| Authored by Andrew Perna - 4th July, 2008 - 10:01 pm
 What would a July baseball column be without an edition dedicated to selecting which players should head to Yankee Stadium for the 2008 MLB All-Star Game later this month?
This week I’ll pick which guys deserve the nod in the American League, with my National League selections set to ‘print’ next week. I’ll first list the nine-man starting lineup (including designated hitter), then pick a starting pitcher and ten-man staff. I’ll conclude by naming twelve reserve hitters, rounding out my bloated 32-man roster.
And no, I’m not adhering to the crazy rule of naming one representative from each of the league’s fourteen teams.
Any stats referenced are through the July 2nd games
The Starting Lineup
Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota - He has been the best catcher in the league this season, by far. He’s hitting for average (.326) while also being patient (43 walks) and rarely striking out (22 K’s).
First Base: Justin Morneau, Minnesota - Like his Twins' teammate, Morneau is hitting well (.310) and for power (12 home runs and 63 RBI's). He doesn’t draw many walks, but neither do a majority of the players at his position.
Second Base: Ian Kinsler, Texas - He’s a very easy selection thanks to a breakout first half. His defense is sub par, but he’s been so good offensively that Rangers' fans are able to live with the fifteen errors he has already compiled.
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez, New York - Even having missed time with a quad injury, Rodriguez is having the best statistical season at his position. He’s among the league leaders in average (.321) and would likely be in contention for the triple-crown had he played the full first half.
Shortstop: Derek Jeter, New York - Jeter is having the worst statistical season of his career but is still the cream of the crop. He has time to push his average (.279) closer to .300 before the 2008 season comes to a close.
Leftfield: Manny Ramirez, Boston - Manny isn’t hitting for as high of an average (.279) as we’re used to, but he’s still crushing the ball out of the park. J.D. Drew has done well in his place, but Manny’s numbers would be higher if Big Papi was healthy.
Centerfield: Josh Hamilton, Texas - He’s probably the easiest pick among this lot of AL All-Stars. He has 19 home runs and 82 RBI's, all while hitting .308 for the Rangers. What’s even more amazing than his statistics is the fact that he’s even in the Major Leagues.
Rightfield: Jermaine Dye, Chicago - The White Sox are atop the AL Central thanks to the bats of Dye and Magglio Ordonez (a reserve on my team). He strikes out way too much, but his home runs, average and RBI totals are among best.
Designated Hitter: Milton Bradley, Texas - America’s favorite board game manufacturer is having an amazing season. He’s hitting .320 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI's for the Rangers this season, inching him ahead of Hideki Matsui for this spot.
Pitcher: Cliff Lee, Cleveland - The Indians may be a disappointment this season, but that can’t be blamed on Lee. He has compiled an amazing 11-1 record in sixteen starts with a 2.26 ERA. He’s also struck out 93 batters while walking just 17 guys in 111.2 innings pitched.
Pitchers
Joe Saunders, Los Angeles - He is the league’s first 12-game winner, posting a 12-4 record with a 3.04 ERA through seventeen starts. He doesn’t strike out many batters, but he has nice control and has help put the Angels in first.
Justin Duchscherer, Oakland - He has a sparkling 1.91 ERA in 85.0 innings (thirteen starts), but the A’s haven’t provided him with much run support, leading to an 8-5 record. He has allowed just 0.69 hits per inning.
Mike Mussina, New York - Moose has been the steadiest member of the Yankees' starting rotation, with a respectable 3.87 ERA over seventeen starts (10-6). He’s pitching better than he has in quite a while, which should earn him an All-Star appearance in what could be his final season.
Roy Halladay, Toronto - Doc is having another tremendous season with a 9-6 record thanks to a 2.90 ERA in 130.1 innings of work. If the Blue Jays didn’t have such an anemic offense, he could very easily be leading the league in wins.
