All-Stars

Congratulations to Johan Santana and Joe Nathan, our Twins representatives in the All-Star Game.

Santana has been less the invincible force that grabbed hold of the Cy Young last year, but still has been strong with a 7-4 record, 3.74 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a league-leading 140 strikeouts. Good enough to win the support of his peers, and deservedly so. Joe Nathan had a couple shakey outings in late June to inflate his ERA above 4 for a couple days, but his 23 Saves lead the league, and his .211 opp avg and 10.70 K/9 rate show that he remains one of the most formidable closers in the game..

Carlos Silva got shut out, but the roster is plugged with pitchers of greater reputation, having seasons as good or better than his own. Jon Garland of Chicago is the only starting pitcher to get tapped despite beginning the year as an unheralded nobody, but a 13-3, 3.29 mark set even by a nobody is too gaudy to overlook. Really, there are a number of AL pitchers who missed the cut despite boasting numbers even better than Silva's: Freddy Garcia and Jarrod Washburn, to name two.

Jesse Crain is also out of luck, as the final two spots in the bullpen had to be filled by the lone representatives from Oakland and Tampa Bay.

Torii Hunter misses the cut for the time being, as the fans rightly chose Johnny Damon to start the game, and the vote of players and coaches chose Garret Anderson, Gary Sheffield, and Ichiro Suzuki to fill out the reserve spots.

If you want to vote for Torii to fill the "last chance" spot, go HERE.

Here is Torii and his competition, by the numbers:

NAME	Batting Line	RC	EqA	RARP
Crawford	.280/.314/.422	48.6	.271	12.1
Jeter	.302/.390/.444	56	.306	32
Matsui	.308/.376/.500	56	.313	27.2
Podsednik	.280/.356/.327	37.3	.270	9.1
Hunter	.266/.339/.489	48	.289	18.5

If I were being completely honest and open-hearted, I'd have to give the nod to Derek Jeter. He deserves a spot, based only on his play so far this season, just as much as Michael Young, the reserve SS already named to the team. I mean, I should cast my vote for Derek Jeter. Except you'll never catch me piling onto the Derek Jeter bacchanalian love fest. I just can't relate to all the barely concealed fanboy lust that simmers just beneath all the huzzahs hailed down at his feet wherever he walks. It creeps me out, and I want no part of it. I'm sure he'll enjoy plenty of support without my vote, anyway.

Matsui deserves the spot more than Torii, too; but I'm tempted to say, again, that the support of Yankee fans--and Japan--minus my vote will have to suffice for him. Hunter's bat production on the season rates him slightly behind Grady Sizemore in the Top 3 Centerfielders in the AL. And since Sizemore isn't on this ballot, and the roster doesn't have a reserve who has played CF this season, I could say it would be nice to see Torii out there representin' for the position.

On the other hand, aside from a monster June, Torii hasn't really played like an All-Star most of the time this season. If I vote for Torii, it has to be just because I like him better than the Yankees and would rather see him represent the Twins in the All-Star Game. I'll have to be one of those fans.

What do you think? Are you voting for Torii? Or will the numbers just not let you do it?

Have a happy and safe Independence Day, everybody.