All Star Picks

I did this last year and enjoyed writing it so I thought I would give a shot at it again. I am a stat lover so looking at the players I always make sure to go for who is having the best statistical season at that position before I vote. If it was up to me players like Ozzie Smith would never have made it because even though he was the best defensive short stop in all of baseball his bat was never enough to usually make me vote for him. I also looked at what I thought would make the best overall team...so here are my picks for the all-star game rosters. All stats mentioned are through 6/19/11 and each position is based on how they are listed on the ballot.



American League Starting All-Star Roster




1B -- Adrian Gonzalez - Boston Red Sox

Gonzalez is leading MLB in average (.348) and RBI's (64) and has 15 home runs. I knew once he went to Boston he would only get better. Gonzalez also have a nice glove and would be a great person to start the game at 1B.
Other 1B who should make the team: Miguel Cabrera -Tigers, Paul Konkero - White Sox, & Mark Teixeira - Yankees.



2B -- Robinson Cano - New York Yankees
Cano was my pick last season and he has shown no signs of slowing down this season hitting .292, 14 Hr's, 46 RBI. He is tied with Neil Walker for most RBI's out of all 2B in the majors, also tied for most HR out of all 2B with Rickie Weeks., and is tied for 4th in runs out all 2B.
Other 2B: Ben Zobrist - Rays & Howie Kendrick - Angels



SS -- Asdrubal Cabrera - Cleveland Indians
This was a no brainer pick for me since Cabrera is on the surprising Indians who should be represented. He also happens lead all AL SS in HR, RBI, and Runs and has 11 Stolen bases as well all while batting a nice .296 and flashing an amazing glove in the field. Since Derek Jeter recently got hurt I seriously hope voters realize he should be starting.
Other SS: Jhonny Peralta - Tigers & Elvis Andrus - Rangers


3B -- Alex Rodriguez - New York Yankees
I know A-rod is old news but the facts are the guy can still play and hit. He is tearing it up this season hitting .289/ 13 hr/ 43 RBI and has the most runs out of any eligible 3B. He can still flash the leather and is a good player to have on any all star team.
Other 3B: Adrian Beltre - Rangers &Kevin Youkilis - Red Sox


C -- Alex Avila - Detroit Tigers
Most people would think that if a catcher was starting from the Tigers it would be Victor Martinez, who happens to be listed on the ballot but as a DH. Avila has been a surprise this season batting .305/ 9 HR/ 41 RBI, he happens to lead all Catchers in RBI's and average. I know he most likely will not be voted in but this guy should be in the game.
Other C: Miguel Olivio - Mariners & Carlos Santana - Indians


DH -- David Ortiz - Boston Red Sox
Ortiz is the best DH in the AL by far, he leads all DH in Runs, HR, and RBI's. His stats line up at .320/ 17 HR/ 46 RBI/ 46 R. He is having a career year at a later part of his career and is always a fan favorite, no doubter here!
Other DH: Michael Young - Rangers & Victor Martinez - Tigers


OF (3 Spots) -- Jose Bautista - Toronto Blue Jays
This guy came from nowhere and is now a fan favorite because he can hit homers with much ease. He is also having a monster season batting .336/ 21HR/ 46 RBI and would represent the AL nicely, I just hope they make him play in the home run contest!




Curtis Granderson - New York Yankees
This would make him the third Yankee starter on my roster, but sometimes the cards fall that way, plus Granderson is another no doubter to make this team. His stats could possibly be the best out of anyone in baseball at the moment. He is killing the ball hitting .283/ 21 HR/ 54 RBI/ 61 Runs/ 10 SB. Wow, this guy deserves to start! He is leading MLB in runs, tied for the lead in HR (with Bautista), 2nd in RBI's in all of baseball.




Jacoby Ellsbury - Boston Red Sox
Ellsbury is having a great season batting .312/ 8 HR/ 36 RBI/ 51 R/ 24 SB. He could be fastest player in the all star game and is fun to watch run on the base paths or out in the field. He is second out of all players in SB's and hits I think it would be fun to see him start the game.
Other OF - Carlos Quentin - White Sox, Matt Joyce - Rays, Brennan Boesch - Tigers, Melky Cabrera - Royals.



