All Star Games are like fantasy football. The draft/selection process is always more exciting than the actual event itself. So without any further adieu, here would be my National League All Star Team for this year’s All Star Game in Kansas City…

Heyward should make his 2nd All Star Game in July

Starters

C – Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies: 4.0 WAR

1B – Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds: 4.8 WAR

2B – Aaron Hill, Arizona Diamondbacks: 2.5 WAR

SS – Jed Lowrie, Houston Astros: 2.5 WAR

3B – David Wright, New York Mets: 4.6 WAR

LF – Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers: 4.1 WAR

CF – Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates, 3.0 WAR

RF – Melky Cabrera, San Francisco Giants: 3.1 WAR

DH – Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals: 2.9 WAR

SP – Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: 3.2 WAR

There’s no way in hell that Lowrie or Hill would ever win the fan’s vote, but both are very much deserving of a starting spot. Lowrie was one of my favorite players with the Boston Red Sox, so I am really happy that he is finally healthy and showing the world what he can do.

The starting pitcher for the NL is very much up for debate with R.A. Dickey, Matt Cain, Gio Gonzalez, Zack Greinke, and Strasburg all up for the honor. I went with Strasburg because he leads all NL starters in K/9 (11.8) and xFIP (2.43). Plus, on a non-stat note, the Nationals are having a great year and I think they should be rewarded with having at least one starter in the All Star Game.

Reserves – Position Players

C – Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

C – AJ Ellis, Los Angeles Dodgers

C – Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

2B – Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves

2B – Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

SS – Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals

SS – Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs

3B – Chase Headley, San Diego Padres

OF – Michael Bourn, Atlanta Braves

OF – Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies

OF – Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves

OF – Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals

OF – Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins

Not too many surprises here, though Martin Prado and Bryce Harper figure to be the two biggest snubs off of this list. I have three reserve catchers making the team, but Posey can play first and since the NL first base situation is pretty weak, Posey can play first for the NL in this game.

I would have replaced Altuve with Prado, but having 10 outfielders on an All Star team seems like a bit much. The Cubs need a representative, so Castro (who is having a pretty darn good year anyway) knocks out Jose Reyes from the team. Speaking of the Miami Marlins, they need a representative as well, but Stanton has come on as of late, so he gets the nod over Reyes.

Reserves – Pitchers

SP – Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

SP – Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

SP – Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals

SP – R.A. Dickey, New York Mets

SP – Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds

SP – James McDonald, Pittsburgh Pirates

SP – Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants

SP – Wade Miley, Arizona Diamondbacks

SP – Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies

RP – Tyler Clippard, Washington Nationals

RP – Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds

RP – Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves

Much like their first base situation, the NL closer situation is pretty brutal. Only two closers deserve to be at this game and that’s Kimbrel and Chapman. I put Clippard on the team because he is just having another great season in Washington.

The starting staff is pretty solid as Dickey, Cain, Gonzalez, and Greinke make a nice foursome after Strasburg. I guess if there were some snubs on this team it would be Clayton Kershaw (2.74 ERA, 2.1 WAR), Lance Lynn (great story and an impressive 10-3 record), and Ryan Dempster (2.11 ERA).

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That’s what sucks about this type of injury. Not only will Hudson be toast for this year, but toast for most of 2013. This is a killer injury for the DBacks, but one that could have been avoided.

Hudson left his last start after getting pounded for five runs in 1.2 innings. After the game Hudson admitted that his elbow has been a problem for some time now. Elbows to pitchers are like mother-in-laws to married men — you just don’t mess with them and proceed with caution.

If Hudson was having elbow problems, then he should have opened his mouth. Elbow injuries just don’t go away. Nothing good could have come of out Hudson not saying anything.

If there is a silver lining in all of this is that now phenom Trevor Bauer gets to take Hudson’s spot in the rotation. Bauer will start tonight against the Atlanta Braves.

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Big CC will be on the shelf for two weeks

In a span of 24 hours, the Yankees have lost staff ace CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte.

First, the Yankees lost to Sabathia to a left groin strain. Sabathia was placed on the 15-day DL and should return to the Yankees right after the All Star break.

Sabathia, who is 9-3 with a 3.45 ERA in 15 starts for the Yankees, hurt the groin during the fourth inning of Sunday’s game against the New York Mets. You could tell something was wrong with the big lefty during that start because he went from ripping through the Mets’ lineup in the first four innings, to turning into The Ghost of Kenny Rodgers in the fifth and sixth.

Not having Sabathia for two weeks is a blow to the Yankees, but not a crushing blow. Sabathia is a guy who saves the bullpen every time he goes to the mound, so the Yankees’ bullpen might feel it for a bit. Having the All Star break in two weeks will certainly help.

Then yesterday afternoon, Pettitte was struck by a line drive off the bat of Casey Kotchman and fractured his left ankle. Yikes! Pettitte is expected to be out about two months.

Where would the Yankees be without Pettitte? I am sure they would still be pretty darn good, but Pettitte has been like a B-12 shot to New York. His strikeouts per nine (8.6) is the highest since 2004 and his 1.01 WHIP is his lowest since 2005.

Look for Freddy Garcia to take Pettitte’s spot in the rotation. I don’t think the Yankees will make a move for a starting pitcher just yet. I think they will take a wait and see approach with these injuries. If Garcia stinks up the joint and Pettitte’s rehab takes longer than expected, then they will certainly make a move.

