This year’s All-Star Game should be no contest

Looking at the offensive league leaders in both leagues, the N.L. should kick the A.L.’s butt in this year’s All-Star game.  The Senior Circuit should defeat the Junior Circuit and claim Home-Field Advantage in the World Series for the first time since it became the winning team’s prize in 2003.  Josh Hamilton is an incredible player, but there’s no way he can carry the American League All-Stars against a National League team boasting guys with names like Berkman, Chipper, and Utley.

What ever happened to the days when it was nearly impossible to choose the most deserving starters for the American League in the Midsummer Classic?  I remember going to Oriole Park in the mid-90’s and seeing a ballot with the names Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Mo Vaughn, Tino Martinez, and Frank Thomas – all of whom put up solid if not exceptional numbers – year after year.  It was never an easy decision who to vote for.  This year’s top choices are Kevin Youkilis and Justin Morneau, and if you’re a forgiving Yankee fan, Jason Giambi.  All of these guys can hit the ball, and Youkilis is a gold-glove defender, but he and Giambi are the only A.L. first basemen on the ballot who are slugging over .500, and “the Giambino,” as the Baseball Tonight cast calls him, is hitting just .259.  Of the trio, Youkilis is the best choice, but the competition simply isn’t what it used to be.

Even less impressive numbers have been put up by the American League shortstops.  While just six years ago, the 2002 A.L. squad featured five – count ‘em five shortstops: elected starter Alex Rodriguez was joined by Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter, Miguel Tejada, and Omar Vizquel – this year’s top vote-getters are Jeter and Michael Young, neither of whom is having an All-Star first half.  Jeter will be elected, despite hitting just .276 with a .333 OBP and a .381 slugging percentage – all numbers well below his career averages.  Despite being a Yankee Hater, I respect and admire Derek Jeter.  But he does not deserve to play in – much less be elected to start in – this year’s All-Star Game in his home park.  It’s a shame there’s not a single deserving candidate to represent the A.L. at shortstop.  Carlos Guillen’s numbers are pretty good, but the ballot lists him as a first baseman, and he has been playing third base for the Tigers for the last couple of months.  Kansas City’s Mike Aviles has impressed in his call-up to the big leagues, but he has only played in 14 games so far.  Every year there seems to be one or two undeserving players on each league’s All-Star team, but this year it looks like the American League will boast the most un-All-Star-like players and fall to the National League for the first time since 1996.