot, but the league eventually adjusted to him. He hit a paltry .181 in June. Braun has also cooled off after a hot start, but has avoided the huge slump that Heyward is enduring.

In place of Heyward and Braun, I’d take Josh Willingham, who has posted a 2.2 WAR and is second among all NL outfielders in OPS. I’d also hand the starting gig to Matt Holliday, who has posted the league’s highest WAR total for an outfielder.

Holliday was already among the NL’s reserves, but deserves to start the game. My only problem is that an outfield of Ethier, Holliday, and Willingham would have to utilize Holliday as the centerfielder, which would create a below-average defensive unit.

The other piece I’d change is Molina at catcher. He is fantastic defensively, but has been atrocious at the plate this season. He owns an OPS+ of 68 (terrible) and his .616 OPS ranks him 17th among 18 NL catchers with at least 100 at bats.

He doesn’t belong on the all-star team, let alone catching the first pitch the National League starter throws. My vote goes to Miguel Olivo, who has put up excellent numbers at the plate for Colorado, in addition to working well with the young Rockies staff.

Of the other starters, I have no qualms. So we’ll move onto the reserves.

C Brian McCann, Atlanta
1B Ryan Howard, Philadelphia
1B Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego
2B Martin Prado, Atlanta (will start in Utley’s place)
INF Omar Infante, Atlanta
SS Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado (unable to play)
SS Jose Reyes, NY Mets (will take Tulowitzki’s place)
2B Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati
3B Scott Rolen, Cincinnati
OF Michael Bourn, Houston
OF Marlon Byrd, Chi. Cubs
OF Corey Hart, Milwaukee
OF Matt Holliday, St. Louis
OF Chris Young, Arizona

I have more problems here. Brian McCann has been fairly pedestrian this year. But without an overwhelming alternative, his presence on the roster isn’t terrible. First base, however, is the big travesty. The league leader at first base in OPS, OPS+, and WAR isn’t there.

Adrian Gonzalez is a fine selection as the third first baseman, and I’m even okay with Pujols starting because his season is very comparable to the one that Joey Votto is putting up for Cincinnati. But leaving Votto off the team in favor of Ryan Howard is ludicrous.

Guys like Gaby Sanchez and Aubrey Huff have had better seasons than Howard. That’s not a knock on any of those guys, but Votto is perhaps the single most overlooked player in the National League. He’s not presently on the team, but could make it via the last man in vote.

It’s hard to put together an all-star roster, but here’s a hint: you start with Joey Votto and go from there.

Martin Prado has definitely earned his spot on the club, and will start due to Utley’s injury. But I could have found a dozen infielders more deserving of a spot on the team than Omar freaking Infante. Infante’s not even a full-time player and he’s managed to be a below-average hitter (96 OPS+) despite his .311 batting average.

Someone like Dan Uggla or Kelly Johnson would make more sense. Since I’m going to give Arizona’s only other representative the boot, I’ll take Johnson by a nose over Uggla. Scott Rolen and Brandon Phillips both are excellent selections, and I can even live with Troy Tulowitzki’s replacement being Jose Reyes, due to a lack of better options.

As for the outfield, there’s a lot I’d change. Michael Bourn is there as the Houston representative. But he 31st out of 34 qualified NL outfielders in OPS. So even with his 25 stolen bases, he’s gone. But I’ll replace him later with another Houston guy. In his place, I’d take Andrew McCutchen from Pittsburgh, both because he deserves it and because I can get rid of a middle reliever from Pittsburgh later on.

Marlon Byrd and Corey Hart are both fine choices, and because Matt Holliday moved into the starting rotation, I’ll replace him with his teammate Colby Rasmus, who’s had a more impressive year than Heyward. For the last outfield spot, I’ll keep Braun over Heyward. But I’m sure Heyward will be on many all-star teams in the coming decade.

Now for the NL pitchers.

RHP Jonathan Broxton, LA Dodgers
RHP Chris Carpenter, St. Louis
RHP Matt Capps, Washington
RHP Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee
RHP Roy Halladay, Philadelphia
RHP Tim Hudson, Atlanta
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado
RHP Josh Johnson, Florida
RHP Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
RHP Evan Meek, Pittsburgh
LHP Arthur Rhodes, Cincinnati
RHP Adam Wainwright, St. Louis
RHP Brian Wilson, San Francisco

First things first, I don’t like taking middle relievers to the all-star game, regardless of how good they’ve been. The best pitchers are starters, then closers, and then middle relievers. Middle relievers do what they do for a reason—they’re not good enough to be closers or starters. So they obviously don’t deserve to be recognized as one of the league’s best pitchers, because they’re not.

