7 Things We Missed This Weekend

Due to our extended absence covering the NCAC Swimming Championships in Canton, OH, there is a lot in the sports world that we need to get caught up on RSS nation! I will say that we had a better than expected time at the swim meets, and I discovered that swimming may be the toughest sport to do play by play for! Luckily we survived, and it actually was quite fun. While Snowmageddon 2010 continues in central Ohio, here's 7 Things We Missed This Extended Weekend!

1. NBA All-Star Game

-The largest crowd ever to watch a hoops game showed up at Jerry Jones palace for the 2010 All-Star Game. The NBA's version of the ASG is by far the best and most entertaining in all of sports and Sunday night's game showed why. The spectacle was one of the cooler sights that I've seen, and it takes away from David Stern's news that the league will lose 400 million dollars this year! (BTW, don't be surprised if we hear about both NBA and NFL labor trouble soon). The game was its usual barrage of highlights until late fouls made it a free throw shooting contest. Dwyane Wade won MVP and the East won 141-139, roll the highlights!

2. Slam Dunk Contest

-While the ASG is better than ever, the slam dunk contest is coming off perhaps the worst competition in the history of the event. When your star for the evening is Nate Robinson, you know there are issues. In looking at the lack of star power in the field, you knew it would take something awesome to make this a memorable slam dunk. In the end, it underwhelmed completely as Lil' Nate took his 3rd title. The dunk contest doesn't need fixed, just like the HR derby or any other skills contest. The actual nuts and bolts are still as good of an idea as ever. What it does need are the stars of the game to step up and save it before it fades away into oblivion. The dunk contest won't be able to survive the Nate Robinsons and Shannon Browns of the world too much longer. Wait a sec, wasn't this guy supposed to be in it?

3. Daytona 500

-A pothole?? At Daytona?? Seriously?? NASCAR is coming into a make or break year as far as its popularity on the national stage and 2 hours of delays during your Super Bowl of racing is not the best way to start the year. Could you imagine last week if Peyton Manning and Drew Brees had to sit in the locker room for an extra 2 hours (let alone wheeling The Who on and off stage) because of a hole in the turf? Jamie McMurray was able to hold off Little E in an exciting end, but two more problems arose for NASCAR. Another year without a big name winner, and more calamity and the end of the green/white/checkered finish. NASCAR has always been ahead of the curve (get it?) as far as rules and standards go, and they'll need to revisit plenty in the coming weeks.

4. College BBall Comings & Goings

-Coming: KU and UK - 1/2 in the polls and still with only 1 loss. They both beat Top 15 teams this week in Texas and Tennessee respectively.

Going: Texas - 5 losses out of 8 to drop them from #1 to #17 in the polls.

Coming: Ohio State - blowout win on the road at Illinois. With POY candidate Evan Turner healthy, the Bucks are a legit darkhorse

Going: West Virginia - two losses to ranked Big East teams, while tough games, this team may not be a true title contender

Coming: Big XII - Texas A&M and Baylor make the Top 25 this week while they also have strong teams like Missouri and Oklahoma, they may be the deepest conference in the country.

Going: Cornell - sorry Nard dog, the Big Red's stay in the Top 25 lasted about as long as your engagement to Angela. Maybe this video will make Cornell fans feel better...

5. NHL = No Hockey League... For 2 Weeks At Least

-Is the Olympic break a good or bad thing for the NHL? Being a casual hockey fan who checks out the occasional game and tunes in for the Stanley Cup playoffs, it's a good thing. I'll watch a lot more hockey at the Olympics than I would during the regular season. I'll get to know players that I would not care about seeing during the regular season. The Winter Olympics gives hockey a much needed attraction and attention that a normal regular season schedule would not bring. It would be foolish for the NHL to abandon the Winter Olympics because the NHL gets more focus when they aren't playing this time of year. On another note, we were at this sweet game in the 5th row yesterday between the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets. The NHL actually does put on a good show at times!

6. Epic Oprah Fail

-What could possibly put a damper on the Saints winning the Super Bowl? How 'bout Oprah trying to wipe Drew Brees' birthmark off his face...

7. Epic Torch Fail

-What could be even more awkward than #6? How 'bout an epic fail with hundreds of millions of eyes watching, and Canada's greatest athlete looking like he's going to set a stadium on fire with the Olympic flame, check out the hilarious link and Gretzky's reaction about a minute in.

What to do With the NBA All-Star Game?

