Your MLB All-Star ballots

Dr. Giganto

We're two months into the season, the All-Star game is a month away, who do you think should be the starters for each team. Remember, its 3 OFs from any position, not 1 from each. It's in an AL park this year, so pick a DH from the AL squads

AL:

Catcher: Jason Varitek - .311, 10 HRs, 20 RBIs

First base: Mark Texeira - .288, 13 HRs, 36 RBIs, 39 runs scored

Second base: Brian Roberts - .368, 11 HRs, 33 RBIs, 13 SBs, 39 runs scored

Shortstop: Miguel Tejada - .329, 14 HRs, 46 RBIs,

Third base: Alex Rodriguez - .319, 17 HRs, 49 RBIs, 43 runs scored

Outfield: Johnny Damon - .354, 42 runs scored, 7 SBs

Outfield: Ichiro Suzuki - .321, 15 SBs, 38 runs scored

Outfield: Gary Sheffield - .324, 9 HRs, 36 RBIs

DH: David Ortiz - .302, 12 HRs, 39 RBIs, 35 runs scored

NL

Catcher: Ramon Hernandez - .299, 6 HRs, 29 RBIs

First base: Derrick Lee - .380, 17 HRs, 50 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 9 stolen bases

Second base: Jeff Kent - .254, 9 HRs, 38 RBIs, 35 runs scored

Shortstop: Clint Barmes - .325, 7 HRs, 29 RBIs, 36 runs scored

Third base: Troy Glaus - .262, 13 HRs, 36 RBIs

Outfield: Bobby Abreu - .339, 12 HRs, 37 RBIs, 14 SBs, 37 runs scored

Outfield: Miguel Cabrera - .355, 10 HRs, 34 RBIs, 35 runs scored

Outfield: Carlos Lee - .268, 13 HRs, 46 RBIs

Dr. Giganto

Fuck it, I'll do back-ups too...32-man roster, I'll go with 12 pitchers, 20 position players, at least 1 from each team

AL pitchers:

Kenny Rogers - 7-2, 1.67 ERA
Roy Halladay - 8-2, 2.54 ERA
Jon Garland - 8-2, 3.22 ERA
Matt Clement - 6-0, 3.06 ERA
Johan Santana - 6-2, 3.70 ERA, 91 Ks
Mark Buehrle - 7-1, 3.07 ERA
Bartolo Colon - 6-3, 2.75 ERA
Eric Bedard - 5-1, 2.08 ERA
BJ Ryan - 0-0, 14 Saves, 1.33 ERA
Dustin Hermanson - 0-0, 11 saves, 0.82 ERA
Eddie Guardado - 0-1, 15 saves, 1.71 ERA
Mariano Rivera - 2-2, 12 saves, 1.47 ERA

Just missed: Chris Young, Jeremy Bonderman, Cliff Lee, Francisco Cordero, Joe Nathan, Bob Wickman

AL bench

Catcher: Joe Mauer: .307, 4 HRs, 17 RBIs
First base: Mike Sweeney - .301, 9 HRs, 35 RBIs
First base: Richie Sexson - .247, 13 HRs, 42 RBIs
Second base: Ronnie Belliard - .292, 7 HRs, 22 RBIs
Second base: Alfonso Soriano - .284, 14 HRs, 33 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 8 SBs
Shortstop: Carlos Guillen - .361, 2 HRs, 12 RBIs
Shortstop: Derek Jeter - .291, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 8 SBs
Third base: Melvin Mora - .297, 10 HRs, 31 RBIs, 6 SBs
Outfield: Mark Kotsay - .292, 2 HRs, 26 RBIs
Outfield: Carl Crawford - .264, 5 HRs, 28 RBIs, 14 SBs
Outfield: Garrett Anderson - .301, 6 HRs, 40 RBIs
Outfield: Manny Ramirez - .257, 11 HRs, 43 RBIs

Just missed: Paul Konerko, Ivan Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Shea Hillenbrand, Hank Blalock, Scott Posdesnik

NL pitchers:

Dontrelle Willis - 8-2, 1.67 ERA
Roger Clemens - 3-3, 1.30 ERA
Josh Beckett - 7-3, 2.62 ERA
Livan Hernandez - 8-2, 3.61 ERA
Adam Eaton - 7-1, 3.58 ERA
Tim Hudson - 6-3, 3.00 ERA
Pedro Martinez - 5-1, 2.79 ERA
Jake Peavy - 5-0, 2.37 ERA
Jason Isringhausen - 0-0, 16 saves, 0.49 ERA
Chad Cordero - 2-1, 13 saves, 1.33 ERA,
Brandon Lyon - 0-2, 13 saves, 1.96 ERA
Todd Jones - 0-1, 8 saves, 1.48 ERA

Just missed: Trevor Hoffman, Billy Wagner, Jose Mesa, Mike Hampton, Brett Myers, Roy Oswalt, Brandon Webb, Mark Prior

NL Bench:

