Since I’m never one to do things without the pressure of a deadline, today’s the final day you can vote for the players you want to play in the 2009 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis later this month.
Wait. It’s July already?
Geez.
Anyway, I’m going to try my hand at a little Democracy. You know, the type of government we used to have before we became a Socialist state….
American League
Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota- A surprisingly close call here, considering that Mauer is hitting .392 with 14 homers and 44 RBI. Victor Martinez is having a monster season, hitting .313 with 14 dingers and 57 RBI in almost 100 more at-bats.
First base: Justin Morneau, Minnesota- Yeah, Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis are 1-2 in the voting – thanks to the ballot box stuffing from Yankee and red Sox fans – but Morneau (.309, 19 HR, 64 RBI) is quietly having a better season than both of them.
Second base: Aaron Hill, Toronto- Ian Kinsler may end up winning the vote, but Hill (.301, 19 HR, 56 RBI) is having a tremendous season north of the border.
Third base: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay – Despite a nagging hamstring injury, there’s been no sophomore slump for this guy (.297, 16 HR, 63 RBI).
Shortstop: Derek Jeter, New York – His range might not be what it used to be, but the fact that he has only three errors means that he makes the plays he can. He’s also hitting .307 with nine homers, 32 RBI and 17 steals. Jason Bartlett (.362, 7 HR, 36 RBI) should be a reserve, though. He’s doing a good job down in Tampa.
Outfield: Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay; Ichiro, Seattle and Torii Hunter, Orange County Angels – There are a slew of worthy guys for these three spots, but these guys are carrying their respective clubs right now.
Starting pitcher: Zack Greinke, Kansas City – He’s 10-3 with a 1.95 ERA, 114 strikeouts in 115.1 innings and a string bikini small 1.02 WHIP. Yeah, he’s a beast.
National League
Catcher: Brian McCann, Atlanta – He’s seeing straight and he’s hitting (.310, 8 HR, 33 RBI).
First base: Albert Pujols, St. Louis – He plays quality defense and he’s got 10 steals as well. Oh yeah, did I mention he’s hitting .337 with 30 homers and 77 RBI?
Second base: Chase Utley, Philly – He’s hitting near .300 with 17 home runs and 52 runs batted in so far.
Third base: David Wright, N.Y. Mets – I almost voted for Mark Reynolds, whose massive power (20 HR) masks his Adam Dunn-like strikeout rate (105 in 285 at-bats). But Wright is hitting .340 with 20 steals, which makes up for his sudden drop in power (five homers).
Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez, Florida- Here’s what’s wrong with the way MLB selects its all-star starters. Jimmy Rollins is probably going to start this game. But Rollins is barely hitting .200 while Ramirez is tearing the cover off the ball (.348, 13 HR, 58 RBI).
Outfield: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee; Raul Ibanez, Philly and Brad Hawpe, Colorado- This is a surprisingly weak outfield crop this year. Braun’s having a monster year, but Ibanez is hurt and Hawpe can’t field a lick. But, really, there aren’t any better options.
Starting pitcher: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco – He’s 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA. He also has 132 strikeouts in 114 innings. And he rocks a mullet.
Want to vote? Go here.