The basketball world has been abuzz this week with ways to fix the NBA All-Star Game, and All-Star Weekend in general. Personally, while baseball's exhibition has always been seen as the Midsummer Classic, I've preferred the NBA variety because of its high entertainment value. The NBA doesn't pretend to to make the All-Star game more than it should be like MLB, who foolishly decides something as important as home-field advantage in the World Series in an exhibition.

However, the NBA also doesn't brush aside the All-Star game as a vacation interrupted by a touch football game...after the season has already ended. No, the NBA already walks the fine line between exhibition and entertainment, competition between the best in the game and giving the fans what they want. But, recent developments have cast All-Star weekend under the microscope. Shaq's brilliant idea to help Haiti and revive the dunk contest is a good start, although it's already being poo-pooed on by some. Still, another question remains, what do we do with the way the starting lineups are chosen? Let's examine the complaints, solutions, and see if the NBA's showcase event needs some minor retooling, or full-on Heidi Montag style plastic surgery!

As most fans know by now, the voting process for the All-Star game has come under scrutiny with the possibility that Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson are in prime position to start based on fans' vote. Now, this would be fine if it was 2002, but...it's 2010. Here's the stats for each this season, you be the judge if they deserve an All-Star appearance, let alone a vote.

Tracy McGrady: 6 Games, 7.7 Minutes Per Game, 3.2 PPG, 1.0 APG, 0.8 RPG

Oh, and he was basically told by the Rockets to go home until they could find somebody dumb enough to take him off their hands.

Allen Iverson: 18 Games, 31.6 Minutes Per Game, 14.7 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.6 RPG

Oh, and he wasn't wanted at the beginning of the season by the Memphis Grizzlies, and was only offered a lifeline by Philly to sell tickets.

So, clearly, something is amiss. Some suggest fans shouldn't be involved in the process at all. Ray Allen suggests fans should be given a 50% voice in choosing the starters. But what is the best solution? Should steps be taken to ban fans from turning the All-Star game into some type of "lifetime achievement award"?

The answer, is to not rule out the fans entirely, that's just stupid. This is the one game in the entire season the voice of the fans who pay all that money in PSL's and season tickets is actually listened to by the NBA. They should be heard and allowed to vote the players they want to see into the game, no matter how poorly they are playing. Besides, there is precedent for the game serving as a lifetime achievement award for the likes of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.

But, fans shouldn't be allowed to vote for starters either! That should be reserved as a rite of passage for those who have truly earned it by being among the best 10 players in the league in the first half of the season. So, as always, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Maybe I can have someone help explain the idea of compromise. (Apologies for TBS making embedding the video impossible)

How to make voting for the All-Star game into a win-win-win situation? Here's a creative alternative. Allow the fans to continue voting in a lineup of five players. Call it something corny like the Fans' Five, or heck, even partner with TMobile and call it the Fans' Fave Five. Allow the fans to vote on who they'd like to see at the start of the 2nd half, not the 1st. This gives fans the opportunity to still see players who may be past their prime, but at the height of their popularity. It also allows coaches, players, media, etc. to pick the starting lineups to reward the players who truly deserve the honor.

If the NBA and those who cover the league would stop and think, they would see this compromise is a win for the players, fans, and television networks. It wouldn't cheapen the true meaning of the game, as in baseball, and it would allow fans to see the stars they want to see, unlike football. David Stern, with some minor nips and tucks, can continue to elevate the NBA All-Star Game and the weekend as a whole into a class on its own in professional sports.

Be sure to join us tomorrow as Y1's Saints Fan Diary continues, as well as a fly-by of the college basketball landscape in our Campus Countdown. We at RSS would also recommend seeing The Book of Eli in theaters, Y1 and I saw it tonight and enjoyed seeing Denzel at his best! Until next time, it's bye for now!

Paying Respects

While most sports fans may recognize the day after the MLB All-Star Game as the slowest day on the sports calendar, a simple act of respect from one great hitter of today to another great hitter of history made the day noteworthy.

In case you may not know the connection, Ichiro Suzuki broke George Sisler's 84 year old record for most hits in a season in 2004, ultimately collecting 262 hits. While Sisler's 257 hits may not have been one of the elite records in the history of the sport, it was a significant number in baseball lore. When Ichiro broke the record in Seattle, members of Sisler's family were present to congratulate Ichiro, including his 81-year old daughter.

