As a fan of baseball, one of my favorite times of year is the All-Star break. The Home Run Derby and the All-Star game make up 2 great days of each baseball season. Seeing 450-foot bombs, the gold ball challenge, and Chris Berman's annoying and repetitive, yet familiar and exciting "Going, Going, GONE!" make the All-Star break magical.
There is something great about the fact that both leagues take the best players at their positions and pit them against each other. You see matchups you may not normally see, such as C.C. Sabathia throw sliders to Chase Utley, or R.A. Dickey's knuckleball dance past Derek Jeter.
This year, the All-Star game is in NY, home of the Mets. As a disclaimer, I hate the Mets. I have always, and will always hate the Mets. They're a bunch of bums. But that's besides the point...
Source: Sportslogos.net
As a fun exercise, I wanted to create an All-Star lineup of All-Stars from the 2000's.
My criteria is as follows:
- The players must have been actively on a team between 2000 - 2013.
- I chose, in my opinion, the players' best year in that span.
Here are my picks:
Catcher:
Ivan Rodiguez, Texas Rangers
2000 stats: .347 avg., 27 HR, 83 RBIs, 66 Rs
Honorable Mention: Jorge Posada, NY Yankees
Source: tumblr.com
Pudge is one of the greatest catchers of all time. His defense and power combination made him successful in his stops in Texas and Detroit. In 2000, he had a fielding pct. of .996 with only 2 errors all season. In 2000, he won one of his 13 Gold Glove awards.
First Base:
Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
2009 stats: .327 avg., 47 HRs, 135 RBIs, 16 SBs, 124 Rs
Honorable Mention: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
Source: Baseball-Cards-And-Collectibles.com
Pujols is arguably the best hitter of our generation. A 3-time MVP winner (with 2009 being one of those years), his 5-tool skills were key in the success of the Cardinals winning multiple championships.
Second Base:
Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
2006 stats: .309 avg., 32 HRs, 102 RBIs, 15 SBs, 131 Rs
Honorable Mention: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
Source: TheBaseballPage.com
Chase is the best 2nd baseman for the Phillies since Mickey Morandini. He was integral in the Phillies post-season success in the 2000's, culminating in the Phillies World Series win in 2008. In 2006, he won one of his 4 Silver Slugger awards. His speed, power, and defense make him a fan favorite and perennial Phillies All-Star.
Short Stop:
Derek Jeter, NY Yankees
2006 stats: .343 avg., 14 HRs, 97 RBIs, 34 SBs, 118 Rs
Honorable Mention: Miguel Tejada, Baltimore Orioles
Source: SportsUnbiased.com
Derek Jeter is the best SS of all-time. Period. He been an amazing hitter since the early 2000s. He has the durability of Cal Ripken Jr. The speed and defense of this NY born All-Star anchored the Yankees power house teams of the 2000s. He's the Captain of Clutch. He won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in 2006 and his leadership on and off the field makes him an annual MVP candidate.
Third Base:
Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves
2001 stats: .330 avg., 38 HRs, 102 RBIs, 9 SBs, 113 Rs
Honorable Mention: Scott Rolen, St. Louis Cardinals
Source: TVRage.com
Larry Wayne Jones is a 1st-ballot Hall of Famer. He anchored the hot corner for the Atlanta Braves for 17 seasons (1995 - 2012). An 8-time All-Star, his leadership in the clubhouse, along with legendary coach Bobby Cox made the Braves perennial thorns in the sides of the rest of the NL East. An MVP in 1999, his power coupled with teammates such as Andruw Jones, Time Hudson, and John Smoltz, made the Braves a fun, successful franchise throughout the 2000s.
Designated Hitter:
Jim Thome, Cleveland Indians
2002 stats: ,304 avg., 52 HRs, 118 RBIs, 101 Rs
Honorable Mention: David Ortiz
Source: FoxSportsOhio.com
The quietest member of the 600 club, Jim Thome may be the most underrated player of all-time. He ranks 7th all time in HRs with 612. He has enjoyed long success with the long ball in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Minnesota.
Left Field:
Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox
2005 stats: .292 avg., 45 HRs, 144 RBIs, 112 Rs
Honorable Mention: Ryan Braun
Source: Espn.go.com
Infamous for "Manny being Manny" and for walking inside the Green Monster during a game, Manny Ramirez was actually one of the most prolific hitters of the 2000s. He had a smooth, pure swing and made contact easily. There are stories of his shenanigans, but I tend to stray toward the stories of his incredible, unrivaled work ethic in the cages. His defense was lacking, but his spirit in the clubhouse as well as his power launched the Red Sox into stardom and success, culminating in the Red Sox breaking the Babe's curse and finally winning a World Series.
Center Field:
Mike Trout, Anaheim Angels
2012 stats: .326 avg., 30 HRs, 83 RBIs, 49 SBs, 129 Rs
Honorable Mention: Ichiro Suzuki
Source: SportsIllustrated.CNN.com
In his first year in the bigs, this highly touted prospect won 2012 AL Rookie of the Year, 2012 AL MVP runner-up, a Silver Slugger, and was chosen for the 2012 All-Star game. He exploded onto the scene with his power and blazing speed. He was unstoppable the entire 2012 season and came in second in a very close AL MVP race to Miguel Cabrera, who won the rare Triple Crown. Trout should be locked up for the next 20 years to stay in Anaheim. On a team with Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and Mark Trumbo, he is heading an explosive offense for years to come.
Right Field:
Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal Expos
2002 stats: .336 avg., 39 HRs, 111 RBIs, 40 SBs, 106 Rs
Honorable Mention: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Source: tumblr.com
Who remembers the Expos? I sure do! Late 90's, early 2000s. The Nationals, before the Nationals. Vladimir Guerrero is a 9-time All-Star, 8-time Silver Slugger winner, and AL MVP in 2004. As much as his offense and speed lead drove the offense of the Expos and Angels in the 2000s, his most impressive quality was his arm. He had a cannon arm, and led the league 3 times in outfield assists.
There you have it! My picks for the 2000s All-Stars. And here is my lineup:
1. Derek Jeter - SS
2. Mike Trout - CF
3. Chase Utley - 2B
4. Albert Pujols - 1B
5. Jim Thome - DH
6. Manny Ramirez - LF
7. Vladimir Guerrero - RF
8. Chipper Jones - 3B
9. Ivan Rodriguez - C
Without getting into too many details regarding the SPs, here are my 5 SPs and closer:
SP1 - Randy Johnson
SP2 - Pedro Martinez
SP3 - Roger Clemens
SP4 - Justin Verlander
SP5 - Johan Santana
Honorable Mentions: Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Curt Shilling, Tim Hudson, Roy Halladay, John Smoltz, Mike Mussina
RP1 - Mariano Rivera (Best closer of All-Time)
Honorable Mentions: Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman
What's YOUR All-Star lineup from the 2000s? Comment and post your thoughts and lineup!