I’ve got little problem with any of the starters, as they have all had fantastic seasons. You could say that Tim Hudson’s gotten a bit lucky, but that’s baseball. He’s pitched very well and I’ll keep him on the team. But Matt Capps, Evan Meek and Arthur Rhodes all go.

Meek and Rhodes are middle relievers and there are better closers than Capps. Because I got rid of Michael Bourn earlier, Houston needs a new rep. So I’m putting Roy Oswalt on the team. Houston needs a representative and, more importantly, Oswalt’s been one of the NL’s top pitchers this season. He’s earned it.

Atlanta’s Billy Wagner takes Capps’s place. Despite not having the gaudy save total, Wagner’s had the best season of any NL closer. The last man on the NL club for me is Mat Latos, San Diego’s young ace.

The last pitcher out for me was Stephen Strasburg. Do I think he’s one of the best 13 pitchers in the National League? I am beginning to think so, but I also value body of work. I ultimately couldn’t take him after half a dozen starts, none against a truly good offense. But he, like Heyward will play in many a Summer Classic throughout his career.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Starters

C Joe Mauer, Minnesota
1B Justin Morneau, Minnesota
2B Robinson Cano, NY Yankees
3B Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
SS Derek Jeter, NY Yankees
OF Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
OF Josh Hamilton, Texas
OF Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay
DH Vladimir Guerrero, Texas

For once, the voters had a perfect season, as I can’t argue against any of the selections made to start this year’s game. This is an exceptionally rare accomplishment, given past elections.

Mauer, Morneau, and Longoria are clear choices to start at their respective positions, and Robinson Cano makes the choice for the American League second base all-star the easiest one in years. I suppose Elvis Andrus may have a case for being the starting shortstop, but Derek Jeter has an equally strong (weak?) one, so I don’t have a problem here.

Hamilton is by far the AL’s best option in the outfield so his selection is simple. I guess Crawford or Ichiro could be bumped by someone else, but there’s no AL outfielder who I’d definitively put there ahead of them.

Vlad Guerrero is easily the choice as the starting DH, and the fact that he left Anaheim just this past offseason gives the media another juicy narrative to write about.

Reserves

C Victor Martinez, Boston (unable to play)
C John Buck, Toronto (will replace Martinez)
1B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
2B Dustin Pedroia, Boston (unable to play)
2B Ian Kinsler, Texas (will replace Pedroia)
SS Elvis Andrus, Texas
3B Alex Rodriguez, NY Yankees
3B Adrian Beltre, Boston
INF Ty Wigginton, Baltimore
OF Torii Hunter, LA Angels
OF Vernon Wells, Toronto
OF Jose Bautista, Toronto
DH David Ortiz, Boston

Here’s where things start to go downhill, which is strange because the people most responsible for the reserves are in fact, the players themselves. You’d think they’d know which players were most deserving of representing their league in the all-star game. But they don’t seem to pay attention to the details of most players, and buy into hot streaks and luck.

Victor Martinez is a clear second choice behind the plate for the American League, but due to his fractured thumb, he needs to be replaced. And not by John Buck. Buck has bought into Toronto’s new hitting philosophy of “Look Fastballs And Swing At Every One You See”.

It’s worked as well as it could, as Buck has 13 homers (only five off his career high) but also has drawn only nine walks against 64 strikeouts, leading to a measly .307 on-base percentage. Both Jorge Posada and Mike Napoli would have been better choices. Because Posada missed significant time due to injury, though, I’d take Napoli as Martinez’s replacement.

Miguel Cabrera would probably start the game most other years, but he’s relegated to the bench due to Morneau’s incredible season. The AL doesn’t have a whole lot of talent at shortstop or second base, and Dustin Pedroia’s injury just depletes the pool even further. Kinsler and Andrus are both fine selections to represent the AL, even with Kinsler missing some time.

Adrien Beltre has been more impressive than just about anyone expected this year, and has more than earned his way onto the team. A-Rod, however, probably got in based more on reputation than performance. He’s driven in 61 runs, but has underperformed by his usual standards. In lieu of a third third-baseman, I’d replace him on the team with Kevin Youkilis, as first base is a position of depth of talent for the American League, more so than third base.

Ty Wigginton’s presence on the team is based solely on the fact that every team needs a representative. Baltimore doesn’t field one player worthy of appearing in the game featuring MLB’s best talent, and I thought of cutting him. But the lack of middle infield talent in the American League led me to keep him on the team, rather than take someone like Nick Markakis.

The outfield does not represent the American League well at all. Torii Hunter is fine, but both Vernon Wells and Jose Bautista used short-lived hot streaks to make their way to the all-star game. Wells is terrible defensively and his OPS has dropped drastically each month.