Sisler spent the majority of his career in St. Louis playing for the Browns (today's Orioles). He broke Ty Cobb's hits record for a season in 1920 with 257. That year he also finished 2nd in the AL in doubles, triples, RBIs, and HRs (talk about a good year). Two years later Sisler batted .420 and won the AL MVP in 1922. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.

While in the Gateway City for the ASG on Monday, Ichiro decided to pay his respects to the man whose record he broke. The Mariner star quietly took flowers to the gravesite of George Sisler to pay his respects. You can read the story in its entirety here.

“Above all, it was a chance … I wanted to do that for a grand upperclassman of the baseball world. I think it’s only natural for someone to want to do that, to express my feelings in that way." - Ichiro

Ichiro didn't know George Sisler. In fact, they were never even alive on Planet Earth together. But for Ichiro to recognize a legend of the past in this way is something that all sports fans should salute.

History is perhaps more important in baseball than in any other sport. Think of iconic numbers like 61 and 755, and how they have fallen by the wayside in less than idyllic circumstances.

What will we tell our kids about the Bonds, Sosas, and McGwires of the world that broke these records? What will we have to say about the men like Maris and Aaron who had these records stolen from them?

Ichiro's 258th hit of his 2004 season came under no such controversy and should be remembered even more fondly in the Steroid Era. Will we remember Ichiro more fondly because of his accomplishments, or as the antithesis of other record-breakers of his era?

In the sport of baseball, history, records, and numbers are more important than in any other sport. In a time where so many athletes are neglectful of their sport's history, this truly is an amazing story.

Hopefully we'll remember Ichiro as not only one of the greatest hitters of all-time, but one of the classiest players of his time when his record of 262 hits is broken someday. For all of Ichiro's on-field accomplishments, this quiet act of respect and gratitude is perhaps his greatest tribute.

All Star Game Running Diary

We're going to try something new here at RSS: The Yoders' Live Blog! Tonight Mr. Yoder I will join me with our (sometimes witty) commentary for the 2009 All-Star Game, mainly because it isn't exciting enough to just watch on its own. Read along as we try to keep our sanity while replacement players from the Nats and Indians battle it out in the later innings to decide homefield advanatge for the World Series. Tonight's game guest stars some guy named Obama.

8:00 Y1: We start with a typical St. Louis baseball montage. Not surprised to see the Jack Buck tribute as well, a nice touch. FOX is off to a shockingly good start...oh wait, it's Chris Rose. Fastest jinx in history!

8:02 Y1: Over/under on the acutal start and finish of the game? 8:57 and 2:46, I think they just finished the HR derby 30 minutes ago. Footage of Obama mingling in the locker rooms, Ichiro's face is particularly priceless, some sort of mix between a kid at Christmas and a Beatles groupie.

8:07 Y2: Time to meet the AL All Star Reserves, is there a class these guys take to teach them how to take off their cap when their name is introduced? Can I have one guy at least add in some personality here? Where is Shaq and Lebron when you need them?

8:12 Y1: Bonus points if anyone else thought of Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart when Ryan Franklin was introduced.

8:16 Y2: "Here we go St. Louis" - I can't wait for a night of Joe Buck cheerleading for Albert Pujols, which is no different than any Cardinals game Buck has broadcast on FOX. This may be a short night for me.

8:21 Y2: I always thought the "all the living presidents" moments are highly underrated as being pretty cool. This is a nice segment, shocked that Uncle Bud could pull off something like this.

8:27 Y1: I think I'm going to serve.gov to start an organization to shorten the HR derby.

8:30 Y2: So Michael Strahan has his own FOX sitcom now? I wonder how many episodes until Terry Bradshaw gets introduced as the unbalanced next door neighbor.

8:36: FOX is dumping Hank Hill for a show centered on Cleveland Brown? Sure, he's good on Family Guy in a supporting role, but this is like making David Eckstein World Series MVP, oh wait...

8:38: Stan Musial deserves his due as one of the most underrated players ever, in any sport, but doesn't it seem like MLB is constantly trying to relive the Ted Williams moment at Boston's ASG?

8:40: Where did the pitch go FOX? Are you *&^#@ kidding me? So much for transparency in this administration, (easy now I voted for the guy). Politics aside, W threw it over the plate after 9/11, Obama comes out and we can't even get a pic of the pitch? I guess somebody learned something after he bowled a 37 during the campaign.

8:45: Apparently the AL has won 11 straight All-Star Games, sooner or later AL fans are going to get the SEC Superiority Complex.

