With All-Star rosters set to be announced this weekend, I’m hoping that fans made good decisions in for whom to cast their final ballots. While voting began not long after spring training ended, the true All-Stars have revealed themselves over the entire first half of the season.
The race that I care most about is the one for American League first basemen, where the Royals’ Billy Butler deserves serious consideration but has tough competition. There are three first basemen who have clearly earned a spot on the AL squad: Justin Morneau, Miguel Cabrera, and Kevin Youkilis. Mark Teixeira (.232/.345/.408), however, belongs at home. Butler (.322 batting average, .377 On-Base Percentage, 42 Runs Batted In) should be left off the roster only if Joe Girardi chooses to carry only three first basemen AND Kansas City is represented by outfielder David Dejesus (.331 average, .398 OBP, 35 RBIs).
How ‘bout that?
How about Josh Hamilton? After hitting just .265 in April and .294 in May and combining for nine home runs and 27 RBIs in the first two months of the season, Hamilton caught fire in June. His numbers for the month included a .454 average, nine homers, 31 Runs Batted In, and an absurd slugging percentage of .815 – not to mention the 23-game hitting streak he carried into July. If he continues to hit this well, Hamilton has a real chance at winning the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
How about Adrian Beltre? Coming off five disappointing years in Seattle, Beltre’s .349 batting average entering Friday was second in the majors only to Robinson Cano’s .353, and his 53 RBIs had him tied for seventh in the American League. In 2009, Beltre drove in 44 runs ALL YEAR. (He spent some time on the Disabled List but played in 111 of his team’s games.) In roughly half a season (76 games) in 2010, he has 12 home run runs; last year he hit just eight. Beltre’s signing is looking like the best of the offseason.
How about the Rangers and White Sox? Each team caught the attention of the baseball world by winning 11 in a row last month. Texas went 21-6 in June and holds a three-and-a-half game lead over the Angels in the AL West, while Chicago’s streak allowed them to climb back into the AL Central race; at 40-37 the White Sox are just two games back of the Twins and one behind the Tigers.
Red Sox are walking wounded
Who has put a hex on the health of the Red Sox? In the last seven days, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, and Jason Varitek have all been placed on the DL, where they joined Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Beckett, and Mike Lowell. Additionally, Clay Buchholz pulled a hamstring running the bases during interleague play and missed his last start. Despite the injuries to key players, Boston went 18-9 in the month of June to pass the Tampa Bay Rays and move into second in the AL East, taking the Wild Card lead in the process. It’s a long season and they are far from guaranteed to make the playoffs, but the Sox deserve a lot of credit for stepping up when faced with a major challenge. The big question is: can they survive the Dog Days of Summer with so many of their main contributors sidelined?
Keywords: Adrian Beltre, All-Star Game, Billy Butler, Boston Red Sox, Carl Yastrzemski, Chicago White Sox, Clay Buchholz, David Dejesus, Detroit Tigers, Dog Days of Summer, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek, Joe Girardi, Josh Beckett, Josh Hamilton, Justin Morneau, Kansas City Royals, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Teixeira, Midsummer Classic, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Lowell, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Triple Crown, Victor Martinez
