It is All Star game time and fans voted for the favorite players in the game. Just like every other fan, I have my favorites too. I will give you mine here but with a twist. I will exclude all players and former players from my favorite team - Detroit Tigers.
Catcher - Salvador Perez , Kansas City Royals. I like him because he is a gamer. He plays just about every game each and every year. Perez is one of the best defensive players and is good offensively too. I respect guys who show up for work everyday and give it their all.
First Base - Wil Myers, San Diego Padres. I am a fan of him because he is not your prototypical first sacker. He doesn't hit 30-40 homers and strikeout a ton each year. Not a dead pull hitter that the extreme shifts are deployed against. Plus Myers is old school and doesn't wear batting gloves
2nd Base - Jose Altuve, Houston Astros. How is someone so small be so good. Is fun to watch and an inspiration for the short people,
3rd Base - Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies. He can hit away from hitter friendly Coors Field. Plus defensively, Arenado is one of the best. A Gold Glover winner each year in the majors. He makes jaw dropping plays routine.
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons , Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. There is so many young good shortstops in the league right now. Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Francisco Lindor, Addison Russell to name a few. It hard pick one of them, so I am going away from the group to one of the best gloves in the field. I enjoy good glovemen. Pure artistry on the field.
Outfielders - Ichiro Suzuki, Miami Marlins. A legend in two professional leagues yet he still stays humble. At one time, he could do it all on the field.
Andrew McCutchen . Pittsburgh Pirates, A former MVP and one of the good guys in the game.
Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles, I have always liked how he carried himself on the field. He speaks his mind with class too. I also highly considered Mike Trout because he is the best and most talented player in the game.
Starting Pitcher- Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants. He is an old school ace. Give him the ball and MadBum wants to go a full nine innings and isn't afraid to pitch in the big games also. Plus he can hit too. Also high on my list is Jon Lester and Johnny Cueto.
Relief Pitchers - Pat Neshek, Philadelphia Phillies. I have overall disliking for relief pitchers that I don't really want to get into here. So, I will go with a fellow avid baseball card collector Neshek is working on a complete 1970 Topps set- autographed.
There you have my favorite team excluding Tigers. Remember, these guys are my favorites not necessarily who I think are the best. Picking the best at each position is just plain lazy in my opinion.
