Francona announces All-Star starting lineup

by Randy Booth on Jul 14, 2008 12:31 PM EDT in News

Tito made his decisions, and this is what it looks like:

AL starting lineup:

1: Ichiro Suzuki, RF, Mariners
2: Derek Jeter, SS, Yankees
3: Josh Hamilton, CF, Rangers
4: Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees
5: Manny Ramirez, LF, Red Sox
6: Milton Bradley, DH, Rangers
7: Kevin Youkilis, 1B, Red Sox
8: Joe Mauer, C, Twins
9: Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox

SP: Cliff Lee, Indians

I wonder how much crap Pedroia is giving Tito, or vice versa. I'm sure this is going to be a good joke in the clubhouse for awhile...

Here's the National League lineup, if you care at all about the NL:

NL starting lineup:

1: Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins
2: Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies
3: Lance Berkman, 1B, Astros
4: Albert Pujols, DH, Cardinals
5: Chipper Jones, 3B, Braves
6: Matt Holliday, RF, Rockies
7: Ryan Braun, LF, Brewers
8: Kosuke Fukudome, CF, Cubs
9: Geovany Soto, C, Cubs

SP: Ben Sheets, Brewers

I'll take the first of the two lineups ... definitely.

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avoiding bias....

“i was going to do it alphabetically, but i didn’t want Youk to get mad at me. He scares me. So i ordered it by height instead.”
-Tito.

by jjbooth74 on Jul 14, 2008 12:38 PM EDT 0 recs

Ha.

I love Terry.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jul 14, 2008 9:54 PM EDT up 0 recs

Did he actually say this?

by 0157H7 on Jul 14, 2008 10:40 PM EDT up 0 recs

i friggin wish.

by jjbooth74 on Jul 14, 2008 10:42 PM EDT up 0 recs

Alright.

Next time, could you make it clear that you wrote it? Just to save accuracy nuts like myself time searching Google news to confirm so.

by 0157H7 on Jul 14, 2008 10:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

and it would save me from proclaiming my love for a middle aged bald guy.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jul 14, 2008 11:53 PM EDT up 0 recs

haha, sorry...

although, it speaks volumes that two well-versed sox followers could believe that he did say it… so, perhaps the man-crush is validated after all?

by jjbooth74 on Jul 15, 2008 12:52 AM EDT up 0 recs

Tito is the funniest man in baseball.

I want him for an uncle. Is that so wrong? Well, no wronger than obsessing about Varitek’s “trunks”, I suppose.

Bottom 9th B:1 S:0 O:0 With Bill Mueller batting, Dave Roberts steals (1) 2nd base.

by britsoxfan on Jul 15, 2008 4:01 AM EDT up 0 recs

Why on Earth does Jeter bat 2nd?

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Jul 14, 2008 12:58 PM EDT 0 recs

yankee stadium + reputation.

by jjbooth74 on Jul 14, 2008 1:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

NL Outfield

Worst Defensive Outfield…...ever

by drabidea on Jul 14, 2008 1:04 PM EDT 0 recs

Jeter bats second

because he always bats second. Ditto for Ichiro batting first and ARod batting 4th.

Jeter has earned the right to hit in his normal spot. 10 years from now we may say the same about Pedroia.

I wouldn’t knock the NL lineup too much. They are clearly stronger at the top two positions, Berkman is hitting much better than Hamilton (look at OPS), Pujols is as good a hitter as ARod (and having a much better season – look at OPS again), and Chipper is having a much better year than Manny. Holliday and Braun are weaker Bradley and Youk. I think only at the 8 spot does the AL have a clear advantage, but not by a lot. This year there are more hitters in the NL having very good years.

Ichiro’s .737 OPS and Jeter’s .740 OPS are particularly weak compared to Hanley’s .957 and Utley’s .955. All things considered, I’d take the NL lineup.

In terms of defense, I’d give the AL clear advantages at 1b and RF, the NL an advantage at SS, and have little opinion at the other positions.

by RickD on Jul 14, 2008 2:36 PM EDT 0 recs

AL definitely has defensive advantage at DH....

Interleague or not, those NL guys just aren’t used to it ;)

by jjbooth74 on Jul 14, 2008 3:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

Assesment

Agreed on most points. I don’t think anyone can criticize the NL lineup. I’ll just throw my 2 cents in and see if I can get a nickel out.

I think it is more argueable that ARod is as good a hitter as Pujols. Over the past 5 years Pujols has averaged 1.057 OPS while ARod has averaged .975. I think this year is the best shot that the NL has of beating the AL over the past 13 years, I am excited to watch.

