by Dorian McKenzie
Daily Lobo
If you haven't watched Major League Baseball all season, start now. Dust off your ball caps, pull out your jerseys and get ready for the best players in the country to take the field.
With the selections being made July 1, it's that time again for the MLB All-Star Game, and this year promises more surprises than Oprah at Christmastime.
Here are my picks of players to watch:
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Alex Rodriguez (third base), New York Yankees
He's back. A-Rod has become the Peyton Manning of the Yankees. Who would have guessed that the man famous for slapping the ball out of a first baseman's hand would become New York's favorite clutch player?
He leads the American League in home runs, RBIs, runs and total bases. The man who everyone loved to hate is now a fan favorite. Heck, even Derek Jeter wants to be his friend again.
But Jeter needs to worry about his own competition, because the rest of the shortstops in the league are starting to catch up to him.
J.J. Hardy (shortstop), Milwaukee Brewers
Hardy may not be quite as famous among fans as Jeter, but his play is well-known among players. His current game is hotter than the Jackson Five in the '70s. He's a big reason why the Brewers rank first in the National League Central. Watch out, Jeter. This kid is good - just wait until he finds his own A-Rod.
Magglio Ordonez (outfield), Detroit Tigers
Let's compare Ordonez to Barry Bonds. Ordonez has probably maintained his success by eating Flintstones Vitamins, while Bonds - who is on his way to breaking the home run record - has been accused of taking anabolic steroids. It may all be hearsay about Bonds, but I believe everything about Ordonez is true. He is leading the American League in batting average and doubles, and he is just behind A-Rod in RBIs and runs.
And unlike Bonds, he doesn't get pitched around, so he is much more exciting to watch.
As for Bonds, let's see if he can put on a show in his own stadium that is as big as his ego.
But with all the new names, it is still surprising to see old players who have pulled out the Geritol to give it one more shot.
Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr. haven't been popular in years but are starting to make strong comebacks. They seem to have a bit left in them, so expect them to be loaded with Tylenol and covered in Bengay for the game, and maybe they'll be able to make it to first base without breaking a hip. Maybe.
As for the pitching, in this game, it is overrated (spoken like a true Yankee fan, right?). The All-Star Game parades its pitchers through nine innings, letting one pitch less than an inning sometimes. It's easier to just watch the batters and the defense, unless you enjoy that George Steinbrenner, trade-every-five-seconds style of coaching. Just hope to see Jake Peavy, Josh Beckett, Mike Mussina and maybe even Daisuke Matsuzaka, whose new mix CD will be in stores soon.
My prediction: Home field advantage goes to the American League with a 6-2 win.