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We just wanted to thank our dedicated readers over the past three years who have helped to make this happen.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

The Baseball Index

I would have voted for Dickey as well, but I was really surprised the voting was that lopsided. Take a look at the Tale of the Tape:

Cain is right there with Dickey and even has a higher WAR than Dickey in 2012. I would imagine the NL Cy Young race will go down to the wire and while Dickey and Cain are the front runners now, I would imagine Stephen Strasburg, Johnny Cueto, and Gio Gonzalez will have something to say about who wins the award in the second half.

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According to the Major League Baseball Public Relations department, Byrd was suspended for 50 games because he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. The drug of choice for Byrd was Tamoxifen. According to Drugs.com, Tamoxifen:

“blocks the actions of estrogen, a female hormone. Certain types of breast cancer require estrogen to grow.

Tamoxifen is used to treat some types of breast cancer in men and women. Tamoxifen is also used to lower a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer if she has a high risk (such as a family history of breast cancer).

Tamoxifen may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.”

I guess one of those uses not listed was to hit a baseball. But even so, Byrd couldn’t even do that.

Byrd was recently released by the Boston Red Sox and prior to his release was hitting an Onix Concepcion-like .210/.243/.245 with one HR in 153 PA’s. He began the year with the Chicago Cubs.

Since Byrd is unemployed, he will serve his suspension if he signs with a team. That seems very unlikely at this point.

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Zach Stewart: Stewart was drafted in the third round of the 2008 June Draft by the Cincinnati Reds and was quickly traded to the Toronto Blue Jays the following year in the Scott Rolen trade. Stewart was then traded to the Chicago White Sox in the deal that sent Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen to the Blue Jays.

Stewart has been up and down between the minors and majors over the past two seasons, but hasn’t established himself at all in that time frame. In 97.1 career Major League innings, Stewart has a 5.92 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, and a 50.3 percent Ground Ball Percentage. He has appeared in 31 games with 12 of those coming as a starter.

Stewart is still only 25-years-old, so there is still time for him to figure things out. Where he figures in with the Red Sox remains to be seen, but with all the injuries to the Red Sox rotation, I would imagine Stewart will be making spot starts here and there for Boston until some of their regulars come back. However, Stewart’s long-term role with Boston will most likely be pitching out of the bullpen as part of the underbelly of that group.

Stewart will start his Red Sox career in Triple-A.

Brent Lillibridge: In Lillibridge, the Red Sox get the ultimate utility player. Lillibridge has played eight positions for the White Sox in 2012. The only thing he hasn’t done for them is pitched.

After having a career year with the White Sox in 2011, Lillibridge has really fallen off with the bat in 2012. He went into Sunday’s game with a .175/.232/.190 slash line with no HR’s in 70 PA’s.

He’ll serve in the same utility role with the Red Sox that he did with the White Sox.

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"Youk's" career in Boston has come to an end

The Red Sox traded Youkilis to the Chicago White Sox for RHP Zach Stewart and UTIL Brent Lillibridge. Going into Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, White Sox third basemen were hitting a pedestrian .167 with one HR and a .466 OPS in 281 PA’s, so as mediocre as Youkilis has been in 2012, he is a definite upgrade for Chicago.

The Red Sox had to trade Youkilis at this point. The rumors of a possible trade swirled for weeks and it made for an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved in the Boston organization. The only thing holding back a trade was Boston finding a suitable partner. On Sunday, they found that partner in the White Sox.

And while Boston had to trade Youkilis, this is a very bittersweet day. From 2006 – 2011, Youkilis was part of the core of the Red Sox and he represented a lot of what made up the Red Sox persona in that time period. He was a gritty, hard-nosed, win-at-all-costs, dirtdog.

What Paul O’Neil was to the New York Yankees in the mid-to-late-90′s, Youkilis was to the Red Sox. If he was on your team, you loved him. If he wasn’t on your team, you wanted to punch him in his face. Those type of players are extremely hard to find and Boston had two of them at the same time in Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia.

The Youkilis era might have ended poorly in Boston, but Youkilis will go down as one of the best players to ever put on a Boston uniform. He will be missed.

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Beachy's season may be over

According to Mark Bowman on Twitter, the 25-year-old righty has a partially torn UCL in his right elbow. He will visit Dr. James Andrews today to get a second opinion and see whether or not he needs Tommy John surgery.

Despite having just a .500 record (5-5), Beachy was having one heck of a year for the Braves and if he is indeed toast for the year, this is a big loss for them. Beachy had a 2.00 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and a 1.9 WAR in 13 starts. In terms of production, you could make the argument Beachy was the Braves best pitcher so far this season.

In terms of replacing Beachy, the Braves will look to Jair Jurrjens and pray to the baseball Gods that he can remember how to pitch like a Major League starting pitcher. Jurrjens was terrible in his first four starts of the year, compiling a 9.37 ERA and gave up five HR’s in 16.1 IP. He really wasn’t that much better in nine Triple-A starts. He gave up 68 hits in just 56.1 IP and had a 5.27 ERA.

I think this injury puts the Braves in the market for a starting pitcher. Outside of Tim Hudson and Tommy Hanson, they don’t have another pitcher who they can trust on a day in and day out basis. And the reality is, Hudson hasn’t been that consistent since his return from the DL.

The Issue the Braves and other teams for that matter are going to have at the trade deadline is that with so many teams still alive, finding a starting pitcher worth acquiring might be hard to find. That being said, if they are healthy come July, I could see the Braves making a run at a No.3 type starting pitcher like Kevin Millwood or Bartolo Colon.

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