2005 MLB All-Stars

[Breck Bronc]

NL Starters

C - Mike Piazza, Mets
1B - Derrek Lee, Cubs - what a season he's having
2B - Jeff Kent, Dodgers
3B - Scott Rolen, Cardinals
SS - David Eckstein, Cardinals - ouch, terrible depth at NL SS
OF - Carlos Beltran, Mets
OF - Bobby Abreu, Phillies - finally gets a start
OF - Jim Edmonds, Cardinals

AL Starters

C - Jason Varitek, Red Sox
1B - Mark Teixeira, Rangers - thankfully Tino Martinez was beaten out
2B - Brian Roberts, Orioles
3B - Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
SS - Miguel Tejada, Orioles
OF - Johnny Damon, Red Sox
OF - Manny Ramirez, Red Sox
OF - Vlad Guerrero, Angels
DH - David Ortiz, Red Sox

7 of the 9 AL starters come from the AL East.

NL Reserves

P - Roger Clemens, Astros
P - Dontrelle Willis, Marlins - come on LaRussa, let the D-Train start over Rocket
P - Chris Carpenter, Cardinals
P - John Smoltz, Braves
P - Pedro Marinez, Mets
P - Jake Peavy, Padres
P - Livan Hernandez, Nationals
RP - Brian Fuentes, Rockies
RP - Brad Lidge, Astros - Colorado boy
RP - Chad Cordero, Nationals
RP - Jason Isringhausen, Cardinals
C - Paul Lo Duca, Marlins
1B - Albert Pujols, Cardinals - he'll certainly start at DH
2B - Luis Castillo, Marlins
3B - Aramis Ramirez, Cubs
SS - Cesar Izturis, Dodgers
SS - Felipe Lopez, Reds
OF - Miguel Cabrera, Marlins
OF - Moises Alou, Giants
OF - Jason Bay, Pirates
OF - Luis Gonzalez, Diamondbacks
OF - Carlos Lee, Brewers
OF - Andruw Jones, Braves


AL Reserves

P - Mark Buerhle, White Sox
P - Bartolo Colon, Angels
P - Roy Halladay, Blue Jays - Colorado boy
P - Jon Garland, White Sox
P - Kenny Rogers, Rangers - will he be allowed to participate?
P - Johan Santana, Twins
RP - Mariano Rivera, Yankees
RP - Danys Baez, Devil Rays
RP - Justin Duchscherer, A's - shouldn't Huston Street have gotten this spot?
RP - Joe Nathan, Twins
RP - B.J. Ryan, Orioles
RP - Bob Wickman, Indians
C - Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers
1B - Shea Hillenbrand, Blue Jays
1B - Paul Konerko, White Sox
1B - Mike Sweeney, Royals
2B - Alfonso Soriano, Rangers
3B - Melvin Mora, Orioles
SS - Michael Young, Rangers
OF - Garret Anderson, Angels
OF - Gary Sheffield, Yankees
OF - Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners

[SpringStein]

never mind

[Breck Bronc]

Snubs include Morgan Ensberg, Jose Castillo, Carlos Delgado, Derek Jeter, Jorge Cantu, Brandon Inge, David Delluci, Kevin Mench, Hideki Matsui, Grady Sizemore, Trot Nixon, Jermaine Dye, Nick Johnson, Lyle Overbay, Chase Utley, Bill Hall, Cliff Floyd, Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell, Ken Griffey Jr., J.D. Drew, Brian Giles, Roy Oswalt, Matt Clement, Freddy Garcia, and many more. Nyah!

[FADERPROOF]

I guess when your team is under .500, sending 2 guys to the All-star team is pretty good(Izturis and Kent.)

[Nuggets4]

Needs more Mariners.

Damn, I can't even type that with a straight face.

[Hogan11]

I'll tune in late for Jason Bay's lone at bat for a pitching change...and that'll be it.

[TexanBob]

Lidge has a tender elbow. He hasn't pitched in a week and the Astros are thinking about moving him to the DL. I'd be surprised if he plays.

Roy Oswalt has 10 wins and an ERA under 3.00 (heck, he just got done throwing seven shutout innings at Coors). How he gets left off surprises me.

[DBroncos4life]

Lopez should be the starting NL SS and no way should Beltran even be there. Jones should be starting instead of Beltran.

[Hogan11]

I have a hard time with the All-Star game because of the fan voting, I always have and that's a big reason why I really don't check them out much.

[DBroncos4life]

You know who I think got the shaft the hardest here, its Jermey Bonderman. His era maybe a little high but he still should have been picked over Rogers.