In terms of defense, I wouldn’t give the NL much of an advantage at SS. I also give the AL an advantage at CF, Fukodome has played 6 games at CF all year. I would also give the NL an advantage at DH, Pujols is a gold glover :)

by drabidea on Jul 14, 2008 3:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Am I crazy?

I’d take Holliday and Braun in a lineup over Bradley and Youk in a heartbeat. Defensively, not so much.

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Jul 15, 2008 1:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

agree on Jeter & sentiment

He’s batting second becuase of past reputation and it’s in NY and Tito obviously afraid to make waves. Otherwise, a 1-2 lineup of Suzuki and Pedroia is better considering how the latter has been on a tear of late.

In the NL, I’m glad Pujols has a great hitter behind him for once. Maybe he’ll see some good pitches. He doesn’t see many during the season. Actually, I like that NL lineup better but would have more confidence in them with a different manager.

by ccthemovieman on Jul 14, 2008 3:46 PM EDT 0 recs

Unrelated but stunning still...

Check this out: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/07/braves-offered.html
It was posted this morning and it seems like Gammons wouldn’t report this if he wasn’t sure. The latest update is that the talks will continue. Does Theo not hear the YOUUUUUUUUUK every time he comes up to the plate? Trading him for a rental and losing a great prospect is bad business.

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 14, 2008 5:16 PM EDT 0 recs

Never going to happen

They would never trade the cheap Youk for an expensive Texiera.

by drabidea on Jul 14, 2008 5:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

Word

Teixeira would be great to replace Lowell or Manny. But not good to replace Youk.

It's the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girls dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.

by MerryGoByeBye on Jul 14, 2008 6:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

lowell...

has a clubhouse presence that shouldn’t be overlooked.

classy guy, but also white guy who grew up speaking spanish (parents were missionary’s in PR i believe). he’s perfect for bridging the gap between suburban white kids and the growing numbers of hispanic players.

granted, a big papi or kevin millar (did you guys get alook at those BRIGHT ORANGE shoe laces he had over the weekend? WOW) can accomplish the same thing… but there’s something to be said for lowell’s light-hearted professionalism.

by jjbooth74 on Jul 14, 2008 6:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm a big fan

I like everything Lowell does. We signed him to a 3-year deal, right? He’s certainly not killing us at 3B. In fact, he’s doing very well for my fantasy team.

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Jul 15, 2008 1:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

Rabid Red Sox fan calling for peace with the Yankees

I am a rabid Red Sox fan who has appeared on Curse of the Bambino, Reverse the Curse of the Bambino and Spaceman – A Baseball Odyssey.

On my blog today I argued that even though I am a huge Sox fan and I hate hate HATE the Yankees that Red Sox fans and Yankee fans have too much in common and should not hate each other.

Curious to what my fellow Sox fans feel about the olive branch

by SullyBaseball on Jul 14, 2008 5:41 PM EDT 0 recs

You don’t have much of an argument. The rivalry is kept alive in part because the two teams are competing, especially in the areas they have in common. Disagree completely, and don’t see how this is relevant to the ASG.

I’d give a clear edge to the NL in terms of pitching and hitting. They’ve got Ben Sheets, Tim Lincecum, Johan Santana, and a bunch of other big names to throw at us. And the line ups.. Just look at them. The NL has got an even bigger edge there.

by Charger567 on Jul 14, 2008 7:16 PM EDT up 0 recs

NL lineup as good or better to me.

Switch out Ichiro, Jeter and Pedroia for Sizemore, Young and Kinsler and the AL would be better.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jul 14, 2008 7:47 PM EDT 0 recs

that would hurt on defense...

...jeter may be bad, but michael young could possibly be worse.

kinsler is terrible. sizemore is good, but ichiro is better.

by jjbooth74 on Jul 14, 2008 7:56 PM EDT up 0 recs

Don’t worry, Grady will have MANY All-Star starts in the years to come…

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Jul 14, 2008 8:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

Why would you take out Pedroia the Destroyah?

He is going to prove that he is the best second basemen in the bigs.

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 15, 2008 1:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins

Damn, and I never say the trade didn’t work out for us as both Beckett and Lowell are great, but damn did he turn out to be some player…especially compared to our current SS….

by sydneysox on Jul 14, 2008 8:24 PM EDT 0 recs

Sully

The Hanley trade was one of those “help both teams” deals that is so rare.
Yeah it would be great to have Hanley… but having an ALCS MVP and a World Series MVP is pretty cool too

by SullyBaseball on Jul 14, 2008 9:28 PM EDT 0 recs