Bautista, also below-average in the field, was awful at the plate in April, awesome in May and WTF? in June. Both players are in the Top five in OPS among AL outfielders, but neither particularly strikes me as an all-star caliber player.

I’d leave both of them in Canada for the game and take Chicago’s Alex Rios and New York’s Nick Swisher in their place. While David Ortiz has had a splendid season himself, I value a player’s defensive contributions as well, and would replace him with another outfielder, Magglio Ordonez.

While the reserves are questionable at best, it’s the pitchers for the American League that drive me crazy.

RHP Clay Buchholz, Boston
RHP Trevor Cahill, Oakland
RHP Fausto Carmona, Cleveland
RHP Neftali Feliz, Texas
RHP Phil Hughes, NY Yankees
LHP Cliff Lee, Seattle
LHP Jon Lester, Boston
LHP David Price, Tampa Bay
RHP Mariano Rivera, NY Yankees
LHP CC Sabathia, NY Yankees
RHP Joakim Soria, Kansas City
LHP Matt Thornton, Chi. White Sox
RHP Jose Valverde, Detroit

Of the ten pitchers in the American League with the highest WAR numbers, a grand total of two made the All-Star team. TWO! I understand that some of these pitchers will be replaced because of the new rules put in place to protect pitchers, but that will still leave some very questionable decisions on the team.

Sabathia is set to pitch Sunday, rendering him ineligible for the roster, but I bet Joe Girardi fills his spot with Andy Pettitte, rather than more deserving pitchers.

Shin Shoo Choo getting hurt hamstringed the American League into having to include Carmona, and he truly is Cleveland’s most deserving available player. But I’d get rid of Phil Hughes in a second and replace him with Felix Hernandez, and Neftali Feliz goes in favor of Jered Weaver. Matt Thornton is a middle reliever and Alex Rios fills my White Sox quota, so I’m able to easily replace him with Francisco Liriano.

In my opinion, the starters for each league are more accurate than the reserves and pitchers are. Seeing as the fans are responsible for the starters and the players, coaches, and managers pick the reserves and pitchers, I’d assume it would be the other way around.

Maybe fans are becoming more aware of the game as a whole and are paying more attention to stats and performances. Maybe the players are the ones that are caught up in names and headlines nowadays.  

Who knows? But with the all-star game determining home-field advantage, you’d think that the players in each league would put forth more of an effort to nominate the players that give them the best chance to win.

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You can’t please everybody.

That is, unless you picked the most deserving players.

With the MLB All-Star Game just around the corner (July 13), lineups were announced today on TBS.

National League mainstays like David Wright and Hanley Ramirez were voted in by the fans, while the rest were left up to their fellow peers and Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

There are questionable players on the roster and, with that, deserving guys who didn’t make the list of 34.

This list gives you 10 players who were snubbed, and one player who made it, that makes us scratch our heads.

Begin Slideshow

In less than two weeks, the 81st MLB All Star game will be played. In recent years the voting has been a little one sided to a few teams players starting and only a few divisions being represented by starting rosters. This years voting so far, has been pretty much the same, especially in the American League where the Red Sox, Yankees, and Twins players dominate.

The Sports Dish will be attempting to make a great AL roster that places the most deserving and best players at their certain position, so far this year. Now without any interruptions here is how the AL Roster should look like according to The Sports Dish.

Catcher- Joe Mauer

Mauer is lock to make the All-Star game because of his, yet again, spectacular season. Although his home-run hitting is down this season, he still leads all Catchers in batting average and finishes top five in every major statistic besides home runs. Mauer is not only on the team for his offense but is a very good defensive catcher. Very few balls get passes Joe Mauer during games.

First Base- Miguel Cabrera

The choice for the First Base representative of the AL, was tough because there was about three or four different players that could have started at First Base in the American League. But ultimately, it came down to Justin Morneau and Miguel Cabrera, with Cabrera winning out because his power numbers were a little higher. In terms of batting averages and OPS, Morneau destroys Cabrera, but ultimately I looked at how Cabrera has four more home runs and 12 more RBI’s than Morneau in about the same number of bats.

Second Base- Robinson Cano

Another obvious choice, who wouldn’t want Robinson Cano to start on their All-Star roster with his amazing year that he is currently having. Cano, is leading all American League Second Basemen in every major statistical category out there. He has been hitting great over this season and is a major part of the Yankees being in first base this year. In addition to his success hitting, Cano is playing very well defensively and he is making great grabs all the time.

Shortstop- Alex Gonzalez

People are probably thinking that whoever is writing this article is crazy for placing Alex Gonzalez over Derek Jeter in the starting roster. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to see the same player keep playing in the All-Star game for so many years straight. Also, it is because Alex Gonzalez has been playing outstanding during this season as well. He leads all American League Shortstops in Home Runs and RBI’s so far this season. Although he does have 11 errors, he has been shown to make tough plays.

