Fantasy All-Stars

Ah, the Midsummer Classic. Time for a whole lot of griping (mostly by newspaper/online columnist types) about how Player X should be on the All-Star team, or Team Y doesn't deserve an All-Star representative, or how the All-Star Game should be tweaked, or how the All-Star Game should get whacked. Add in the whole Barry Bonds factor with this year's game being in San Francisco, and there's going to be a whole lot of whining going on this week. It doesn't help either that there's almost absolutely nothing else going on in the sports world right about now.

Around here, we don't have those problems. There's no room for sentimentality or catering to the fans, and although Bonds is having a nice season, he doesn't make the cut. My All-Star selections are based on one thing, and one thing only: cold, hard stats. And nobody gets to pull out with a tight hamstring either ... mostly because there's no actual game being played. Anyway, here's the 2007 Jason Bartolone Fantasy All-Star Team:

DH David Ortiz, Red Sox: Big Papi is the choice, partly because Travis Hafner, Jim Thome and Jason Giambi haven't performed as expected. Not that Ortiz (.566 slugging) is a slouch by any means.

C Russell Martin, Dodgers: Martin gets the edge over a rejuvenated Jorge Posada and Victor Martinez mostly because of the unique speed (14 steals and counting!) he brings to the position. Those who waited for him in the draft are being rewarded.

1B Prince Fielder, Brewers: Prince's power puts him over the top at a stacked position. It helps that Albert Pujols is having a "down" year.

2B Chase Utley, Phillies: It's Utley by a nose over the Orioles' Brian Roberts. Roberts' wheels are a great asset (25 steals, tops in the AL), but Utley's got the power numbers of a corner outfielder.

SS Jose Reyes, Mets: Speed merchant Reyes gets the call, but plenty of others (Hanley Ramirez, Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins, J.J. Hardy, Edgar Renteria, Carlos Guillen ...) deserve to be in the conversation.

3B Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: A no-brainer. Miguel Cabrera and David Wright are distant followers thanks to all those A-bombs.

OF Gary Sheffield, Tigers; Magglio Ordonez, Tigers; Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners: Who could have predicted this motley crew? It might change completely by year's end, though, if some of the other usual suspects (Vladimir Guerrero, Alfonso Soriano) stay hot. Ichiro edges Grady Sizemore for the third spot; he can't match Sizemore's power (five HRs to Grady's 13, with room to grow) but has a big edge in average (.364 to .279) and hits (115 to 86).

SP Dan Haren, Athletics: Danny doesn't have the double-digit wins like a few other guys out there (yet), but his ratios (1.91 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) are simply to die for.

RP J.J. Putz, Mariners: Contrary to popular belief, saves aren't everything when it comes to relievers. Sure, Putz is up there (23 saves, tied for third in the league), but more importantly, he hasn't blown one yet, and no other closers can touch his 0.95 ERA and 0.61 WHIP.