It’s almost All-Star time (yay!), so I thought I’d give you my AL and NL All-Star Lineups!  (I’m not dealing in reserves or the idiotic ‘every team gets a player’ rule... just the lineups and then some other deserving players!)

            First Baseman

Youks has been very good with the bat and with the glove, and Pujols is... well, Pujols.

            Second Baseman

            NL: Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies

Kinsler is probably the AL MVP right now.  He’s been awesome, really awesome.  As for Utley... his home park is still inflating him like helium, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play.

            Shortstop

            AL: Michael Young, Texas Rangers

            NL: Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins

Young’s been pretty good, better offensively and defensively than the leading vote-getter, Derek Jeter.  Hanley is again a killer bat without a lead glove, but that bat is like ‘get you into that place in Cooperstown’ good.

            Third Baseman

Pretty simple.  Those are the best two baseball players in the world, folks.

            AL: Johnny David Damon, New York Yankees

            NL: Patrick Burrell, Philadelphia Phillies

Calm down, you crazy Philadelphians... Burrell’s delivering!  A .four-one-two OBP is nice.  As for Damon... well, don’t we all love a little BABIP in the morning?  (Also, Carlos Quentin is having a freaking good year, but I figured Damon’s D was better...)

            Center Field

            NL: Carlos Beltran, New York Mets

Both can hit, both can field, both can run.  Other candidates like the Bucco’s Nate McLouth can hit, but cannot field or run.  See?

            Right Field

Drew’s finally delivering—great news for a Yankee fan—and the Pirates get a starter.  I bet the Mets wish they still had the X-Man. 

            Designated Hitter

            AL: Milton Bradley, Texas Rangers

            NL: Lance Berkman, Houston Astros

Bradley’s been nasty (.320/.437/.611) and Berkamn is a serious tripple crown threat as he currently ranks 2nd in average, 3rd in home runs and second in RBI in the National league.

            Catcher 
            AL: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins 
            NL: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves  

Mauer’s back to his 2006 form—or at least close to it—and McCann is a really awesome hitter.  Neither is a stud with the mitt, however. 

            Starting Pitchers (5)

           AL: Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians—John Danks, Chicago White Sox—Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays—Shawn
 Marcum, Toronto Blue Jays—Justin Duchscherer, Oakland A’s
NL: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants—Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds—Ben Sheets, Milwaukee
Brewers—Danny Haren, Arizona Diamondbacks—Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks 

Okay, fair, Webb isn’t having a totally sick year—but you know he’s among the three best in baseball.  Lee and Lincecum are on top, and while Lee may cool down—or may not—Lincecum is here to stay.

            Relief Pitchers (3)

NL: Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies—Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs—Heath Bell, San Diego Padres

The AL has the names, but the NL has been really good too. Marmol is very good. 

Other players who deserve to make the team...Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, Josh Hamilton, Jose Reyes, Jonathon Papelbon, Joba Chamberlain, Carlos Zambrano, Miguel Tejada, and Johan Santana.

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