8:50: After a Super Bowl worthy pregame we finally have the first pitch. Ichiro shoots one foul down the RF line and then gets a single.

8:54: Jeter gets hit by a fastball and the benches clear! Sorry, I was getting excited for a minute, thought it counted this time.

8:58: Oh no! Our hero Albert boots one in the 1st to bring home Jeter. Is that Joe Buck fighting back tears in the booth? (And no, I'm not JUST a bitter Cubs fan)

9:00: Replay catches Josh Hamilton doing a head-first slide into 1st Base, at least the Rangers are out of it as usual... wait, they're only 1.5 games back? Is he insane or just full of too much heart?

9:03: McCarver's assesment: Roy Halladay - I-Beam! Imagine the conversation... Phillies Fan: "Hey, did you hear we might be trading for your I-Beam?" Jays Fan: "Do you mean Joe Inglett?"

9:14: Lincecum works through a clean 2nd, by the way... where was Mark McGwire in all of the St. Louis baseball retrospectives? Glad to see he is slowly being erased from everyone's memories.

9:17: Obama joins Buck and McCarver in the booth. There's going to be more softballs here than in the Celebrity All-Star Game last night (remember to tip your waitress). Great to have such an honest and knowledgable sports fan in the WH though.

9:19: We finally see Obama's pitch didn't reach the plate, at least it didn't miss far-left, ha ha ha. Ok, I promise that's the last political joke...hopefully.

9:27: Obama gets a B for his booth performance, solid baseball knowledge and seemed very natural talking sports. I think he would make a better analyst than Tim McCarver, too bad he has that whole running the country thing to do. Oh, and the NL takes a 3-2 lead.

9:30: I'm dying to see Joe Maddon come out of the dugout and ask the umps if there are any illegal substances in Frankin's beard. There's gotta be some vaseline or a nail file in there somewhere.

9:33: Somehow Buck gets Pujols confused with Prince Fielder for the final out of the 3rd. I know Prince is a vegetarian now, but it would take Richard Simmons to get him to Pujols' weight.

9:38: FOX is contractually obligated to mention that Mark Buehrle is a quick worker, maybe that means we'll end tonight's game before 2 AM. By the way, does anyone know the other American Legends Domino's Pizza flavors? I'm beginning to think a war might break out between Memphis and LA if I see any more of those commercials.

9:45: Too bad the SportsCentury on Kiko Calero never materialized. According to Wikipedia, he now pitches for the Florida Marlins.

9:50: Raul Ibanez is the oldest position player to debut as an All-Star since Babe Ruth. Ever think you would hear Raul Ibanez in the same sentence as Babe Ruth? Neither did Raul Ibanez.

9:54: I see Adam Sandler is coming out with another supposed comedy. The last funny thing he did was having Bob Barker kick the crap out of him in Happy Gilmore.

9:58: I know the 7 people out there anticipating the Carl Crawford v Yadier Molina showdown are perched on the edges of their seats, too bad Ichiro spoils the fun with a foul ball. Still 3-2 NL as we haven't seen a lot of on-field action.

10:01: So evidently Jeter cried when Chris Webber called timeout at Michigan against UNC. We've officially hit a dead air portion of the ballgame, and not just because the Nats' rep is in.

10:06: Mauer drives in Jeter with a double down the LF line to tie the game at 3. Mauer is every bit the player that Pujols is, but gets half the recognition. Buck also does a good job of helping us forget Pujols' first inning error.

10:11: Edwin Jackson works a 1-2-3 5th inning as we are still tied at 3. I'm really praying against extra innings tonight, but I'm getting the feeling that's where we are headed... also secretly hoping both teams run out of pitchers again so we can see Bud Selig's "I can't believe I'm still in charge" face.

10:14: Old foes Michael Young and Trevor Hoffman square off in the ASG again. Good idea to bring Hoffman in for the 6th so that he doesn't blow another ASG Save. The all-time saves leader gets redemption as Young grounds into a 4-6-3 DP. And yes, I had to Wikipedia what year it was that happened (2006). And yes, I just used Wikipedia as a verb.

10:18: Good to see some of the starters still in as we're in the 6th, in 2002 Manny and Sosa would be in their hotel rooms by now. Also, currently immersed in the longest Taco Bell Ad/rap video in history. I live literally 100 yards from a Taco Bell, but that didn't move me.

