all star teams

[Lil Bit Special]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080706&content_id=3076848&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp

The fans have voted. And now so have the managers and players. This year's All-Star squads are now set to represent the National and American Leagues in the annual Midsummer Classic at Yankee Stadium on July 15. Again they offer the best and brightest of Major League Baseball's veterans and talented younger set.

From Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones and Lance Berkman to Chase Utley, Joe Mauer, Ryan Braun and Geovany Soto, it's the finest of the old and the new.

Rodriguez, the third baseman for the Yankees, was again the top overall vote-getter with 3,934,518. Last year, for the game in San Francisco, A-Rod also out-polled all 16 elected starters with 3,890,515 votes.

Utley, the six-year second baseman with the Phillies and a .299 hitter this season with 24 homers and 67 RBIs, paced the NL with 3,889,602 votes.

A record 214.7 million votes from 16.5 million ballots were cast online via MLB.com and the affiliate 30 club sites.

The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the last to be played in the current Yankee Stadium -- which closes at the end of this season -- will be televised nationally by FOX, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

It will be shown live in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International.

ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage of next Sunday's XM All-Star Futures Game.

As in recent years, the winner of the game will determine which league has home-field advantage in the World Series. The "This Time it Counts!" rule was implemented in 2003. The AL, which has won 10 games in a row (not including the 2002 tie at Milwaukee), has enjoyed that advantage every postseason since.

In the NL, the Cubs have seven players on the squad -- Soto, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano. Chicago manager Lou Piniella is one of the coaches under Rockies skipper Clint Hurdle, who will lead the squad.

No other NL team has more than two players on the squad, including the defending NL champion Rockies, who have outfielder Matt Holliday and pitcher Aaron Cook on the roster. Soto, Soriano and Fukudome were all elected to the team by the fans.

The starters around the horn in the NL are Berkman of the Astros at first, making his second start and fifth appearance; Utley at second, making his third consecutive start in as many appearances; Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins at short, making his first appearance; and Jones of the Braves at third, making his fifth start and sixth appearance.

Soto, in his first full season, is behind the plate.

Soriano, making his fifth start and seventh appearance, joins teammate Fukudome, the do-everything rookie from Japan. Soriano, who is currently on the disabled list with a broken finger, has just begun taking batting practice and is doubtful for the game.

The players elected these reserves: catcher Russell Martin of the Dodgers, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres, second baseman Dan Uggla of the Marlins, third baseman Aramis Ramirez, shortstop Miguel Tejada of the Astros, and outfielders Holliday, Nate McLouth of the Pirates and Ryan Ludwick of the Cardinals.

Hurdle selected shortstop Cristian Guzman of the Nationals, catcher Brian McCann of the Braves, first baseman Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, plus pitchers Zambrano, Dan Haren of the D-backs and Billy Wagner of the Mets.

The NL pitching staff is as follows: Zambrano and Haren are joined by fellow starters Dempster, Brandon Webb of the D-backs, Edinson Volquez of the Reds, Tim Lincecum of the Giants and Ben Sheets of the Brewers. Wagner is joined by Wood, relievers Brad Lidge of the Phillies and Brian Wilson of the Giants.

The players made all the other pitching selections.

Over in the AL, the defending World Series champion Red Sox will go into Yankee Stadium with seven players on the squad, including four starters -- Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were all voted as starters by the fans and Jonathan Papelbon, Jason Varitek and J.D Drew were all added as reserves. They and the other AL All-Stars will be led by Boston manager Terry Francona.

The host Yankees have three players on the team: mainstays Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

For the AL, these are the starters going around the diamond: Youkilis is at first base, making his first All-Star appearance; ditto for teammate Pedroia at second, Jeter is at short, making his ninth appearance; and A-Rod is at third. Mauer of the Twins is making his first start behind the plate and second appearance.

The outfield is made up of old standbys Ramirez, making his sixth start and 12th appearance, and Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners, making his seventh start and eighth appearance since his arrival from Japan in 2001. Josh Hamilton, who is in his second season and first with Texas, is the newcomer, making his first start and first appearance.

Fans could choose an AL designated hitter for the game because it's being played this year in an AL park after a two-year run in Senior Circuit yards.

Ortiz got that nod, but he won't play because he's on the disabled list with a hand injury. He'll be replaced by Milton Bradley of the Rangers.

The players selected these reserves: Bradley, catcher Varitek and outfielder Drew, first baseman Justin Morneau of the Twins, second baseman Ian Kinsler and shortstop Michael Young of the Rangers, third baseman Joe Crede and outfielder Carlos Quentin of the White Sox and outfielder Grady Sizemore of the Indians.

