Texas A&M is expected to announce Monday that it will be moving to the SEC to play in College Football's premier conference. The SEC is also in pursuit of getting A&M rival Big 12 school Missouri and two ACC Schools, Clemson and Florida State, to join the conference and possibly having schools that are less than competitive in its feature sport be dismissed from the conference at least in football. If they do keep all of their schools, it will become what would be the first true "Power Conference" and provide as an example for other conferences looking into expansion.
*Update* Missouri's Athletic Director has said that the school will not be joining the SEC but we will follow that matter and provide further information as it becomes available.
-A
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The American League Wild Card Race
We at MVP Sports Talk are happy to announce that we have a new member joining our writers. Jacob Adler, who has guest posted for us before will be joining us as our new head baseball writer. You can visit his sports blog The Nerd with the Sports Report here, and follow him on twitter @jacobadler
The wild card situation is odd. When the spots were added, traditionalists were outraged while the supporters claimed that it was the right thing to do since sometimes there were great teams missing the playoffs because they had a division rival with a better record. Since it has been implemented in 1995, four wild card teams have won the World Series, most recently with the 2004 Red Sox and has been just another mark of the Bud Selig era, angering traditionalists while pleasing some “modern” fans. Even though there is talk of another wild card spot to give teams in the AL East a break (they have the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays), this year there is only one per league and a team in the AL East will most likely take the wild card, with the Yankees taking the final playoff spot
I don’t think that anybody that is sane expects a team not in the AL East to get the wild card. Yes, that’s a double negative, but think about it. With the poor performance from the Minnesota Twins this year, the AL East boasts three of the best four American League teams in the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays, with only the Rangers from the west rounding out the top four. Overall, I’d rank the teams Red Sox, Rangers, Yankees, and Rays, although I think you can make a case for any of the first three to be at the top. The Rangers have a two game lead over the Angels for the AL West crown, but are four games behind the Yankees, who are sitting in second place behind Boston.
Really, I’m not sure how the Angels are still in the race, but they could try to copy the 2001 Diamondbacks duo of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson with Dan Haren and Jered Weaver, but I don’t think that will happen. Although they both were phenomenal in the first half, especially Weaver with his sub-2.00 earned-run average, Haren is known to be better in the first half than second and Weaver’s peripherals show he has the tools to do what he’s doing but with the exception of the ERA part. Weaver’s lowest qualified ERA was his 3.01 mark last year, and obviously that number is not 1.78, but back to the Angels, I think if they end up taking the division it will be because of a Rangers collapse or an extreme hot streak.
I think the Rangers are the X-factor in the race, controlling the race. If they take the division, I think the Yankees will beat the Angels for the wild card, but if they don’t, the Yankees are in trouble. The Rangers didn’t make a move for a big bat at the trade deadline, but made their bullpen even better with the addition of Mike Adams and Koji Uehara. Their rotation with C.J. Wilson, Alexi Ogando, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, and 2011-breakout Matt Harrison is definitely deep enough for a playoff run but you never know with injuries, which could possibly be the Achilles’’ heel of this team. Stars Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton are frequently on the DL and the Rangers’ lineup is quite weak without those two bats. I think the American League West is theirs for the taking, but I don’t see them getting the wild card because they have to be pretty sloppy to lose the division.
The Boston Red Sox have an interesting situation. With the emergence of Josh Reddick in the outfield, the Red Sox continue to strengthen their lineup (although one could argue they weakened it with the addition of Carl Crawford) and are possibly strong at every position except for shortstop, where they are slightly above average with their Jed Lowrie/Marco Scutaro platoon. What will make the difference for the rest of the year is the rotation, where the role of the third starter is in question. Obviously, Josh Beckett will be the #1 with his great comeback numbers this year, and leukemia-survivor and no-hitter-thrower Jon Lester as the #2, there is no clear number three. The Sox have Tim Wakefield, who has been a much-needed help this year, former phenom Andrew Miller, the now-injured Clay Buchholz, newly acquired Erik Bedard, and John Lackey, who has proved how much he was not worth his contract two years ago. I think Miller is definitely out of the question, Wakefield will be limited to long relief because he is a 45-year old knuckleballer, and I’m not sure about Buchholz’s status with his injury and if and when he will return this year. That leaves Bedard and Lackey. This is more playoffs than wild card race, but if the Red Sox draw the Yankees during the playoffs, Lackey will be in the rotation, especially after his recent performance against the Bombers. He out-pitched CC Sabathia, and has been great against New York, a trait that means he could have a positive future with the Red Sox after all, but Bedard, the former ace of the Baltimore Orioles, has had a good overall year so far while Lackey and his 6.14 ERA have not. The key for the Red Sox’ playoff hopes is to find who they want playing in the meaningful games, and if they can do that and make the right decisions, they will make the playoffs, most likely with the AL East title.