[-Slap-]

Snubs include Morgan Ensberg, Jose Castillo, Carlos Delgado, Derek Jeter, Jorge Cantu, Brandon Inge, David Delluci, Kevin Mench, Hideki Matsui, Grady Sizemore, Trot Nixon, Jermaine Dye, Nick Johnson, Lyle Overbay, Chase Utley, Bill Hall, Cliff Floyd, Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell, Ken Griffey Jr., J.D. Drew, Brian Giles, Roy Oswalt, Matt Clement, Freddy Garcia, and many more. Nyah!

Brandon Webb.

[DBroncos4life]

Brandon Webb.



Him and Matt Morris. Webb kind of fell off of late and that kind of hurt him. Morris could have 11 or 12 wins by now if he started when the season started.

[-Slap-]

I figured only one D-Back would make the squad, so I'm glad Gonzo got the spot, but I wish they had found a place for Webb.

[DBroncos4life]

I figured only one D-Back would make the squad, so I'm glad Gonzo got the spot, but I wish they had found a place for Webb.


I picked up Webb awhile ago and I couldn't be happier. To me he his just like Peavy but he doesn't get near the respect but after last year I guess they gave up on him.

[-Slap-]

I picked up Webb awhile ago and I couldn't be happier. To me he his just like Peavy but he doesn't get near the respect but after last year I guess they gave up on him.

He pitches in a much better hitter's park than Peavy. The key to Webb is his walk rate. As long as he keeps the free passes down he'll be successful. He's very competitive, but he has a lot of composure for a young pitcher. Its a tough combination to master.

[OrangeShadow]

4 starters from the WORLD CHAMPS WOOOOOOO

[Broncoman13]

Morgan got snubbed big time!!! Same with Andrew Jones. He's the NL MVP right now IMO.

While I think that Roy O deserves to be there, it's hard to look at his record and wonder how good he really is... hell, he needs a break I think. 10-7... he must have had a decision in just about every single outing. He's also seemed a bit hot/cold all season. One day he's on the next he's not.

When it comes to NL starting pitcher, it should be an easy decision. D-Train is having a phenomenal year and it doesn't matter how much run support you get or don't get when you're throwing CG's and Shutouts as often as he does. 13 Wins to boot. I think Roger would be a lot better if he has some offense to support him, but Willis deserves the start and Roger will likely force that issue anyhow.

I think it's kind of a fan tradition to vote a Cardinal SS into the game. I'd say for 20 of the last 25 years the NL All-star team has had a St. Louis Cardinal as a SS! Of course 15 or more of those were Ozzie!

[elsid13]

Matt Clement should be on the team, has been the ace of the Red Sox staff and at 9-2 has one of the better records in the league.

[-Slap-]

Morgan got snubbed big time!!! Same with Andrew Jones. He's the NL MVP right now IMO.

While I think that Roy O deserves to be there, it's hard to look at his record and wonder how good he really is... hell, he needs a break I think. 10-7... he must have had a decision in just about every single outing. He's also seemed a bit hot/cold all season. One day he's on the next he's not.

When it comes to NL starting pitcher, it should be an easy decision. D-Train is having a phenomenal year and it doesn't matter how much run support you get or don't get when you're throwing CG's and Shutouts as often as he does. 13 Wins to boot. I think Roger would be a lot better if he has some offense to support him, but Willis deserves the start and Roger will likely force that issue anyhow.

I think it's kind of a fan tradition to vote a Cardinal SS into the game. I'd say for 20 of the last 25 years the NL All-star team has had a St. Louis Cardinal as a SS! Of course 15 or more of those were Ozzie!

Dontrelle is on a completely different level right now. I watched the Mets load the bases with one out in the first inning against him yesterday. He struck out the next two hitters and went on to pitch a three hit shutout.

I usually expect Dontrelle's funky mechanics to betray him at some point, but he's chugging along with machinelike efficiency right now.

[Broncoman13]

Dontrelle is on a completely different level right now. I watched the Mets load the bases with one out in the first inning against him yesterday. He struck out the next two hitters and went on to pitch a three hit shutout.

I usually expect Dontrelle's funky mechanics to betray him at some point, but he's chugging along with machinelike efficiency right now.


Dontrelle was stellar his rookie year up to the break as well. If he can maintain this pace he'll run away with the Cy Young. If Clemens was pitching for say Baltimore he'd be right along side Dontrelle in terms of wins. I think Clemens is the most dominating pitcher in the NL right now, but Dontrelle has the supporting cast to make him the worthy starter. Despite guys like Lowell and Pierre not doing too well the Marlins are a much better offensive team than the Astros. Mark my words though. The Astros will run the 2nd half of the season and finish up right around .750 in the 2nd half giving them an outside shot at the wildcard. It will be hard though... but Berkman will come alive, Morgan will keep it up and Bagwell though past his prime will help when he returns... IF he returns. If they find a way to get back in the hunt they'll make a trade or two. IMO, the worst thing they have done in the past couple years is trading Buck to the Royals. Sure Beltran gave them the push they needed last year to make the NLCS thing happen, but Buck is an up and coming catcher and I honestly think that Brad Ausmus is the weakest link on the Stros team. I know he earns his money behind the plate rather than at the plate, but you need that Catcher that bats around .290 with some power. Brad is consistently around .245 and is lucky to have 10 Homers in a season... usually closer to 7 and maybe 40 RBI's. Pudge would have been the perfect fit... but oh well.

