Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Win Shares All-Star Reserves

Assuming the manager selects 10 pitchers, that leaves 12 reserve spots in the AL and 13 spots in the NL. Without gerrymandering to fit positions, here's who WS would have as the reserves, according to the calcs at The Hardball Times.




AL




3b....Inge, Det.

ss....Lugo, T.B.

3b....Mora, Balt.

of....Guerrero, L.A.

of....Rowand, Chi.

of....Kotsay, Oak.

1b....Konerko, Chi.

1b....Erstad, L.A. (or of....Emil Brown, see below)

of....Sizemore, Cle.

of....Matsui, N.Y. (or 2b...Chone Figgins, see below)

1b....Sexson, Sea.

of....Crawford, T.B. (or c....Jason Varitek, see below)




That would be one or two too many outfielders, and one too many first baseman. You'd need another 2b and a backup catcher. If you dropped Sexson and Crawford in favor of a 2b and catcher, you'd add Figgins (L.A.) and Varitek (Bos.). But you can't drop Sexson, because he has to be the Seattle representative, so you've got to drop Matsui.




You've still got to find a Kansas City player. Emil Brown is their best. If you keep Sexson, then you are overloaded at 1b, so you could drop Erstad and add Brown.




Lots of young guys on this team. And when's the last time Tampa Bay had a couple of legit All-Stars?




NL




1b....Pujols, Stl.

1b....Johnson, Was.

of....Wilkerson, Was.

of....Dunn, Cin.

2b....Counsell, Ari.

of....Edmonds, Stl.

of....C.Lee, Mil.

1b....Delgado, Fla. (or c....Barrett, see below)

of....B.Clark, Mil.

of....Bay, Pit.

of....Floyd, N.Y. (or ss....Barmes, see below)

of....Drew, L.A. (or of....M.Alou, see below)

3b....Ensberg, Hou.



Here there are probably two too many outfielders and one too many 1b, with no backup catcher or shortstop, and without an extra infielder. If you dropped Drew, Floyd and Delgado (all tough cuts), you could add Michael Barrett (Chi.) as the catcher, Felipe Lopez (Cin.) at shortstop and Aramis Ramirez (Chi.) as an additional infielder.




But you need someone from San Francisco, and someone from Colorado. Clint Barmes is Colorado's best player, so you could use him instead of Lopez. Moises Alou is San Francisco's best player. Better to not add Ramirez at 3b and instead replace J.D. Drew with Alou.