I am doing the Yankees last because this is on the wild card, and I think the Yankees have the best shot at it. Why? They didn’t make any big moves at the non-waiver trade deadline, and they have put together a good, although unlikely rotation. Among the unlikely are former-Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, and Ivan Nova. They are joined by ace CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. There was a big question mark in spring training about who would close out the Yankees after Sabathia, Burnett, and Phil Hughes, but Colon, Garcia, and Nova have taken advantage of Phil Hughes surprisingly poor performance this season and have take advantage to the fullest, each making at least 20 starts and all having earned-run averages of 3.85 and under. Also, with the continuing troubles of Joba Chamberlain and this season Rafael Soriano, David Robertson has been invaluable to them with his 1.38 ERA and 13.99 K/BB ratio. The biggest reason that I think the Yankees will win the wild card is that they are good, but simply not as good as the Boston Red Sox. They lost to the Rangers in the ALCS last season, but I strongly think Texas’s bullpen acquisitions will lead them to the AL West crown. In other words, the Yankees are good, but not too good.
I do think the Yankees will get the wild card, but here are a few interesting situations:
Yankees go really hot, along with Angels, bypass Red Sox and Rangers. Advantage Red Sox. Although I think the Rangers are more equipped for the playoffs, I think it will simply come down to management. I respect Ron Washington and he is one of the best managers in the game today, but you got to think that Terry Francona will be higher on that list. You have to account for how hot the Red Sox have been since their 2-10 start in April, and when the Red Sox are healthy and playing well they can be the best team in the majors.
Yankees vs. Rangers.
Rangers win because of the Yankees rotation. I was just talking about how great it has been, but Sabathia and Burnett won’t cut it. The reason that their mediocre pitching goes unnoticed is that the Yankees score a lot of runs. Really, Burnett has a 4.60 ERA and like Lackey, has proven to his club that he is not an elite pitcher deserving of a huge contract. I think I’m also not giving the Rangers enough credit for their World Series appearance and how well they’ve done without Cruz and Hamilton when they are out and in the offseason picking up Mike Napoli. Like the Rangers didn’t have enough power already. Anyway, the Rangers are a good team and I think the only team that could keep Texas from a playoff spot is the Red Sox (and technically the Angels if they overtake Nolan Ryan’s club in the division).
I didn’t mention the Rays because there is an extremely small chance that they could overtake either of their division opponents for a playoff spot.
The wild card situation is odd. When the spots were added, traditionalists were outraged while the supporters claimed that it was the right thing to do since sometimes there were great teams missing the playoffs because they had a division rival with a better record. Since it has been implemented in 1995, four wild card teams have won the World Series, most recently with the 2004 Red Sox and has been just another mark of the Bud Selig era, angering traditionalists while pleasing some “modern” fans. Even though there is talk of another wild card spot to give teams in the AL East a break (they have the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays), this year there is only one per league and a team in the AL East will most likely take the wild card, with the Yankees taking the final playoff spot
I don’t think that anybody that is sane expects a team not in the AL East to get the wild card. Yes, that’s a double negative, but think about it. With the poor performance from the Minnesota Twins this year, the AL East boasts three of the best four American League teams in the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays, with only the Rangers from the west rounding out the top four. Overall, I’d rank the teams Red Sox, Rangers, Yankees, and Rays, although I think you can make a case for any of the first three to be at the top. The Rangers have a two game lead over the Angels for the AL West crown, but are four games behind the Yankees, who are sitting in second place behind Boston.
