All-Stars Folded Twice

First off, I'd like to apologize for not getting this material up yesterday per the schedule. Unavoidable technical and strategical difficulties prevented updates to the site. On the bright side, this week will be more action packed than the new Karate Kid movie. That's a guarantee. Although, maybe a re-phrase is in order after recently hearing Bill Cowher's take on guarantee's...

"You can put (expletive) in a box and slap a guarantee on it"...

...Maybe that's not an exact quote, but you get the idea. Regardless, we're going to cram this week and bring you four straight days of posts. On top of our usual, but somewhat off-schedule Fantasy Monday, National Interest Wednesday and Farm Report Friday, Beer League will feature it's first guest writer--World Cup enthusiast Isaac Hodges. We're expecting a top-tier write up on Thursday spotlighting this major sports event, so please stop in and enjoy.

Today's write up after the jump.



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Sitting at just over a third of the way through the 2010 Major League Baseball season, it's time to take a look at this year's All-Star forecast. Instead of just purely predicting which player(s) will represent each team, Beer League is going to take a two-fold approach. First, we'll choose each team's biggest fantasy player based on statistical production in the most pronounced fantasy categories. Second, a player will be selected from each team based on his real-life, win-producing impact.

What's the point? Isn't an All-Star an All-Star? And, aren't All-Star's chosen based on fantasy voting?

Slow down. Holster your Nerf guns. Let's just talk it out. The point of this system is to present to you a unique prospective. Frankly, it's somewhat tiring seeing the same guys over and over again, and, all due respect set aside; it's a little boring. Whatever happened to breakout seasons, defense winning championships, and fair and equal representation? Ok, maybe the MLB has addressed that third factor. Heck, maybe they've addressed all three. After all, they do allow the fans to control the rosters.

Here at Beer League, we like having the control. We love calling the shots. And, we thoroughly enjoy long walks on the beach, pina colladas with little umbrellas, pocket-sized puppies and...what? Maybe a "GOTCHA!" would be in order if each one of you didn't just imagine yourselves walking down the shoreline at sunset with a fruity drink in hand while you watch your tiny K-9 frolic in the slightly crashing waves.

Okay. In all seriousness, let's get back to business. We've got baseball to discuss, and without further ado, here is your 2010 Beer League All-Star Team...folded twice, of course.

Arizona Diamondbacks:
Fantasy Impact= 2B, Kelly Johnson- In a usually weak crop of fantasy players, Johnson has used his change of scenery to emerge as one the the (gulp!) leaders of the pack. On pace for over fifty doubles and over thirty homers, we just can't argue with his fantasy success so far. Although, we'd really, really like to.

Winning Impact= SP, Dan Haren- Yes, the numbers are down (or up depending on how you look at it), but they're trending in the right direction. Bottom line here is the six wins. Justin Upton is the other candidate, but with the way he's struggled with the stick, it's not feasible right now to select him to this year's Beer League All-Star Team. Besides, poll the GM's around the league. Dennis-the-Menace's piggy bank says they'd covet the Pepperdine product as their number one on the hill.

Atlanta Braves:
Fantasy Impact= No question here. It's not debateable. It's...It's...a rookie!? Yes. Jason Heyward runs away with this selection. Please try and find an argument to the contrary. We'll be waiting. Ok. We've waited long enough. Next!

Winning Impact= It's a sweep! If the stats don't get the message across, the eye test will. Despite a game every now and then where he must just enjoy hearing the ump call him out on strikes, he's barreling towards exceptional numbers. That's exceptional in general, not just for a rookie. His cannon in right just makes this pick that much easier.

Baltimore Orioles:
Fantasy Impact= Ty Wigginton. Reasoning? Well, there's only one--it's got to be somebody...

Winning Impact= Buehler?...Buehler?...Nope. We refuse.

Boston Red Sox:
Fantasy Impact= Kevin Youkilis. Was it an easy choice? Uh huh. Are there others? Uh huh. Is he skipping down the lilly-laden path towards MVP? Uh huh.

Winning Impact= In the AL East it's all about the runs. The Sox realized this after a change-of-approach toward a not-so-successful-Bill-James- driven shift which netted them a losing record. When did they start to pull it together? It was about the time their bats starting whiffing and grounding out less and their balls started landing in the gaps and over the fence more. Who's been the most successful Bostonian at doing just this? One hint: It's the same guy who's eye-balling a shot at the MVP title.

Chicago Cubs:
Fantasy Impact= Ready to feel slightly sick to your stomach? Marlon Byrd and Alfonso Soriano are blowing the rest of the Cubbies away in the fantasy world. Yuck. However, Beer League rules don't allow players in wheel chairs to participate. So, that leaves Byrd. Congrats Marlon!...We guess.

