This is an All-Star starting lineup, as would be voted by the fans (if the fans actually knew what they were doing), plus a starting rotation and one relief pitcher.
But this is one fan’s opinion: mine. It was an easy exercise. There were several somewhat close calls, but nothing which I had to wring my hands over.
All numbers displayed are from the month of April only, and nothing these players did in the first couple of games in May had any impact.
One thing I wanted to do was to actually have a real, live designated hitter (DH) as the team’s DH, not just put any hitter who didn’t make the cut at this position.
While most positions had dominating first months, the DH position did not.
Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero of the Texas Rangers are having decent, but not great starts.
So I chose one of the “losers” from the other positions, as there were many deserving players from that second status list, and with better productivity than the real, live DH’s.
If this team played in the real, live 2010 All-Star game, the manager would be Joe Girardi, last season’s World Series manager. But for a couple of reasons, I am picking Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays as my American League manager.
First, his 2010 team has the major league’s best overall record, and second, he and I shared a drink and half hour conversation during the 2008 Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.
He also coaches his players to play the game hard all the time, even in Spring Training.
I like the guy.
He was funny, direct and open to every part of the conversation, even about the recently completed World Series.
Maddon is my manager…and now for the team.