Really, I’m not sure how the Angels are still in the race, but they could try to copy the 2001 Diamondbacks duo of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson with Dan Haren and Jered Weaver, but I don’t think that will happen. Although they both were phenomenal in the first half, especially Weaver with his sub-2.00 earned-run average, Haren is known to be better in the first half than second and Weaver’s peripherals show he has the tools to do what he’s doing but with the exception of the ERA part. Weaver’s lowest qualified ERA was his 3.01 mark last year, and obviously that number is not 1.78, but back to the Angels, I think if they end up taking the division it will be because of a Rangers collapse or an extreme hot streak.
I think the Rangers are the X-factor in the race, controlling the race. If they take the division, I think the Yankees will beat the Angels for the wild card, but if they don’t, the Yankees are in trouble. The Rangers didn’t make a move for a big bat at the trade deadline, but made their bullpen even better with the addition of Mike Adams and Koji Uehara. Their rotation with C.J. Wilson, Alexi Ogando, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, and 2011-breakout Matt Harrison is definitely deep enough for a playoff run but you never know with injuries, which could possibly be the Achilles’’ heel of this team. Stars Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton are frequently on the DL and the Rangers’ lineup is quite weak without those two bats. I think the American League West is theirs for the taking, but I don’t see them getting the wild card because they have to be pretty sloppy to lose the division.
The Boston Red Sox have an interesting situation. With the emergence of Josh Reddick in the outfield, the Red Sox continue to strengthen their lineup (although one could argue they weakened it with the addition of Carl Crawford) and are possibly strong at every position except for shortstop, where they are slightly above average with their Jed Lowrie/Marco Scutaro platoon. What will make the difference for the rest of the year is the rotation, where the role of the third starter is in question. Obviously, Josh Beckett will be the #1 with his great comeback numbers this year, and leukemia-survivor and no-hitter-thrower Jon Lester as the #2, there is no clear number three. The Sox have Tim Wakefield, who has been a much-needed help this year, former phenom Andrew Miller, the now-injured Clay Buchholz, newly acquired Erik Bedard, and John Lackey, who has proved how much he was not worth his contract two years ago. I think Miller is definitely out of the question, Wakefield will be limited to long relief because he is a 45-year old knuckleballer, and I’m not sure about Buchholz’s status with his injury and if and when he will return this year. That leaves Bedard and Lackey. This is more playoffs than wild card race, but if the Red Sox draw the Yankees during the playoffs, Lackey will be in the rotation, especially after his recent performance against the Bombers. He out-pitched CC Sabathia, and has been great against New York, a trait that means he could have a positive future with the Red Sox after all, but Bedard, the former ace of the Baltimore Orioles, has had a good overall year so far while Lackey and his 6.14 ERA have not. The key for the Red Sox’ playoff hopes is to find who they want playing in the meaningful games, and if they can do that and make the right decisions, they will make the playoffs, most likely with the AL East title.
I am doing the Yankees last because this is on the wild card, and I think the Yankees have the best shot at it. Why? They didn’t make any big moves at the non-waiver trade deadline, and they have put together a good, although unlikely rotation. Among the unlikely are former-Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, and Ivan Nova. They are joined by ace CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. There was a big question mark in spring training about who would close out the Yankees after Sabathia, Burnett, and Phil Hughes, but Colon, Garcia, and Nova have taken advantage of Phil Hughes surprisingly poor performance this season and have take advantage to the fullest, each making at least 20 starts and all having earned-run averages of 3.85 and under. Also, with the continuing troubles of Joba Chamberlain and this season Rafael Soriano, David Robertson has been invaluable to them with his 1.38 ERA and 13.99 K/BB ratio. The biggest reason that I think the Yankees will win the wild card is that they are good, but simply not as good as the Boston Red Sox. They lost to the Rangers in the ALCS last season, but I strongly think Texas’s bullpen acquisitions will lead them to the AL West crown. In other words, the Yankees are good, but not too good.
I do think the Yankees will get the wild card, but here are a few interesting situations:
Yankees go really hot, along with Angels, bypass Red Sox and Rangers. Advantage Red Sox. Although I think the Rangers are more equipped for the playoffs, I think it will simply come down to management. I respect Ron Washington and he is one of the best managers in the game today, but you got to think that Terry Francona will be higher on that list. You have to account for how hot the Red Sox have been since their 2-10 start in April, and when the Red Sox are healthy and playing well they can be the best team in the majors.
Yankees vs. Rangers.
