Brewers land 3 starters in 2011 MLB All-Star Game

It is rare for a small market team to land 3 starters on an All-Star roster.  In order to find out the truth to that, you only have to look at the AL starters.  Six of the 9 starting players for the AL team are either Yankees or Red Sox.  Most of the time the All-Star game is nothing more than a popularity contest, but this year I think the NL voters might have gotten it right.

Representing our beloved Brewers will be Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks.  All three of these gentlemen will be taking the field in the 1st inning.  As you look down the NL All-Star starters list, it is a group of guys who have earned it over the course of THIS season (see Derek Jeter and A-Rod on the AL team).  Especially our boys.  Braun is certainly one of the best outfielders in the game today.  Fielder is having a better season (to date) than Pujols and Votto, but they both are deserving too.  Mr. Weeks is proving to all of us why we gave him a 4 year (possibly 5) extension during the off-season.

The problem I see, is that without these 3 players, this Brewers team would not be where they are today.  Aside from Nyjer Morgan no one else on this team contributes consistently with the bat.  So, these are the 3 best players on on of the 3 best teams in the NL.  By that math, no one can deny these 3 men their due accolades.

Let’s take a quick peak at the NL starters:

C – Brain McCann – Atlanta Braves

1B – Prince Fielder – Brew Crew

2B – Rickie Weeks – Brew Crew

SS – Jose Reyes – NY Mets

3B – Placido Polanco – Philadelphia Phillies

OF – Lance Berkman – St. Louis Cardinals

OF – Ryan Braun – Brew Crew

OF – Matt Kemp – LA Dodgers

Each player on this list is having a career season.  Plus, the Brewers have almost 50% of the starting lineup!!  Awesome job America (accept for the AL Team, not sure what we were all thinking).

One snub that I would like to mention, is that of a one John Axford.  Now, I understand that every team must have at least one player representing them.  I also do not have any problem with the relievers chosen (accept one, which I will address later).  What does bother me, is that Bruce Bochy chose three of his own starting pitchers to join the roster.  Tim Lincecum is 6-6 this season, is not an All-Star.  Ryan Vogelsong is a terrific baseball story, but he is certainly not an All-Star.  Matt Cain is by far the most worthy of the three men, but he himself is only 7-4.  Not to mention Brain Wilson also made the roster (player ballot).  That means that 4 pitching roster spots are reserved for Giants.  How can that possibly be fair, or reasonable?  Three of the four pitchers were hand picked by their own manager.  There are several other pitchers in the league who were more deserving, one of them being our own mustachioed closer John Axford.

Axford has 21 saves in 23 attempts this season.  He has only given up one home-run, which was on opening day!!!  The Ax-Man has recorded 49 strikeouts in 37.1 innings of work.  There is no doubt in my mind that John Axford is a top tier closer in this league and I think that it is inexcusable that the Giants are allowed to make up 25% of the All-Star pitching selections.  Plus, what is Braves relief pitcher Jonny Venters doing in there?  Sure he throws a great fastball, but is he really an All-Star reliever?  I think that Bochy really Boch-ed this one.

Twins Series Wrap-Up

To be honest with you, I don’t want to talk about it.  You have all spent the past few months reading my work and I think we have a good understanding with one another.  This team is so bad on the road that I can not write about it any more.

Friday night looked like they just wanted to make outs as quickly as possible.  Gallardo was not very sharp either.

Saturday they made an amazing comeback from a 7-0 deficit.  It was probably their best game of the year.  Nyjer Morgan was a one man wrecking crew.

Sunday, we did a complete 180 from Saturday.  With a 6-1 lead, we eventually fell apart.  Lost 9-7, thanks in part to errors from Prince Fielder and a monsterous calamity thanks to Mark Kotsay.  Greinke continues to look horrible.

We started the week with a 3 game lead in the division, but after our 1-5 road trip we are even with the Cardinals.  The Pirates are only 1.5 games back with another victory on Sunday.

Starting tomorrow, we get the D’Backs at home for a 3 game series.  Followed by a very important series with the Reds.  That is a must have series.  We need to gain some more ground before the All-Star break and that is a key series.

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July everyone.  Let’s get the boys back to Milwaukee so we can start playing baseball again.  Go Brewers!!!