Baseball's back!

Probably the most inspiring thing that's happened in the last four days. Source

I've always felt that the best function of the All-Star Break is reminding fans how good we have it between April and September: there's never more than one day off in a row, and if you pick a secondary team to root for, there's always something to monitor. Then we have four full days without our teams taking the field. Sure, there's the home run derby and the All-Star Game itself, but those are mere distractions.

The All-Star Break is a subtle reminder that summer doesn't last forever. The days of daily baseball are limited, and though we're guaranteed 162 games per team per year, we should always be bracing ourselves for the offseason. As they say on Game of Thrones, winter is coming. Luckily for us, that's still a distance down the road - there's still the second half to play.

The Red Sox will take the field again tonight, when the Yankees make their first 2013 trip to Fenway Park. Is there a better way to kick things off than a homestand against a struggling (but still hated) rival? This year has been full of schadenfreude for Red Sox fans: long DL stints for Derek Jeter , Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, and even old friend Kevin Youkilis have the Yankees on the ropes.

Even with injuries to so many key players, the Yankees are just six games behind the Red Sox in the AL East, and there are thirteen more games between the two clubs before the end of the season. I learned long ago to never count the Yankees out, so while I feel pretty good about the Red Sox chances, things could still change rapidly.

Solid All-Star selections from fans

Image via MLB.com

Typically I'm pretty dubious about fan voting for the MLB All-Star Game. It tends to skew the roster toward players from big-market teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, and yes, Red Sox, because those teams have legions of fans that they can mobilize to vote. In a true exhibition game, that wouldn't matter as much. Since the players and managers fill out the rosters after the initial fan voting selects the starters, they ensure that all teams are represented.

But because the winner of the All-Star Game determines who gets home field advantage in the World Series, fan selection seems like a big responsibility, and we've certainly made some questionable selections in years past. I was somewhat apprehensive about the unveiling of the voting results last night, but I could have saved myself the trouble  because the fans did a pretty solid job all around - while there were a few minor snubs, there wasn't anything egregious.

The National League starting infielders are Yadier Molina (C) of the Rockies, Joey Votto (1B) of the Reds, Brandon Phillips (2B) of the Reds, David Wright (3B) of the Mets, and Troy Tulowitzki (SS) of the Rockies, and the outfielders are Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals, Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies, and Bryce Harper of the Nationals. There's some controversy over Harper's selection, as the young sensation has missed significant time this season with a knee injury, but I don't think the selection is unreasonable.

On the American League side of things, the infield will include Joe Mauer (C) of the Twins, Chirs Davis (1B) of the Orioles, Robinson Cano (2B) of the Yankees, Miguel Cabrera (3B) of the Tigers, and JJ Hardy (SS) of the Orioles. Starting AL outfielders will be Adam Jones of the Orioles, Mike Trout of the Angels, and Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays, while Boston's own David Ortiz will be the starting DH. I don't really have any qualms with this, though I would obviously love to see Dustin Pedroia get the nod (he will be at the game as a reserve, so I'll have to settle for that).

The managers of the two teams, Jim Leyland for the AL, and Bruce Bochy for the NL, along with player votes, fill in the reserves and the pitchers - with the exception of one player on each roster. The Final Vote started yesterday, and will continue until Thursday, where fans can choose the last player for each league from a list of five. Interestingly enough, all five options for the American League are relief pitchers, and all five from the National League are field players. The AL vote will probably come down to Red Sox closer Koji Uehara and Yankees reliever David robertson, while Dodgers rookie sensation Yasiel Puig is heavily favored to win the NL's final roster spot.

Good Vibrations

I'm not entirely sure why, but I have a good feeling about the second half of the season. I suppose my philosophy is somewhere along the lines of "what [more] have we got to lose?"

I think Big Papi said it best in his blog: "Injuries were killing us, and the clubhouse is a hospital right now, you know what I'm saying? You have to be walking carefully in there just in case. Everybody is getting hurt so easy and in a way you wouldn't even expect."

Seriously. All these people injured with incidents like fouling a ball off their own foot; colliding with a teammate; running to second base; sports hernias; freak back problems; colliding with that teammate again... the list goes on. (I wonder if Beltre has collision insurance?) I half-expected to see a press release with something like "Kevin Youkilis strangled by own goatee, placed on 60 day DL," or "Adrian Beltre collides with himself, placed on permanent DL."

One man wrecking crew.

This team has had an extraordinary run of poor luck, and it's just got to turn around soon. The All-Star Break couldn't have come at a better time, and even though the American League finally lost it (thanks, Girardi), I couldn't be happier with the events of the last few days. Papi wins the Home Run Derby, Girardi loses the All-Star Game and thus makes the Yankees look bad, and our injured troops got a few days more to rest.

Tim Wakefield goes tonight against Tommy Hunter of the Texas Rangers. Here's hoping Wake continues that march toward the title of winningest Sox pitcher by pitching a gem to start of the second half in proper fashion.

Staggering to the break...

Most years, I dislike the All Star Break: I watch the game, and the derby, but only to fill the void until my Red Sox take the field again. This year, the break felt like it would never come, and in the last week it's been as if the Sox could barely limp to the (more than) half-way point.

