Post by John on Jun 30, 2006 18:24:37 GMT -4
They won't be, but these should be the All-Star teams
By Scott Miller
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
I am Phil Garner, though I don't throw chairs from dugouts nearly as well.
And the only time I need sensitivity training probably is when I insult Big Helmet himself, Barry Bonds -- all three of him.
I am the All-Star guru, today, just for a few hours, and here are the picks (note to Garner and Guillen: Crib freely with my blessing)...
American League
First base: Jason Giambi, Yankees.
Backup: Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox.
Hey all of you David Ortiz fans, settle down -- on this team, designated hitter is its own category, and you'll find Ortiz there. Giambi is back to playing as if he still had long hair and visible tattoos, back before he went all corporate with the Yankees (and actually was a menace at the plate). His .426 on-base percentage, 22 homers and 61 RBI are keeping the Yankees headed north despite all of the injuries.
Second base: Jose Lopez, Seattle.
Backup: Robinson Cano, Yankees.
Jose Lopez is getting it done for the Mariners. (Getty Images)
Jose Lopez is getting it done for the Mariners. (Getty Images)
In a down year for AL second baseman, Lopez not only is the most exciting of the bunch, he's also the most overlooked. Signed by the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent in 2000, Lopez is the most dangerous Mariner with runners in scoring position, batting an astounding .390. He's also tied with Cleveland's Grady Sizemore for the league lead with six triples.
Shortstop: Michael Young, Texas
Backups: Derek Jeter, Yankees; Miguel Tejada, Baltimore.
If Young played in New York, he'd be a household name by now. If he played in Boston, he'd be a cult hero. If he played in ... you get the idea. I don't know why more people don't know more about this guy. You really could go one of three ways here -- see the backups listed below -- but Young is so consistent and it's hard to argue with his .327 batting average and league-leading 27 doubles.
Third base: Troy Glaus, Toronto
Backup: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees.
Came within a few keystrokes of typing "Alex Rodriguez" in as the pick. Despite the recent boos at Yankee Stadium and his growing reputation for failing in the clutch, A-Rod is still one of the game's best talents. But Glaus should be recognized for the job he's doing in Toronto, starting with his 21 homers and doing his part to keep the Blue Jays within striking distance in the AL East. His .248 batting average bothers me -- but A-Rod's June numbers (.224 batting average, .365 slugging percentage) bother me more.
Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota
Backup: Victor Martinez, Cleveland
The guy is batting .392 with a league-leading .454 on-base percentage as June ends and reminding everybody of Rod Carew, and did you see what he did this week against the Dodgers? He went 11-for-13. As Torii Hunter said, "What Joe Mauer's doing is sick. He's 23 years old. What's he going to do when he gets man muscles?"
Designated hitter: David Ortiz, Boston.
Backup: Jim Thome, White Sox.
When they dreamed up that little old designated hitter thing back in 1972, they didn't know it at the time, but they invented it for Boston's Ortiz. Solid as usual, checking in at 22 homers and 68 RBI. And nobody is as monstrous during clutch time as Big Papi.
Outfielders: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle; Vernon Wells, Toronto; Jermaine Dye, White Sox.
Backups: Alex Rios, Toronto; Magglio Ordonez, Detroit; Reggie Sanders, Kansas City; Nick Swisher, Oakland.
Wells, a no-brainer, is all over the leaderboard with 20 homers, 62 RBI and a .611 slugging percentage. Ichiro is at .358 and had as good a June as A-Rod did a poor one. Dye, at 20 homers and a .615 slugging percentage -- second in the AL -- is having a good enough year to nudge Toronto's Rios, who is a top 10 guy in slugging percentage (.585) and extra-base hits (37).
Starting pitcher: Johan Santana, Minnesota
The rest of the staff: Roy Halladay, Toronto; Jose Contreras, White Sox; Mark Buehrle, White Sox; Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay; Kenny Rogers, Detroit; Justin Verlander, Detroit; Jon Papelbon, Boston; Bobby Jenks, White Sox; Francisco Rodriguez, Angels; Barry Zito, Oakland; Curt Schilling, Boston.
Watch manager Guillen go with his homeboy, Jose Contreras, who is 8-0 and has won 16 consecutive decisions dating back to last season. And there's certainly a case to be made for that. But Santana is the only AL starter with a sub-3.00 ERA, and his 2.59 ranks second in the majors. Opponents are hitting only .216 against him (and only .221 against Contreras).
It's tough leaving Minnesota's Francisco Liriano off of the staff, but here's where numbers come into play. With every team needing at least one representative, Tampa Bay (Kazmir) and Oakland (Zito) get two slots on the 13-man pitching staff.