Third Base- Adrian Beltre

Another easy choice for the Third Base spot on the All-Star team. Adrian Beltre is arguably the best Third Baseman in the Major Leagues at this point. Beltre is also the American League leader in Batting Average for all Third Basemen and is top three in most every statistical category for Third Basemen currently. Adrian Beltre is not only doing well offensively, but on the defensive end he is making great plays (although two have resulted in injuries to his left fielders) most every game.

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As all baseball fans know, they get to vote every year for the players they want represented to start in the Midsummer Classic.

Unfortunately, most fans get the selections wrong and many undeserving players are selected to start in the All-Star game.

My list for the 2010 NL All-Star starters is based on what these players did for their teams in the first half of the season and the stats that back up their claim.

Phillies fans might be disappointed with these selections…

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It sounds funny, doesn’t it?

Chase Utley is being challenged for the starting job at second base for this year’s National League All-Star team.

Up until this year, that was a preposterous thought, but seemingly out of the woodwork.

Now there has emerged a legitimate contender from the Atlanta Braves in the form of leadoff hitter Martin Prado—who is currently standing in second place in voting(though he is far from “nipping at the heels” of the leader) behind the venerable Utley.

Since Utley is by far the sexier name here, we’ll use a sort of a “blind” system by which to judge the two.

Player A has a slash line of .333/.375/.464 (with that .333 being good enough for second in the National League behind the barely-qualified-for-consideration Andre Ethier) with six home runs, 29 RBI, 47 runs scored, and 31 multi-hit games (13 of three hits or more).

Player A has also collected 18 doubles and a single stolen base (to three caught stealing) while putting up a 9.0 UZR/150 in 65 games at second base.

Player B’s slash line looks like this: .260/.376/.461.

Player B has also collected the third most home runs by a full-time second baseman with 10, 26 RBI, 41 runs scored, two steals (to one caught stealing), and 12 doubles.

On the defensive side of the ball, UZR/150 gives this player a rating of 16.3 through the 61 games he has played at second base.

By throwing out on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and stolen bases, we can see how these players separate themselves from one another a bit. Even though RBI and runs scored are close, I think they are each still relevant considering where each of these guys bat in their respective lineups.

Player A: .333 AVG/6 HR/29 RBI/47 RS/9.0 UZR/150

Player B: .260 AVG/10 HR/26 RBI/41 RS/16.3 UZR/150

So, make your pick.

Now, the unveiling, though I’m sure Braves and Phillies fans have already figured out who is who.

Player A is Martin Prado.

Player B is leading vote-getter Chase Utley.

My opinion lies a bit on the subjective side since I get to watch Prado play and collect his 95 current hits every day, but I don’t see how Utley can get the nod when name recognition, which is almost a bit regrettably a pretty big factor in All-Star voting, is thrown out the window.

The way Prado has energized what was an anemic Braves offense before he took over the leadoff spot also throws out the “value to a team’s success” factor that comes into play in some ballots cast.

I’ll grant Utley the fact that he’s been playing hurt, but voting should be based on results (and to potential results, Prado’s BABIP is .366 to Utley’s .264, so Prado has had quite a bit more luck when it comes to “hitting ’em where they ain’t” on the field).

I feel the stats back me up a bit here; Prado has had more of those.

So what do you think (ignoring the fact that Utley’s more than likely getting the starting nod from the fans)?

Should Utley get the nod for his longevity as one of the premier second basemen in the game?

Or should Prado be the man for the impressive numbers he’s posted thus far in the 2010 season?

This article is also featured on The Hey Train.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Are you a Red Sox or Rays fan who wants to ensure that your team will have the home field advantage if they make the World Series?

Do you want to see the National League go home empty-handed at the Midsummer Classic for the 14th year in a row?

Are you a sadistic sociopath who likes messing with people for the pure schadenfreude?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you might want to reconsider how you fill out your All-Star ballot.

If you truly want to see the best players in baseball duke it out on July 13, then by all means vote for the superstars. But if you want to see the Junior Circuit emerge victorious, you might want to think twice about naming Albert Pujols or Chase Utley on your ballot.

This slideshow features the NL player at each position who has the greatest potential to screw up his league’s All-Star team, based on both relative ineptitude and current rank in the voting (if the player you vote for has no chance of winning, it doesn’t matter who you choose).

Injured players have been excluded, because if one of them is voted in, he can be replaced with a substitute of the manager’s choice.

Let this be your guide in your unsportsmanlike attempt to tamper with the biggest night of the baseball season!

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