Rangers win because of the Yankees rotation. I was just talking about how great it has been, but Sabathia and Burnett won’t cut it. The reason that their mediocre pitching goes unnoticed is that the Yankees score a lot of runs. Really, Burnett has a 4.60 ERA and like Lackey, has proven to his club that he is not an elite pitcher deserving of a huge contract. I think I’m also not giving the Rangers enough credit for their World Series appearance and how well they’ve done without Cruz and Hamilton when they are out and in the offseason picking up Mike Napoli. Like the Rangers didn’t have enough power already. Anyway, the Rangers are a good team and I think the only team that could keep Texas from a playoff spot is the Red Sox (and technically the Angels if they overtake Nolan Ryan’s club in the division).
I didn’t mention the Rays because there is an extremely small chance that they could overtake either of their division opponents for a playoff spot.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Analyzing the Trade Deadline
By Guest Writer Jacob Adler
You can visit his sports blog The Nerd with the Sports Report here, and follow him on twitter @jacobadler
The trade deadline in baseball is one of the more exciting parts of baseball, as there is a flurry of trades in a short time period. Teams looking for an extra boost exchange prospects for role players, rentals, or stars. Teams out of contention trade away guys that aren't in their future for guys that will. And some teams just sit back and relax. What I'm about to do is analyze the few trades that I think will make a difference.
1) Hunter Pence to the Phillies
The Phillies were in obvious need of a right fielder and they got an All-Star in Pence (albeit with Houston). They were in the running for Carlos Beltran but backed out of the way because they didn't want a rental player. With Pence, he will be in the lineup for this year and next, because his contract expires at the end of next year. By then, Philly will have their right field problems solved with either Dominic Brown or Pence starting in right field, whoever Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro Jr. think is the answer. Now to what the Phillies gave up, they gave Houston GM Ed Wade top prospects Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton while also handing over Josh Zeid. Cosart, a starter, and the first baseman Singleton were the Phillies' top two prospects behind Dominic Brown, while Zeid is a 2nd-tier prospect that has struggled in the minors this year with a 5.65 earned-run average at Double-A Redding after spotting 2.93 in Single-A ball last year. Back to Pence, it is obvious how much the Phillies believe in the 28-year old right fielder because of his price tag, but with .307 batting average to go along with 11 homers and 63 RBI, Pence is the right-handed batter the Phillies need in their lefty-stacked lineup.
2) Michael Bourn to the Braves
Like their division counterpart Philadelphia, Atlanta added an outfielder at the deadline, getting the speedy center fielder Bourn, also from Houston, who leads the majors in steals with 39. Atlanta GM Frank Wren was also pursuing the previously mentioned Pence, Carlos Beltran, and Ryan Ludwick. Wren decided not to pull in the switch-hitting Beltran because he didn't want to give up a top pitching prospect like Mike Minor or Arodys Vizcaino (Julio Teheran was way off-limits) because that price was not worth it "for a rental." Many Braves players such as Chipper Jones were on board with the acquisition because it gave Atlanta a much-needed pure leadoff man, which the Braves, "haven't had that kind of threat in the top of [the] lineup in a long time" said Jones, as the Braves' last pure leadoff man had been Kenny Lofton back in the 1990s. This move makes more sense than Atlanta getting Pence, Beltran, or Ludwick because it gives the Braves both a centerfielder and a leadoff man (Beltran is the only one that can play center but he prefers right and none of them can bat in the #1 slot).
3) Derrek Lee to the Pirates
Although a shout-out goes to the Texas Rangers, who yesterday added Koji Uehara and today Mike Adams, solidifying their bullpen, the final trade that will have a big influence on how the rest of the season plays out is not the Adams trade nor the Fister/Pauley trade but the Derrek Lee trade. Last night, Lee was traded to Pittsburgh for first base prospect Aaron Baker. Why is this an important trade? The Pirates are currently in third in the NL Central, but they are above .500 and have played well this season as a whole. Most people know that whatever the Pirates do influences the Wild Card race as well as the NL Central race, as Pittsburgh is only 3.5 games out of the division lead and 7.5 back in the Wild Card. By adding Lee, the Pirates are gambling that Lee can be the playoff-experienced veteran they need to finish out the year strong and hopefully make the playoffs. However, he has been to four postseasons and the only time his team made it out of the first round (2003 Florida Marlins), Lee batted .208 with only one homer. If Lee performs well the rest of the season and if something happens to the Brewers (I'm not considering the Cardinals as a threat because of the Pujols free agent talk and lack of Adam Wainwright), then the Pirates could have a legitimate shot at playing in October.
