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AL Starters

C Alex Avila
1B Adrian Gonzalez
2B Robinson Cano
3B Alex Rodriguez
SS Derek Jeter
OF Jose Bautista
OF Curtis Granderson
OF Josh Hamilton
DH David Ortiz

Pitchers

RHP Josh Beckett
RHP Aaron Crow
LHP Gio Gonzalez
RHP Felix Hernandez
RHP Brandon League
RHP Chris Perez
LHP David Price
RHP Mariano Rivera
RHP James Shields
RHP Jose Valverde
RHP Justin Verlander
RHP Jered Weaver
LHP C.J. Wilson

Reserves

3B Adrian Beltre
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
1B Miguel Cabrera
OF Michael Cuddyer
OF Jacoby Ellsbury
OF Matt Joyce
2B Howie Kendrick
C Russell Martin
OF Carlos Quentin
C Matt Wieters
INF Michael Young

This may be my homerism talking, but where the hell are Tex and CC? Why in the hell are Jeter and A-Rod starters? Where's Paul Konerko?

NL

C Brian McCann
1B Prince Fielder
2B Rickie Weeks
3B Placido Polanco
SS Jose Reyes
OF Ryan Braun
OF Lance Berkman
OF Matt Kemp

Pitchers

RHP Heath Bell
RHP Matt Cain
RHP Tyler Clippard
LHP Cole Hamels
RHP Roy Halladay
RHP Joel Hanrahan
RHP Jair Jurrjens
LHP Clayton Kershaw
LHP Cliff Lee
RHP Tim Lincecum
LHP Jonny Venters
RHP Ryan Vogelsong
RHP Brian Wilson

Reserves

OF Jay Bruce
OF Carlos Beltran
SS Starlin Castro
OF Matt Holliday
3B Chipper Jones
C Yadier Molina
OF Hunter Pence
2B Brandon Phillips
1B Gaby Sanchez
SS Troy Tulowitzki
1B Joey Votto
OF Justin Upton

All in all, this season seems kind of underwhelming, in a sense, to me. The star power of these rosters are kind of lacking. I understand having guys in the game who are having outstanding seasons thus far, but some of the bigger guys are missing votes that under-the-radar guys are taking.

Maybe I'm just losing grip.

Thoughts?

I don`t have an issue with A-Rod starting. Jeter over several vastly superior shortstops is criminal, but there`s always hope that he`ll have to sit it out. League and Valverde shouldn`t be anywhere near the All-Star team. Leaving Sabathia off is bizarre. Michael Young over Teixeira, or Konerko, or Lind (who is having a monster season; he`s top ten in the AL in home runs despite missing a third of the year) is inexplicable. Any number of people over Pujols, who still has an OPS+ of 140 even with a BABIP sixty points below his career average. Yadier Molina makes it over Miguel Montero.

Wouldn`t be the All-Star Game if the rosters made the slightest bit of sense, I guess.

These rosters are honestly better than the ones we get most years, Jeter notwithstanding. CC is a victim of positional depth. Gonzalez, Miggy, and Konerko are all more deserving than Teix, and Konerko won't even make it unless he wins the final vote. Carrying three catchers is pretty dumb when Avila is the only deserving All-Star in the AL.

Jhonny Peralta and Andrew Mccutchen both got screwed. It would've been nice to see the league honor the Pirates' best season in a while by using their auto-bid to elect their best player instead of their also-ran closer. Hell, let's stop putting so many relievers in the game altogether.

Schadenfreude wrote:League and Valverde shouldn`t be anywhere near the All-Star team.

Do you know anything about baseball?

League LEADS THE LEAGUE in saves and has only blown three, while Valverde is a perfect 20/20 in save opportunities.

Bay_Areas_Finest wrote:

Schadenfreude wrote:League and Valverde shouldn`t be anywhere near the All-Star team.

Do you know anything about baseball?

League LEADS THE LEAGUE in saves and has only blown three, while Valverde is a perfect 20/20 in save opportunities.

First off, Brandon League does not lead the league in saves. They both also have ERA's over three and losing records, not to mention Valverde has also walked 20 guys this year. Most relievers are never really worthy of All-Star bids, they just feel the need to fill out rosters with them and not give amazing starters the chance to prove their ability in the clutch.

Da Schwab wrote:First off, Brandon League does not lead the league in saves. They both also have ERA's over three and losing records, not to mention Valverde has also walked 20 guys this year. Most relievers are never really worthy of All-Star bids, they just feel the need to fill out rosters with them and not give amazing starters the chance to prove their ability in the clutch.

Brandon League DOES lead the LEAGUE in saves. Check the stats. Christ.

And Valverde is perfect in save situations. Who cares if he has 20 walks. The guy has come into the game and closed things out with no hiccup yet. That's worthy of an all-star bid.

I'm nit-picky when it comes to relievers as well, but those two guys deserve it over anyone else, IMO, with the categories they lead in.

Bay_Areas_Finest wrote:

Schadenfreude wrote:League and Valverde shouldn`t be anywhere near the All-Star team.

Do you know anything about baseball?

League LEADS THE LEAGUE in saves and has only blown three, while Valverde is a perfect 20/20 in save opportunities.

Yes, I do know something about baseball. This is why I know that saves are an idiotic and arbitrary stat, League has benefited from a team that generates a tonne of save opportunities because they cannot score, and Valverde is the luckiest motherf*cker on the planet. Valverde is walking five batters per nine innings right now, his xFIP sits at a thoroughly mediocre 4.09, and he has produced 0.2 WAR; he's due for a serious regression. League is a product of Safeco; he has an ERA in the low 1.00s at home, and in the mid-6.00s on the road. Neither are really deserving All-Stars.

Does anybody know how many votes mlb.com allows you to cast for the Final Vote contestants? I have been casting votes for 2 days expecting to be cutoff at some point (like I was when voting for the All Star teams) telling me that I've reached some limit and haven't.

You guys didn't mention Tommy Hanson as a snub. Top 5 in ERA and WHIP. He deserves it over the downward slide that is Big Time Timmy Jim.