Year after year we are used to getting the traditional gimme one player per team selection....but if some of these players can have good stats the next 15 games....we could get several (but likely won't.....especially if we get a June swoon going)

Right now they better make it: Arthur Rhodes, Scott Rolen, Joey Votto (but all 3 need to keep up the pace)

Got a reasonable chance: Brandon Phillips, Jonny Gomes, Francisco Cordero, Mike Leake

HOT for 2 weeks and you'll have a chance: Jay Bruce, Orlando Cabrera

Simply going by position Votto is the most deserving position player....Rolen has been a top 2 or 3 NL 3rd baseman all season. Rhodes kees this streak going for a bit longer and he'll make it. Gomes has faded a tad and his OF NL stats aren't as high as expected. Phillips is upper echelon on defense but going by 2nd base numbers he is about the 5th most deserving. Cordero should not make it......Leake has ZERO losees and has started every time with 6+ innings and 3 or fewer runs except for once.

Right now I'd be dissappointed if the Reds got fewer than 3....and I really think Leake should be STRONGLY considered for the 4th spot.

My order on most likely to make it
Rolen
Rhodes
Votto
Leake
Phillips


Rolen is mashing, and well known and liked. He's a lock.
Rhodes you just can't look past the numbers, unless he has a real bad outing he's a lock too.
Votto should be a lock, but he's struggling now and has too much competition, I think he'll miss out.
All Leake is lacking is the wins due to run support. He's young and too many pitchers make the team to be the team rep. He'll miss out.
BP making a late charge at a weak offensive position gives him a shot.

Gomes and Bruce have no shot, OF is too hard to make it, like pitchers the manager usually fills the bench with OF from teams that need a rep.

If Gomes gets on another tear and is at 50 RBI you can't count him out....but his OPS numbers and other numbers rank him too low in the OF




Votto may fall claim to another 1B on a cruddy team having a good year....but offensively he's 2nd best right now.

Votto plays first base, which is the toughest position to make the All Star team in the NL. I doubt he gets it, unless he goes on a tear the last 15 days...but he's slumping right now.

How many infielders make it for each position?? 2?

I got an email from the Reds saying that Votto and BP are in the top 5 for their position in the NL. Votto was 4th and BP 3rd, I believe. However, there was no mention of Rolen being in the top 5 for 3B, which is very disappointing as he's arguably been the best NL 3B so far (both offensively and defensively).

Rotinaj;384609 wrote:How many infielders make it for each position?? 2?

there is no set number. a few times i remember only 1 at a position making it, but usually 2-3, sometimes it seems like 4 1B make it.

Rotinaj;384609 wrote:How many infielders make it for each position?? 2?

I was wondering the same thing. At second base, if you are going by this season so far, it should be Martin Prado starting and Phillips as the reserve. Both are having better years than Chase Utley but as of now Utley has the lead in voting.

The Reds will probably never have a starter at a voting position for the next 10 years, so voting really doesn't matter. Rolen should get the coaches/players vote at 3B though.

Kelly Johnson has Prado and Phillips.

Depends on the year.....I think one year the AL had 5 SS.......but 2 at every and sometimes 3 but often depends on the necessary positions....and of course guys like Adrian Gonzalez might "out-name" Votto

Rolen has to be a lock right now......the voting is rough but the managers nad players should definately vote him in.......fans will leave out guys with 101 rbi at the all-star break

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/position/2b/league/nl/sort/OPS/order/true

1. Albert Pujols Cardinals 1,549,941
2. Ryan Howard Phillies 761,852
3. Prince Fielder Brewers 416,360
4. Joey Votto Reds 373,595
5. Troy Glaus Braves 342,344

1. Chase Utley Phillies 1,573,248
2. Martin Prado Braves 595,250
3. Dan Uggla Marlins 373,065
4. Rickie Weeks Brewers 336,543
5. Brandon Phillips Reds 293,686

Johnson got off to a hot start and hit a lot of home runs. .275 is not all star worthy IMO

Prado has 24 more hits than Johnson does and is hitting 50 points higher than him and despite being out HR'd by him by 8, he has only 1 less RBI

batting avg.....ugh...no one is tearing it up at 2B......Utley is down but still arguable


Johnson and Prado are my 1st 2 choices

It's a popularity contest. Which is the way it should be if you leave the voting up to the general public.

If players, coaches, and media would ONLY vote; you would see a lot of differences. Players who are raking, i.e. Rolen would make the team.

Prado has 30 more AB with runners on base and 20 more AB with runners in scoring position.....WHY....because he has spent much time batting 2nd.....Johnson has batted 1st 90% of the time.

Kelly Johnson is hitting .304 with runners in scoring position......Martin Prado is hitting .281 with runner in scoring position

The slugging % difference is large

^^^^
Oh yeah?? Johnson has struck out 15 more times! HA!

Also, Prado has been hitting lead off for over a month.

Phillips has more stolen bases AND caught stealings than any of these guys so he's the best.

I think only Rolen and Rhodes make the team. Votto will not make it because of the numbers. Then again a couple of hot weeks to get his average back up there and then I say he makes it.

Prado has had 40 more at bats on the season and has 70 fewer at bats in the leadoff position compared to Johnson

For what it's worth...I'm fine if Prado is in over Johnson...but the batting average and RBI thing is not the arguement I'm big on......both are more deserving than Phillips as of right now....Phillips staying warm for 2 more weeks and he could pass 1 of them up and sneak in.

Leake is out now. Order of most likely to make it IMO

Rolen
Rhodes
Phillips
Votto

Isn't it fun to be talking about the number of Reds players who are deserving of being voted to the All-Star team instead of wondering which player will receive the token appointment to the team to insure the Reds will have their annual single representative? It's another sign folks! We are back and we will be here when the race gets interesting.

Phillips' stock is shooting way up, he has just been tearing it up. He is normally a slow starter that comes on in late july, august, september. If he is getting hot this early, things could get interesting.

I feel at this point that Phillips is almost the most deserving in terms of all-around performance. His BA is up over .300 now!

Phillips had maybe his best game of the year....but it must be step up NL 2nd baseman day as Martin Prado was 3/4 and reached base 5 times and Kelly Johnson was 2/4 with 3 RBI including his 20th double....Johnson's slugging % is .551 nearly 100 points higher than Prado and Phillips......but those two are at .315 and .302 respectively in average....Phillips being the best on defense

....and Chase Utley will beat them all by 500,000 votes.