[illbroncsfn]

[QUOTE=Bronco Man 13]Morgan got snubbed big time!!! Same with Andrew Jones. He's the NL MVP right now IMO.

Sorry BMan13- but I think the mid-season M.V.P. belongs to my boy D. Lee :strong:

[Broncoman13]

You're probably right, but chances are the Braves end up with the better record and thus far it's been b/c of Jones. You also have to consider that while Lee has been hot almost the entire year so far Jones has come on strong in the last month and a half. If he keeps up this pace and puts the Braves in the playoffs he will win it. I also have my doubts about Lee maintaining that .380 avg. If he does though it's all over!!! .380 with power... at this point you're right, he is the MVP... I stand corrected. But, Jones is doing more for his team in terms of wins right now. His timely hitting is second to none in the majors.

[-Slap-]

Dontrelle was stellar his rookie year up to the break as well. If he can maintain this pace he'll run away with the Cy Young. If Clemens was pitching for say Baltimore he'd be right along side Dontrelle in terms of wins. I think Clemens is the most dominating pitcher in the NL right now, but Dontrelle has the supporting cast to make him the worthy starter. Despite guys like Lowell and Pierre not doing too well the Marlins are a much better offensive team than the Astros. Mark my words though. The Astros will run the 2nd half of the season and finish up right around .750 in the 2nd half giving them an outside shot at the wildcard. It will be hard though... but Berkman will come alive, Morgan will keep it up and Bagwell though past his prime will help when he returns... IF he returns. If they find a way to get back in the hunt they'll make a trade or two. IMO, the worst thing they have done in the past couple years is trading Buck to the Royals. Sure Beltran gave them the push they needed last year to make the NLCS thing happen, but Buck is an up and coming catcher and I honestly think that Brad Ausmus is the weakest link on the Stros team. I know he earns his money behind the plate rather than at the plate, but you need that Catcher that bats around .290 with some power. Brad is consistently around .245 and is lucky to have 10 Homers in a season... usually closer to 7 and maybe 40 RBI's. Pudge would have been the perfect fit... but oh well.

Baggy's not coming back this year. He opted for season ending surgery. Lidge has been a little shakey and he's battling minor health issues right now. Houston's not going anywhere unless he's good to go in the second half.

Ausmus is an offensive cypher, so is Everett. I think Ausmus' friendship with Baggy and Biggio is keeping him in the lineup as much as his glove. The Astros are a very odd organization. I can't think of any team that's more hostile to young talent, except maybe Baker's Cubs. They jerked Ensberg around like crazy before they realized he's one of their best players, even early this year, they still had a stiff like Lamb bleeding ABs away from him. What the hell was that crap about batting Everett leadoff for the first six weeks of the season? Why even put Taveras in the lineup if you're going to waste him batting eighth, the toughest spot in the lineup for any rookie? Asinine.

[Breck Bronc]

Derrek Lee is unquestionably the NL MVP at this point. The .383 batting average, .452 on-base percentage, and .729 slugging percentage are reason enough. Lee being the best defensive 1B in baseball and his 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts are just icing on the cake.

Andruw Jones is on a great streak right now, but his numbers aren't even close to Lee's, aside from one HR. Jones should be starting in CF for the NL All-Star team over Carlos Beltran, though.

http://i.cnn.net/si/2004/magazine/03/29/cubs/lg_cubs.jpg

How talented was that 2003 Marlins team? They no longer have Derrek Lee, Ivan Rodriguez, Brad Penny, Carl Pavano, Uggie Urbina, Mark Redman and are still a pretty good team. They also won the World Series without the services of A.J. Burnett, who needed Tommy John surgery early that season.

[DBroncos4life]

Hafner is FINALLY playing like someone that should have been voted there. Sweeney is a good hitter but he has been hurt for sometime and could have been left off for that reason.

[Breck Bronc]

Hafner is FINALLY playing like someone that should have been voted there. Sweeney is a good hitter but he has been hurt for sometime and could have been left off for that reason.Hafner should have been the Indians selection instead of Bob Wickman. Mike Sweeney is on the team because they Royals have no other viable candidates. Emil Brown could have been the Royals representative, but neither he nor Sweeney really deserves to go.

The Indians might be a Wild Card sleeper. Victor Martinez seems to be breaking out of his season long slump, Travis Hafner is really crushing the ball, Grady Sizemore is one of the best young players in baseball that nobody knows about, and the starters and bullpen are pitching well without any true studs like the Braves, Marlins, Astros, etc have.