National League
First base: Albert Pujols, St. Louis.
Backups: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia; Lance Berkman, Houston.
No explanation needed here. Pujols. Next?
Second base: Dan Uggla, Florida.
Backups: Chase Utley, Philadelphia.
Tough call here. Utley falls into the same category of Texas' Young -- one of the best players you may not know about. Brandon Phillips is having a terrific season in Cincinnati and deserves to be on the team as well. But Uggla, Florida's Rule V pick from Arizona, has been incredible. You can't look at a Marlins box score without finding out that Uggla had three hits, or another home run, or did something else to help the Marlins win.
Shortstop: Jose Reyes, New York Mets
Backup: Edgar Renteria, Atlanta.
The recent author of a 13-game hitting streak, Reyes also leads the NL in runs (67), triples (10) and steals (34). Both healthy and a little more seasoned this summer -- he turned 23 earlier this month -- Reyes is an emerging superstar.
Third base: David Wright, New York Mets.
Backups: Scott Rolen, St. Louis; Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh.
The way both he and the Mets are going, Wright could be on his way toward a Most Valuable Player award. The guy is second in the NL in hits (98) and total bases (177), tied for fourth in RBI (64), sixth in slugging percentage (.600) and seventh in batting average with runners in scoring position (.365). Rolen is on track for Comeback Player of the Year, and Sanchez, third in the NL at .349 and sixth with a .370 average with runners in scoring position, has been phenomenal in Joe Randa's absence.
Catcher: Mike Piazza, San Diego.
Backup: Brian McCann, Atlanta.
The catching pool in the NL is shallower than the kiddie pool at your neighborhood park this summer. As such, Piazza is hereby awarded the starting job in his native Pennsylvania in what could be his final season. He has whacked 11 homers and has collected 31 RBI, power numbers that stand out in this weak pool. A tip of the cap to McCann's .353 average -- he and shortstop Renteria are a couple of lone bright lights in this bummer of a season for the Braves -- but overall, Piazza's numbers are good enough to place a likely future Hall of Famer into the NL starting lineup.
Designated hitter: Miguel Cabrera, Florida
Backup: Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers.
Remember all of those spring theories about how Cabrera wouldn't get much to hit this summer because of the weakened, post-fire-sale Marlins lineup? Wellll ... never mind. The guy remains as dangerous as ever -- check out the .444 on-base percentage, .579 slugging percentage, .371 batting average with runners in scoring position, and on, and on, and on ...
Outfielders: Jason Bay, Pittsburgh; Carlos Lee, Milwaukee; Matt Holliday, Colorado.
Backups: Alfonso Soriano, Washington; Andruw Jones, Atlanta; Carlos Beltran, New York Mets.
The Rockies get less play than All in the Family reruns on Nick at Nite, but Holliday is having a phenomenal year. He leads all NL outfielders with a 1.010 OPS and tops the NL in hits (104), total bases (181), doubles (26) and extra-base hits (44). His .354 batting average ranks second only to that of Nomar Garciaparra. Bay's .945 OPS ranks third among NL outfielders, trailing only those of Holliday and the Mets' Carlos Beltran (1.017). Lee is putting the hops in Milwaukee's brew with exquisite numbers across the board.
Starting pitcher: Tom Glavine, New York Mets.
The rest of the staff: Brandon Webb, Arizona; Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati; Jason Schmidt, San Francisco; Carlos Zambrano, Cubs; Chris Carpenter, St. Louis; Roy Oswalt, Houston; Pedro Martinez, New York Mets; Chris Young, San Diego; Derrick Turnbow, Milwaukee; Trevor Hoffman, San Diego; Tom Gordon, Philadelphia;
You could go in any number of directions here. Arroyo leads the NL with a 2.58 ERA. Martinez (.190) leads in opponents' batting average. Zambrano leads in strikeouts (112). Glavine leads in wins (11). Webb's sinker is devastating enough that he led the league in ERA and lowest opponents' batting average for much of the season. The vote here is Glavine, because nobody has been more persistent or successful this season. Plus, at 40, he's closing in on 300 wins.
The fans' vote
Here's a refresher on where the fans' voting stood with balloting set to close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday:
American League: Ortiz, Boston, 1B; Cano, Yankees, 2B; Jeter, Yankees, SS; Rodriguez, Yankees, 3B; Jason Varitek, C, Boston; Manny Ramirez, Boston, Suzuki, Seattle, Vladimir Guerrero, Angels, outfield.