If you had told me on April 20th that by July 13th, the Red Sox would have had lengthy stretches without Josh Beckett, Jacoby Ellsbury, Victor Marinez, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Cameron, Jeremy Hermida, Jason Varitek, Clay Buchholz, and Manny Delcarmen, many of them concurrently, I would have assumed we'd be in fourth place, or maybe even dead last.

Dear god, why? [click to enlarge]

As it is, we stand in third place in the AL East, five games behind the Yankees and three behind the Rays for the Wild Card. Not exactly where I'd like to be, under ideal conditions, but let's be honest: this season has been an injury nightmare.

You know that adage about never having too much pitching? Apparently you can never have to much catching... or too many outfielders... or too many infielders... and the list goes on.

If the Red Sox can tread water just a bit longer, and if Theo Epstein can get some bullpen help - stat! - reinforcements should be coming in droves: Beckett needs just one more rehab start, after today's successful PawSox outing, and Buchholz should be ready after the break. The others will return sometime in the next month or so, and besides the beaten-to-death drama surrounding Jacoby Ellsbury, this spate of injuries hasn't hurt morale like it could have.

When October rolls around, if the Sox manage to stay in it, all of New England should buy Terry Francona a drink. The man has somehow managed to stay competitive for months, despite having his Opening Day lineup for just over a week of the season, and fielding a 4A type team for much of it, all in the most competitive division in baseball.

My hero with my future husband.

The Sox managed to end the first half on a strong note, winning a 3-2 match up in Toronto, off a strong start from Daisuke Matsuzaka (what?!), and will send six players to the All-Star Game, albeit no starters, and at least three are currently on the DL. Still, I know they all plan to enjoy the festivities, and so do I.

Hey now, you're an All-Star

When I saw the list of starters for the 2010 All-Star Game, I was disappointed, but not surprised. I've been following the vote, and it's been a popularity contest as usual. Of course, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Evan Longoria, and Ichiro Suzuki are all deserving, but I'm so OVER the Derek Jeter Admiration Tour I could scream.

The list of reserves was much more to my liking, as it included six Red Sox players, all of whom are extremely deserving of the nod, in my humble opinion. Of course, Dustin Pedroia and Clay Buchholz will not be able to play on July 13, as they'll both be on the disabled list, but my guess is that they'll both make the trip.

Other Red Sox include David Ortiz, Jon Lester, Victor Martinez, and Adrian Beltre, with Kevin Youkilis an option for the "Final Vote" fan selection. Youk's competition for this roster spot is pretty stiff: the Yankees' Nick Swisher currently leads the voting.

Honestly, I don't mind Nick Swisher. He has an engaging and fun personality, and if he didn't play in pinstripes I might even like him. But this is war. The Yanks already have six players, including two starters, in the ASG, and I want the Sox to have more. Also, Youkilis has been unbelievable this season. It's a testament to how incredibly consistent Youk has been that his .299 batting average, .416 OBP, and 17 home runs haven't stood out more.

The Greek God of Walks has gotten himself some versatility.

[In contrast, Swisher has a .293 BA, .373 OBP, and 13 home runs. It's ironic that both Youkilis and Swisher were once highly coveted by the GM of the Oakland A's, Billy Beane. Beane's obsession with the two is well-documented in the best-selling book, Moneyball.]

Kevin Youkilis deserves to go to Anaheim. He's overlooked entirely too often, even in a place as baseball-crazy as Boston. There's no limit to how many times you can vote, so vote often, and VOTE YOUK!

2010 ASG: A Middle School Popularity Contest

Click to enlarge

According to MLB.com, these are the leaders for the 2010 All Star Game in the American League. I didn't include the outfield list because (A) no Red Sox player is in the top 15, and (B) no Red Sox outfielder has played at an All Star level so far this season anyway.

But there is a reason for this post: to encourage you to vote! As a political science major, I am a major believer in the old adage that every vote counts... and as a realist and baseball fan, I use the email addresses of everyone I know to vote for the All Star Game.

Before you accuse me of being a shameless homer (which, at times, I am), let me just say that I'm not going to tell you to vote across the board for Red Sox stars. At many positions, the Sox starters just don't deserve it this year (although I would be surprised if Jonny Lester wasn't selected, but pitchers are different). However, the epitome of an undeserving leader is the Yankees' Mark Teixeira.

Another strikeout for Teix...

Teix is hitting an abysmal .221 thus far, bad even for the notoriously slow starter, and though he's known as an on-base guy, his OBP is just .338. For comparison's sake, the #2 vote getter at first is the Twins' Justin Morneau, who's hitting a league-best .377 with 11 HRs (3 more than Teix). Boston's own Kevin Youkilis is third, and he's hitting .298 with 10 HRs, and an OBP of .445. Youk has scored more runs (45) than anyone else in baseball, and he's also drawn the most walks (42).

I'll just concede Jeter's start right now, even though he's not nearly the best SS in the AL, or even in that top 5 listing. The ASG is a popularity contest, and always has been, which is why Dustin Pedroia still retains second place among second basemen, despite a .255 BA (though he has just as many homers as one Mark Teixeira).

