NL All-Star Team

Here's my choices for the NL All-Star Team. I've tried to keep in mind who is leading in voting plus the one rep per team rule in making selections.

C - Mike Piazza New York
1st - Albert Pujols Saint Louis
2nd - Jeff Kent Los Angeles
SS - Caesar Izturis Los Angeles
3rd - Scott Rolen Saint Louis
OF - Carlos Beltran New York
OF - Jim Edmonds Saint Louis
OF - Bobby Abreu Philadelphia

Bench: Ramon Hernandez C San Diego, Derek Lee 1st Chicago, Nick Johnson 1st Washington, Todd Helton 1st Colorado, Craig Counsell 2nd Arizona, David Eckstein SS Saint Louis, Edgar Alphonso 3rd San Francisco, Rob Mackowiak 3rd Pittsburgh, Cliff Lee OF Milwaukee, Adam Dunn OF Cincinnati, Andru Jones OF Atlanta

Pitching: Pedro Martinez SP New York, Dontrell Willis SP Florida, Roger Clemens SP Houston, Jake Peavy SP San Diego, Chad Cordero RP Washington, Billy Wagner RP Philadelphia

Notes:

* Piazza is in there at catcher because I'm assuming he'll be the leading vote getter. If Hernandez is not able to catch because of injury - I would expect Michael Barrett of the Cubs to replace him on the roster.

* Pujols will get the votes at 1st but who can argue that the best player in the NL this year isn't Derek Lee? Lee will start the game as the DH probably. I put Helton on as a third 1st baseman and because he's the most likely Colorado rep (with Barmes injured). This will leave Carlos Delgado out in the cold.

* Edgar Alphonso gets the nod as the only member of the Giants to make the team but that bumps Arimis Ramirez of the Cubs from making the team. Rob Mackowiak also gets a backup 3rd spot and that will keep Morgan Ensberg from making the team. Its too bad because Ensberg is having a better year than Rolen, Ramirez, Alphonso or Mackowiak. Wright in New York is the one really getting jobbed at 3rd though but New York will have Piazza, Beltran and Pedro on the team already.

* Louis Gonzalez was personally my toughest omission because he may be my favorite person in baseball. The dearth of good players at 2nd and the plenty of good outfielders made it a numbers game and he didn't make the cut. Counsell may also get bumped in favor of Brandon Webb because it would be easier to justify taking a pitcher from Arizona as the sole rep then it would be for Pittsburgh (who would you take from Pittsburgh Jason Bay or Mackowiak vs. Mesa or Redman? In Pittsburgh it has to be a position player). Alphonso in San Fran may also fall victim to this reasoning if Schmidt is picked as the sole rep because the team needs a pitcher. I took only 6 pitchers because I know some position player will be jobbed but I couldn't decide who it would be.

Tough omissions: Carlos Delgado, Louis Gonzalez, Troy Glaus, David Wright, Omar Vizquel (just for past history), Chris Carpenter, Brian Giles, Johnny Estrada, Brad Wilkerson, Brett Myers (just 5-4 and who do you bump - Clemens?). Giles gets left off because there are just too many good outfielders and Jake Peavy deserves the recognition although Peavy could easily get bumped off the team if Hernandez is able to go at catcher and it is decided that San Diego gets just the one rep at the game.