Jolt Country

Here we are:

AL:

1st Base Mike Sweeney, KC
2nd Base Brett Boone , Seattle
Shortstop Alex Rodriguez, Texas
3rd Base Eric Hinske, Toronto
Catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Texas
Outfield Tori Hunter, Minnesota
Outfield Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
Outfield Randy Winn, TB


NL:
1st Base Todd Helton, Colorado
2nd Base Luis Castillo, Florida
Shortstop Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia
3rd Base Mike Lowell, Florida
Catcher Mike Piazza, New York
Outfield Albert Pujols, St. Louis
Outfield Barry Bonds, SF
Outfield Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal


I put Pujols over Sosa due to the fact that Pujols would have easily been a starter at about ten other positions if LaRussa had used him there. I didn't feel like penalizing him due to his utility. The quickest way to the majors is probably via third base. There just aren't many decent guys out there.

And I confess that I had Randy Winn there just because he was kicking ass for my IF fantasy team. He may be the first guy really worth a damn to play for the Devil Rays.

1st Base Mike Sweeney, KC
2nd Base Brett Boone , Seattle
Shortstop Alex Rodriguez, Texas
3rd Base Eric Hinske, Toronto
Catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Texas
Outfield Tori Hunter, Minnesota
Outfield Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
Outfield Randy Winn, TB

Well, at least you're unbiased, not taking a SINGLE guy from the best two teams in the American League.

Boone at 2B? Maybe you've heard of that guy SOriano in NY? The guy who is just about on pace to become a 40/40 guy?

Hinske at 3B? Are you voting for the 2002 All-Star game, or the 2005?

I-Rod at catcher!?! Thats a joke, right? You know he's played like 3 games all season, right?

I voted one ballot legitimately (dont remember my picks), and 24 ballots with all Twins / Expos on them.

I admit that Soirano is the best second baseman in the game right now, but fuck him and fuck his team. Why? For this reason:


This is an article by Sean McAdam for ESPN.com. This pussy doesn't put an e-mail address on his column, so people can't tell him what a fucking moron he is. Here's the best quote from him, though:

McAdam, the Fucking Knob-Polishing Monkey wrote: To begin with, Torre has the league's holy trinity of shortstops -- Texas' Alex Rodriguez, Boston's Nomar Garciaparra and his own Derek Jeter. But this summer, the selection process is further complicated by the outstanding seasons being enjoyed by Cleveland's Omar Vizquel and Oakland's Miguel Tejada.

The first three are relative automatics. Rodriguez is arguably the game's most complete player; Garciaparra has rebounded nicely from wrist surgery 15 months ago; and Jeter, while lagging somewhat statistically, deserves a spot based on his star power, his overall accomplishments and his four championship rings.

What the FUCK! This weasel thinks Jeter deserves a free pass ALREADY? Gwynn and Ripken were pushing forty when they were taken care of. I didn't realize "overall accomplishments" (like being a distant third to Nomar and A-Rod every year that those two have both been healthy) was an "accomplishment." I didn't realize that being part of a team with the largest salary differential five years running in the history of pro sports meant that he should automatically get on a team whose lineup is supposed to be made solely of those who have performed well for the first half of the season. Reading shit like that with such a blatant east-coast bias is sickening. NYY-NYM was the lowest rated World Series of all time because of shit just like that.

In order this year: A. Rodriguez, Tejada, Vizquel, Garciaparra, Jeter. That writer should be waiting tables for throwing a take like that out there.

So, yeah, to hell with Soriano and the pinstripes he plays in. Intellectually you can make the argument that he is the AL MVP so far, although if you read that trophy to mean "most valuable to his particular team" I may go with Derek Lowe. Boston has tried chudding it around without a bona fide #2 starter for years now. That they backed into one with Lowe shouldn't make Red Sox Fan wish he had Duquette back or anything, but considering the production they normally get out of the four slobs not named Pedro on the team Lowe is a god-send. So, yeah, either of those two. We can't vote for pitchers, though.