Obviously, Joe Mauer will start behind the plate, and he absolutely deserves it. It's looking more and more like Evan Longoria will be at the hot-corner, and I can definitely get behind anything that knocks A*Rod down a notch or two. The outfield will, as always, include Ichiro Suzuki (the secret ninja).

He's also secretly related to Spiderman.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pushing for YOUK to break through... or at least Morneau. Because if Mark Teixeira wins the starting spot for AL first baseman, it'll be the biggest popularity contest/travesty since a middle school class president election. So get out there and VOTE, Red Sox Nation!

Remember When...

Remember when...
...Pedro was traded to Boston from Montreal in 1997? I'll be honest here: I don't (give me a break, I was seven). Did anyone guess then what an impact the diminutive pitcher would have on this franchise? This was one of the best deals of the Duquette era (along with DLowe and Tek for Heathcliff Slocumb; Manny Ramirez; and Timmy Wakefield), as Pedro enjoyed amazing success in Boston. (Nice tie, Duke.)

...the 1999 All Star Game was at Fenway. So much awesome, including Teddy Ballgame throwing out the first pitch, and Derek Jeter serving as Nomar's backup... Pedro started the night off in style, striking out Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, and Sammy Sosa in the first, and mowing down Mark McGuire and Jeff Bagwell (on a strikeout/throwout DP) in the second. Martinez was awarded the AS-MVP Award for his efforts.

...later that year, Pedro took home his second Cy Young Award (first with Montreal in 1997), as well as the AL's Triple Crown. Martinez was also named The Sporting News AL Pitcher of the year. According to MLBNetwork, Pedro Martinez had the most dominating single-season pitching performance in MLB history that year, recording a 23-4 record, with a 2.07 ERA, and a league leading 313 strikeouts.

...#45 helped the 2004 Red Sox break an 86 year drought for the fans of New England. Pedro remembers, according to the Boston Globe:

"I'm pretty sure that every Boston fan out there can feel proud that I'm going to try and beat the Yankees and I'm going to give just the same effort I always did for them. They're special fans and they will always have my respect."

He really gets it:

"I know they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games."

Even though he doesn't fit the criteria for having his number retired (10+ years with the Sox, Hall of Famer, end career here), I expect to see 45 up on that right field wall when Pedro finally hangs up his spikes. He spent the most dominating years of his career here, and they were a joy to watch. He provided us with endless entertainment on and off the diamond ("Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him... Maybe I'll drill him in the ass.").

So here's to you, Pedro: once again, New England will hang on your every pitch... and you know what? It feels damned good.

AL All-Stars (Starters edition)

A list of the American League starters for the All-Star Game, complete with reactions, and the best picture I can find.

Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

This one was the Albert Pujols of the AL. A complete no-brainer. Mauer is lauded by teammates and competition alike, is a solid defensive catcher, and is flirting with .400. The hometown boy of the Twins, you can't help but like Mauer. As a plus, he's got a killer smile.

First Base: Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees












Couldn't help myself with this picture. All I have to say about this can be summed up in the Youk vs. Teix post I wrote last month ("Let's Settle This"). When He was announced this afternoon, I was in the kitchen cooking, and swore loudly. My mother came running in, sure I had cut my hand off or something worse. The only players in baseball I dislike more than Mr. Leigh Teixeira are his teammates A*Roid and Joba. Ugh.

Second Base: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox












Okay, you know how I feel about this one, and I'll admit that hearing Pedey announced directly after Marky Mark made me feel marginally better. If I'm being honest with myself myself, I know Pedroia's numbers don't exactly back up his selection, but I can't bring myself to care. My love for number fifteen is no secret, and I am thrilled he was selected for the ASG.

Shortstop: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees













Jeter is another shoe-in, but because of sentimentality, not performance. Captain Yankee has severely deteriorated as a defensive shortstop since the glory years of the late nineties. His bat is still there, now aided by the launch pad also known as the new Yankee Stadium: the day of reckoning is coming for Jeter.... but it's not here just yet.

Third Base: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays















Longoria isn't my favorite player ever, but there's no denying that he's a quality choice skills-wise. Mostly, I'm just glad A*Roid wasn't selected. Not as a starter, or a reserve. Vindictive? Yes. But I couldn't care less if I tried.

Outfield:
Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers












This one is ridiculous. After the sensational performance at last year's All-Star Game (specifically the homerun derby), Hamilton has been underperforming. His numbers so far leave a lot to be desired, but he won't be playing in any case, as he is currently on the disabled list.

Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners












I LOVE Ichiro. I often wish he could be slightly less awesome when he's in Boston, but he definitely deserves to play in St. Louis, and I can't wait to watch him dominate the National League squad by running all over the outfield and sucking up every ball that comes near him.

Jason Bay Boston Red Sox














Bay is RAKING this year, and leads the Sox in several offensive categories. MLB's newest American citizen will be patrolling the outfield during the All-Star Game, and, as a total homer, I couldn't be more thrilled for him.