Winning Impact= It appears a change of scenary has lit a fire under Carlos Silva's... shoulder. He's undefeated and refuses to give out free passes to first. Seriously, we tried. He won't budge. You've got to earn your trip to the basepaths the way your grandpa earned that Caddy--through plenty of hard work and loads of determination. Interesting note; despite swearing we saw him play for the Mariners previously, we can't locate this fact anywhere in his resume. He's seemingly erased those memories from the history books and wants the baseball world to believe he went straight from Minnesota to Chicago. Did he?

Cincinnati Reds:
Fantasy Impact= Leading one of the hottest offenses in the National league is Joey Votto. He may have disapeared from the baseball scene for a while last season. And, he may have disapeared form your Christmas list because of it. However, the one place he hasn't disapeared from is the production line. He continues to churn out a plethora of singles, doubles, homers and clutch rbi's. Check your fantasy roster. If he's not your first baseman, you probably wish he was.

Winning Impact= While Votto would be the easy choice, it's necessary to look at what's producing Cincy's wins. Joey was an emerging monster last year, yet they didn't seem to win at a large rate. What's different this year? The re-emergence of Scott Rolen appears to be the difference that's got the Red's competing for the Central. Thus, the gritty vet is getting the nod here. Nice to see you again, Scott.

Cleveland Indians:
Fantasy Impact= Shin-Soo Choo. He's contributing in five categories. Unfortunately, his teammates may complicate the development of his RBI total.

Winning Impact= Hmmm.

Colorado Rockies:
Fantasy Impact= As much as we'd like to give TT the nod here... As big of fans of his as we are here...Must choose U-B-A-L-D-O J-I-M-E-N-E-Z.

Winning Impact= Eleven wins, sub-one ERA and WHIP totals, two complete games, two shut-outs, AND keeping batters harnessed below a two hundred batting average? Yes. Give him the nod here too.

Chicago White Sox:
Fantasy Impact= Paul Bunyan. Errr. Konerko. The guy just...keeps...jacking. He's already at seventeen homeruns, he's healthy, and he's walking. Wonder if all that walking has kept his blood sugar low...

Winning Impact= What did the White Sox think they were getting in Alex Rios? Don't know. They were probably hoping he could return to his future MVP type numbers of his earlier years with Toronto. Fortunately for them, they found lightning in a bottle. He's doing a bit of everything, and doing it well. No doubt, he's the best all-around player on the South side.

Detroit Tigers:
Fantasy Impact= Miquel Cabrera. He's quite possibly the best offensive fantasy player this year. The best part? He's just now hitting his prime.

Winning Impact= Justin Verlander. He's baaaaaack! After getting roughed up early, the guy just keeps getting stronger.

Florida Marlins:
Fantasy Impact= Normally this would be a no-brainer. Normally, H-Ram would be making you feel fantastic and giddy about taking him early in the first round. Abnormally, he's not producing at that level yet this season. Instead, Josh Johnson says, "not in my house". Nobody is getting the ball over the fence against Johnson. He's building on prior success and is currently one of the better pitching options in fantasy.

Winning Impact= No, the run-producing, power-hitting short stop hasn't been puting up his normal numbers. But, Hanley's got five tools, right? Right. He's still got the glove and range to shut down the middle... Even if he does kick a ball every now and then.

Want more? You do, don't you? Good. Come back tomorrow for the rest of the Beer League All-Star lineup.



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Chime the bells. Blow the whistle. Alert the Media. It's round two of the Beer League All-Star lineup announcements. Instead of the usual anecdote or content-preceding attempt at humor, today it's time to just get down to business. Which reminds me; a quick preview for tomorrow's bonus post is in order. Tune in for a different take on "The Chosen One", Stephen Strasburg's world famous debut and what's around the corner for the real life human torch.

First up, Houston!

Houston Astros:
Fantasy Impact= Due to the ineptly shallow crop of left fielders for fantasy this year, Carlos Lee gets the nod here. Exciting? No. But, you understand what you're getting here. If not, look under "career slugger who's averaged 28 homers, 100 RBI and over 30 doubles over his 11 year career". Then, cross reference that with "how to adjust in your mid 30's". You should find a nice, happy medium.