10:22: We see a random bald man in the audience who looks like he may be part of some sort of Naked Gun-like coup. My bet for the part of Reggie Jackson is Nelson Cruz. Only Enrico Palazzo could help this ASG right now, this game is registering as a Thrashers-Coyotes game in January on the excitement scale.

10:26: I think it would be much more entertaining to expose the worst teams by having one of their worst players be their representative and then forcing them to play. Wouldn't it be more appropriate for Austin Kearns (.198 BA, 3HR, 16RBI) to represent the Nationals?

10:34: Carl Crawford robs Brad Hawpe of a Home Run to start the bottom of the 7th to show that this game still has some life. Next up Tejada blasts one to the warning track off Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.

10:44: Curtis Granderson awakes me from my slumber with a 1 out triple over the head of Justin Upton off of Padres closer Heath Bell. Upton didn't exactly play that ball very well. Thank goodness the NL winner's World Series hopes ride on this game.

10:49: Adam Jones from the O's scores Granderson on the most exciting play in baseball: a sac fly, to give the AL a 4-3 lead. This is the equivalent of Rudy Gay sinking an ASG last-second jumper to give the Lakers home court advantage in the NBA Finals, in case you couldn't tell, I'm not a fan of the idea.

11:00: Finally our first shot of Uncle Bud! No doubt updating his Twitter via cell phone. 2 out hits from Adrian Gonzalez and Orlando Hudson put runners on the corners for hometown hero Ryan Howard.

11:05: Howard swings and misses on a nasty Nathan pitch. Good job out of the Minny closer as the AL clings to a 4-3 lead, the excitement is so thick I think I am going to go to bed soon.

11:10: K-Rod is just glad that Luis Castillo isn't there to drop any pop ups as he gets through a clean top of the 9th. Let's see if the NL can rally to avoid their 12th consecutive All-Star loss.

11:15: Testing the blog jinx by saying there is a better chance of the Nats winning the World Series this year than there is a chance that Rivera blows this save.

11:17: Bartlett with a nice pick and throw from short to get Upton at first. 1 away.

11:20: Hawpe goes down looking to a nasty off-speed pitch at the knees. Miguel Tejada is now the NL's last hope. Evidently he has won an ASG MVP for the NL and the AL MVP, it's taken 3 hours to have our first interesting stat.

11:21: Tejada flies out to short right to end the game. Final Score AL 4 NL 3 as Rivera gets his record 4th ASG Save.

Well, Y2 fell asleep an inning ago so it looks like its up to me to close up shop for our first ever live blog. Thanks to the big guy upstairs that the game somehow clocked in at 2 and a half hours. I have to say that tonight really lacked any sort of memorable moments aside from the pregame festivities, Obama in the booth, and maybe Crawford's catch, oh and of course our first ever live blogging experience!

We hope you've enjoyed our running commentary tonight. Leave a comment and let us know what you think about the live blog and if you have any suggestions on what we should live blog next. (As long as it isn't an episode of Hell's Kitchen, we'll be cool). Happy trails from RSS.

A Home Run or a Slam Dunk?

With the HR Derby tonight, what better time than to ask the age old question: Home Run or Slam Dunk? Both acts can bring any crowd to their feet. Both competitions have left us with sporting memories that can last a lifetime. Everyone from Sosa and McGwire to Jordan and Wilkins and new stars such as Hamilton and Howard have showcased their talents on their sports' biggest stage. But which All-Star showcase event is better, dunk contest or derby?

In terms of a better show, and a more exciting night, NBA All-Star Weekend slam-dunks the competition (too easy of a pun?) . Sure, Josh Hamilton's show last year was impressive, but do you remember who won the HR Derby last year? Of course not. (Leave a comment with the answer and win a prize!) The Slam Dunk Contest and All-Star Saturday is a much better show than the derby for many reasons:

1. A Matter of Time - The entire HR derby lasts upwards of 3 hours. I have enjoyed the great individual performances over the years, but do I also want to sit through batters that "wait for their pitch" and hit 3 HR's in a round? By the time the finals come around at 12:30 at night, I'm ready to see a pickle or stolen base competition instead. The dunk contest is done in a reasonable amount of time, and comes at the end of an evening filled with other interesting competitions which keeps the NBA's All-Star showcase fresh.

2. Anticlamacticism - We remember performances like Sosa, McGwire, and Hamilton...but who won those years? Do we remember? Do we care? The HR Derby winner means absolutely nothing beyond the night it happens. The contest is traditionally an anticlimactic affair with an ending that does the showcase little justice. With the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest, the event usually comes down to the final dunk and the winner of the event is usually always the star of the show.