National League: Pujols, St. Louis, 1B; Utley, Philadelphia, 2B; Reyes, Mets, SS; Wright, Mets, 3B; Paul LoDuca, Mets, C; Bay, Pittsburgh, Beltran, Mets, Soriano, Washington, outfield.
A whole new way to think about cups
An unexpected power surge this season has Oakland outfielder Swisher in the running for the first All-Star Game of his career. After putting up 21 homers last season, Swisher already has crushed 19 -- along with a .277 batting average, a .547 slugging percentage and .392 on-base percentage.
What's up with the sudden power surge?
Well, part of it is a combination of experience and tips from hitting coach Gerald Perry and designated hitter Frank Thomas.
And part of it, it's kind of ... ah, an accident.
When a shipment of Swisher's bats arrived late this spring, they were uncupped, and he wanted them cupped.
Uncupped, as in the tip of the barrel scooped out, rather than the normal rounded top.
"I didn't have any other bats to swing, so I was like, 'I guess these are the ones I'm rolling with,'" Swisher says.
The wrong bat quickly became the right one.
"One thing, when I put that bat in my hands, the bat feels awesome," he says. "In this game, you've got to have self motivation and confidence, and every time I pick up that bat, I feel stronger and more confident."
Swisher, a switch-hitter, already had decided to use a lighter bat for all of his at-bats this season -- largely because, in the past, he used two different sizes, one for hitting right-handed and one for hitting left-handed.
"I got sick of carrying two bats to the batting cage every day," he says.
So he decided to go with one size, a lighter size. In the past, he used a 34-inch, 33-ounce bat. Looking for the one-size-fits-all this year, he decided to drop to a 34-inch, 31½-ounce stick.
But the shipment from Louisville Slugger this spring was 34 inches and 30 ounces -- the scooped out barrel tops were the reason for the extra lightness.
"It's crazy how that stuff happens," Swisher says. "You get bats that are too light, and they end up working out."
Batting around
Swisher lists his five favorite fast-food joints:
1. In-N-Out: "The best burgers I've ever had, and they're somewhat healthy."
2. Wendy's: "Three words: Junior Bacon Cheeseburger."
3. Burger King: "Whopper."
4. Chipotle: "I love Chipotle. That's all I can say. I love Chipotle -- however the hell they say it."
5. Carl's Jr.: "It's Hardee's back home where I come from (Columbus, Ohio). Best hot ham-and-cheese ever. I grew up on those things.
By Scott Miller
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
I am Phil Garner, though I don't throw chairs from dugouts nearly as well.
And the only time I need sensitivity training probably is when I insult Big Helmet himself, Barry Bonds -- all three of him.
I am the All-Star guru, today, just for a few hours, and here are the picks (note to Garner and Guillen: Crib freely with my blessing)...
American League
First base: Jason Giambi, Yankees.
Backup: Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox.
Hey all of you David Ortiz fans, settle down -- on this team, designated hitter is its own category, and you'll find Ortiz there. Giambi is back to playing as if he still had long hair and visible tattoos, back before he went all corporate with the Yankees (and actually was a menace at the plate). His .426 on-base percentage, 22 homers and 61 RBI are keeping the Yankees headed north despite all of the injuries.
Second base: Jose Lopez, Seattle.
Backup: Robinson Cano, Yankees.
Jose Lopez is getting it done for the Mariners. (Getty Images)
Jose Lopez is getting it done for the Mariners. (Getty Images)
In a down year for AL second baseman, Lopez not only is the most exciting of the bunch, he's also the most overlooked. Signed by the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent in 2000, Lopez is the most dangerous Mariner with runners in scoring position, batting an astounding .390. He's also tied with Cleveland's Grady Sizemore for the league lead with six triples.
Shortstop: Michael Young, Texas
Backups: Derek Jeter, Yankees; Miguel Tejada, Baltimore.
If Young played in New York, he'd be a household name by now. If he played in Boston, he'd be a cult hero. If he played in ... you get the idea. I don't know why more people don't know more about this guy. You really could go one of three ways here -- see the backups listed below -- but Young is so consistent and it's hard to argue with his .327 batting average and league-leading 27 doubles.
Third base: Troy Glaus, Toronto
Backup: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees.
Came within a few keystrokes of typing "Alex Rodriguez" in as the pick. Despite the recent boos at Yankee Stadium and his growing reputation for failing in the clutch, A-Rod is still one of the game's best talents. But Glaus should be recognized for the job he's doing in Toronto, starting with his 21 homers and doing his part to keep the Blue Jays within striking distance in the AL East. His .248 batting average bothers me -- but A-Rod's June numbers (.224 batting average, .365 slugging percentage) bother me more.
Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota
Backup: Victor Martinez, Cleveland
The guy is batting .392 with a league-leading .454 on-base percentage as June ends and reminding everybody of Rod Carew, and did you see what he did this week against the Dodgers? He went 11-for-13. As Torii Hunter said, "What Joe Mauer's doing is sick. He's 23 years old. What's he going to do when he gets man muscles?"
Designated hitter: David Ortiz, Boston.
Backup: Jim Thome, White Sox.
When they dreamed up that little old designated hitter thing back in 1972, they didn't know it at the time, but they invented it for Boston's Ortiz. Solid as usual, checking in at 22 homers and 68 RBI. And nobody is as monstrous during clutch time as Big Papi.
Outfielders: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle; Vernon Wells, Toronto; Jermaine Dye, White Sox.
Backups: Alex Rios, Toronto; Magglio Ordonez, Detroit; Reggie Sanders, Kansas City; Nick Swisher, Oakland.
Wells, a no-brainer, is all over the leaderboard with 20 homers, 62 RBI and a .611 slugging percentage. Ichiro is at .358 and had as good a June as A-Rod did a poor one. Dye, at 20 homers and a .615 slugging percentage -- second in the AL -- is having a good enough year to nudge Toronto's Rios, who is a top 10 guy in slugging percentage (.585) and extra-base hits (37).
Starting pitcher: Johan Santana, Minnesota
The rest of the staff: Roy Halladay, Toronto; Jose Contreras, White Sox; Mark Buehrle, White Sox; Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay; Kenny Rogers, Detroit; Justin Verlander, Detroit; Jon Papelbon, Boston; Bobby Jenks, White Sox; Francisco Rodriguez, Angels; Barry Zito, Oakland; Curt Schilling, Boston.
Watch manager Guillen go with his homeboy, Jose Contreras, who is 8-0 and has won 16 consecutive decisions dating back to last season. And there's certainly a case to be made for that. But Santana is the only AL starter with a sub-3.00 ERA, and his 2.59 ranks second in the majors. Opponents are hitting only .216 against him (and only .221 against Contreras).
It's tough leaving Minnesota's Francisco Liriano off of the staff, but here's where numbers come into play. With every team needing at least one representative, Tampa Bay (Kazmir) and Oakland (Zito) get two slots on the 13-man pitching staff.
National League
First base: Albert Pujols, St. Louis.
Backups: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia; Lance Berkman, Houston.
No explanation needed here. Pujols. Next?
Second base: Dan Uggla, Florida.
Backups: Chase Utley, Philadelphia.
Tough call here. Utley falls into the same category of Texas' Young -- one of the best players you may not know about. Brandon Phillips is having a terrific season in Cincinnati and deserves to be on the team as well. But Uggla, Florida's Rule V pick from Arizona, has been incredible. You can't look at a Marlins box score without finding out that Uggla had three hits, or another home run, or did something else to help the Marlins win.
Shortstop: Jose Reyes, New York Mets
Backup: Edgar Renteria, Atlanta.
The recent author of a 13-game hitting streak, Reyes also leads the NL in runs (67), triples (10) and steals (34). Both healthy and a little more seasoned this summer -- he turned 23 earlier this month -- Reyes is an emerging superstar.
Third base: David Wright, New York Mets.
Backups: Scott Rolen, St. Louis; Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh.
The way both he and the Mets are going, Wright could be on his way toward a Most Valuable Player award. The guy is second in the NL in hits (98) and total bases (177), tied for fourth in RBI (64), sixth in slugging percentage (.600) and seventh in batting average with runners in scoring position (.365). Rolen is on track for Comeback Player of the Year, and Sanchez, third in the NL at .349 and sixth with a .370 average with runners in scoring position, has been phenomenal in Joe Randa's absence.
Catcher: Mike Piazza, San Diego.
Backup: Brian McCann, Atlanta.
The catching pool in the NL is shallower than the kiddie pool at your neighborhood park this summer. As such, Piazza is hereby awarded the starting job in his native Pennsylvania in what could be his final season. He has whacked 11 homers and has collected 31 RBI, power numbers that stand out in this weak pool. A tip of the cap to McCann's .353 average -- he and shortstop Renteria are a couple of lone bright lights in this bummer of a season for the Braves -- but overall, Piazza's numbers are good enough to place a likely future Hall of Famer into the NL starting lineup.
Designated hitter: Miguel Cabrera, Florida
Backup: Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers.
Remember all of those spring theories about how Cabrera wouldn't get much to hit this summer because of the weakened, post-fire-sale Marlins lineup? Wellll ... never mind. The guy remains as dangerous as ever -- check out the .444 on-base percentage, .579 slugging percentage, .371 batting average with runners in scoring position, and on, and on, and on ...