Catcher: Michael Barrett- .270, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs
First base: Albert Pujols - .327, 12 HRs, 42 RBIs, 37 runs scored
First base: Adam Dunn - .235, 14 HRs, 27 RBIs, 33 runs scored
First base: Carlos Delgado - .313, 10 HRs, 35 RBIs,
Second base: Mark Grudzielanek - .344, 3 HRs, 22 RBIs
Shortstop: Cesar Izturis - .345, 34 runs scored, 1 HR, 20 RBIs
Third Base: David Wright - .299, 8 HRs 29 RBIs, 33 runs scored
Outfield: Jim Edmonds - .280, 10 HRs, 33 RBIs
Outfield: Jason Bay - .295, 11 HRs, 25 RBIs, 33 runs scored, 4 SBs
Outfield: Pedro Feliz - .278, 8 HRs, 32 RBIs
Outfield: Brady Clark - .342, 6 HRs, 24 RBIs, 41 runs scored
Outfield: Pat Burrell - .311, 9 HRs, 42 RBIs

Just missed: Chipper Jones, Rob Mackowiak, Nick Johnson, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Brian Giles

pp2

I can't really disagree with any of your original picks. Is Torre coaching the AL again this year (forgot how the coaching selection works)? If so, change your reserves to the rest of the Yankee roster. I don't know what's worse...the fact Torre does that, or the fact he's allowed to get away with it.

Dr. Giganto

No...its the managers of the teams that played in the W.S. the year before...so it's Francona and LaRussa

pp2

I keep getting the Pro Bowl setup mixed up with baseball. Gotcha, that's it...WS managers, runner-ups in NFL.

My comment about Torre being a pud still stands, though.

Dr. Giganto

I'll give Torre credit though, he at least admits it...I remember him justifying it one time by saying "Well, they're my guys, so if it comes down to them or somebody else, of course I'm gonna pick my guys"

And to be honest, there have only been a few instances where a marginal All-Star candidate from the Yankees has made the team over a deserving candidate. After all, they have made the playoffs 10 straight years, and won the division in 7 straight years...I'll go back and look at the All-Star rosters under the Torre era...

Dr. Giganto

* denotes voted in by fans. 1997-2001 stats are for the full season, 2002 and 2004 stats are through All-Star break:

1997: David Cone - 12-6 2.82
Tino Martinez* - .296 44 141
Paul O'Neill* - .324 21 117
Mariano Rivera - 6-4 43 saves 1.88
Bernie Williams - .328 21 100

1999: David Cone - 12-9 3.44
Derek Jeter*- .349 24 102
Mariano Rivera - 4-3 45 saves 1.83
Bernie Williams* - .342 25 115

2000: Derek Jeter* - .339 15 73
Jorge Posada - .287 28 86
Mariano Rivera - 7-4 41 saves 2.85
Bernie Williams* - .307 30 121

2001: Roger Clemens - 20-3 3.51
Derek Jeter .311 21 74
Andy Pettitte - 15-10 3.99
Jorge Posada .277 22 95
Mariano Rivera - 50 saves 2.34
Mike Stanton 9-4 2.58
Bernie Williams .307 26 94

2002: Mariano Rivera 21 saves 1.47 ERA
Robin Ventura - .263 19 62
Jason Giambi* - .318 22 71
Jorge Posada* - .266 15 58
Alfonso Soriano* - .315, 20, 51
Derek Jeter - .312 12 43

2004: Derek Jeter* - .273 13 40
Alex Rodriguez* - .276 19 50
Jason Giambi* - .239 11 31
Javier Vazquez - 9-5 3.50
Tom Gordon - 2 saves 1.51
Mariano Rivera - 29 saves 0.86
Gary Sheffield - .298 13 53
Hideki Matsui* - .282 16 54

The questionable choices I see are Cone in 1997 and 1999 (although a 2.82 ERA in the AL is phenomenal), Pettitte and Stanton in 2001, and Vazquez and Gordon last year (Vazquez, in fact, was an injury replacement, and wasnt originally named an All-Star). Everything else seems justified

pp2

If you look at the raw numbers, yeah. But that's not taking into account the stats of people overlooked. I remember for a fact a few White Sox players that were more deserving than some of his selections.

No, I don't expect you to look up the stats of every other player over those times. :P

Your point of the Yankees success is valid, I just don't agree that Torre is justified in selecting his guys like he does.

Dr. Giganto

Oh, he's definitely picked his guys over some other more deserving guys. I certainly cant deny that, ESPECIALLY picking middle relievers like Gordon and Stanton. The only time I can remember a middle reliever deserving to be on an All-Star team was when tha guy Zimmerman on the Rangers was like 8-0 with an ERA below 1.00 at the break.

I was just making the point that its not as terrible as some people make it out to be. Its not like he was picking guys like Chad Curtis and Luis Sojo

pp2

Yeah, that's true. Maybe part of it is just seeing the Yankee wealth flaunted at the rest of us baseball fans. Again.