All-Stars and Stripes

It was only fitting that on our nation's 234th birthday, America's pasttime would unveil it's 2010 All-Stars for the game in Anaheim.

Like with all the major sports, the MLB All-Star game has lost the luster that it once possessed. It's like Baywatch Yasmine Bleeth compared to a post-BASEketBall Yasmine Bleeth.





The Mid-summer classic just isn't the same since the infamous Bud Selig tie in 2002. How could it be a tie proves that the game is meaningless. Without a winner or loser, how can the game be justified as a competitive contest.

To combat this lament, MLB decided to award the league that wins the game home field advantage in the World Series. Good concept, but means nothing seeing that the AL has won 12 in a row, excluding 2002's tie.

Much like the NBA Slam Dunk contest, the Home-Run Derby is the most anticipated aspect of the All-Star festivities. There is no sense in denying that the Dunk contest is floundering due to a lack of committment from big-name players, how can fans get excited about seeing DeMar DeRozen and Shannon Brown dunk off against Gary Coleman.



Dunk contests just aren't exciting anymore. The dunks are all recycled, there isn't much more that can be done. Say what you want about Vince Carter, but his performance in 2000 pretty much ruined it for everyone else. A LeBron-less Dunk Contest is worthless.



While the NBA struggles, the Home-Run Derby still is able to create some memorable moments. Josh Hamilton in '08, Sosa and McGwire following up their historic 1998 seasons with a classic derby in Boston, these are moments that we will remember from All-Star festivities.

All-Star games and the events surrounding them are based on the notion that the best of the best will compete against one another. With a collection of the best that each sport has to offer, you'd expect awe inspiring moments that give you goosebumps and provide talk around the water cooler.

Being that the Slam-Dunk Contest and the Home-Run Derby are the highlights of their respective sports All-Star celebrations, it should be put up to a fan vote to determine who participates in these events. Barring injury, the players voted in should have to compete. The players make millions and millions of dollars because of fan support, they should have to give one night back in the spirit of pure entertainment. I don't want to hear the excuse that preparing for a Derby will screw up a swing; these players try to put on a show for during BP each night, a few swings in early July won't hurt anything.

If the NBA pitted LeBron and Wade against each other, how would that not draw interest.

Not sure that an All-Star game that includes David Garrard even counts. Sorry NFL.

Back to the 2010 MLB All-Stars: (# of All-Star appearences)

Starters for the AL:

C - Joe Mauer MIN (4) - .303 3 HR 34 RBI
1B - Justin Morneau MIN (4) - .344 17 HR 55 RBI
2B - Robinson Cano NYY (1) - .343 16 HR 55 RBI
3B - Evan Longoria TB (3) - .298 12 HR 59 RBI
SS - Derek Jeter NYY (11) - .281 8 HR 39 RBI
OF - Ichiro Suzuki SEA (10) - .328 3 HR 24 RBI
OF - Josh Hamilton TEX (3) - .340 20 HR 61 RBI
OF - Carl Crawfort TB (4) - .316 7 HR 41 RBI
DH - Vladimir Guerrero TEX (9) - .331 18 HR 70 RBI

AL Pitchers:

Clay Buchholz BOS (1) - 10-4 2.45 ERA 64 K
Trevor Cahill OAK (1) - 8-2 2.74 ERA 56 K
Fausto Carmona CLE (1) - 7-7 3.69 ERA 57 K
Neftali Feliz TEX (1) - 22 SV 3.00 ERA 40 K
Phil Hughes NYY (1) - 10-2 3.83 ERA 86 K
Cliff Lee SEA (2) - 8-3 2.34 ERA 89 K
Jon Lester BOS (1) - 10-3 2.76 ERA 118 K
David Price TB (1) - 11-4 2.42 ERA 90 K
Mariano Rivera NYY (11) - 18 SV 1.11 ERA 32 K
CC Sabathia NYY (4) - 10-3 3.33 ERA 93 K
Joakim Soria KC (2) - 22 SV 2.56 ERA 38 K
Matt Thornton CHW (1) - 4 SV 10 Holds 2.94 ERA 47 K
Jose Valverde DET (2) - 18 SV 0.51 ERA 33 K

AL Reserves:

C - Victor Martinez BOS (4) - .289 9 HR 38 RBI
C - John Buck TOR (1) - .274 13 HR 40 RBI
1B - Miguel Cabrera DET (5) - .339 20 HR 69 RBI
2B - Dustin Pedroia BOS (3) - .292 12 HR 41 RBI
2B - Ian Kinsler TEX (2) - .299 3 HR 26 RBI
SS - Elvis Andrus TEX (1) - .289 25 RBI 55 RUNS
3B - Alex Rodriguez NYY (13) - .276 12 HR 62 RBI
3B - Adrian Beltre BOS (1) - .341 12 HR 53 RBI
INF - Ty Wigginton BAL (1) - .246 14 HR 43 RBI
OF - Torii Hunter LAA (4) - .292 14 HR 58 RBI
OF - Vernon Wells TOR (3) - .274 19 HR 48 RBI
OF - Jose Bautista TOR (1) - .236 21 HR 52 RBI
DH - David Ortiz BOS (5) - .259 17 HR 54 RBI

Snubs:

P - Jered Weaver LAA - 8-3 2.82 124 K
P - Justin Verlander DET - 10-5 3.85 103 K
P - Andy Pettite NYY - 10-2 2.82 78 K
1B - Kevin Youkilis BOS - .299 17 HR 54 RBI
1B - Paul Konerko CHW - .296 20 HR 57 RBI
OF - David DeJesus KC - .325 5 HR 35 RBI
OF - Alex Rios CHW - .303 13 HR 45 RBI 22 SB
OF - Magglio Ordonez - .312 10 HR 50 RBI

My opinion:

The AL starters are legit, except for maybe Ichiro. Reserves such as Hunter and Wells have the numbers to start, but someone like Rios, who didn't even make the team, has the most deserving stats. Since the White Sox were given only one representative, why give it to a holds guy like Thornton. Yeah he is having a good year, but it's just that, a good year. Not a great year like Rios or Konerko, right now they are offensive studs. Granted they play in star-rich positions, but their efforts should be merited.

Weaver has the most strikeouts in the league, an under 3 ERA, and 8 wins. To me that is very deserving of a spot on the team. Pettite also has the stats that would do an All-Star justice, but it appears that he got ousted by his teammates Hughes and Sabathia, so I guess it's better than having 7 Yankees on the team.

Ken Griffey Jr., who retired earlier this year, received over 1 million votes. In his career Junior racked up more than 55 million All-Star votes.

Starters for the NL:

C - Yadier Molina STL (2) - .229 3 HR 31 RBI
1B - Albert Pujols STL (9) - .305 20 HR 60 RBI
2B - Chase Utley PHI (5) - .277 11 HR 37 RBI
3B - David Wright NYM (3) - .315 14 HR 64 RBI
SS - Hanley Ramirez FLA (3) - .298 13 HR 52 RBI
OF - Ryan Braun MIL (3) - .295 11 HR 51 RBI
OF - Jason Heyward ATL (1) - .251 11 HR 45 RBI
OF - Andre Ethier LAD (1) - .320 13 HR 49 RBI

NL Pitchers:

Jonathan Broxton LAD (2) - 17 SV 2.02 ERA 52 K
Chris Carpenter STL (3) - 9-2 3.16 ERA 105 K
Matt Capps WAS (1) - 22 SV 3.19 ERA 32 K
Yovani Gallardo MIL (1) - 8-4 2.58 ERA 122 K
Roy Halladay PHI (7) - 9-7 2.42 ERA 112 K
Tim Hudson ATL (3) - 8-4 2.44 ERA 58 K
Ubaldo Jimenez COL (1) - 14-1 2.27 ERA 107 K
Josh Johnson FLA (2) - 8-3 1.82 ERA 115 K
Tim Lincecum SF (3) - 8-4 3.28 ERA 121 K
Evan Meek PIT (1) - 0.96 ERA 42 K
Arthur Rhodes CIN (1) - 14 Holds 1.09 ERA 32 K
Adam Wainwright STL (1) - 12-5 2.24 ERA 123 K
Brian Wilson SF (2) - 22 SV 2.04 ERA 49 K

NL Reserves:

C - Brian McCann ATL (5) - .265 10 HR 34 RBI
1B - Ryan Howard PHI (3) - .293 15 HR 59 RBI
1B - Adrian Gonzalez SD (3) - .291 16 HR 51 RBI
2B - Martin Prado ATL (1) - .335 7 HR 36 RBI
INF - Omar Infante ATL (1) - .309 1 HR 22 RBI
SS - Troy Tulowitzki COL (1) - .306 9 HR 34 RBI
SS - Jose Reyes NYM (2) - .277 6 HR 32 RBI
2B - Brandon Phillips CIN (1) - .308 11 HR 28 RBI
3B - Scott Rolen CIN (6) - .302 17 HR 56 RBI
OF - Michael Bourn HOU (1) - .260 1 HR 20 RBI 25 SB
OF - Marlon Byrd CHC (1) - .309 9 HR 35 RBI
OF - Corey Hart MIL (2) - .286 19 HR 61 RBI
OF - Matt Holliday STL (4) - .298 11 HR 39 RBI
OF - Chris Young ARI (1) - .264 15 HR 57 RBI

Snubs:

1B - Joey Votto CIN - .312 19 HR 57 RBI
P - Billy Wagner ATL - 17 SV 1.35 ERA 52 K
3B - Ryan Zimmerman WAS - .286 14 HR 44 RBI
C - Miguel Olivo COL - .307 11 HR 39 RBI
1B - Adam Dunn WAS - .275 17 HR 49 RBI
2B - Dan Uggla FLA - .271 16 HR 49 RBI
2B - Kelly Johnson ARI - .264 13 HR 36 RBI
SS - Rafael Furcal LAD - .338 4 HR 28 RBI
OF - Andrew McCutchen PIT - .295 7 HR 24 RBI 20 SB
OF - Jayson Werth PHI - .283 13 HR 48 RBI
OF - Carlos Gonzalez COL - .295 14 HR 52 RBI
1B - Prince Fielder MIL - .262 18 HR 36 RBI
P - Heath Bell SD - 23 SV 1.72 ERA 49 K
P - Stephen Strasburg WAS - 2-2 2.45 ERA 53 K

My opinion:

First off how is Omar Infante on the roster. He is only owned in 4% of all Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball Leagues. That stat there should be enough to prove he does not deserve to be on the list. He has 1 HR and only 9 extra-base hits. That's not enough for an All-Star, not by a long shot. You have infielders, like Votto, who is battin over 300 with almost 20 HR and 60 RBI, Furcal, Fielder, Johnson and Zimmerman, who have all put up numbers that are worthy of a spot on the NL roster. The game is in Anaheim, so there will be a DH; you're telling me a bat like Adam Dunn would not be useful as a DH. He could be the ultimate DH in baseball if he played in the AL.

Sticking to the Baywatch reference, because it is the 4th of July and nothing is more American than large-chested women running in slow motion down a beach, picking Infante would be like wanting to date Stephanie over C.J., Neely, Summer or Caroline.



There also is no reason that Molina should be the starting catcher. He is hitting .229, with no power. Guys like McCann and Olivo are hitting near 300 with some power numbers to go with. They should be in the game, not Molina.

I like fan-voting and all, it allows us fans to feel like we have had a hand in the game, but managers and coaches should be allowed to veto voted-in starters, if they are completely ridiculous. Like why is Tracy McGrady making starting lineups. Just doesn't make sense. For it to be a true star-of-stars game, the best players should be on the field at all times, no Molina or Infante.

With that said, the fans did a great job in selecting, an under-the-radar guy like Andre Ethier to start. He isn't even the most famous player in the Dodgers outfield; he plays 3rd fiddle behind Manny and Rhianna's boyfriend. He's just like McLovin in Superbad. He is a secondary character behind Seth and Evan, but when given the opportunity, he dominates and steals the show.

At the tender age of 40 Arthur Rhodes finally made an All-Star team.

Can't argue with Meek getting an All-Star nod. He is having a great year, gives the Pirates a closer of the future, and allows them to try and get something out of Dotel before the trade deadline. I can't say that I am anything but surprised that McCutchen didn't get the Pirates bid. I knew there was only going to be one spot for a Pittsburgh player and I fully expected that to go to McCutchen. Nonetheless, congratulations Evan Meek, you will make a good Cub, Red Sock, or Yankee someday.