AL All-Star Picks

[ntorvik]

1B-Miguel Cabrera
2B-Ben Zobrist
SS-Asdrubal Cabrera
3B-Adrian Beltre
C-Russell Martin
DH-Travis Hafner
OF-Jose Bautista
OF-Curtis Granderson
OF-B.J. Upton

I write for this site and have a little rundown. I always hate how it becomes a popularity contest, these All-Star games. It drives me crazy. I haven't gone through the pitchers yet.

http://www.upperdeckreport.com/news_art ... _id=290721

[Dirty Water]

It's close but I'd put Adrian Gonzalez (.322 BA, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 27 R, .951 OPS) over Miguel Cabrera (.307 BA, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 31 R, .977 OPS).

Howie Kendrick is having a great year at 2nd base and could argue him over Zobrist. Both have tailed off a bit but both solid choices. I have a feeling fans will probably vote in Cano or Pedroia regardless though.

And if you're going to go with a speed guy, I'd put Ellsbury over BJ Upton who is hitting 35 points higher and has almost twice as many steals.

[ntorvik]

I do think Gonzalez will get the vote, I like Miggy because I feel like he gets overshadowed some times because he plays for the Tigers, so I'd go with him anyways.

I want Zobrist to get voted in, even though he has tailed off a bit, and I know that Cano is having a good year (Pedroia too), but again, I like to go with the overshadowed guys a bit, ya know? Makes it more interesting.

As far as Ellsbury and Upton go, I just like Upton's play a little bit more, not sure why.

[Dirty Water]

Pedroia is having a pretty bad year actually. He probably won't be an all-star unless he's voted in.

[Bay_Areas_Finest]

Upton? Seriously? Dude is hot garbage. Just because of the 7 homeruns? Guy has a mediocre average and a crappy OBP. There are far better candidates.

C: Alex Avila
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Howie Kendrick
SS: Asdrubal Cabrera
3B: Michael Young
DH: Travis Hafner
OF: Jose Batista
OF: Curtis Granderson
OF: Ben Zobrist

P: Trevor Cahill


God damn the AL sucks.

[TSE]

Well only 5 of the top 12 spending teams are in the AL. And one of them, the Tigers, are a complete embarrassment, so that huge money advantage being improperly spent, just diminishes the average amount of talent available to those 5 AL top teams as the talent we pay for we aren't getting, it's going to the smarter teams in the NL. Same thing with the Yankess and the Red Sox. Those teams are also poorly run and they lose a lot of efficiency, so we see massive dollars being wasted by the AL, which gives advantage to the NL to scoop up the real talent at a bargain price. Just too many excessively stupid and grotesquely incompetent AL GMs.

[Starkiller]

Well only 5 of the top 12 spending teams are in the AL. And one of them, the Tigers, are a complete embarrassment, so that huge money advantage being improperly spent, just diminishes the average amount of talent available to those 5 AL top teams as the talent we pay for we aren't getting, it's going to the smarter teams in the NL. Same thing with the Yankess and the Red Sox. Those teams are also poorly run and they lose a lot of efficiency, so we see massive dollars being wasted by the AL, which gives advantage to the NL to scoop up the real talent at a bargain price. Just too many excessively stupid and grotesquely incompetent AL GMs.

Dafuq does this have to do with anything and wtf are you talking about?

[craig01]

Well only 5 of the top 12 spending teams are in the AL. And one of them, the Tigers, are a complete embarrassment, so that huge money advantage being improperly spent, just diminishes the average amount of talent available to those 5 AL top teams as the talent we pay for we aren't getting, it's going to the smarter teams in the NL. Same thing with the Yankess and the Red Sox. Those teams are also poorly run and they lose a lot of efficiency, so we see massive dollars being wasted by the AL, which gives advantage to the NL to scoop up the real talent at a bargain price. Just too many excessively stupid and grotesquely incompetent AL GMs.

What?

[ntorvik]

I think he was referencing the "AL sucks" comment and trying to explain why the AL isn't as good? I'm not 100% on that, but that about all I can make out of it.

[craig01]

I think he was referencing the "AL sucks" comment and trying to explain why the AL isn't as good? I'm not 100% on that, but that about all I can make out of it.

I read it twice.....and didn't get the point....LOL

If that was his point, I don't think he's right...LOL

[ntorvik]

yeah...I was just trying to help him out. I think the Yankees trump everyone as far as spending goes...so they should count for 7 or something...

