My 2015 MLB All-Star Game Starters

For the second year in a row, I voted for the MLB All-Star Game starters. Because I am a Cubs fan, I leaned heavily on Cubs connections, either former or current players, & additionally, I could not vote for any Chicago White Sox nor St. Louis Cardinals players. Now mind you these are my personal choices. Not based off any statistic, so no, neither Miguel Cabrera nor Mike Trout made my ballot. Without further ado, here they are.

For the American League (AL), I voted for Russell Martin at Catcher. He played previously for the Pittsburgh Pirates & he is arguably the best catcher in the AL. For 1B, Albert Pujols. He is a class act & phenomenal talent whom I have always respected, but in previous years I could not chose him because I disliked him because he played for the Cardinals. The starter at 2B is Jose Altuve because he is incredibly short, a talented defender, a terrific hitter, & since the SI detailing how the Astros’ management rebuilt the organization, I have cheered for the Astros. The starting SS is Carlos Correa because the kid has played at an All-Star caliber in his rookie season, & Houston has the hill in CF that drives Dad crazy, which subsequently causes me to like it. Manny Machado is the starting 3B because the dude can flat out play. The three starting outfielders are Torii Hunter, Coco Crisp, & George Springer. Hunter is one of Joe Wooley & Jacob’s favorite players, Crisp has an all-star name (unique at least), & Springer made the catch of the year early in the season. Lastly, the starting DH is Evan Gattis because he swings so powerfully barehanded & he has been a large part of the Astros’ success this season. I would have chosen David Ortiz but after he so vehemently complained about the pace of play rules, I have lost some respect for him.

In the NL, I voted for Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Starlin Castro, Kris Bryant, & Jorge Soler all because they play for the Cubs. For catcher, I chose Wellington Castillo because he is not a bad player, he has been traded twice this season, & I am not a huge fan of Miguel Montero. For the two remaining outfield positions, I chose Curtis Granderson & Marlon Byrd. Granderson is exemplary player, gratefully remembering where he came from by helping TF South, & Byrd is a former Cub who gives 100% every game no matter what, as Mark DeRosa & Reed Johnson did in the past. Therefore, that is my ballot. Agree, disagree, or somewhere in between, but as with any election, if you did not vote, you forfeit your right to complain. For those that say their vote does not count, Royals fans are proof votes do count. They voted four of their players as starters. Lastly, to assist you in your reading this blog entry, I post my 2015 All-Star Game Starters below. Now play ball!

My 2015 All-Star Game Starters
AL
C: Russell Martin of Toronto Blue Jays
1B: Albert Pujols of Los Angeles Angels
2B: Jose Altuve of Houston Astros
SS: Carlos Correa of Houston Astros
3B: Manny Machado of Baltimore Orioles
LF: Torii Hunter of Detroit Tigers
CF: Coco Crisp of Oakland A’s
RF: George Springer of Houston Astros
DH: Evan Gattis of Houston Astros

NL

C: Wellington Castillo of Arizona Diamondbacks

1B: Anthony Rizzo of Chicago Cubs

2B: Addison Russell of Chicago Cubs

SS: Starlin Castro of Chicago Cubs

3B: Kris Bryant of Chicago Cubs

LF: Curtis Granderson of New York Mets

CF: Marlon Byrd of Cincinnati Reds

RF: Jorge Soler of Chicago Cubs

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