All Star's...or playing in the right market?

In one of my first rants I told you I'd touch on the joke that is the Major League Baseball "All-Star" game. Since the starting lineups were announced yesterday, it looks like my opportunity to expose this inane event is at hand.

I'm gonna start with a suggestion...take the voting out of the hands of the fans. Is anyone else sick and tired of seeing the American League starting lineup consist of all Red Sox and Yankee players regardless of the kind of year they're having. The same thing goes for the bleacher bums in Wrigley, yes they're having a good year and they have some nice players...but Alfonso Soriano? Did he even step into the batters box the entire month of June?



Here's my list of questionable selections for this year's beauty contest in the Bronx:

First Base American League - Kevin Youkilis...well it's not the most insane selection that you'll see on this list but I do have an argument for the Twins' Justin Morneau. He has played in 6 more games, with 9 more hits and 12 more RBI.

Second Base American League - Dustin Pedroia...this one isn't even close! No doubt Pedroia is a great player on a team that will be playing in late September. However, if this selection is truly about who's having the best year at their position, then Ian Kinsler is the guy...HANDS DOWN!!! He has the edge over the elected Pedroia in hits, runs scored, doubles, triples, HR's, RBI's, stolen bases and walks...oh yeah and he's done all this in 4 fewer at bats. Definitely got it right there MLB!


Ian Kinsler...SCREWED!

Short Stop American League - Derek Jeter...this is 3 million 15 year old girls in the Bronx pounding the vote button on MLB.com over and over and over!!! Listen, his own peers voted him the most OVER RATED PLAYER IN THE MAJORS!!! Miguel Tejada, Michael Young, Orlando Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta are all having better years than "The Captain"...I know the game's played in Yankee stadium this year and they're tearing the place down at the end of the season...still not enough to have Jeter trump 4 other short stops!

Outfield American League - Manny Ramirez and Ichiro Suzuki. I know both these guys can be really productive players...but again, based on this year's numbers, they're barely in the conversation. Grady Sizemore 22 HR's and 20 steals...I don't think anyone's on pace for a 40/40 season besides him. Carl Crawford 98 hits, 61 runs scored, 47 RBI, 22 steals and he missed a couple weeks with a knee injury. How about a pair of sluggers from the White Sox? Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye...both with 19 HR's (3 more than Manny).


Grady Sizemore..."The White Barry Bonds"...hold The Juice!

Designated Hitter American League - David "Big Papi" Ortiz...Big Papi's been pullin Big Splinters out of his back side for the better part of June and all of July so far. Maybe we could pick a player that will actually take some cuts at the mid-summer classic? CLASSIC!!! Some possible candidates include Milton Bradley (who will probably get the nod) and his 17 HR's and 54 RBI. Any of the afore mentioned snubs as well as the Orioles Nick Markakis (99 hits, 13 HR's and 47 RBI).

Catcher National League - Geovany Soto...great talent (have him on my fantasy team), but he's a young kid and he'll probably be the starting catcher for the National League for the next 8 to 10 "All Popular" games. There are two guys that are having just as good a year and strike out half as much at the catcher position in the NL: Russell Martin of the Dodgers and Atlanta's Brian McCann. Let Geovany learn some plate discipline, and while he's refining his game send Russ or Brian in his place.


Russell Martin...the second coming of Mike Piazza?

Outfield National League - Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukodome. I've already covered Soriano, but I'll elaborate. He was having a nice year until a fastball shattered his knuckles. While we're on that subject...he's not going to play in the game so why should he even be eligible to be selected??? I heard a scout say this about Fukodome, "He fundamentally does everything well".

....Uhhh, so do most of the golfers on the Nationwide Tour...but that doesn't mean they're going to be contending for major championships on the PGA Tour someday!

There are a long list of guys I would start before these two Cubbies beginning with Matt Holliday (98 hits, 21 doubles, 13 HR's, 49 RBI and 11 steals). He also spent 15 days on the DL.

Carlos Beltran (Mets), Nate McLouth (Pirates), Carlos Lee (Astros), Ryan Ludwick (Cardinals), Corey Hart (Brewers), Jason Bay (Pirates), Pat Burrell (Phillies), Xavier Nady (Pirates), Matt Kemp (Dodgers) and Rick Ankiel (Cardinals) all deserve to be in the conversation before Soriano and Fukodome.


Matt Holliday...STUD...ERRRR...SNUB

Maybe one day Bud Selig will pull his head out of his @$$ and return the mid summer classic to what it was originally intended to be...a game between the best players in the game. Not based on their reputation, but on their ability to play the game for the first half of that given season.

-Coop