Starting Pitcher -- Justin Verlander - Detroit Tigers
Well for one thing in my scenario he would have his own catcher so no need for signs..but even without that Verlander is having another outstanding season for the Tigers. He is 9-3 with a 2.54 ERA and 110 K's to only 26 walks. His team is doing well and he leads the AL in wins (tied with others) and K's. Plus he can throw some gas which is always fun to see in the All star game.
Other SP - Josh Beckett - Red Sox, Jared Weaver - Angels, James Shields - Rays, CC Sabathia - Yankees, & Jon Lester - Red Sox


NATIONAL LEAGUE





1B -- Prince Fielder - Milwaukee Brewers

I am taking Prince because he is hitting .301/ 20 HR/ 62 RBI and Albert Pujols just went down with an injury so he most likely will not be starting. As per usual the first base NL is full of good candidates but Fielder is always fun to watch play for his mammoth home runs and unique personality.
Other 1B: Joey Votto - Reds, Albert Pujols - Cardinals, Gaby Sanchez - Marlins, & Ryan Howard - Phillies






2B -- Rickie Weeks - Milwaukee Brewers
Two brewers in a row! I really wasn't sure who to vote for before going in but Weeks won me over because he having a great year, hitting .288/ 14 HR/ 32 RBI/ 51 R/ 7 SB and he is always impressive in the field. He leads all NL 2B in HR, Runs, Hits, and Doubles (with 19!). He would be a good player to have on the squad.
Other 2B - Neil Walker - Pirates, Danny Espinosa - Nationals, & Brandon Phillips - Reds



SS -- Jose Reyes - New York Mets
Most people will look at Troy Tulowitzki, I know he has had an impressive season but so has Reyes and he gets my vote because he is having a great year for the Mets. He is hitting .341/ 3 HR/ 29 RBI/ 26 SB/ 54 R. He is a guy who can manufacture a run without going yard and is fun to watch play.
Other SS - Troy Tulowitzki - Rockies & Starlin Castro - Cubs



3B -- Placido Polanco - Philadelphia Phillies
By far the weakest position in the entire game, NL 3B has only a few guys who I would want on my squad. Polanco plays for the 1st place Phillies and is hitting .295/ 4 HR/ 38 RBI and leads all NL 3B with 81 hits. This category could have gone to Pablo Sandoval, Ryan Zimmerman or David Wright if they didn't get hurt and played more.
Other 3B - Chipper Jones - Braves



C -- Buster Posey -- San Francisco Giants
He will still get my vote no matter what, he was having a good season before he went down with a season ending injury, at the time he was batting .284 / 4 HR/ 21 RBI. But since he is not going to be starting the game I would vote for Brian McCann of the Braves, he is also having a great season (.297/ 11 HR/ 39 RBI, all tops for NL Catchers) and deserves to start as well. There are also a few others who warrant a spot behind the dish.
Other C - Miguel Montero - Diamondbacks & Yadier Molina - Cardinals



OF (3) - Matt Kemp - Los Angeles Dodgers
Kemp is having a great season hitting .328/ 20 HR/ 57 RBI/17 SB's. There is pretty much no stat category that Kemp is not doing well in, and he is becoming a force in the NL. Kemp is fast and can make some good catches in the field, he should be a no doubter!



Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers
Make that 3 Brewers in the starting line-up now! Braun is just a rare talent that can hit with the best of them. He is doing his usual great season hitting .310/ 15 HR/ 51 RBI/ 16 SB. He should be an all star mainstay for many years to come, and with good reason.



Lance Berkman - St Louis Cardinals
This was a surprise comeback season for Berkman who is just hitting the shit outta the ball. I really tried not to have him as a starter but his stats just jump out at you and the guy is doing it all. Hitting .308/ 17 HR/ 51 RBI. He is a liability in the field, so I would feel more comfortable shifting him to DH but he still deserves a vote from me and a place in the game.
Other OF's - Jay Bruce - Reds, Hunter Pence - Astros, Justin Upton - Diamondbacks, & Drew Stubbs - Reds,



Starting Pitcher - Roy Halladay - Philadelphia Phillies
I want this guy starting for my NL squad every time because he is just that good. Halladay again is having a monster season going 9-3/ 114 K's/ 2.56 ERA. He could easily throw a no hitter in his time as starter.
Other SP's - Cole Hamles - Phillies, Jair Jurrjens - Braves, Tommy Hanson - Braves, Clayton Kershaw - Dodgers, & Ian Kennedy - Diamondbacks.