You can visit his sports blog The Nerd with the Sports Report here, and follow him on twitter @jacobadler
The trade deadline in baseball is one of the more exciting parts of baseball, as there is a flurry of trades in a short time period. Teams looking for an extra boost exchange prospects for role players, rentals, or stars. Teams out of contention trade away guys that aren't in their future for guys that will. And some teams just sit back and relax. What I'm about to do is analyze the few trades that I think will make a difference.
1) Hunter Pence to the Phillies
The Phillies were in obvious need of a right fielder and they got an All-Star in Pence (albeit with Houston). They were in the running for Carlos Beltran but backed out of the way because they didn't want a rental player. With Pence, he will be in the lineup for this year and next, because his contract expires at the end of next year. By then, Philly will have their right field problems solved with either Dominic Brown or Pence starting in right field, whoever Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro Jr. think is the answer. Now to what the Phillies gave up, they gave Houston GM Ed Wade top prospects Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton while also handing over Josh Zeid. Cosart, a starter, and the first baseman Singleton were the Phillies' top two prospects behind Dominic Brown, while Zeid is a 2nd-tier prospect that has struggled in the minors this year with a 5.65 earned-run average at Double-A Redding after spotting 2.93 in Single-A ball last year. Back to Pence, it is obvious how much the Phillies believe in the 28-year old right fielder because of his price tag, but with .307 batting average to go along with 11 homers and 63 RBI, Pence is the right-handed batter the Phillies need in their lefty-stacked lineup.
2) Michael Bourn to the Braves
Like their division counterpart Philadelphia, Atlanta added an outfielder at the deadline, getting the speedy center fielder Bourn, also from Houston, who leads the majors in steals with 39. Atlanta GM Frank Wren was also pursuing the previously mentioned Pence, Carlos Beltran, and Ryan Ludwick. Wren decided not to pull in the switch-hitting Beltran because he didn't want to give up a top pitching prospect like Mike Minor or Arodys Vizcaino (Julio Teheran was way off-limits) because that price was not worth it "for a rental." Many Braves players such as Chipper Jones were on board with the acquisition because it gave Atlanta a much-needed pure leadoff man, which the Braves, "haven't had that kind of threat in the top of [the] lineup in a long time" said Jones, as the Braves' last pure leadoff man had been Kenny Lofton back in the 1990s. This move makes more sense than Atlanta getting Pence, Beltran, or Ludwick because it gives the Braves both a centerfielder and a leadoff man (Beltran is the only one that can play center but he prefers right and none of them can bat in the #1 slot).
3) Derrek Lee to the Pirates
Although a shout-out goes to the Texas Rangers, who yesterday added Koji Uehara and today Mike Adams, solidifying their bullpen, the final trade that will have a big influence on how the rest of the season plays out is not the Adams trade nor the Fister/Pauley trade but the Derrek Lee trade. Last night, Lee was traded to Pittsburgh for first base prospect Aaron Baker. Why is this an important trade? The Pirates are currently in third in the NL Central, but they are above .500 and have played well this season as a whole. Most people know that whatever the Pirates do influences the Wild Card race as well as the NL Central race, as Pittsburgh is only 3.5 games out of the division lead and 7.5 back in the Wild Card. By adding Lee, the Pirates are gambling that Lee can be the playoff-experienced veteran they need to finish out the year strong and hopefully make the playoffs. However, he has been to four postseasons and the only time his team made it out of the first round (2003 Florida Marlins), Lee batted .208 with only one homer. If Lee performs well the rest of the season and if something happens to the Brewers (I'm not considering the Cardinals as a threat because of the Pujols free agent talk and lack of Adam Wainwright), then the Pirates could have a legitimate shot at playing in October.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Why do we like sports?
Why do we like to watch sport competitions? Even people who never engage in sport, or any physical activity for that matter, often find themselves in front of the TV, watching football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Sports fans all around the world gather around the television every day to watch their favorite teams play. Some never even miss a single competition or game. This article presents several reasons, trying to solve the mystery involved in this known phenomena of love for sports.
