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Written by Les East Tuesday, 30 June 2009 07:38
We're rapidly approaching the 4th of July and that means time is
running out to vote for the Major League All-Star Game participants.
When I was growing up I'd find an excuse to tag along with my mother or father on a trip to Schwegmann's so I could wander over to the Gillette display and grab some All-Star ballots.
They were paper ballots back then. You had to fill them in with a pencil, kind of like an ACT exam or one of those hanging-chad kind of ballots you saw in Florida during the 2000 Presidential election.
But now it's more sophisticated than it was then, or is in the state of Florida now.
You must decide how many of the maximum of 25 ballots you are going to choose to exercise.
Remember, the fans once lost the right to vote for many years because the people in Cincinnati infamously stuffed the ballot box in a manner that would make Mahmoud Ahmadinejad envious.
I don't believe in that approach, though I must admit that as a lifelong National League fan, particularly one old enough to remember when the Senior Circuit dominated the All-Star Game nearly as much as the Junior Circuit now does, I am tempted to sabotage my AL ballot.
I could vote for a whole bunch of Indians, Athletics, and Royals, but I won't. That's not what this is about.
It's about trying to pit the best against the best and hoping for a good game. The Midsummer Classic deserves that much.
To that end, here's one man's reasonably well-thought-out and objective ballot:
American League
Catcher - The Indians' Victor Martinez - who's on the ballot as a catcher even though he's playing first base - is undoubtedly having an All-Star caliber season, but the nod has to go to the Twins' Joe Mauer. Despite being injured for the first month of the season Mauer is neck-and-neck with Martinez for the best power numbers among nominated catchers and is hitting nearly .400.
First base - Believe it or not, the AL has good players that don't have Yankees or Red Sox on their jerseys. No, really. So forget New York's Mark Texeira and Boston' Kevin Youklis. The battle here is between the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera and the Twins' Justin Morneau. I give a slight edge to Cabrera.
Second base - In another close call, I give the edge to the Blue Jays' Aaron Hill - a former LSU star - over the Rangers' Ian Kinsler.
Third base - The sentimental choice here would be the Orioles' Melvin Mora, a former New Orleans Zephyr who has had a much better MLB career than I ever anticipated. But I give it to the Rays' Evan Longoria, in a tight battle with the Angels' Chone Figgins and the Blue Jays' Scott Rolen.
Shortstop - Another former Zephyr, the Tigers' Adam Everett, has to give way to the Rays' Jason Bartlett in a narrow choice over the Yankees' Derek Jeter.
Outfield - Two more sentimental candidates - former Zephyr Bobby Abreu (Angels) and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners) - can't measure up to this trio - the Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki, the Angels' Torii Hunter, and the Orioles' Adam Jones. It was tough to pass on the Red Sox's Jason Bay and the White Sox's Jermaine Dye too.
National League
Catcher - Sentiment favors the Astros' Ivan Rodriguez, a future Hall of Famer who recently broke the Major League record for games played as a catcher, but statistics give this spot to the Braves' Brian McCann is a close battle with the Giants' Bengie Molina.
First base - Another former Zephyr - the Astros' Lance Berkman - comes up short against the Cardinals' Albert Pujols, who prevails at a very competition position against the Brewers' Prince Fielder, the Padres' Adrian Gonzalez, the Reds' Joey Votto, and the Rockies' Todd Helton.
Second base - The sentimental choice - LSU's Mike Fontenot (Cubs) - falls short of the Phillies' Chase Utley, who edges out the Pirates' Freddie Sanchez and the Reds' Brandon Phillips.
Third base - The all-around game of the Mets' David Wright very narrowly prevails over the Giants' Pablo Sandoval as well as the Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds and the Cubs' Aramis Ramirez.
Shortstop - Former LSU star Ryan Theriot (Cubs) comes up short against the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez, who beats out the Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki and the Astros' Miguel Tejada.
Outfield - Former Zephyr Lastings Milledge is an also ran, and another local, former LSU star Brad Hawpe (Rockies) barely misses the cut. The three spots go to the Diamondbacks' Justin Upton, the Brewers' Ryan Braun, and the Phillies' Raul Ibanez, who's expected to come off the disabled list in time to participate July 14 in St. Louis. If Ibanez can't go, I'd give Hawpe the nod over another recovering player, the Mets' Carlos Beltran, as well as the Dodgers' Matt Kemp and the Astros' Carlos Lee.