As for Ivan Rodriguez, though he has not played in as many games as other catchers, he's still the best one out there. Catcher is a sad-ass position in the major leagues. Plus, he's been back for about a full month now when the all-star game will be played.

Rather than be tedious, I will let what happened pass without comment.

Although I should note dissatisfaction with Brenly, too.

And I'd really like to see MLB allow us to vote a guy OFF the team, as well as onto it.

That being said, everyone please vote for me with the write-in option.

Thanks in advance.

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I admit that Soirano is the best second baseman in the game right now

Thank you for at least admitting this.

I didn't realize "overall accomplishments" was an "accomplishment."

Jeter is hitting .307, with 11 dingers, 58 runs scored, and 19 SBs. He's not exactly slouching. Yes, he's only got 39 RBIs, but shit, the guys in front of him knock in so many that he doesnt have the opportunities.

That being said... based on stats alone... yes, I would've left Jeter off. The AL has 5 shortstops, and 1 second baseman. Vizquel is going to relieve Soriano at 2B. Because of the talent... Jeter should not have made the cut this year.

We can't vote for pitchers, though.

And why the FUCk is that, anyways? We're smart enough to vote positions, but not pitchers!?

As for Ivan Rodriguez, though he has not played in as many games as other catchers, he's still the best one out there. Catcher is a sad-ass position in the major leagues. Plus, he's been back for about a full month now when the all-star game will be played.

What happened to "What he's done over the first half of this year", and "not making it on past history"? The guy is hitting .274 with 3 HRs and 15 RBIs in 131 ABs. FAR from impressive...

Da King wrote:

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I admit that Soirano is the best second baseman in the game right now

Thank you for at least admitting this.

The thing that people really hate about your team is not the players, but the economic disparity. Soriano seems like a nice enough guy.

Jeter is hitting .307, with 11 dingers, 58 runs scored, and 19 SBs. He's not exactly slouching. Yes, he's only got 39 RBIs, but shit, the guys in front of him knock in so many that he doesnt have the opportunities.

When Larkin won the MVP a few years back, his numbers weren't much better than that. So I hear you. Only thing is, everyone else has just been stupid-good at that position in the AL. Eh, well.

And why the FUCk is that, anyways? We're smart enough to vote positions, but not pitchers!?

Right, that's what kills me. In the NFL apparently "the fans" couldn't handle voting people in for the longest time. Even when we were all given a ballot the players and coaches still have equal input. And what happens? You have guys on the Eagles telling everyone to vote for some scrub kicker, like Carolina's last year or whoever, instead of the other deserving guy (Carney) so that Philly's kicker is guaranteed to go. It's even worse in baseball where managers in both leagues have proved... beyond a SHADOW of any doubt... that they simply CAN NOT HANDLE picking the teams. If I were the kind of person who could express sympathy for someone making that much money to manage a kid's game maybe I'd think something along the lines of, "well, it'd be tough to go back to a clubhouse and manage a team if you left off some of your own guys" but t'hell with that.

What happened to "What he's done over the first half of this year", and "not making it on past history"? The guy is hitting .274 with 3 HRs and 15 RBIs in 131 ABs. FAR from impressive...

Yeah, but all the other AL catchers are so, so, so, so bad (well, Posada is probably only "so" bad compared to Pudge, not so x 4) that they had to go look at defensive stats to find the backup. If they are going to do that then Pudge is right there, what with throwing close to 50% of his runners out again.

But I had no problem with him being left off. The Rangers have been putting lots of guys into the game as of late and it hasn't helped them much in the standings. To hell with them.

To hell, I think, with everybody. Yes. Yes indeed.


Anyway, looks like Pedro Martinez isn't going so he can rest. I wonder if Moyer will take his place or if whoever loses out in the Johnny Damon / Thome / Magglio thing gets to go.