Francona added infielder Carlos Guillen of the Tigers, catcher Dioner Navarro of the Rays and pitchers George Sherrill of the Orioles, Justin Duchscherer of the A's and Joe Nathan of the Twins.

The AL pitching staff is as follows: Duchscherer is joined by fellow starters Roy Halladay of the Blue Jays, Cliff Lee of the Indians, Scott Kazmir of the Rays, and Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana of the Angels. Sherrill and Nathan are joined by fellow relievers Rivera, Papelbon, Frankie Rodriguez of the Angels and Joakim Soria of the Royals.

As in the NL, the players made all the other pitching selections.

Now in its seventh year, the Monster 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote gives baseball fans around the world the opportunity to select the final player on each All-Star team. Balloting began immediately following Sunday's Major League All-Star Selection Show presented by Chevy and continues until 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, July, 10. The winners will be announced on MLB.com shortly thereafter.

Here are the Final Vote candidates for both squads:

In the NL: third baseman David Wright of the Mets and outfielders Pat Burrell of the Phillies, Corey Hart of the Brewers, Carlos Lee of the Astros and Aaron Rowand of the Giants.

In the AL: first baseman Jason Giambi of the Yankees, third baseman Evan Longoria of the Rays, second baseman Brian Roberts of the Orioles and outfielders Jose Guillen of the Royals and Jermaine Dye of the White Sox.

There are two ways for fans to vote for the 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote -- online now at MLB.com, or on-the-go from their cell phones. Fans also can text the word "VOTE" to 36197 to have the All-Star Final Vote candidates sent to their phones. To vote for a specific player, simply reply with your choice. In Canada, fans should text the word "VOTE" to 88555. Standard text messaging rates apply -- please check with your mobile carrier for details.

[Lil Bit Special]

American League

Pos. Player Team

C Joe Mauer Twins

1B Kevin Youkilis Red Sox

2B Dustin Pedroia Red Sox

SS Derek Jeter Yankees

3B Alex Rodriguez Yankees

OF Josh Hamilton Rangers

OF Manny Ramirez Red Sox

OF Ichiro Suzuki Mariners

DH David Ortiz* Red Sox *injured, will be replaced by the Rangers' Milton Bradley.

National League

Pos. Player Team

C Geovany Soto Cubs

1B Lance Berkman Astros

2B Chase Utley Phillies

SS Hanley Ramirez Marlins

3B Chipper Jones Braves

OF Ryan Braun Brewers

OF Alfonso Soriano Cubs

OF Kosuke Fukudome Cubs

DH NA*

*to be selected by NL manager Clint Hurdle.

[Lil Bit Special]

With the All-Star Game starting lineups in the books, the players and managers followed suit by choosing many fan-ballot just-misses according to the rules for bench slots.

In addition to the National League starters selected by the fans, the players elected these reserves:

catcher Russell Martin of the Dodgers;

first baseman Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres;

second baseman Dan Uggla of the Marlins;

third baseman Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs;

shortstop Miguel Tejada of the Astros, and

outfielders Matt Holliday of the Rockies, Nate McLouth of the Pirates and Ryan Ludwick of the Cardinals.

NL manager Clint Hurdle of the Rockies selected shortstop Cristian Guzman of the Nationals, catcher Brian McCann of the Braves, first baseman Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, plus pitchers Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs, Dan Haren of the Diamondbacks and Billy Wagner of the Mets.

The NL pitching staff is as follows and was largely selected by the players: Zambrano and Haren are joined by fellow starters Ryan Dempster of the Cubs, Brandon Webb of the D-backs, Edinson Volquez of the Reds, Tim Lincecum of the Giants and Ben Sheets of the Brewers. Wagner is joined by relievers Kerry Wood of the Cubs, Brad Lidge of the Phillies and Brian Wilson of the Giants.

Over in the American League, the players selected these reserves: designated hitter Milton Bradley of the Rangers, who undoubtedly will start in lieu of the fan pick -- Boston's injured David Ortiz; catcher Jason Varitek and outfielder J.D. Drew of the Red Sox; first baseman Justin Morneau of the Twins; second baseman Ian Kinsler and shortstop Michael Young of the Rangers; third baseman Joe Crede and outfielder Carlos Quentin of the White Sox and outfielder Grady Sizemore of the Indians.

AL manager Terry Francona of the Red Sox added infielder Carlos Guillen of the Tigers, catcher Dioner Navarro of the Rays, and pitchers George Sherrill of the Orioles, Justin Duchscherer of the A's, Joe Nathan of the Twins and Joakim Soria of the Royals.