One of the main reasons people like to watch competitions is because they tend to identify themselves with the winners. When they watch the precise moves of Rafael Nadal or Maria Sharapova, see the winning game of the Champions League, or watch their team win the Superbowl they feel as if they themselves perform the brilliant move, and brought a victory to their team. Winners get attention from the media and the public, they are interviewed, they appear on TV. The public enjoys watching the known faces, hearing what hey have to say and seeing their winning formula. A fan, who may have never played soccer in his life, likes to see UEFA Cup, because he can identify himself with the top professionals.
Another reason is the unpredictability of sports games. You can never know how the game will end, which forces you to sit tightly and wait for the crucial moment, which designate all the twists and turns of the game. The course of sports game is always unpredictable: although you can make bets and try to guess the today's winner, but it is never certain, which makes the game interesting to watch.
Different, but also important reason for watching sports has to do with our national identity. When the British watch Liverpool and Chelsea, when Americans watch Packers and Bears, Yankees and Red Sox, they tend to identify themselves with the players and see all the failures and gains as if they were their own. Sports events nowadays are considered to be one of the most important factors which help to raise the person's national identity.
There are several reasons which may answer the question "why do we like sports?" Perhaps we never tend to think about these reasons while watching football or baseball. But they are important to think about.
You can watch your favorite sports and teams at - sportingo.com
One of the main reasons people like to watch competitions is because they tend to identify themselves with the winners. When they watch the precise moves of Rafael Nadal or Maria Sharapova, see the winning game of the Champions League, or watch their team win the Superbowl they feel as if they themselves perform the brilliant move, and brought a victory to their team. Winners get attention from the media and the public, they are interviewed, they appear on TV. The public enjoys watching the known faces, hearing what hey have to say and seeing their winning formula. A fan, who may have never played soccer in his life, likes to see UEFA Cup, because he can identify himself with the top professionals.
Another reason is the unpredictability of sports games. You can never know how the game will end, which forces you to sit tightly and wait for the crucial moment, which designate all the twists and turns of the game. The course of sports game is always unpredictable: although you can make bets and try to guess the today's winner, but it is never certain, which makes the game interesting to watch.
Different, but also important reason for watching sports has to do with our national identity. When the British watch Liverpool and Chelsea, when Americans watch Packers and Bears, Yankees and Red Sox, they tend to identify themselves with the players and see all the failures and gains as if they were their own. Sports events nowadays are considered to be one of the most important factors which help to raise the person's national identity.
There are several reasons which may answer the question "why do we like sports?" Perhaps we never tend to think about these reasons while watching football or baseball. But they are important to think about.
You can watch your favorite sports and teams at - sportingo.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
MLB Midseason Predictions
Well the break has come along and the NL just defeated the AL 5-1 in the All-Star game, so its time for our mid-season predictions.
Here are my predictions for the end of the season division leaders and wildcards. (start of season prediction in italics)
AL East
New York Yankees (New York Yankees)
AL Central
Detroit Tigers (Minnesota Twins).
AL West
Texas Rangers (Texas Rangers)
AL Wild Card
Boston Red Sox (Boston Red Sox)
NL East
Philadelphia Phillies (Philadelphia Phillies)
NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)
NL West
San Fransisco Giants (San Fransisco Giants)
NL Wild Card
Atlanta Braves (Milwaukee Brewers)
Predicted World Series Match- up
Yankees vs. Phillies
Here are my predictions for the end of the season division leaders and wildcards. (start of season prediction in italics)
AL East
New York Yankees (New York Yankees)
AL Central
Detroit Tigers (Minnesota Twins).