[BroncoManCanuck]

Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in the AL. He should start for the AL.

[-Slap-]

Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in the AL. He should start for the AL.

Agreed. I expect Rich Harden to best the AL's best hurler in the second half, though.

http://images.minorleagueball.com/images/admin/harden.JPG

[-Slap-]

Hafner is FINALLY playing like someone that should have been voted there. Sweeney is a good hitter but he has been hurt for sometime and could have been left off for that reason.

Hafner's hot streak has been beautiful. I kept hoping some teams in my leagues would get antsy drop Pronk or VMart in May, but everybody kept the faith.

[DivineLegion]

As good sports for the many years of support and contribution the MLB has dedicated this years all star game to Balco...

[-Slap-]

As good sports for the many years of support and contribution the MLB has dedicated this years all star game to Balco...

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/162/1498/400/Barry_Balco_THG_Shirt_Back_closeup.jpg

I think they cancelled that event.

[DivineLegion]

What their not doing the homerun durby this year???

[-Slap-]

Hafner is FINALLY playing like someone that should have been voted there. Sweeney is a good hitter but he has been hurt for sometime and could have been left off for that reason.

Pronk's line today:

4-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI

!Booya!

[DBroncos4life]

Pronk's line today:

4-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI

!Booya!



yeah its a good thing too. I traded him away then he was dropped before he got hot and I picked him up again. I love trades like that! Slap about Harden though, my money is on Santana to turn it up and turn lights out on the batters.

[-Slap-]

yeah its a good thing too. I traded him away then he was dropped before he got hot and I picked him up again. I love trades like that! Slap about Harden though, my money is on Santana to turn it up and turn lights out on the batters.

Not a bad bet. Funny that he's struggling at home this year.

Looks like Erik Bedard is finally coming back. Might be a nice pickup if he's out there on your waiver wire. I was surprised to find him available in a couple of my leagues this morning.

[FADERPROOF]

Hafner should have been the Indians selection instead of Bob Wickman. Mike Sweeney is on the team because they Royals have no other viable candidates. Emil Brown could have been the Royals representative, but neither he nor Sweeney really deserves to go.

The Indians might be a Wild Card sleeper. Victor Martinez seems to be breaking out of his season long slump, Travis Hafner is really crushing the ball, Grady Sizemore is one of the best young players in baseball that nobody knows about, and the starters and bullpen are pitching well without any true studs like the Braves, Marlins, Astros, etc have.

I did have the Indians winning the AL Central back in spring training, would've never guessed that the White Sox were going to have this kind of season though.

It would be nice to see the tribe get the WC spot, but their record against winning teams is frightening(something like 15-28.) Coming into the season, I thought that the 1 thing the Indians could count on was their offense, until recently that has been whats killing them. 2 months into the season Hafner and VMart were sitting on 6 homeruns, now they're tearing it up and the tribe is on a hot streak.

Last year, it was their bullpen that killed them, this year their pen has been stellar but the offense has been a let down.

[DBroncos4life]

Not a bad bet. Funny that he's struggling at home this year.

Looks like Erik Bedard is finally coming back. Might be a nice pickup if he's out there on your waiver wire. I was surprised to find him available in a couple of my leagues this morning.


I have him already. Hes been out for sometime but I thought it would be worth the wait.

[Broncoman13]

Dontrelle was stellar his rookie year up to the break as well. If he can maintain this pace he'll run away with the Cy Young. If Clemens was pitching for say Baltimore he'd be right along side Dontrelle in terms of wins. I think Clemens is the most dominating pitcher in the NL right now, but Dontrelle has the supporting cast to make him the worthy starter. Despite guys like Lowell and Pierre not doing too well the Marlins are a much better offensive team than the Astros. Mark my words though. The Astros will run the 2nd half of the season and finish up right around .750 in the 2nd half giving them an outside shot at the wildcard. It will be hard though... but Berkman will come alive, Morgan will keep it up and Bagwell though past his prime will help when he returns... IF he returns. If they find a way to get back in the hunt they'll make a trade or two. IMO, the worst thing they have done in the past couple years is trading Buck to the Royals. Sure Beltran gave them the push they needed last year to make the NLCS thing happen, but Buck is an up and coming catcher and I honestly think that Brad Ausmus is the weakest link on the Stros team. I know he earns his money behind the plate rather than at the plate, but you need that Catcher that bats around .290 with some power. Brad is consistently around .245 and is lucky to have 10 Homers in a season... usually closer to 7 and maybe 40 RBI's. Pudge would have been the perfect fit... but oh well.

Sorry, w/the World Series starting tonight I thought it woudl be nice to bring this back to the top. So that I don't get called a bullchitter when I say that I had faith in the Stros even before the break!!!