My [Complete] 2012 National League All Star Team

The All Star game is still a little over 2 weeks away and the All Star starters are a week away from being named, but I felt it was close enough to come up with my complete 34 roster spot All Star choices. If I had complete control over the National League All Star team this would be the roster.

My 2012 National League All Star Team

Lineup
1. LF Melky Cabrera, Giants
2. CF Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
3.1B Joey Votto, Reds
4. DH Ryan Braun, Brewers
5. RF Carlos Beltran, Cardinals
6. 3B Chipper Jones, Braves
7. 2B Brandon Phillips, Reds
8. C Carlos Ruiz, Phillies
9. SS Starlin Castro, Cubs
SP- R.A. Dickey, Mets

Reserves:
C – Yadier Molina, Cardinals
1B- Carlos Lee, Astros
2B- Omar Infante, Marlins
3B- David Wright, Mets
3B- David Freese, Cardinals
SS- Rafael Furcal, Cardinals
OF- Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
OF – Andre Ethier, Dodgers
OF- Matt Holiday, Cardinals
OF- Michael Bourn, Braves
OF- Jason Kubel, Diamondbacks

Bullpen
Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
Gio Gonzalez, Nationals
Matt Cain, Giants
Cole Hamels, Phillies
Wade Miley, Diamondbacks
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Chris Capuano, Dodgers
Lance Lynn, Cardinals
Johnny Cueto, Reds
Zack Grienke, Brewers
Craig Kimbrel, Braves
Joel Hanrahan, Pirates
Huston Street, Padres

Last Guy Off: Madison Bumgarner, Giants

My [Complete] 2012 American League All Star Picks

The All Star game is still a little over 2 weeks away and the All Star starters are a week away from being named, but I felt it was close enough to come up with my complete 34 roster spot All Star choices. If I had complete control over the American League All Star team this would be the roster.

My 2012 American League All Star Team

Lineup:
1. CF – Curtis Granderson, Yankees
2. 2B – Robinson Cano, Yankees
3. LF- Josh Hamilton, Rangers
4. DH – David Ortiz, Red Sox
5. 3B – Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
6. 1B – Paul Konerko, White Sox
7. RF – Mark Trumbo, Angels
8. SS – Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
9. C – AJ Pierzynski, White Sox
SP- Jered Weaver, Angels

Reserves:
C – Joe Mauer, Twins
1B – Prince Fielder, Tigers
2B – Jason Kipnis, Indians
3B – Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
3B – Adrian Beltre, Rangers
SS – Derek Jeter, Yankees
OF – Adam Jones, Orioles
OF – Mike Trout, Angels
OF – Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
OF – Josh Willingham, Twins
OF – Josh Reddick, A’s

Bullpen:
Justin Verlander, Tigers
David Price, Rays
CC Sabathia, Yankees
Yu Darvish, Rangers
Chris Sale, White Sox
Jake Peavy, White Sox
CJ Wilson, Angels
Felix Hernandez, Mariners
Jason Hammel, Orioles
Jim Johnson, Orioles
Fernando Rodney, Rays
Jonathan Broxton, Royals
Vinnie Pestano, Indians

Last Guy Off: Matt Harrison, Rangers

Nice to See Nice Guy Dale Jr. Win Again

One-hundred and forty-three races is an eternity to go without winning if you’re the biggest star and name in NASCAR. But that’s exactly what Dale Earnhardt Jr., the face of the sport, had gone through in the last four years. 

Luckily for Dale Jr., NASCAR and NASCAR fans that streak came to an end at Michigan Speedway on Sunday afternoon in dominating fashion as Dale Earnhardt Jr. just blew away his competition. When Junior crossed the finish line and received that checkered flag his next closest competition, Tony Stewart, was a whopping five-plus seconds behind him. 

I know that Dale Earnhardt Jr. may be the most overrated athlete in sports and I know that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is probably not one of the best 10 drivers in his sport. However, I’m thrilled for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Junior Nation and really the entire sport of NASCAR in general. 