Winning Impact= Man, so many to choose from. Big Puma. The aforementioned Carlos Lee. Or, the toolsy kid with an awesome name, Hunter Pence. Nah. Let's get creative and select Roy Oswalt. Why? Let's say they are actually able to trade his fatty contract to a desperate contender. Say, the Yankees. If we think really hard and creatively, we can begin to imagine what might happen 3 to 4 years down the road if they get a decent booty. Shucks! It was worth a try. Ok, default to the kid with the cool name. Congrats...Hunter Pence.

Kansas City Royals:
Fantasy Impact= What is about to be said may only be read by mature audiences. If you believe yourself to have a weak stomach, please skip to the next paragraph and never come back to or reference this portion of the post. Folks, it's Jose Guillen. You'll now be given a moment to grab some wet napkins, towels or whatever else you may need to clean yourself up a bit before we go on... Ready? Ok. The reasoning here might make you feel slightly better about the selection. The reasoning is that hopefully you traded Guillen when his stat line indicated he was on the verge of a career year. Hopefully you traded him for max value and got a stud like Matt Holliday, Justin Upton, or any number of first or second tier guys that may have been struggling. And, hopefully you weren't the one trading for him.

Winning Impact= It doesn't matter that the Royals players seem to disagree with Beer League's selection here. Facts are Facts. Zack Greinke still gives the boys in blue the best chance at winning every time he steps on the mound. Everyone is freaking out about his lack of "stuff", but remember he is a consummate professional and doesn't enjoy seeing 8 losses in his line. He'll find a way to correct whatever mechanics are slacking, and return to prominence. Ok, maybe that's a stretch. He's still in KC, after all.

LA Angels:
Fantasy Impact= With center field being a premium position, this has to go to Torii Hunter.

Winning Impact= With center field being a premium position, this has to go to Torii Hunter. (No, that was not a typo. He's dominated the position offensively and defensively for years and deserves the utmost respect.)

LA Dodgers:
Fantasy Impact= Dr. Dre. Not the singer/rapper/composer/marketing guru or whatever else he does, but the right fielder. Ethier took the months of April and May, wrapped them up neatly, and launched them into outer space with a note that read, "Who's your daddy?" The finger issue will resolve itself and he'll adjust.

Winning Impact= The entire outfield. It tops the Majors in every way possible. Kemp and Ethier defend the outfield like Rajon Rondo did in the fourth quarter of Game 2. Manny is always being Manny, of course. But, he's allowed that luxury. All three guys know how to control the plate. Yes, it's our first "team" award.

Milwaukee Brewers:
Fantasy Impact= Being part of the Ryan Braun fan club, it's extremely difficult not to choose the "Hammer" here, but we just can't. Second base is historically weak. Therefore, Casey McGehee's emergence is critical. Well, at least this year. The Crew has him on the third bag, which will relieve him of his second base eligibility for next year. However, that doesn't change the fact that he's a top two second base-eligible player this year and doesn't look like he'll fall out of the top three.

Winning Impact= Another guy with a cool name, Yovanni Gallardo. Only, he's not just getting the call here because of his name. Do you know how to spell domination? Gallardo does.

Minnesota Twins:
Fantasy Impact= The lumberjack himself, Justin Morneau. Is anyone else completely and utterly scared when he steps up to the plate?

Winning Impact= The Twins say their prayers daily that Joe Mauer opted not to play quarterback for Florida State. The rest of the league has been hoping the past 6 years have been a bad dream. He is simply the best all-around player in the Majors. And, that's nothing to be taken lightly. (Side note: He too is a bit of a lumberjack)

New York Mets
Fantasy Impact= After a down year last season, David Wright has rebounded and enthused those who took a chance on him in this year's draft. Third base is a bit rocky as far as depth goes, so Wright's projected 40 doubles, 30 homers, 100 RBI and .280 batting average look good on any team.

Winning Impact= In real life, the msot difficult position to come by is a true short stop. Jose Reyes is just that. His power seems to have been somewhat depleted recently, but he still has all 5 of the most important tools in baseball (remember doubles and triples count too!). And, he's oh-so-fun to watch.

More coming after the jump.



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Here we go. Day 3 of the Beer League All-Star lineup announcements. There's quite a bit of information included in this 3 part post so we wanted to make sure you had time to keep up. Today will wrap up the final third of the two teams.

New York Yankees:
Fantasy Impact= Whether you credit his outstanding start to the new ball park, his "baseball prime", or any number of other explanations, Robinson Cano is keeping jaws dropped this season. His current pace for 50 doubles, 33 homers, and 126RBI is only made more impressive by his astonishing .376 batting average clip. Are you a believer?

Winning Impact= The offense is great in New York, but you could put Barney and Friends in pinstripes and they'd slam a few out of the park. Therefore, CC Sabathia is the key to wins. Statistically, Phil Hughes is better, but CC gives these boys a legitimate shot every fifth day.

