The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Rosters have been announced, and the Houston Astros will be represented by outfielder Hunter Pence and shortstop Miguel Tejada on July 14 in St. Louis.
This will mark the first All-Star Game for Pence, who is hitting .302 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs this season.
Tejada had a renaissance year to earn his sixth appearance in the midsummer classic, sporting the eighth-best batting average in the National League at .326. He also ranks first in the NL in doubles and hits with 16 and 105, respectively, entering Monday.
A spot on each league’s squad is still up for grabs, but there are always a few All-Star snubs. The following are the top five players who deserve to go to St. Louis.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘
5. Adam Lind: outfield/designated hitter, Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays reside in the tough American League East, but have surprisingly held their own this season. Lind may not be a household name, but hitting .310 with 18 home runs, 57 RBIs and 25 doubles should help him reach that status.
He ranks in the top 11 in the AL in home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS and RBIs. With these numbers, Lind should be making his first All-Star appearance instead of the often-injured Josh Hamilton.
‘
4. Carlos Pena: first base, Tampa Bay Rays
Pena and the Rays are back on track after a rough start in the AL East.
The left-handed slugger is ripping the ball, with 23 home runs, 55 RBIs and 17 doubles.Pena has also displayed patience and a good eye, drawing 54 walks. Pena’s home run and walk totals lead the AL, and he has emerged as a leader on a Rays team that is out to prove last year’s World Series run was not a fluke.
Pena’s .233 batting average is low, but any league’s home run leader should be an All-Star.
‘
3. Ian Kinsler: second base, Texas Rangers
How Ian Kinsler is not an All-Star is beyond comprehension. He is crushing the ball, with 19 home runs, 51 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and 17 doubles. He is on pace for a career year and could finish the season with 40 home runs and more than 100 RBIs.
A .256 batting average is not helping Kinsler’s cause, but he is still the catalyst for the upstart Rangers and should be heading to St. Louis.
‘
2. Pablo Sandoval: third base, San Francisco Giants
In his first entire season playing full time, the Giants have found something special in their power-hitting third baseman.
Sandoval is hitting .333, with 93 hits and 44 RBIs for the surprise NL Wild-Card leading Giants. His batting average ranks fourth in the NL, and he is on pace to hit 25 home runs while playing half of his games in San Francisco’s pitcher-friendly AT&T Park.
Despite scoring only 37 runs, Sandoval should be an All-Star.
‘
1. Mark Reynolds: third base, Arizona Diamondbacks
Reynolds deserves to be in St. Louis, despite playing for the last-place Diamondbacks. The third baseman is pounding the ball this year, hitting 24 home runs to go with 61 RBIs.
The D-Backs have struggled to score runs this season, but Reynolds has been one of the few bright spots. Even with 111 strikeouts, Reynolds deserves to be an All-Star based solely on his power numbers.
These five players are candidates for the final roster spot in their respective league. Fans can help them make it to St. Louis by voting on MLB.com. The voting ends at 3 p.m. Thursday, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
All statistics in this article were collected before Monday’s games were played.