Why? 

Because Dale Earnhardt Jr. might be the nicest guy in NASCAR. 

Sure, guys like Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards have done a lot of winning over the last four years when Junior was struggling and not even close to Victory Lane, but if given the chance to spend an afternoon or have a beer with any of those guys I wouldn’t take it. I seriously wouldn’t. They all come off as jerks … which, unfortunately, means that many of NASCAR’s biggest names or stars are jerks. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never once come off as a jerk, even amidst an epic losing streak that gave him every reason in the world to be one. He’s friendly. He’s humble. He’s down to Earth and fits a good ole boy mode that once was commonplace in the sport, but doesn’t seem to exist much anymore. Sure, Dale Earnhardt Jr. got a lot of his fans because of the family name. But, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is his own man, he’s not as arrogant or hard-headed as his father was, he’s more of the nice guy next door that you’d love for your daughter to date. Dale Jr. is good people and in a sport that seems to be lacking sometimes in good people it’s refreshing to see him succeed.

I'll Have Another's Belmont No Go Continues Triple Crown Disappointment

You can never expect something as hard to accomplish as the Triple Crown in horse racing a lock to happen. However, when you have the opportunity to see a horse achieve the Triple Crown it’s one of those true must-see sports moments. There aren’t many things I haven’t seen already as a sports fan, but a horse completing the Triple Crown is one of them, because it hasn’t happened since Affirmed did it in 1978, nine years before I was born.

When I’ll Have Another beat Bodemeister in a thrilling finish at the Kentucky Derby I didn’t even think for one second that 2012 would see a run for the Triple Crown. Bodemeister was the favorite and the fact that he lost in the first leg likely meant there’d be no chance for history.

However, something amazing happened at the Preakness Stakes in the second leg of the Triple Crown when I’ll Have Another did it again in an even more thrilling finish to beat Bodemeister. Now the excitement was full throttle. Again, you can’t expect a Triple Crown winner, but we all knew I’ll Have Another was going to be the favorite at the Belmont Stakes and the event quickly became one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year.

And, then it was all over. The day before I’ll Have Another was set to run for a chance at history he was forced to be scratched from the race and immediately retired due to a tendon injury that could’ve been life-threatening had he run the race.

The anticipation and excitement of the Belmont Stakes instantly faded away as we knew there’d really be nothing worth watching for, even though Union Rags did end up winning the race in an exciting photo finish.

What was supposed to be an exciting, potentially historic event turned into a complete disappointment. Will I ever see a Triple Crown winner? Will there ever be another Triple Crown winner? Is the Triple Crown cursed? Maybe all of the above. 

Gary Carter Jersey Dude Creates Sports Fan Moment of a Lifetime

Typically I come down hard on sports fans that run out onto the field of play because in the past we’ve seen incredibly dangerous events happen when drunken fans leave the stands. When most fans run onto the field or court at sporting events they tend to get what they deserve when they’re either tackled or tazed by security guards and then subsequently are arrested.

However, as New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana completed his no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night, the first no-hitter in the 51 year history of the franchise, I found myself OK with a fan running out on the field. Once the final out was made in the no-no a guy who even though his name is now out there I will only refer to as Gary Carter Jersey Dude, because to me he truly represents the entire Mets fan base, ran out to the middle of the diamond to take part in the celebration with Santana and his Mets teammates.

 

Gary Carter Jersey Dude was like any true Mets fan, desperate to see the wonderful act of a no-hitter finally be completed by his favorite team after 51 years, and obviously couldn’t contain himself as he sprinted from the stands to get into the fray. In fact, if you look at photos and watch videos from the celebration, Gary Carter Jersey Dude was so excited by the moment of Mets history that he beat almost every one of the Mets players and coaches to the mound during the celebration. For what most have been a few wonderfully joyous moments Gary Carter Jersey Dude was in the middle of it all standing shoulder to shoulder with guys like David Wright, R.A. Dickey and Andres Torres (can anybody currently name any other active Mets by the way?) in congratulating Santana before being brutally taken to the ground by multiple security personnel.

