Fan News

Amidst their current losing ways, a star burns bright in Camden Yards.

Three members of the National League West leading Los Angeles Dodgers have been selected to join the National League All-Stars for July 14th contest in St. Louis at Busch Stadium.

Closer Jonathan Broxton, starting pitcher Chad Billingsley, and second baseman Orlando Hudson are on the NL roster, with outfielder Matt Kemp still under consideration as one of the five finalists for the last spot on the roster.

Welcome to my latest project! I am endeavoring to formulate the All Time Team in each franchise history.

A few parameters need to be established prior to beginning. First, no player will appear on more than one team. It is my sole decision as to which franchise a place a multi-team player.

For example, even though Frank Robinson won the Triple Crown with the Baltimore Orioles, he spent more time and had higher numbers with the Cincinnati Reds. Plus, I am still pissed at the GM for trading him to Baltimore for Milt Pappas.

The Colorado pitching staff is chalk full of talent.

They have Ubaldo Jimenez who throws 99 MPH heat with movement, to go along with breaking pitches that buckle opposing hitters knees. They have Aaron Cook, an All-Star a year ago who throws a sinker that ranks in the top-10 in all of baseball. They also have Jason Marquis, the newest All-Star Rockie who leads the National League in wins on good pitching, but mostly pure competitive drive. Jorge De La Rosa throws in the mid-90's from the left side and has a change up that falls off the table.

With the all star rosters announced, I’m going to break it down position by position for the A.L and give you my take on whether the fans got it right, or if I have a problem with it.

American League All-Stars

Tim Wakefield has probably been one of the most successful starting pitchers ever for the Boston Red Sox, maybe behind Cy Young and Roger Clemens.

The 1995 AL Comeback Player of the Year has been a mainstay on the Red Sox roster since '95. He has accepted every role that the Red Sox has given him wholeheartedly. If the manager said something like "Hey, Timmy, I need you to be in the 'pen for about two months", Wakefield would respond with "Sure, no problem skip."

I can feel the indignant outrage already exploding across barber shops and sports bars across all of Minnesota.

"Why isn't Kevin Slowey on the All Star Team?"

"Don't they know he has ten wins?"

As it stands, the Detroit Tigers sit atop the American League Central Division with a modest two-game lead.  Yet, looks can be deceiving when you look at the AL Central.  

This is definitely the worst division in the majors, with no team standing far above the others.  At this point, the Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are the three teams that will contend for the division championship.  

Here is a glance at the Cincinnati Reds all-time greatest team lineup:

Team Name: Cincinnati Reds

Year Established: 1882

City: Cincinnati

Ballpark: Great American Ballpark

 Previous Nicknames: Red Stockings (1882-1889), Redlings (1954-1959)

League: National League

Division: NL Central

# of Playoff Appearances: 12

# of Pennants: 10

World Series Titles: 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990

All-Time Team

Catcher: Johnny Bench

First Base: Tony Perez

As I sat at my computer anxiously awaiting Charlie Manuel's decisions on this year's National League pitching staff, I wondered whether or not the Phillies' skipper thought Josh Johnson would make the team. 

Would Javier Vazquez sneak in?  Who would he choose as the last relief pitcher?  One wonder that I did not think I had to consider was whether or not Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee's ace, would be on this year's team.