Diamond Dust: The All Star Edition

The MLB All Star Game is the best of its kind with the Pro Bowl being the most insufferable. There are two major problems with the Summer Classic, first is the fan voting and second is the fact that the winning team gets home field advantage in the World Series. The second is so inane and irritating that I cannot devote anymore space to it here. The fan voting is irritating when the entire infield is made up of Yankees and Red Sox in the AL and the NL outfield is littered with undeserving Cubs. It is the job of the managers to fix what the fans do and for the most part a good job was done this year with two glaring exceptions. Brian Wilson is not an All Star. A certain amount of credit is due to the man for leading the NL in saves, but his ERA is 4.37. The conversation on Mr. Wilson ends there. But the biggest offense is Jason Varitek. His selection is embarrassing. He is not the second, third, fourth, or fifth best player at his position in his league. Varitek is hitting .215. You read that right, .215. It is not clear to me when .215, even for a catcher (one who is not a great defensive catcher mind you) was relegted to All Star level. I will argue that it is not.

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to play at a level no one thought possible. Currently, this crop of overachievers has the second best record in the NL, only .5 game up on the hard charging Brew Crew. While the Cubs and Brewers have made news in acquiring C.C. Sabathia and Dan Haren this week, the Cardinals will look to some old arms to give them a boost. Mark Mulder returns to the rotation tonight in Philadelphia and the Double C continues his rehab and should be ready in August. I am weary of Mulder's chances of getting back to where he was when the Cardinals acquired him in 2005 (his only healthy season in a Cardinals uniform), but am willing to give Dave "the Miracle Worker" Duncan the benefit of the doubt. The Cardinals have showed up as a potential suitor for the red-hot Matt Holiday. Probably will not happen, but stay tuned. Ryan Ludwick's selection after a career thus far ravaged by injury was certainly deserved and would get more attention if not for Josh Hamilton's amazing story.

Other random mutterings:

• The Devil Rays continue to be the story in the first half. The Washington Nationals were the story in 2005 when they led at the break, so let's slow down on projecting this bunch into the World Series. While it is legitimate to point out that the 2008 Devil Rays are much more talented than the 2005 Nationals, the latter did not have have the Red Sox and Yankees behind them in the standings.
• The Tigers have put themselves into the conversation in the AL Central, but the White Sox and Twins have been sensational as of late.
• Remember when the Mets were finished? They currently reside 1.5 games behind the overrated Phillies.
• The NL West is a disaster.
• Ian Kinsler is as Pato Banton would say "bubbling hot," Josh Hamilton might drive in 150 runs, Justin Duchscherer (try spelling that correctly without looking) is currently the best pitcher in baseball, Joe Saunders will not win 20 games, Brandon Webb might win 25 games, Ryan Howard has 137 more career strikeouts than Albert Pujols in 2,470 fewer at-bats and might strikeout 250 times this season, and I do not care if A-Rod is f^cking Madonna.

Go see what the old man's got cooking here.