Those few moments will be remembered forever by Gary Carter Jersey Dude and might in fact be the most memorable moments of his lifetime. For that it must surely be worth it, even though the guy spent more than a day in jail charged with trespassing, missed his son’s first birthday (any true sports fan would sacrifice their kid’s first birthday for such a celebration though) and has reportedly been banned from Citi Field forever.

Now I don’t want this to sound like I condone running out in the middle of sporting events, because as I previously mentioned, I certainly don’t … but for Gary Carter Jersey Dude I’ve gotta admit it was pretty damn cool.  

Logano's Nationwide Domination Actually Embarrassment to Self

Joey Logano has 13 career Nationwide Series wins ...

Is it possible for an athlete to dominate and still be an embarrassment at the same time?

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano is demonstrating this NASCAR season that you can dominate and still embarrass yourself. This season Logano has won four Nationwide Series races, a series high, at Auto Club Speedway, Talladega, Darlington and Dover. Logano thoroughly dominated Dover on Saturday afternoon, as one of only two Cup drivers in the field (Kurt Busch being the other), leading 154 of 200 laps.

The Dover win marked Logano’s 13^th Nationwide Series victory in almost four and a half seasons in the series. However, in three and a half seasons in the Sprint Cup Series Logano hasn’t done much at all. He does have a win in his Cup career, coming in his rookie season of 2009 at New Hampshire Speedway, but you should really chalk that win up to his crew chief Greg Zipadelli who made the right strategy call to keep Logano out with impending rain thus giving the then 19-year old the rain shortened victory. So, Logano has one win that he really didn’t even earn in three and a half seasons in the Cup Series.

One lone victory in your first three and a half seasons wouldn’t be that bad if Logano hadn’t have been “Sliced Bread,” a nickname that he garnered because he was supposed to be the next best thing since. Logano was billed coming into the Cup Series as the next Jeff Gordon, the next Jimmie Johnson, the next great racer and champion of the sport. If anybody has truly been “Sliced Bread” since entering the sport at roughly the same time it’s been Brad Keselowski, who has six wins (all of them hard fought and earned) in the same span of time. Logano was supposed to have been the next Gordon or Johnson, but he hasn’t even really been the next Steve Park or [insert guy who was expected to be big but disappointed here]. At this point in his career, long past the point where Logano should have shown us something, I don’t think he’s one of the 20 best drivers currently in the Cup Series.

... but hasn't shown a thing in the Cup Series.

He’s even struggled so bad that some fully expect that his car owner Joe Gibbs might be tempted to drop Logano from his race team at season’s end to pick up free agent and temper tantrum of the week star Kurt Busch, older brother of Gibbs’ best driver Kyle Busch.

Now, Sprint Cup drivers running and winning Nationwide Series races has always been something that has greatly bothered me, but I have to admit that I have a bigger problem with Logano winning Nationwide races than I do with Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick or anybody else.

Why?

Because even though all of those others drivers should feel like the Nationwide Series is beneath them (and it is) they’re at least proven drivers in all NASCAR series and it doesn’t really hurt their Cup reputation by doing so.

The reason why Logano should be embarrassed to keep dominating and winning these Nationwide Series races is because not only is he outrunning guys in his Joe Gibbs equipment, probably by far the best equipment in the series, against lesser competition, but he’s also showing his lack of Sprint Cup success with every Nationwide checkered flag as it certainly leads to questions like: ‘Why can’t Logano win in Cup, if he dominates in Nationwide?’

Joey Logano hasn’t shown me a single thing in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career thus far, except for maybe the fact that he was severely overrated. Beating lesser drivers in lesser equipment in basically a minor league series should be embarrassing to him when he can’t hack it in Cup. Joey Logano may be called “Sliced Bread,” but he’s been nothing more than “Stale Bread” so far.