So, what did you guys think of the selections?

Will the NL ever win this game again?

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/r ... arter.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08 ... id=3475435

AP Story:

Four Red Sox, three Cubs to start in 2008 All-Star Game

NEW YORK -- Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez and Cubs leadoff man Alfonso Soriano will see lots of familiar faces at the All-Star Game.

2008 All-Star Starters

Starters for the American and National League teams as voted by fans for the 2008 All-Star Game to be played at Yankee Stadium on July 15.

A record seven Chicago Cubs were joined by seven Boston stars when rosters were announced Sunday for the July 15 event at Yankee Stadium.

The New York Yankees will be well represented, too, for the game at their own ballpark: Top vote-getter Alex Rodriguez, captain Derek Jeter and reliever Mariano Rivera were picked.

The Tampa Bay Rays, with the best record in the majors, did not have a single player elected to start. Pitcher Scott Kazmir and catcher Dioner Navarro were added to the AL squad.

There was only one change in the final week of fan voting for starters -- Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun overtook Ken Griffey Jr. in the NL outfield. Griffey finished fourth and was left off the team.

Outfielders Kosuke Fukudome and Soriano and rookie catcher Geovany Soto were chosen to start for the Cubs, who own the best record in the league. Soriano has been out with a broken left hand, but may return in time to play.

Cubs pitchers Kerry Wood and Ryan Dempster and third baseman Aramis Ramirez were chosen by NL players, and pitcher Carlos Zambrano was picked by NL manager Clint Hurdle of Colorado.

It's been a charmed season for the Cubs, trying to win their first World Series in 100 years. Twice before, in 1988 and 1936, they put six players in the All-Star Game.

Ramirez, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis were elected by fans from the World Series champion Red Sox. Ortiz has an injured wrist and AL manager Terry Francona of Boston said that Texas' Milton Bradley would take over as the designated hitter.

Boston outfielder J.D. Drew, catcher Jason Varitek and closer Jonathan Papelbon were picked by a vote of AL players.

Rodriguez, the Yankees third baseman, received the most votes overall with 3,934,518. Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley led the NL with 3,889,602.

The AL starting lineup: Youkilis at first base, Pedroia at second base, Jeter at shortstop, Rodriguez at third base, outfielders Josh Hamilton of Texas, Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle and Ramirez, and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer.

Starting for the NL: Houston first baseman Lance Berkman, Utley at second base, Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez and Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, with Soriano, Fukudome and Braun in the outfield. Soto will become the first rookie catcher to start for the NL.

"The beauty of it, the fans got to vote eight, the players got to vote 16, at the end of the day, the challenges you have from this seat is you have to make sure there's a representative from each team," Hurdle said.

Fan voting for the starters ended Wednesday.

Griffey was second in the NL balloting released Monday, leading Braun by about 167,000 votes. But Braun wound up winning among NL outfielders while Griffey finished 87,000 behind Fukudome.

Pedroia beat out Texas' Ian Kinsler by about 34,000 votes in the closest race while Hanley Ramirez held off Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy and Houston's Miguel Tejada at shortstop. Tejada was taken six months after his name showed up in the Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball.

An Internet vote will be held this week to select the final player on each team.

The AL candidates for the last spot: outfielders Jermaine Dye and Jose Guillen, first baseman Jason Giambi, second baseman Brian Roberts and third baseman Evan Longoria.

The NL candidates: outfielders Pat Burrell, Corey Hart, Carlos Lee and Aaron Roward and third baseman David Wright.

Among the position players left off the team: Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, hitting .302 with 15 homers and 52 RBIs going into Sunday, Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins (.311, 12 HRs, 50 RBIs), Detroit outfielder Magglio Ordonez (.307, 12, 50) and Boston third baseman Mike Lowell (.302, 13, 54).

Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-1, 3.12 ERA) and St. Louis' Kyle Lohse (10-2, 3.61) were among the pitchers left out.

Once again, the league that wins the All-Star game will get home-field advantage in the World Series.

The AL has not lost an All-Star Game since 1996 at Veterans Stadium. Since then, the AL has won 10 and tied one.

"It's not so much getting everyone in the game anymore. This is not a celebrity golf tournament anymore where everybody gets together, shakes hands and has lots of giggles," Hurdle said.

This is a very quick and easy point to make: as long as the imbecile Bud Selig wants to continue this ridiculous exercise of having the All Star game winner determine homefield for the WS, then it's in direct conflict to continue letting the fans vote for the starters (as well as the little league-esque rule of making sure every team is repped). Hello, the fans are the ones who several years ago voted in Nomar as the starting AL shortstop, though thanks to the DL he hadn't played one single inning all season. 'nuff said.

But you can't have the outcome of the game have the meaning that it does, and then hamstring the manager by saying you can't have all the players that truly deserve to be there, looking at them in the coldest, most objective, statistical light. But, that's Bud Selig for ya. One of the worst commissioners of a professional sport of the last century.

Of course the very last thing this is all about is the actual baseball getting played. This is entirely about money (shocker). Every team must be represented to keep enough interest in every city so that their fans will tune into the game, thereby increasing possible ad revenue. Simple as that.