The AL pitching staff is as follows and was also largely elected by the players:

Duchscherer is joined by fellow starters Roy Halladay of the Blue Jays, Cliff Lee of the Indians, Scott Kazmir of the Rays, and Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana of the Angels. Sherrill, Soria and Nathan are joined by fellow relievers Mariano Rivera of the Yankees, Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox and Francisco Rodriguez of the Angels.

The 2003 season marked the introduction of the players ballot to the All-Star selection process. The players select eight position players and eight pitchers from their respective leagues, adding the designated hitter when the game is held in an AL park.

After that process is complete, the managers add another seven and the 32nd roster spot is picked by the fans via the Final Vote on MLB.com.

Catchers and infielders among the top two at their position and outfielders among the top six on the player ballot are assured of making the teams. In instances where the winners of the player ballot are also fan-elected starters, the player with the next highest amount of player votes make the team. As far as the pitchers are concerned, five starters and three relievers become All-Stars through the player ballot, which was conducted during the last week of fan voting.

The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and the last to be played in the current Yankee Stadium -- which closes at the end of this season -- will be televised nationally by FOX, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

At the same time, it will shown in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International.

ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage of next Sunday's XM All-Star Futures Game.

Once again, this year, the winner of the game will determine which league has home field advantage in the World Series. The "This Time it Counts!" rule was implemented in 2003. The AL, which who has won 10 games in a row (not including the 2002 tie at Milwaukee), has enjoyed that advantage every postseason since 2002.

Rosters for both teams will not be finalized until Thursday, when fans at MLB.com pick one more player for each squad. Now in its seventh year, the Monster.com 2008 All-Star Final Vote begins immediately following Sunday's Major League All-Star Selection Show presented by Chevy, and continues until 5 p.m. ET on Thursday. The winners will be announced on MLB.com shortly thereafter.

Here are the Final Vote candidates for both squads:

In the NL, they are third baseman David Wright of the Mets, and outfielders Pat Burrell of the Phillies, Cory Hart of the Brewers, Carlos Lee of the Astros and Aaron Rowand of the Giants.

In the AL, they are first baseman Jason Giambi of the Yankees, third baseman Evan Longoria of the Rays, second baseman Brian Roberts of the Orioles, and outfielders Jose Guillen of the Royals and Jermaine Dye of the White Sox.

There are two ways for fans to vote for the 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote -- online now at MLB.com, or on-the-go from their cell phones. Fans also can text the word "VOTE" to 36197 to have the All-Star Final Vote candidates sent to your phone. To vote for a specific player, simply reply with your choice. In Canada, fans should text the word "VOTE" to 88555. Standard rate text messaging rates apply -- please check with your mobile carrier for details.

[MagicBizkit87]

Is Willie Randolph still one of the managers for the national league? Whats the story with that?

[KudosForND]

American League

Pos. Player Team

C Joe Mauer Twins

1B Kevin Youkilis Red Sox

2B Dustin Pedroia Red Sox

SS Derek Jeter Yankees

3B Alex Rodriguez Yankees

OF Josh Hamilton Rangers

OF Manny Ramirez Red Sox

OF Ichiro Suzuki Mariners

DH David Ortiz* Red Sox *injured, will be replaced by the Rangers' Milton Bradley.

National League

Pos. Player Team

C Geovany Soto Cubs

1B Lance Berkman Astros

2B Chase Utley Phillies

SS Hanley Ramirez Marlins

3B Chipper Jones Braves

OF Ryan Braun Brewers

OF Alfonso Soriano Cubs

OF Kosuke Fukudome Cubs DH NA*

*to be selected by NL manager Clint Hurdle.

fukodome- should be holliday

soto should be mccann or bengie

pedrioa should be kinsler

jeter doesnt deserve it but he kinda has to be there considering noone in al is doing good at shortstop..

[Lil Bit Special]

Is Willie Randolph still one of the managers for the national league? Whats the story with that?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06272008/sports/mets/willie_wont_coach_at_all_star_game_117417.htm

As expected, former Mets manager Willie Randolph was replaced yesterday as one of the National League coaches for next month's All-Star Game.

New York Mets

Taking his place is his former teammate, Cubs manager Lou Piniella.

Randolph won't be working in the dugout or the coaches' boxes, but he may still have a role in the July 15 game at Yankee Stadium. Major League Baseball and Randolph are speaking about other roles he could play in the event.

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle tapped Randolph to be part of his staff in May. The choice made sense considering Randolph managed in New York and had a long history as a player and coach with the Yankees.

New York Yankees

But when the Mets fired Randolph last week, it complicated matters. Homefield advantage for the World Series is determined by the All-Star Game, so MLB did not want someone unaffiliated with a team participating in the game.

MLB and Randolph are now discussing scenarios that could involve him as part of pregame activities. It is possible he could throw batting practice or participate in some other role during warm-ups. Randolph has told friends he still wants to be involved. He had to skip the 2007 All-Star Game after being named a coach because of right shoulder surgery.

