All the sports have them.

Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, and even NASCAR.  

What am I talking about?  Simple, All-Star games. 

Baseball, however, is my favorite.  I am not just saying that because the aforementioned sport provides my employment, but I love the game and all the events leading up to it.  Yes, the slam-dunk contest is great.  Better than the home run contest?  Not so sure about that one.  Another reason I am a fan of the all-star game is the debate that goes on every year at this time.  I enjoy hearing all sides explain why “X” player belongs on the NL roster more than “Y”.  It’s like the old debate between Bird vs. Magic.  Representatives from both sides will argue their point till their red in the face, but no matter what, they’ll never change your opinion.  

I look up and down the NL roster and you can make a debate for a few guys.  In the end, however, I have no problem with the 32 selected.  Carlos Beltran is out with a knee injury and will likely miss the game next week, so that will force at least one change.  Yadier Molina has had a better first-half than Russell Martin & Geovany Soto.  Hanley Ramriez will win an MVP in the coming years.  David Wright has been among the league leaders in several categories this year.  Chase Utley is as dangerous as any left-handed bat in the game.   Raul Ibanez, prior to his injury, was the best free agent signing by any team.  Ryan Braun has hit for power and average since the second week of April.  Not to mention his number against left-handed pitching are ridiculous.  Finally, you’ve got Pujols.  No need to explain that one.  Are there some guys who were snubbed?  Always.  Just a couple that come to mind.

Trevor Hoffman:
The future hall-of-famer has been everything the Brewers could’ve hoped for and more.  It’s no coincidence that the Brewers starting playing better baseball when he came off the DL.  He is a calming influence, not to mention a work ethic that is second to none, that has had an amazing effect with this team.  As for his numbers?  1-1, 1.93 ERA, 23.1 IP (Innings Pitched), 5 BB, 19 K’s, and 18 saves in 19 opportunities.   Are those all-star numbers?   You bet.  In addition, I was surprised to see he was not among the final 5 for the Sprint Final Vote contest.  Trevor’s always been a fan favorite and his numbers this year certainly deserve consideration.

Mitch Stetter:
Is there a better left-handed set-up man in the NL?  If so, name me a couple and I’ll be happy to debate with you.  Just ask Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe, Jim Thome, Shin Soo-Choo, Johnny Peralta, etc.  Stetter has struck out 34 batters in 27.2 innings pitched.  If you really want to get technical that’s around 11 strikeouts per-9 innings.  Not many pitchers can brag about numbers like that.   His franchise record of 15-consecutives outs via a strikeout is a feat that we won’t see duplicated for some time.  What was working against him during this process is the fact that set-up men, usually, don’t make the cut.  The way that rosters are built today rewards starting pitchers and closers.  

I could name some more guys from across the league but Trevor & Mitch certainly performed like all-stars in the first-half of the season.  The ’Crew has an important week before the break.  Let’s get some wins.

Best,
Cory