Picking the All-Star Teams: National League
Since the 1996 All-Star game held in Philadelphia, the American League has won ten of the eleven mid-season classics. The only time the National League didn’t lose: the 2002 game that ended in a 7-7 tie. That means for twelve consecutive seasons, the best of the NL haven’t been able to defeat the best of the AL.
So why is that? Some would say it has to do with the two teams with the highest salaries, New York and Boston, being in the American League. Others would point to players like Vladamir Guerrero, Josh Becket and Joe Nathan all going from the NL to the AL in the prime of their career. Or maybe it’s just plain old dumb luck. Last year, if Tony LaRussa used Albert Pujols to pinch-hit in the ninth inning, maybe they get the win. In 2006, the NL blew the lead in the ninth inning, same as 2003. So it’s not like there has been complete domination, but still, 0-10-1 is not anything to brag about.
Is this the year the NL finally gets one in the win column? It might be. A lot of great players are playing in the league, and hopefully, I can get them all into my All-Star team. Before the roster is reveled, I’ll repeat my guidelines that I presented with my AL squad:
1) Lineup cards were filled out like lineup cards. That means leadoff hitters in the one hole, RBI guys batting cleanup, and strikeout prone hitters at the end.
2) Based off of Selig’s rule, there is to be only one player from a team in the starting lineup. This made it tough in some cases, and some of the league’s most deserving players got left off, but gave a better representation of each league.
3) There is a left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder. I’m not sure why MLB has just three general outfield spots on the ballot, but in this situation, the players will be placed at their real position.
4) The fan’s balloting will not impact my choices at all, which is why guys like Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is nowhere to be found. (No offense to Pedrioa)
5) Stats are from games through July 2.
6) A bonus sixth guideline involves the DH. Since no NL team has a normal designated hitter, the DH in this lineup is just the best remaining player from an unused team.
National League
1- Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida—Quick, outside of Ramirez and second baseman Dan Uggla, name a player on the second-place Marlins. Oh, you can’t. Well you’re no better than me. That proves how good those two have been. Ramirez has 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 72 runs scored. Give him another bat in the lineup and Ramirez could be an MVP candidate.
2- Ryan Braun, LF, Milwaukee—Last season’s Rookie of the Year is having no sophomore slump. He’s got 20 home runs, 21 doubles, and 58 RBI, and has brought the Brew Crew back to contention. He still needs to improve his pitch selection (16 walks, 70 strikeouts), but Braun looks like he will be a star for a long time.
3- Chipper Jones, 3B, Atlanta–His team might be struggling, but Jones has had a season for the ages. The Braves star is hitting .389 with 17 home runs and 47 RBI. He also has more walks than strikeouts, which helps his .483 on-base percentage. Put Jones on a good team and there is no doubt his at-bats would be the top story on SportsCenter every night.
4- Albert Pujols, DH, St. Louis—Somebody had to be selected from the surprise contenders of the National League, so why not pick that scares the living crap out of me every time he steps to the plate for the Cardinals. Puljos has missed time this season due to injury, but is still hitting .345, has 30 more walks than strikeouts and is, without much of a doubt, the best hitter in all of baseball.
5-Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia—The last two seasons, the Phillies have had two different players win the National League MVP (Ryan Howard in ‘06 and Jimmy Rollins last year). This year, it’s looking like Utley’s time. He’s hitting exactly .300 to go along with his 24 home runs, 24 doubles and 67 RBI. Quite impressive for anybody, much less a second baseman who isn’t expected to produce power numbers.
6- Lance Berkman, 1B, Houston—Berkman may not look like it, because he’s appears to be nearly 260 pounds, but he is one of the most efficient hitters in the sport. He is second in the NL in RBI with 72, but also is hitting .353, with 22 home runs and also 12 stolen bases. Too bad the Astros have no pitching.
7- Geovany Soto, C, Chicago—Cubs fans know that there are many reasons for the team’s success, from the emergence of Ryan Dempster to the signing of Kosuke Fukudome. But maybe nobody has made more of a difference than Soto. The rookie catcher is hitting .283, with 13 homers and 50 RBI. But more importantly, he has given the pitching staff some stability, something that didn’t happen a year ago when the Cubs had six catchers who at one time or another were considered the starter. If Soto doesn’t fall off in the second half of the season, he should win Rookie of the Year.
8-Brian Giles, RF, San Diego—He only has five homers and 29 RBI, which doesn’t place him among the top 15 National League right fielders. But because he’s hitting .306, has an on-base percentage of .401 and there was no way I could find a spot for another Padre on this all-star team, Giles makes the roster.
9-Nate McLouth, CF, Pittsburgh—This looks like another token Pirate pick, but it isn’t. McLouth is only hitting .280, but does have 15 home runs, 53 RBI, and scored 60 runs. Teamed with fellow outfielders Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, the Pirates actually have a trio of good players for the first time in a decade, but that hasn’t helped them escape the basement of the NL Central.
SP- Edinson Volquez, Cincinatti—The difference between the ace of the Reds and Giants star Tim Lincecum were paper-thin. Volquez has a lower ERA (2.24 to 2.38) but Lincecum has fewer walks (43 to 51). Volquez has ten wins to Lincecum’s nine, but also has three losses compared to one. So why did I chose the right-hander from Cincy? Because he has to pitch in hitter friendly Great American Ballpark, while the Giants righty is in the enormous AT&T Park.
Tags: Albert Pujols, All-Star Game, Baseball, Brian Giles, Chase Utley, Chipper Jones, Edinson Volquez, Geovany Soto, Hanley Ramirez, Lance Berkman, MLB, Nate McLouth, National League, Ryan Braun
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