"It's an unprecedented situation," said Katy Feeney, a senior vice president of MLB. "We're still trying to figure out what works best for everybody. A lot if it depends on what (Willie) wants to do."

Randolph was the starting second baseman in the 1977 All-Star Game, the last one held at Yankee Stadium.

[DaBrick Wall]

Jason Varitek as an AL All-Star is one of the funniest things I've ever seen in professional sports. And people complained about Torre. What a homer. He probably took away Giambi's spot.

[JonEJet]

Did that douchebag Francona bypass Moose for the AL

If so, I hate him more

[anskyruben]

Did that douchebag Francona bypass Moose for the AL

If so, I hate him more

+1

[Blackout]

pujols better be DH

[CrazyCarl40]

Did that douchebag Francona bypass Moose for the AL

If so, I hate him more

AL manager Terry Francona of the Red Sox added infielder Carlos Guillen of the Tigers, catcher Dioner Navarro of the Rays, and pitchers George Sherrill of the Orioles, Justin Duchscherer of the A's, Joe Nathan of the Twins and Joakim Soria of the Royals.

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

There goes all of your conspiracy theories. I don't think Tek deserves to be on the team to be honest. He's not hitting at all right now, but his presence behind the plate is all that matters. I would have liked to have seen Lester make it as he does deserve it with the no-no and his 8th in the league ERA, but you can't get them all.

[MagicBizkit87]

Moose definitely deserved to be on this roster, and I think it's laughable that he wasn't. Belonged there more then every guy Francona picked, and 2 of the guys (Drew, Varitek) picked by AL Players.

I personally don't really care for the all star game though, it's all just a waste of time. I still think a stupid all star game shouldn't dictate whose the home team in the world series, especially when the best players usually aren't even in the game.

[DaBrick Wall]

AL manager Terry Francona of the Red Sox added infielder Carlos Guillen of the Tigers, catcher Dioner Navarro of the Rays, and pitchers George Sherrill of the Orioles, Justin Duchscherer of the A's, Joe Nathan of the Twins and Joakim Soria of the Royals.

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

There goes all of your conspiracy theories. I don't think Tek deserves to be on the team to be honest. He's not hitting at all right now, but his presence behind the plate is all that matters. I would have liked to have seen Lester make it as he does deserve it with the no-no and his 8th in the league ERA, but you can't get them all.

He doesn't deserve to be an All-Star for his "presence behind the plate," which, frankly, is mostly bull**** to cover for his last three years of a horror movie at the plate.

Sorry for blaming it on Francona. DOes anyone still really think the players are the best judge of their peers? LOL

[DaBrick Wall]

How did Crede make the team over Lowell or Longoria?

[Thor99]

All Star managers are a little hamstrung when it comes to picking those last couple of spots.

[Maxman]

Moose should be on the team. Yeah I know everyone is screwed. But it is in NY in the last year of the stadium. Moose should be there. He deserves it, end of story.

[Lil Bit Special]

Varitek was 2nd in voting for catcher. I believe the top 2 vote getters for C and INF are in the AS game automatically. ANd the top 6 OF get in.

[CrazyCarl40]

He doesn't deserve to be an All-Star for his "presence behind the plate," which, frankly, is mostly bull**** to cover for his last three years of a horror movie at the plate.

Sorry for blaming it on Francona. DOes anyone still really think the players are the best judge of their peers? LOL

He certainly doesn't I didn't mean to sound that way. I was plainly talking in terms of the Red Sox.

And whomever said Drew doesn't deserve hasn't been paying attention.

[MagicBizkit87]

He certainly doesn't I didn't mean to sound that way. I was plainly talking in terms of the Red Sox.

And whomever said Drew doesn't deserve hasn't been paying attention.

I don't recall me saying that Drew didn't belong in the game. I do however recall me saying Moose belonged in the game more then he did.

[CrazyCarl40]

I don't recall me saying that Drew didn't belong in the game. I do however recall me saying Moose belonged in the game more then he did.

Apples and oranges.

[124]

Jason Varitek being voted in is a joke. Batting under .220. Unbelieveable.

[Thor99]

Jason Varitek being voted in is a joke. Batting under .220. Unbelieveable.

The players voted him in, but you're right.

[PeterNorth09]

Moose should be on the team. Yeah I know everyone is screwed. But it is in NY in the last year of the stadium. Moose should be there. He deserves it, end of story.

I agree with you but the Yankees are probably better off with Mussina getting some extra rest during the all-star break. Right now he is the ace of the staff and he needs as much rest as possible to keep this up for the rest of the season.