Ervin Santana, Los Angeles - Santana is just a step behind Saunders as the Angels’ best pitcher. He’s 9-3 in seventeen starts with a 3.28 ERA and 106 strikeouts.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston - Dice-K has a terrific record (9-1) in fourteens starts with a very nice 3.12 ERA. His lone loss came in a one-inning appearance against the Cardinals during which he allowed seven runs. He could have another three or four wins had he not missed two weeks in June.
Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles - K-Rod is looking better than ever with 34 saves in 37.1 innings of work. He has punched out 35 batters while posting a 1.93 ERA.
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston - Papelbon has been lights out this season for the Sox, recording a 2.00 ERA and 24 saves in 36 appearances. He has also figured into five decisions, posting a 3-2 record in relief. He has more strikeouts (47) than any other AL closer.
Mariano Rivera, New York - The Yankees haven’t given Mo that many save chances this season, but he’s done incredibly well when given the opportunity. He has 22 saves, with a 0.96 ERA. In 37.1 innings of work, he’s only allowed four runs.
Joe Nathan, Minnesota - Fresh off a three-year deal, Nathan has been awesome for the Twins in 2008. He has notched 23 saves in 35 appearances with a career-low 1.30 ERA.
The Reserves
Catcher: Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay - The Rays are enjoying a career-year from Navarro, which has helped them climb to the top of the AL East. He’s hitting .312, more than fifty points higher than his career average.
Second Base: Dustin Pedroia, Boston - This slot might have gone to Robinson Cano if he didn’t hit .151 during the month of April. In just his second full season in the Majors, Pedroia is hitting .311 with complementary speed and power.
Third Base: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay - He’s enjoying quite the rookie season and should get the nod to join a few of his teammates in the Mid-Summer Classic. He leads his position at extra base hits and RBI's.
Shortstop: Michael Young, Texas - Young is part of the reason why the Rangers score so many runs, and he’d be even better if he learned to be more patient at the plate. He’s on pace for over 100 strikeouts.
Leftfield: Johnny Damon, New York - Damon is very quietly having one of the best seasons of his career. He has been an all-purpose leadoff man for the Yankees, hitting for average (.320), providing power (6 home runs and 37 RBI's) and also speed on the bases (13 steals).
Leftfield: Carlos Quentin, Chicago - He has come out of nowhere to set the AL on fire so far in 2008. He has better all-around numbers than Ramirez, but as the ‘New Kid on the Block’ this season, he’ll have to take a backseat to the veteran, for now.
Centerfield: Grady Sizemore, Cleveland - Grady isn’t hitting at a high rate (.267), but he’s leading the league in home runs (21) with 47 RBI's from the leadoff spot. At twenty stolen bases and 49 walks, Cleveland had one of the most efficient outfielders in the AL.
Centerfield: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle - He isn’t the player he used to be, but he’s still damn good. He’s still hitting above .300, stealing bases (33), and exercising extreme plate discipline. I could only imagine what his career totals would be if he played his entire career in the Major Leagues.
Rightfield: Magglio Ordonez, Chicago - Doesn’t it seem as though every July you look up and all of a sudden Magglio is tearing apart AL pitching?
Rightfield: Bobby Abreu, New York - He has helped keep the Yankees afloat at times in the first half, thanks to his 55 RBI's and 11 stolen bases. He isn’t drawing as many walks as he did earlier in his career, but he’s still relatively patient at the plate.
Rightfield: J.D. Drew, Boston - Drew has filled in very nicely for David Ortiz (wrist injury), becoming one of the best rightfielders in the game in the process. He has three triples this season and has drawn 46 walks hitting in front of Ramirez. J.D. ranks in the top-three in the league in runs, on-base percentage, and slugging.
Designated Hitter: Hideki Matsui, New York - He likely won’t be able to play because of a bum knee, but he’s enjoyed a terrific first half. He’s batting .323, with more walks than strikeouts. He isn’t hitting for power as often as everyone had grown used to, but that could have something to do with his knee issues.
Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM.com and will be covering the 2008 MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium this month. If there is any specific coverage you’d enjoy from the Bronx, let me know via e-mail. (Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com). |
