MLB: The All-Junk Team

With the Midsummer Classic just around the corner, voting for both the National League and American League is well underway.

The NL is paced by the hot bats of Chase Utley, Lance Berkman, and Chipper Jones.  There are also a few Cubs rooks in the mix, with catcher Geovany Soto and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome at the top of their respective positions.  Teammate Alfonso Soriano is the leading vote-getter for all OF, with Fukudome second. 

In the AL, Josh Hamilton has been the story, looking for a triple crown with incredible numbers.  He is second among AL outfielders behind Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox.  Rangers teammates Ian Kinsler and Michael Young are also making their case, jumping up to second in their respective positions.  As expected, four Red Sox players and two Yankees players have the lead in different positions.

With all the good that has been happening this year—the Josh Hamilton story, Chipper Jones and his quest for .400, Chase Utley setting records at second base—there have been equal parts ugly.

With every season we expect greatness from many players, but sometimes the production simply does not follow the potential.

On July 15, it is safe to say we will not see this lineup.  Let’s call it the All-Junk Team.  It is a roster of players who have underachieved considerably and will not be making the trip to Yankee Stadium just over one month from now.

Catcher: Victor Martinez, Indians

No home runs.  Zero.  Catcher usually isn’t the position were we find an abundance of offense, but over the past few seasons Victor Martinez has been one of, if not THE best catcher in the league. 

But this season has been a nightmare for V-Mart, who has been in a big-time power slump which has helped to pull down the Cleveland offense.  Usually a perennial All-Star candidate, this year Martinez will be home at the break, hopefully nursing his bad hamstring back to health.

Runner Up: Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers

1B: Carlos Delgado, Mets

When you’re the cleanup hitter in the lineup of a contending team, .245 with eight homers and 26 RBI just won’t cut it.  It has been an ugly start to the season for many of the New York Mets, with Delgado at the forefront of the mess.  The entire team seems to lack focus and passion at this point, and the most important person to change that has to be Delgado. 

He is aging, and is now far from his All-Star years when he made the AL team twice and put together 10 straight 30-homer seasons. However, all the Mets need is a little consistency.  And they need it soon, or the season may be quickly lost.

Runner Up: Richie Sexson, Mariners

2B: Robinson Cano, Yankees

It has not been a pleasant year in the Big Apple when it comes to baseball.  Robbie Cano, the future at second base for the Yanks, the man with 97 RBI last season and a .342 average in ’06, has taken a nose dive.  His average is finally steadily above .200, but the consistency is lacking and the power is also absent. 

Cano was meant to play a big part in the ever-evolving Broadway play that is the Yankees.  Sadly, he forgot his lines.

Runner Up: Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians

SS: Khalil Greene, Padres

Nobody has ever mistaken Greene for Tony Gwynn, though some have mistaken him for Spicoli from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."  Greene has never been an average hitter, but he has some pop from the shortstop position. 

Everything has gone wrong for him this year.  He is hitting below .200, has only five homers, and is striking out a ton.  His play in the field is what is keeping him in the lineup—he has committed just three errors this year.  The Padres aren’t very good, and one reason is Greene, who was supposed to take the next step in becoming a complete player.  Hasn’t happened.  Dude.

Runner up: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies

3B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers

Are you kidding, Miguel?  I know, you’re still only 25 years old, but come on.  You have had four straight seasons of 110+ RBI and are a surefire 30 homers each year.  You’re basically destined for Cooperstown. 

And then you get traded to Detroit, receive a fat contract for over $150 million and play for a team that looks like the rebirth of the ’27 Yankees, only to give us eight bombs and 38 RBI through 63 games?  Time to step it up, bro.  No All-Star Game for you, that’s for sure.  And probably not for any of your Tigers friends either.

Runner Up: Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals

OF: Andruw Jones, Dodgers

Usually it takes three outfielders to field a team.  But when you have one

stink-bomb as big as Andruw, there isn’t enough room for two others. After signing a $36.2 million, two-year deal before this season to anchor centerfield and give some pop to a stale Dodger lineup, Jones crapped this season out.  It was ugly from the get-go and just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, it did.  He landed on the disabled list. 

Clearly, his swing has been disabled for two seasons, but the Dodgers failed to notice.  He swings too hard and has never been a contact hitter.  His line this year: 43 games, .165 avg., 2 HR, 7 RBI, $18.1 million.  Talk about throwing money away.

Runners Up: Nick Swisher, White Sox; Eric Byrnes, D-Backs

SP: Dontrelle Willis, Tigers

One half of the duo that was believed to bring a World Series title to Detroit has completely flamed out.  Willis has lost all control of every pitch, has no velocity on any of them, and now finds himself the richest minor-leaguer in all the land. 

D-Train was sent down to single-A Lakeland to work on his mechanics and hopefully find a way back to the 22-win season he put together just three years ago.  He is being paid like a big boy—it's now time to pitch like one.

Runner Up: Barry Zito, Giants

RP: Eric Gagne, Brewers

After putting together the greatest run by a relief pitcher in the history of the game just a few years ago, Gagne has fizzled out.  Arm troubles have been a major source of the ugliness, but there might also be a screw loose up top.  After joining the Red Sox from the Rangers late in the 2007 season, Gagne completely lost it, but still parlayed a decent playoffs into a $10 million deal from the Brewers.

Sadly, the end of the road might be coming for Gagne as a closer. His arm is hurting, his numbers are terrible, and his name has popped up in the steroids scandal.  Those 84 saves in a row seem like ages ago, don’t they?

Runner Up: Jason Isringhausen, Cardinals

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