AL West
Texas Rangers (Texas Rangers)
AL Wild Card
Boston Red Sox (Boston Red Sox)
NL East
Philadelphia Phillies (Philadelphia Phillies)
NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)
NL West
San Fransisco Giants (San Fransisco Giants)
NL Wild Card
Atlanta Braves (Milwaukee Brewers)
Predicted World Series Match- up
Yankees vs. Phillies
Sunday, July 3, 2011
MLB AllStars 2011
American League
Starters
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
2B: Robinson Cano, Yankees
3B: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees
OF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
OF: Curtis Granderson, Yankees
OF: Josh Hamilton, Rangers
DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox
C: Alex Avila, Tigers
Reserves
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2B: Howard Kendrick, Angels
3B: Adrian Beltre, Rangers
SS: Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
OF: Michael Cuddyer, Twins
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
OF: Matt Joyce, Rays
OF: Carlos Quentin, White Sox
DH: Michael Young, Rangers
C: Russell Martin, Yankees
C: Matt Wieters, Orioles
Pitchers
RHP: Josh Beckett, Red Sox
RHP: Felix Hernandez, Mariners
LHP: David Price, Rays
RHP: James Shields, Rays
RHP: Justin Verlander, Tigers
RHP: Jered Weaver, Angels
LHP: C.J. Wilson, Rangers
LHP: Gio Gonzalez, Athletics
RHP: Aaron Crow, Royals
RHP: Brandon League, Mariners
RHP: Chris Perez, Indians
RHP: Mariano Rivera, Yankees
RHP: Jose Valverde, Tigers
National League
Starters
1B: Prince Fielder, Brewers
2B: Rickie Weeks, Brewers
3B: Jose Reyes, Mets
SS: Placido Polanco, Phillies
OF: Lance Berkman, Cardinals
OF: Ryan Braun, Brewers
OF: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
C: Brian McCann, Braves
Reserves
1B: Gaby Sanchez, Marlins
1B: Joey Votto, Reds
2B: Brandon Phillips, Reds
3B: Chipper Jones, Braves
SS: Starlin Castro, Cubs
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
OF: Jay Bruce, Reds
OF: Matt Holliday, Cardinals
OF: Hunter Pence, Astros
OF: Justin Upton, D-backs
C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals
Pitchers
RHP: Matt Cain, Giants
RHP: Roy Halladay, Phillies
LHP: Cole Hamels, Phillies
RHP: Jair Jurrjens, Braves
LHP: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
LHP: Cliff Lee, Phillies
RHP: Tim Lincecum, Giants
RHP: Ryan Vogelsong, Giants
RHP: Heath Bell, Padres
RHP: Tyler Clippard, Nationals
RHP: Joel Hanrahan, Pirates
LHP: Jonny Venters, Braves
RHP: Brian Wilson, Giants
Starters
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
2B: Robinson Cano, Yankees
3B: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees
OF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
OF: Curtis Granderson, Yankees
OF: Josh Hamilton, Rangers
DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox
C: Alex Avila, Tigers
Reserves
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2B: Howard Kendrick, Angels
3B: Adrian Beltre, Rangers
SS: Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
OF: Michael Cuddyer, Twins
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
OF: Matt Joyce, Rays
OF: Carlos Quentin, White Sox
DH: Michael Young, Rangers
C: Russell Martin, Yankees
C: Matt Wieters, Orioles
Pitchers
RHP: Josh Beckett, Red Sox
RHP: Felix Hernandez, Mariners
LHP: David Price, Rays
RHP: James Shields, Rays
RHP: Justin Verlander, Tigers
RHP: Jered Weaver, Angels
LHP: C.J. Wilson, Rangers
LHP: Gio Gonzalez, Athletics
RHP: Aaron Crow, Royals
RHP: Brandon League, Mariners
RHP: Chris Perez, Indians
RHP: Mariano Rivera, Yankees
RHP: Jose Valverde, Tigers
National League
Starters
1B: Prince Fielder, Brewers
2B: Rickie Weeks, Brewers
3B: Jose Reyes, Mets
SS: Placido Polanco, Phillies
OF: Lance Berkman, Cardinals
OF: Ryan Braun, Brewers
OF: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
C: Brian McCann, Braves
Reserves
1B: Gaby Sanchez, Marlins
1B: Joey Votto, Reds
2B: Brandon Phillips, Reds
3B: Chipper Jones, Braves
SS: Starlin Castro, Cubs
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
OF: Jay Bruce, Reds
OF: Matt Holliday, Cardinals
OF: Hunter Pence, Astros
OF: Justin Upton, D-backs
C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals
Pitchers
RHP: Matt Cain, Giants
RHP: Roy Halladay, Phillies
LHP: Cole Hamels, Phillies
RHP: Jair Jurrjens, Braves
LHP: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
LHP: Cliff Lee, Phillies
RHP: Tim Lincecum, Giants
RHP: Ryan Vogelsong, Giants
RHP: Heath Bell, Padres
RHP: Tyler Clippard, Nationals
RHP: Joel Hanrahan, Pirates
LHP: Jonny Venters, Braves
RHP: Brian Wilson, Giants