All-Star Recap

Well, let's just say that I would have rather had Izzy in there in the 9th inning pitching for us. It doesn't matter how many get on base because he still gets us out of a jam.

The NL got a break with the ground-rule double but the two-run triple definitely did help matters. The NL doesn't get home field advantage yet again and it makes me angry because they get creamed in IL play. I'm starting to think whether or not the NL teams elected by the fans are truly the All-Stars they deserve to be. You can't have an NL team without Ken Griffey, Jr. Scott Rolen should have played some yesterday. Some of the pitchers selected did not even pitch a minute. It's an all-star game--play everyone. If Adam Dunn starts batting for average as well as power, his bat would have been helpful last night. The NL has had two leads since they last won in 1996--us fans need to start electing players who want to play to win because it counts for the post-season HFA.

At the all-star break, here are my midseason post-season awards
National League
ROY: Ryan Zimmerman
MVP: Albert Pujols
CY: Brandon Webb

Pitching TC Leaders:
Wins: Tom Glavine
ERA: Carlos Zambrano
Strikeouts: Brandon Webb

American League
ROY: Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Liriano
MVP: David Ortiz
CY: Roy Halladay

Pitching TC Leaders
Wins: Roy Halladay
ERA: Francisco Liriano
Strikeouts: Johan Santana

I'm hoping St. Louis plays a better second half of the season. Even though his playing has been less than impressive this season, Jason Isringhausen leads the NL in saves with 26. He's tied with the MLB lead with Jenks and Papelbon. Batting-wise, the Cards have quite a few in the top fifty with Rolen, Pujols, Eckstein, and yes, he's actually up there--Juan Encarnacion. Edmonds is in the top 100.

At the rate it is looking, David Ortiz will probably break the AL record for home runs in a single season which is still at 61 in case you forgot.

With regards to the 500 home run club, Jim Thome (460) and Manny Ramirez (459) are edging closer to joining it which pretty much guarantees them a spot in the HOF. Alex Rodriguez (448) will likely be joining next season if he gets out of the slump he's in. Frank Thomas (467) should get there but he's been fading out the past few years since the end of the 2003 season. Mike Piazza (409) should but he just hasn't been putting up the numbers like he used to. He needs to go AL and start DH'ing. But for a catcher, he's Hall-bound in my opinion. Carlos Delgada (391) needs two or three seasons to get there--he's having an Edmonds year with the way his AVG is this season. Gary Sheffield is at 453 and will likely join the club next season or in two seasons due to the injury this year.

And let's look at the 300 hit club, Craig Biggio is the closest to 3,000 among active players with 2,883. Bonds is next with 2,789. Steve Finley has 2,491. Sheffield has 2,383.

In pitching, Tom Glavine will join the 300-win club next year most likely. He's pitched 19 games this season, winning 11 of those. The Mets have been superhot this year and he's having his best year since 2002. Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez should join the 3,000 K club this year.

I'm leaving off closers since they really haven't been elected to the HOF.