Thursday, June 23, 2005
KICK OUT THE JAMS, A.L. STYLE
This year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game is at Detroit’s Comerica Park on Tuesday, July 12. This is the 3rd year that the All-Star Game "counts". While we’re on the whole "this time, it counts" issue, I absolutely hate the fact that the All-Star Game means something. This is a game for the fans, yet the league that wins the game earns homefield advantage in the World Series.
How about giving homefield advantage to the representative in the World Series who has the better record? Last year, the St. Louis Cardinals won 105 games, yet they didn't have the homefield. It was the Boston Red Sox, who earned the A.L. Wild Card, that had the homefield advantage. That's not to say that the Red Sox wouldn’t have beaten the Cardinals anyway. But my idea would be more credible than the current system. With the current system, players such as Hank Blalock and Alfonso Soriano could decide which league has homefield in the World Series in October. By the way, those two players were the past two MVPs in the ASG (Blalock 2003, Soriano 2004).
Today, I'll reveal my 2005 American League All-Stars. My selections are based on the 2005 season only. After all, this is the 2005 All-Star Game. Every team must have a representative, according to the current system. So there will be a notable player or two who will be left off of my roster. Remember, it's my All-Star team.
2005 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM (starters in italics)
CATCHER
BOS – Jason Varitek
DET – Ivan Rodriguez
FIRST BASE
TEX – Mark Teixeira
CWS – Paul Konerko
SEA - Richie Sexson
SECOND BASE
BAL – Brian Roberts
TEX – Alfonso Soriano
TB – Jorge Cantu
SHORTSTOP
BAL – Miguel Tejada
TEX - Michael Young
THIRD BASE
NYY – Alex Rodriguez
BAL – Melvin Mora
DESIGNATED HITTER
BOS – David Ortiz
OUTFIELDERS
BOS – Manny Ramirez
SEA – Ichiro
ANA – Vladimir Guerrero
BOS – Johnny Damon
NYY – Gary Sheffield
KC – Emil Brown
OAK – Mark Kotsay
ANA – Garret Anderson
STARTING PITCHERS
TOR – Roy Halladay
CWS – Jon Garland
BOS – Matt Clement
MIN – Johan Santana
ANA – Bartolo Colon
TEX – Kenny Rogers
CLE – Cliff Lee
RELIEF PITCHERS
SEA – Eddie Guardado
NYY – Mariano Rivera
CLE – Bob Wickman
BAL – B.J. Ryan
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
---The 32nd Man for the American League will be Richie Sexson.
---No Derek Jeter? Hey, it's my team.
---Every team has to be represented? I don't think so.
---Thank goodness I'm not Boston manager Terry Francona. It's going to be a pain trying to figure out where to put David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero, Miguel Tejada, and Alex Rodriguez in the order.
So there they are, my 2005 American League All-Star roster.
Tomorrow, I'll reveal my 2005 National League All-Stars.
Agree? Disagree? Use the box.
How about giving homefield advantage to the representative in the World Series who has the better record? Last year, the St. Louis Cardinals won 105 games, yet they didn't have the homefield. It was the Boston Red Sox, who earned the A.L. Wild Card, that had the homefield advantage. That's not to say that the Red Sox wouldn’t have beaten the Cardinals anyway. But my idea would be more credible than the current system. With the current system, players such as Hank Blalock and Alfonso Soriano could decide which league has homefield in the World Series in October. By the way, those two players were the past two MVPs in the ASG (Blalock 2003, Soriano 2004).
Today, I'll reveal my 2005 American League All-Stars. My selections are based on the 2005 season only. After all, this is the 2005 All-Star Game. Every team must have a representative, according to the current system. So there will be a notable player or two who will be left off of my roster. Remember, it's my All-Star team.
2005 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM (starters in italics)
CATCHER
BOS – Jason Varitek
DET – Ivan Rodriguez
FIRST BASE
TEX – Mark Teixeira
CWS – Paul Konerko
SEA - Richie Sexson
SECOND BASE
BAL – Brian Roberts
TEX – Alfonso Soriano
TB – Jorge Cantu
SHORTSTOP
BAL – Miguel Tejada
TEX - Michael Young
THIRD BASE
NYY – Alex Rodriguez
BAL – Melvin Mora
DESIGNATED HITTER
BOS – David Ortiz
OUTFIELDERS
BOS – Manny Ramirez
SEA – Ichiro
ANA – Vladimir Guerrero
BOS – Johnny Damon
NYY – Gary Sheffield
KC – Emil Brown
OAK – Mark Kotsay
ANA – Garret Anderson
STARTING PITCHERS
TOR – Roy Halladay
CWS – Jon Garland
BOS – Matt Clement
MIN – Johan Santana
ANA – Bartolo Colon
TEX – Kenny Rogers
CLE – Cliff Lee
RELIEF PITCHERS
SEA – Eddie Guardado
NYY – Mariano Rivera
CLE – Bob Wickman
BAL – B.J. Ryan
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
---The 32nd Man for the American League will be Richie Sexson.
---No Derek Jeter? Hey, it's my team.
---Every team has to be represented? I don't think so.
---Thank goodness I'm not Boston manager Terry Francona. It's going to be a pain trying to figure out where to put David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero, Miguel Tejada, and Alex Rodriguez in the order.
So there they are, my 2005 American League All-Star roster.
Tomorrow, I'll reveal my 2005 National League All-Stars.
Agree? Disagree? Use the box.
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