The fans voting, well obviously that argument at this point has become cliched. But after seeing the players themselves voted in the likes of Jason Varitek? Frankly then I don't really trust them anymore, either. Looking over the rosters that ESPN's staff of writers came up with a couple days ago, I think they did a great job overall, it's hard to argue with very many of their selections.

All in all, I'd say the biggest single laugher included on each team is Fukudome from the Cubs and the aforementioned Varitek. As a Phillies fan it would be cool to see Burrell make it in as a reserve, but the fellow players he's included with in the competition, I'd say they're close enough in numbers that I wouldn't have an uproar if he still didn't make it. Same kinda goes with Cole Hamels, it's not exactly a travesty he didn't make it. Now, if miraculously Chase Utley and Brad Lidge had been excluded, then I'd be starting fires

What there's an allstar game coming up?

I hope it ends in a tie

Burrell should definitely be on that team. HE has 21 HR's, 20 doubles, 53 RBI's, the 7th best OPS and OBP in baseball (5th in the NL in both). He hasn't made an error all season. I'm not even a big Burrell fan but he deserves to be in there.

Pat Burell was a huge snub. so was Hamels.

I can't believe Geovany Soto would start over McCann who is leading him or tied in all if not most of the stats though I guess Chicago fans are excited. Russell Martin could have started as well.

Xavier Nady was probably snubbed as well especially since McClouth made the team.

The player ballots sucked balls.

Varitek? WTF... they realize this counts right?

Fans. um.. Kevin Youkilis over Justin Morneau? Why?

Dustin Pedroia? SERIOUSLY?????? Ian Kinsler should be starting.

I guess it's really ridiculous since people with 13 year old girl mentality vote for this thing but seriously how is Pedroia starting over Kinsler... that's retarded people.

Fuk u do me should not be starting and neither should Soriano (he's hurt anyway) I guess having an entire nation stuffing the ballot box helps guys like Ichiro and Fukudome though. I'd take Nady, Burell, Holiday etc over Fukudome if I'm trying to win anyday. Would you rather see cubs start the AS game or would you rather play for the win and home field advantage if you manage to get thorough the NLCS.... go figure.

It's even more retarded that this stupid game determines home field advantage.

I guess I'll actually watch the game this year because its at Yankee stadium, but I probably won't make it past the 3rd inning. All star games suck. I am, however, pumped for the home run derby. It's going to be cool seeing if somebody can come close to hitting one out of the stadium.

Yeah, I'm a Red Sox fan and I was stunned to see Varitek, Pedroia, or even Ortiz on the list (although the latter is still hurt, so it's a moot point).

I think it was Clubber that said it best that while the Pro Bowl is usually the least interesting all-star game, they get it the best in the voting process (1/3 each players, coaches, fans).

All three play for a team that's on national TV all the time.

Coincidence...?

Pedrioa def deserved to make the team and start.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/p ... yerId=6393


Varitek didn't deserve to make the team, but he was voted on the team by the players...go figure.

make it, yes. start it, no. kinsler is having a decidedly better season so far.

I wouldn't say "decidedly" when you factor in statistics and intangibles....

Kinsler: .337 14 58 .397 .548
Pedroia: .314 9 47 .357 .458

Factor in the pressure packed environment of Boston vs. the "whatever" attitude of Texas Rangers baseball and I'd give the nod to Pedroia. Plus, Pedroia starts on a better team. The Sox have the third best record in the majors. The Rangers, meanwhile, are four games about .500.

But what's most remarkable about all of this: Kinsler is 6-feet tall, while DP is just 5-foot-5 1/2. (he's listed as 5-9, but trust me, every writer who meets him figures he stands only 5-5 to 5-6. That's remarkable.

The sad part is that I don't know if you are joking or not.

I always thought being smaller was an advantage for a 2B?

Yeah, but Pedroia is a midget. It's truly remarkable that he makes contact with high fast balls, etc. I've seen him up close; he looks like a 7th grader. Talk about getting the most out of your body.

Wow. Just....wow.

when you factor in stats, it's clear kinsler should be a starter. i'm not sure if you're kidding with us, but if you look at those stats, kinsler has a better batting average, more homers, 40 points in the OBP category, and nearly 100 in slugging percentage.



you act like the rangers are the nationals. they have 50 wins -- just 7 less than the red sox. your argument also alludes that while it's extremely tough to excel in boston, any old player could go to texas and be decent. you know, like it's not tough to play baseball outside of your homer universe. look how terrible a-rod's been in new york! every team, coach and player wants to win every single game.



who pedroia starts for makes no difference in who the better player is.



i suppose pedroia's height wasn't much of an influence over the red sox' evaluation of him: he was selected in the second round, after all, while kinsler was taken in the 17th.

I know, clearly better in all stats but he has him in "intangibles" and I guess batting average/height hahahahahaha

albert pujols really isn't that good considering how tall he is, you know.

I am really steamed that the Phillies only have 2 players in this game. Burrell deserves a spot, and I am a Burrell hater most of the time. How is the League leader in HR AND RBI's not playing? Has that ever happened before? Hamels leads the league in IP, 3rd in K's, with a 1.02 WHIP (2nd in the league) and .214 BAA (4th in the league for anyone over 100 IP) and he isn't playing. I know he has 6 losses but in 3 of his 6 losses they lost 1-0, 2-0 and 3-2.