[reedhopps]

First of all the AL probably has a handful of the best GMs in Baseball, two of them are on those big market teams you say don't know how to spend their money. Billy Bean is an awsome GM, as is Brian Cashmen, Theo Epstein, Bill Smith is pretty good, Andrew Friedman of the rays is freaking awsome, Jon Daniels/Nolan Ryan have done a great job, and there are more. Cashmen and Epstein are great GMs who spend their money very well. Every GM will have a bad signing or trade here and there, but overall they are great GMs. Cashmen did not want to sign Soriano this off season, but the owners wanted him so the owners signed him. Cashmen went out and got Bartolo Colon, who is having a great year, he signed Russel Martin (also great year), Anduw Jones is a great 4th outfielder he signed. Over the last few years he has also traded for Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, and Arod (a few years before that). He signed CC Sabathia which has been a great investment, Teixera he signed, He got his international scouts to sign Jesus Montero (one of the best catching prospects), Robinso Cano, Manny Banuelos he signed for virtually nothing out of the mexican league (Top 20 LHP prospect in Baseball). Joba Chamberlin, Phil Hughes, and Dave Robertson were all developed and drafted by him. People who call Cashmen and Epstein bad GMs just don't know baseball. AJ Burnett and Carl Pavano are really the only super bad signings (big contracts) he has made over his tenure. Burnett wasn't worth what he paid, but he still is a solid 3rd starter at leasat. Epstein has gotten so many number one draft picks for letting guys like V-Mart and Beltre walk last year. He has allowed himself to load up his farm system so he can have the great young pitchers on his staff that he has. Carl Crawford may have been an OK signing i'm not totally convinced due to his horrible numbers against LHP over his career, but A Gon was a great trade this off season (he had those great prospects to trade for him). I mean seriously, know your stuff if your going to talk crap about rich GMs.

[reedhopps]

Ok sorry that last post was off topic.

The AL starters haev some no brainers.
C Russel Martin (no brainer, because Maur has been hurt all year)
2B Robinson Cano (I read some of your guys coments about Pedroia and Zobrist, but those guys aren't even on the same level as Cano from a defensive and offensive standpoint. He is going to start at 2B for a while)
OF Jose Bautista (no exp. needed)
OF Curtis Granderson (Only CF in the game who can actually hit for serious power, his numbers are gaudy, so easy choice).

Those are really the only no brainers in my humble opinion.

As for the whole AL starters

C-Russel Martin
1B-Teixera or A Gon (not convinced who it should be yet. Cabrera cannot play gold glove defense, which is why I don't think he should start. The other two are both multi time gold glovers)
2B-Cano
3B-A Rod (this is tough, because Longoria has missed a lot of time)
SS-Cabrera
OF-Bautista
OF-Granderson
OF-Nelson Cruz or Josh Hamilton (don't care which one, but they have missed a lot of time as well so that is a tough choice)
DH-Ortiz

[Starkiller]

2B Robinson Cano (I read some of your guys coments about Pedroia and Zobrist, but those guys aren't even on the same level as Cano from a defensive and offensive standpoint. He is going to start at 2B for a while)

Dafuq? Are you serious?

[Dirty Water]

2B Robinson Cano (I read some of your guys coments about Pedroia and Zobrist, but those guys aren't even on the same level as Cano from a defensive and offensive standpoint. He is going to start at 2B for a while)

Dafuq? Are you serious?

This year Cano will be the 2B easily, but it has nothing to do with defense. Pedroia is having a terrible year no doubt, but he is much better defensively than those other two guys. He does also have an AL MVP under his belt, so he's no slouch and will most likely turn it around in the 2nd half. He's probably just a little timid recovering from his foot injury.

[Starkiller]

2B Robinson Cano (I read some of your guys coments about Pedroia and Zobrist, but those guys aren't even on the same level as Cano from a defensive and offensive standpoint. He is going to start at 2B for a while)

Dafuq? Are you serious?

This year Cano will be the 2B easily, but it has nothing to do with defense. Pedroia is having a terrible year no doubt, but he is much better defensively than those other two guys. He does also have an AL MVP under his belt, so he's no slouch and will most likely turn it around in the 2nd half. He's probably just a little timid recovering from his foot injury.

Oh I know, Cano is the best hitting 2B (besides a healthy Chase Utley) by a considerable margin but defensively he's average at best, and no way he's better than Pedroia.