MLB All-Star Selections

Here are my thoughts on the MLB All-Star selections:

- As a life-long Red Sox fan I find it almost extrodinary that Freddie Sanchez was chosen to an all-star team over Nomar Garciaparra. Sanchez was always the prospect stuck at Pawtucket and Nomar was a God. How things have changed. Now Sanchez is finally getting a chance to play (and his level of play is no fluke - you have a keeper there Pirate fans) and Nomar is looking to re-establish himself as an elite level player. The rise of Freddie Sanchez once again shows the peril of trading a top prospect for a mid-season mid-level pitcher. Larry Andersen cost the Red Sox Jeff Bagwell and 10 starts worth of Jeff Suppan cost the Red Sox Freddie Sanchez (not that Bagwell and Sanchez are anywhere near on par).

- Nomar should have been chosen outright for the team. He's the Dodgers MVP and he's leading the league in batting. Nomar should have been picked over Miguel Cabrera at the least. Putting him in with the Final Man candidates just seems a bit demeaning to a player of Nomar's pedigree. It's like asking Nicholas Cage to audition for a role in a movie. (Nomar's great but he's not DeNiro or Pachino great - Nicholas Cage seemed about right.) I hope at least the fans see fit to pick Nomar for the team (or that he gets picked if someone has to bow out).

- I think I would have picked Tampa's Carl Crawford over Gary Matthews. I just think that Crawford has earned it more and I think Crawford is much more likely to sustain the all-star level of play over the second half of the season. (Plus his numbers are better.)

- Tough luck for Travis Hafner. His numbers compare favorably to both Paul Konerko and Jim Thome but unfortunately Eric Wedge was not the guy helping to pick the team. Like Nomar - Hafner just seems too good to be put in with the Final Man Candidates. He should have been on the team somehow. Here's hoping the fans vote him in (and yes that means I'm rooting for him and not Liriano or Verlander).

- I can almost hear the Justin Morneau fans saying, "Hey what about my guy? At least Hafner has the chance of winning the Final Man - Morneau wasn't even on THAT list."

- Can you believe that the Braves have three All-Stars and still suck this bad this year?

- Curtis Granderson probably has a legitimate beef about being left off the roster. He's been perhaps the MVP of the team with the best record in baseball.

- Jason Giambi may be the MVP of the Yankees in the first half (he always seems to be getting that big hit or HR - as a Red Sox fan - his bat scares me the most). Yet Giambi too gets to watch the game from home as four other Yankee players make the roster with Cano having to sit it out. (I hope steroid boy does have the good sense to stay away from the HR Derby.)

- I am very happy that Mark Loretta got voted to start at second base. He deserved the honor.