Outfielders: Jason Bay, Pittsburgh; Carlos Lee, Milwaukee; Matt Holliday, Colorado.
Backups: Alfonso Soriano, Washington; Andruw Jones, Atlanta; Carlos Beltran, New York Mets.
The Rockies get less play than All in the Family reruns on Nick at Nite, but Holliday is having a phenomenal year. He leads all NL outfielders with a 1.010 OPS and tops the NL in hits (104), total bases (181), doubles (26) and extra-base hits (44). His .354 batting average ranks second only to that of Nomar Garciaparra. Bay's .945 OPS ranks third among NL outfielders, trailing only those of Holliday and the Mets' Carlos Beltran (1.017). Lee is putting the hops in Milwaukee's brew with exquisite numbers across the board.
Starting pitcher: Tom Glavine, New York Mets.
The rest of the staff: Brandon Webb, Arizona; Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati; Jason Schmidt, San Francisco; Carlos Zambrano, Cubs; Chris Carpenter, St. Louis; Roy Oswalt, Houston; Pedro Martinez, New York Mets; Chris Young, San Diego; Derrick Turnbow, Milwaukee; Trevor Hoffman, San Diego; Tom Gordon, Philadelphia;
You could go in any number of directions here. Arroyo leads the NL with a 2.58 ERA. Martinez (.190) leads in opponents' batting average. Zambrano leads in strikeouts (112). Glavine leads in wins (11). Webb's sinker is devastating enough that he led the league in ERA and lowest opponents' batting average for much of the season. The vote here is Glavine, because nobody has been more persistent or successful this season. Plus, at 40, he's closing in on 300 wins.
The fans' vote
Here's a refresher on where the fans' voting stood with balloting set to close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday:
American League: Ortiz, Boston, 1B; Cano, Yankees, 2B; Jeter, Yankees, SS; Rodriguez, Yankees, 3B; Jason Varitek, C, Boston; Manny Ramirez, Boston, Suzuki, Seattle, Vladimir Guerrero, Angels, outfield.
National League: Pujols, St. Louis, 1B; Utley, Philadelphia, 2B; Reyes, Mets, SS; Wright, Mets, 3B; Paul LoDuca, Mets, C; Bay, Pittsburgh, Beltran, Mets, Soriano, Washington, outfield.
A whole new way to think about cups
An unexpected power surge this season has Oakland outfielder Swisher in the running for the first All-Star Game of his career. After putting up 21 homers last season, Swisher already has crushed 19 -- along with a .277 batting average, a .547 slugging percentage and .392 on-base percentage.
What's up with the sudden power surge?
Well, part of it is a combination of experience and tips from hitting coach Gerald Perry and designated hitter Frank Thomas.
And part of it, it's kind of ... ah, an accident.
When a shipment of Swisher's bats arrived late this spring, they were uncupped, and he wanted them cupped.
Uncupped, as in the tip of the barrel scooped out, rather than the normal rounded top.
"I didn't have any other bats to swing, so I was like, 'I guess these are the ones I'm rolling with,'" Swisher says.
The wrong bat quickly became the right one.
"One thing, when I put that bat in my hands, the bat feels awesome," he says. "In this game, you've got to have self motivation and confidence, and every time I pick up that bat, I feel stronger and more confident."
Swisher, a switch-hitter, already had decided to use a lighter bat for all of his at-bats this season -- largely because, in the past, he used two different sizes, one for hitting right-handed and one for hitting left-handed.
"I got sick of carrying two bats to the batting cage every day," he says.
So he decided to go with one size, a lighter size. In the past, he used a 34-inch, 33-ounce bat. Looking for the one-size-fits-all this year, he decided to drop to a 34-inch, 31½-ounce stick.
But the shipment from Louisville Slugger this spring was 34 inches and 30 ounces -- the scooped out barrel tops were the reason for the extra lightness.
"It's crazy how that stuff happens," Swisher says. "You get bats that are too light, and they end up working out."
Batting around
Swisher lists his five favorite fast-food joints:
1. In-N-Out: "The best burgers I've ever had, and they're somewhat healthy."
2. Wendy's: "Three words: Junior Bacon Cheeseburger."
3. Burger King: "Whopper."
4. Chipotle: "I love Chipotle. That's all I can say. I love Chipotle -- however the hell they say it."
5. Carl's Jr.: "It's Hardee's back home where I come from (Columbus, Ohio). Best hot ham-and-cheese ever. I grew up on those things.