Oakland A's:
Fantasy Impact= It's a grim outlook. Daric Barton gets the nod as a doubles machine who knows how to take a walk. He's probably not on your team, and for good reason...You probably don't have any A's on your team, and for good reason.

Winning Impact= True team ball. The whole roster gets this selection. Honestly, who will represent their team in the real MLB All-Star game?

Philadelphia Phillies:
Fantasy Impact= R-O-Y H-A-L-L-A-D-A-Y (reference article number one from Beer League)

Winning Impact= Chase Utley has belonged in this category since he broke into the majors. The guy is a true winner, a pure baseball player, and a production machine. He's set the standard for second basemen and will continue to do so until he retires.

Pittsburgh Pirates:
Fantasy Impact= You've seen it before; center field is a premium position. That makes "Cutch" a premium player. He doesn't snag a lot of RBI's, but he'll delve into just about every other category.

Winning Impact= As the most exciting, most prolific and most impactful player on the roster, "Cutch" gets the nod here too. Seriously, have you seen him play?

San Diego Padres:
Fantasy Impact= If you have many Padres on your fantasy team, you're probably not at the top of the standings. The only player really worth holding onto is Adrian Gonzalez. You can always hope he gets traded to a contender at the deadline. We'd all like to see a spike in RBI opportunities, wouldn't we?

Winning Impact= Nobody really knows how San Diego keeps winning, and there's not really a "key". Here's to another team nomination. We're going to need to order a few more Beer League jerseys.

Seattle Mariners:
Fantasy Impact= You waited patiently. You wondered if it'd be worth it. Now, you know. Cliff Lee has come back from injury with a vengeance. Not only is the stuff still there, now he's adding heavily to your strikeout category as well. Stud.

Winning Impact= See "Impact, Fantasy".

San Francisco Giants:
Fantasy Impact= No brainer. Lincecum, right? Wrong. There's a new sheriff in town. His name is Matt Cain, and his hands are the size of a polar bear's...at least according to Lince-chump. He's shown flashes before and it's finally come together. Too bad that Halladay guy is in the NL now.

Winning Impact= A little twist here as offense doesn't seem to exist in the Bay Area--Buster Posey. He's provided a much needed spark since getting the call up. He makes constant and solid contact with the stick and looks like he'll be a candidate for 30 doubles this year as a leader of the offense.

St. Louis Cardinals:
Fantasy Impact= He's been the number one pick for a few years now. They call him the "Machine". He could blast a rolling baseball 400 feet. Enough said.

Winning impact= As a converted reliever, it still seems surreal seeing Adam Wainwright get the best of almost every batter he faces. Again, it's just a shame that guy Halladay is in he NL.

Tampa Bay Rays:
Fantasy Impact= In all seriousness, hope you got them all. Really.

Winning impact= It is beautiful to watch this team play. They've got to be the favorite in the AL. Selection goes to their manager, Joe Maddon.

Texas Rangers:
Fantasy Impact= Since Nolan Ryan, it's been about offense in Arlington. With triple eligibility in the outfield, Josh Hamilton is begining to really heat up. As long as those knees hold up, he looks to redeem his slow start by rewarding his owners with 30 homers and 100 RBI. Start looking forward to it.

Winning Impact= As nice as most of the pieces are for the Rangers, if you watch the games, Vlad seems to be the biggest difference-maker at the plate. It doesn't matter what the situation is, he seems to take advantage of it. They took a chance on his health and it's paying dividends.

Toronto Blue Jays:
Fantasy Impact= Vernon Wells is the man. He's also our pick.

Winning Impact= Vernon Wells again. Can he keep it up? Probably not. He's on pace for over 60 doubles and almost 30 homers. However, his re-awakening is prompting the Jays to score some runs. Even if he doesn't stay on his current pace, he will remain their difference-maker.

Washington Nationals:
Fantasy Impact= Tempting to already put Stephen Strasburg here. Well, what the hay? Let's do it! Stephen Strasburg it is. Despite his pitch count and innings limits, he's going to be great. If you didn't catch his first start, make sure to see the next one against Cleveland.

Winning Impact= Maybe as early as next season, this will be Strasburg as well. Unfortunately, the limitations on his counts this year will limit his ability to really impact the win column. Zimmerman is still the man at the hot corner, and he's our man too.

This concludes the 2010 Beer League All-Star Lineups. After 3 days of analyzing and making picks, it's finally over. Why does it seem like everything related to the game of baseball takes forever? Because, it does. If you're not already, get used to it.