3. Chris Berman - Berman has the ability to drag any event's watchability down to the level of shows like Daisy of Love or Dance Your @$$ Off. There's only so many times you can hear "back, back, back" and his overdone schtick. On the other hand, Kevin Harlan, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith are some of the best in the business and greatly help the enjoyment levels of All-Star Saturday Night.

4. Atmosphere - The Slam Dunk crowd is filled with rabid NBA fans and other players who all get jacked up for the biggest dunks. There is nothing better than seeing Shaq or Lebron rise out of their seats in awe, even if it is Nate Robinson or Freddie Jones. Compare this scene to the HR derby where players are seated around the diamond looking on disinterested at best. The greater derby crowd is usually half asleep by the time the actual derby concludes as well.

Do you agree with these reasons? Or do you firmly believe that everyone digs the long ball and the Derby is better entertainment? Perhaps there are some NHL diehards out there as well. Leave your feedback and let RSS know what you think.

5-4-3 Baseball Roundup: All-Star Edition

This week our 5-4-3 Baseball Roundup focuses on selections for the 80th All-Star Game from the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis next Tuesday.

5 All-Star Musings

1. Ted Lilly - It's not a surprise that the Cubs' pitcher is an All-Star, but that he is the only Cubs representative. Shockingly, the most popular team in the NL has no fan-voted starters. Also, former All-Stars Soriano, Lee, Zambrano, etc. were snubbed by the reserves as well.

2. Tim Wakefield - The best story of the All-Star selections as the Boston knuckleballer is making his first appearance... at 42! This makes him the 2nd oldest debut All-Star behind the great Satchel Paige who was 45. As a Yanks fan it's tough to give any Red Sox player his due, but Wakefield is certainly deserving of this honor.

3. Dodging Bullets - Baseball catches a break in that Manny and A-Rod are not taking part in the ASG. Having them present would certainly be a huge distraction and take away from the festivities in St. Louis. While the majority of fans may not care, Uncle Bud is breathing a sigh of relief that the steroid soap opera stars will be missing.

4. THE Star - There is no doubt that Albert Pujols will be the main attraction next week. Having the game in St. Louis, being the leading vote-getter, and participating in the HR Derby means it will be Pujols' time to shine.

5. 23 First Timers - This is just a staggering number of players making their first appearance in an All-Star Game. It's great for baseball to have so many good young players making their mark in the game. Here are 4 of the first timers who should become breakthrough superstars.

4 Breakthrough All-Stars

1. Justin Upton - After a slow start, BJ's brother has put up impressive numbers in the desert. He doesn't stand out in any one category, but is a terrific all-around player. Too bad I gave up on him in fantasy baseball in April.

2. Felix Hernandez - Hard to believe this is the first ASG for the Mariners' ace in his fourth season. It's also hard to believe he is only 23! This is a guy with a world of talent who is finally putting it all together this season. He's in the AL Top 10 in W, ERA, K, WHIP, and IP.

3. Adam Jones - Hard to remember the last Orioles player worth noticing, but Baltimore is slowly putting together a fantastic young roster with the young CF as one of the cornerstones. Jones is the most impressive Orioles youngster batting over .300 and adding some power as well this season.

4. Billingsley/Broxton - You can't separate the two stud pitchers from Los Angeles. Chad Billingsley the starter and Jonathan Broxton the closer are two of the main reasons the Dodgers are running away from the rest of the NL. Oh, and they are 24 and 25 years old respectively.

3 Snubs

1. Johnny Cueto - An 8-5 record and a 3.45 ERA may not seem too impressive, until you remember Cueto pitches in the bandbox known as Great American Ballpark. The Reds are somewhat relative again, and Cueto is the ace of an underrated pitching staff.

2. Miguel Cabrera - Miggy ranks in the AL Top 10 in BA, OBP, SLG, and OPS, but those numbers aren't good enough to earn him a spot on the roster. With the Tigers in first place and Cabrera's All-Star pedigree, he has to be feeling a little snubbed.

3. Pablo Sandoval - The Giants rookie 3B is putting up huge numbers batting .328 for the Wild Card leaders, but because every team needs a representative, the Nats Ryan Zimmerman is an All-Star instead. Not even the most diehard Nationals fan will argue that their team deserves an All-Star this year, especially when a great young player like Sandoval has to sit out.