Well that is who I am voting for this time, players who I want to see starting in this season All-Star game in Arizona. I am sure you may agree with some or disagree with others but let's hope for a good game!

Flea Market Report

Last Sunday I went to the flea market with some old friends and coworkers. It was another perfect day at the flea and plenty of sellers were out. I ended up buying most of my stuff from one seller who happen to have some interesting stuff.

I saw that he had a ton of dvd's in a box but they were in a box sort of hidden in the back. Usually a box like that will contain a bunch of shit everyone else at the flea has (dvd's like Unbreakable, Beerfest, and Napoleon Dynamite (not to say these are bad flicks but you see them over and over again). The guy said 3 movies for $5 bucks so I grabbed up two movies really quick. The first one I got was Stand By Me and it was still in the shrink wrap, I know its usually only like $5 but I really enjoy the movie and haven't really seen it around at the flea all to much (at least not sealed). The second one I got was the Naked Gun trilogy. This set was just one regular dvd box but inside it had all three dvd's. Again this was a pretty cool find and it gave me 2 extras dvd's and the entire set of what is a pretty funny series, too bad they didn't have the entire tv show because I would have gotten that too. The last one I nabbed was Aladdin on dvd. I really like the movie and I got it for Katie, but when I opened it I noticed it only had the first disc which is the movie but I couldn't find the second disc with the special features. I decided since it was suppose to be two dvd's I will just throw in one of the many loose dvd's that were at the bottom of the box. I looked hard for the second Aladdin disc but since I couldn't find it I just grabbed the first disc of the Lion King which again only has the movie and not the bonus features. So all in all I got one disc in the packaging, as well as 5 other dvd's.




While I was waiting around for my friends to find stuff I looked at this same sellers table and he had a really cool old 49ers pennant. I picked it up and underneath was a Detroit Lions pennant as well, these just happen to be my two favorite football teams. The pennants were in okay shape, some wear and tear but they looked pretty old, at least from 1970 if not before. I looked one up and someone on ebay says its from the 60's and they are selling it for $35 (but its in much better shape). I knew I had to have these if the price was right. I asked the seller and he said $10 for the pennants, which wasn't entirely too bad. I asked for how much for everything, and he sold me the dvd's and pennants for $13, knocking off a couple more bucks. I would have paid the $15 anyway.




I kind of hit a dry spell for a while but still enjoyed walking around with my friends as they haggled over walk-men and records. I was altered that someone had a braile copy of playboy. I saw some nintendo games but they were in pretty bad shape, they had writing on them and looked like they has seen better days. I ended up getting my last purchase of the day, a Nintendo copy of Beetlejuice for $1. I really do not know much about the game, but I have never seen it at the flea market before and it could be rare plus for only a dollar I am okay if it sucks or doesn't work.



Well that was my haul for this report!

MLB Power Rankings

Power Rankings as of 6/15/11:

# TEAM NAME (Record) (Previous Rank)

1. Philadelphia Phillies (41-26) (-)

2. Boston Red Sox (39-27) (11)

3. San Francisco Giants (38-29) (4)

4. New York Yankees (37-28) (9)

5. Atlanta Braves (38-30) (7)

6. Milwaukee Brewers (38-30) (18)

7. St Louis Cardinals (38-30) (8)

8. Detroit Tigers (37-30) (10)

9. Arizona Diamondbacks (37-31) (26)

10. Tampa Bay Rays (36-31) (5)

11. Cincinnati Reds (36-33) (6)

12. Cleveland Indians (35-30) (2)

13. Texas Rangers (36-32) (14)

14. Toronto Blue Jays (33-34) (17)

15. Seattle Mariners (34-34) (29)

16. Florida Marlins (32-34) (3)

17. Pittsburgh Pirates (33-33) (22)

18. Chicago White Sox (33-35) (23)

19. New York Mets (33-34) (24)

20. Los Angeles Angels (33-36) (12)

21. Baltimore Orioles (30-34) (19)

22. Colorado Rockies (32-35) (13)

23. Washington Nationals (31-36) (21)

24. San Diego Padres (30-39) (19)

25. Los Angeles Dodgers (31-38) (20)

26. Kansas City Royals (30-37) (16)

27. Oakland A's (28-40) (14)

28. Minnesota Twins (26-39) (30)

29. Chicago Cubs (27-39) (25)

30. Houston Astros (25-43) (28)

Updated MLB Power Poll

I was meaning to update the baseball power poll but have not had the time to write it until now. Baseball is also a sport where early success does not necessarily equal instant playoff appearances. So without further ado here is my feeling on how the power in MLB goes:

# TEAM NAME (Record) (Previous Rank)

1. Philadelphia Phillies (25-13) (2)
2. Cleveland Indians (24-13) (22)
3. Florida Marlins (23-15) (12)
4. San Francisco Giants (22-17) (3)
5. Tampa Bay Rays (23-16) (16)
6. Cincinnati Reds (22-17) (7)
7. Atlanta Braves (22-19) (5)
8. St Lous Cardinals (22-18) (14)
9. New York Yankees (20-17) (4)
10. Detroit Tigers (22-18) (10)
11. Boston Red Sox (19-20) (1)
12. Los Angeles Angels (22-18) (17)
13. Colorado Rockies (20-17) (9)
14. {tie} Oakland A's (20-19) (15)
14. {tie}. Texas Rangers (20-19) (8)
16. Kansas City Royals (20-19) (30)
17. Toronto Blue Jays (19-20) (23)
18. Milwaukee Brewers (18-21) (13)
19. Baltimore Orioles (18-20) (20)
20. Los Angeles Dodgers (19-21) (18)
21. Washington Nationals (18-21) (24)
22. Pittsburgh Pirates (18-21) (28)
23. Chicago White Sox (16-24) (11)
24. New York Mets (18-21) (27)
25. Chicago Cubs (17-21) (21)
26. Arizona Diamondbacks (16-22) (25)
27. San Diego Padres (16-23) (19)
28. Houston Astros (15-24) (26)
29. Seattle Mariners (16-23) (29)
30. Minnesota Twins (12-25) (6)

Disney On The Mind

I have been thinking of all things Disney since I planned my trip to Disneyland a few weeks ago. I have always been a huge fan of Disney, even though I am no longer a kid nothing reminds me of my childhood like a good Disney movie, song, or trip back to Disneyland itself. Recently I checked out a few documentaries that had to do with all things Disney, most of them can be viewed on netflix instant watch or rental. If you are into Disney like me and would like to see some interesting insights from the creators of Disney movies and music check out these films:




Waking Sleep Beauty

I saw this one a few months ago and found it to be a great look into Disney animation during the 80's and 90's. It has some footage you will never see anywhere else because it was filmed in the Disney studios by the animators who worked there. The focus is about how Disney animation was losing its way in the 80's and then hits like Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Lion King got animation hot again and also made some of the best animated films ever. You get some insights that I feel does also not portray Disney studios in the best light but is its true to itself.




The Pixar Story

I always wanted to learn more about Pixar and how it became the great studio it is today. The Pixar Story is a little dated (was released in 2007) but does show a great story about how animators had to painstakingly animate these stories because they loved them so much. Pixar didn't just get lucky but got the best artists, writers, and directors to work together to make the best animated movies of today. It shows how the small company has become what it is today, worth a watch!




The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story

This movie focuses on the Sherman brothers, a team who wrote many of the best songs featured in Disney movies or at attractions in Disneyland. This is more about the relationship between the brothers and how they remained distant even though they worked together for many years. You get some great insight into Walt Disney himself, he worked with the brothers and they collaborated on Mary Poppins and the Jungle Book (to name a few). You do get some very good looks into Disney's past and how the studio used to run, this is a must see for Disney fans.




If you are in the bay area and are a huge Disney fan I strongly recommend you check out The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. I went here a few months ago on a trip and it was truly an amazing insight into who Walt Disney is and how he became the legend he is today. You can check out the web site here: Disney Museum.

RIP Reaper

As I had done with the great show Party Down I am here today to talk about another show taken from us too early, Reaper. Reaper aired on the CW for a couple of years and most likely never found its audience. I remember watching the first season when it came out and then they started to change around the time it was on and it was hard to find and watch (this was before I had a DVR). Reaper was the story of Sam Oliver a normal guy who works at a Home Depot-ish store the Work Bench with his two best friends Sock and Ben. His long crush Andi also works with them. When Sam turns 21 he learns that his parents sold his soul to the devil in order to keep his dad from dying of illness, so in turn Sam now has to work for the devil and go around collecting souls that have escaped from hell.

