Picking the AL All-Stars

STARTERS
1B Justin Morneau, Minnesota
2B Robinson Cano, New York
3B Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
SS Derek Jeter, New York
C Joe Mauer, Minnesota
OF Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
OF Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay
OF Nelson Cruz, Texas
DH Vladimir Guerrero, Texas

Comments: I can't really complain with any of these choices. You could maybe quibble about Cruz being a starter but, if he is healthy, he's deserving of being on the team. Cano is my AL MVP leader right now and Guerrero is perhaps the Comeback Player of the Year.

INFIELDERS
1B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
1B Kevin Youkilis, Boston
1B Paul Konerko, Chicago
2B Ty Wigginton, Baltimore
2B Dustin Pedroia, Boston
3B Adrian Beltre, Boston
SS Alex Gonzalez, Toronto

Comments: I thought about putting Billy Butler on the team but the other first basemen are more deserving and the Royals have another worthy candidate. Marco Scutaro was also considered but I went with Gonzalez instead, rewarding offense instead of defense. The Red Sox have three other players on the team and I wanted to get a few Blue Jays on to reward them for their season despite trading away Roy Halladay and having to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox (and Rays). Wigginton is the only worthy Oriole and he fits the role of a utilityman to come in should there be an injury somewhere.

CATCHERS
Mike Napoli, Los Angeles

Comments: Thought about adding Victor Martinez too but with the game in Anaheim, getting Napoli four or five innings is a good gesture for the home fans. The irony is now he's basically their first baseman, given the Kendry Morales injury.

OUTFIELDERS
Alex Rios, Chicago
Vernon Wells, Toronto
Josh Hamilton, Texas

Comments: Bravo to Wells and Rios for their bounce-back seasons. They still have hideous contracts but at least they're not total wastes of money anymore. Hamilton is having a strong year too. Magglio Ordonez was a difficult omission (another outfielder with a lousy contract who was lousy last season that has bounced back strong). I have no problem leaving off AL home run leader Jose Bautista, who has no other discernable skill.

RELIEF PITCHERS
Mariano Rivera, New York
Joakim Soria, Kansas City
Jose Valverde, Detroit
Andrew Bailey, Oakland

Comments: One of these years Rivera is going to slow down but when? He's still the best. Valverde has been outstanding for Detroit, essentially solving all of the bullpen woes they had last year. Bailey and Soria are excellent players who are here as more than just representatives for their teams. Neftali Feliz was a tough omission.

STARTING PITCHERS
David Price, Tampa Bay
Phil Hughes, New York
Andy Pettitte, New York
Fausto Carmona, Cleveland
Cliff Lee, Seattle
Doug Fister, Seattle
Brett Cecil, Toronto
Jeff Niemann, Tampa Bay
Jered Weaver, Los Angeles

Comments: Price is the starter; he has lived up to the draft hype. Hughes is showing why the Yankees were so high on him and were wise to never deal him. Carmona isn't having an elite season but a good one, which makes his Cleveland's representative. Lee may not be a Mariner by the time the game arrives and while the metrics don't support Fister at all, the results do.