The show has some great comedic elements to it, The best part of the series was by far the devil played by Ray Wise. They made the devil with a sick sense of humor and Wise is just perfect casting. He is smart, deceptive, and just enough of a sleeze ball to fit the part perfect. The interaction between him and Sam is some of the best stuff in the show in my opinion. The devil takes a liking to Sam and will sometimes help him out in his adventures. Each episode the devil will show up and give Sam a vessel in which he captures the soul. When the soul is captured in the vessel he has to take it to the DMV to be sent back to hell.




I won't ruin too much of the story but it turns out Sam and the devil are linked by far more then Sam ever thought. Sam's friends end up moving out together later on and have two neighbors who turn out to be demon's, played by Ken Marino and Michael Ian Black. I thought it funny that Marino shows up again in another great series cancelled too early (he was in Party Down, read my blog HERE).

The show sort of played out like Ghostbusters for a new generation, I really liked the humor (Kevin Smith directed the pilot and consulted on the first season). I guess I should be lucky that they completed two seasons of the show, both of which can be watched on netflix instant streaming as of today. It makes me sad to see another good show taken away before its time but I am left with the good memories that I got from the show.


I could only find a few clips from the show, but you can sort of get a sense of the humor of the devil in this clip.

Upcoming Music

I am not going to tell you how to spend you money on music, I am by no means one of these people who think you should only listen to one type of music and all else sucks. But I have noticed that 2011 is shaping up to have some great releases of music that I am into so I wanted to share on my blog some upcoming releases that have me excited.

Beastie Boys - The Hot Sauce Committee Part 2

I wasn't even aware there was a Hot Sauce Committee Part 1, but on May 3rd you can get your hands on the newest album from one of my all time favorite groups. The last album I am aware they released was called The Mix Up, an all instrumental album which was out in 2007. This makes the Hot Sauce Committee their first album in 4 years. So far I love what I have heard on this track entitled Make Some Noise, below you can check out the new song.




I was also on the site earlier and saw this video with some amazing comedic talents of today. I am not sure what it is but it seems as if it will lead to a longer version, cannot wait to see what they can do with this.



Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys

I have been into DCFC since I heard Plans and I really enjoyed their last couple of albums (Narrow Stairs and The Open Door (EP)). They are one of my current favorite bands who mix great vocals with the rock I so love. So when I heard they were releasing a new album I was stoked. I nervously listened to their new single, hoping it would live up to the previous works and I was happy to say it sounds good and the band is only getting better. Check out the video for their new single You Are A Tourist (which they are saying is the first live, scripted, one take music video ever made) off Codes and Keys, in stores everywhere May 31st!




Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

I have always been a fan of the Foo Fights music but to be honest the last few albums were not my cup of tea. I think Dave Grohl is a huge talent and I most likely always stick by him because of his talent and link to Nirvana. Foo Fighters new album was getting a good buzz and I heard that it returned to more of the hard rock that I liked in the past. April 12 you can get their new album, Wasting Light. I check out their web site the other day was glad to see they had the entire album for preview and I really liked what I heard. Here is one of the songs that will be appearing on Wasting Light:


Lonely Island - Turtleneck & Chain

What can I say, I really like some comedy in my music and The Lonely Island happens to be the best at it nowadays. A lot of the Lonely Island's music has already been aired on Saturday Night Live, just like the last album with Dick In A Box, Lazy Sunday, and I'm On A Boat. I cannot wait to see what else the guys have in store that hasn't been shown on SNL already. On May 10 you can get their newest album, Turtleneck & Chain, I recommend you get it with the DVD as well, it has all the videos that have already been recorded. Score! Here is one of the songs you most likely will not see on SNL, We're Back!



Airborne Toxic Event - All At Once

Airborne Toxic Event really came out of nowhere for me, we actually played their album when I was working at Barnes and Noble (we also did this with the last Beastie Boys album) and I really thought I was listening to something special. The band really seems to like each other and they do lots of different types of videos where they try to play music almost anywhere. They are a fun band and I really can feel emotion in Mikel Jollett's (the lead singer) vocals. I cannot wait to go out and get their new album All At Once, coming out this month (April 26). Check out the new single Changing in the video below and you can see what I mean about them liking to just be musicians and playing music.



Well those are just a few of the albums I am excited about, if you like some of what you see let me know and I can burn you the album or let me know what your looking forward too and we can talk music.