NL All-Star Team: Why Bruce Bochy Got It Right

One of the perks of reaching the World Series is getting the honor of managing your league's All-Star team the following year. But it's a thankless job, and like the NCAA basketball selection committee, your choices will be immediately criticized for the periphery players left off the team.

After the fans have voted in the position starters, the manager fills out the remaining spots on the roster, first picking the players on bad teams to ensure every franchise is represented, then polling other managers for the other players. Of course, based on the previous year's success, you're tempted to reward your own boys as well.

San Francisco's Bruce Bochy was put in a difficult spot, with none of his Giants being voted to start by the fans. He wound up selecting four of his players—all pitchers—to accompany him to Phoenix, including reclamation project Ryan Vogelsong, who played three seasons in Japan after three disastrous years in Pittsburgh, then went 3-8 with two Triple-A clubs last year.

He joined the Giants as a non-roster invitee this spring and supplanted Barry Zito in the San Fran rotation. Vogelsong, who will turn 34 later this month, is 6-1 with a 2.09 ERA in 12 starts and is feel-good story of this All-Star Game.

Setup Men

Another good move is the continued inclusion of setup men, a somewhat recent phenomenon for All-Star rosters. Bochy invited Washington's Tyler Clippard, who leads the major leagues with 21 holds, and Atlanta's Jonny Venters.

The Nationals really don't have much for All-Star worthiness, with regular representative Ryan Zimmerman being hurt for much of the first half and top signee Jason Werth struggling mightily with a .224 batting average.

Clippard, a Yankee castoff who has found a home in the Nats bullpen, fills the bill with a 1.93 ERA, allowing 25 hits in 46 innings with 57 strikeouts.

Venters has had a remarkable season setting up Craig Kimbrel in Atlanta. The Braves' lefty sports a 1.59 ERA with 16 holds, allowing 30 hits in 51 innings and 54 Ks.

Starting Pitchers

Obviously, the Phillies and defending World Series champ Giants will dominate the starting pitcher group.

Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels are a combined 29-12 with 11 complete games, each with ERAs in the mid-2.00 range.

Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong are worthy of making the team. Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, is 6-6 but totes a nifty 3.04 ERA with 122 strikeouts. Cain is 7-4 with a 3.02 ERA with 95 Ks and Vogelsong is 6-1 with a 2.09 ERA.

Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens and Clayton Kershaw of Los Angeles round out the starters on the pitching side. Jurrjens is a candidate, along with Halladay, to be the starting pitcher for the NL. He leads the majors with a stellar 1.89 ERA and is tied with CC Sabathia, Justin Verlander and Roy Halladay in wins (11).

Kershaw, 23, will be making his first All-Star appearance after posting an 8-4 record, 3.23 ERA and a major-league-leading 138 strikeouts.

The biggest omission may be Atlanta's Tommy Hanson, who ranks fourth in the NL in ERA (2.62, behind All-Stars Jurrjens, Hamels and Halladay), has a solid record (9-4) and leads the Senior Circuit in batting average against (.193). His lone detractor may be his control, with 33 walks in 89.1 innings.

Infielders

The biggest beef I've got with Bochy's roster is that Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols were left off the team.

First base is the deepest position of All-Star-worthy players, and Bochy will take Florida's Gaby Sanchez and Cincinnati's Joey Votto, the reigning MVP, as Prince Fielder's replacements.

Votto (.316-12-51) and Sanchez (.292-13-46), Florida's lone representative, should have made the team, but it'll be strange not seeing Howard (.253-17-67) and Pujols (.279-17-45). Of course, Albert is hurt, but he could have been named over, say, Carlos Beltran. Then Beltran could have been an injury replacement.

Colorado's Todd Helton (.323-9-38) and Washington's Mike Morse (.299-15-46) appear in the Final Vote. Morse would make for another great success story. Given away from Seattle two years ago, Morse settled in at first for the Nationals and by the time the All-Star Game rolls around, may have already set career highs in most major categories.

Another head scratcher appears at third, where Chipper Jones will backup starter Placido Polanco.

Perhaps Chicago's Aramis Ramirez would have been a more worthy choice, though I can see a case for including Chipper, a certain Hall of Famer who could be in his final season in the majors. For that reason, give Bochy props.

Ramirez (.292-11-42) has put up better numbers than Jones (.257-7-44).

Yadier Molina is the only backup catcher to starter Brian McCann. Molina (.283-4-30) is making his third straight appearance in the Mid-summer Classic and is also one of the top defensive catchers in the game.

The reserve middle infielders are Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips, who will back up Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks, while starting shortstop Jose Reyes will give way to Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki and Chicago's lone player, Starlin Castro. Stalwarts Hanley Ramirez (.230-7-29) and Jimmy Rollins (.254-7-32) are having sub-par seasons.

Outfield

The fans nailed the proper starters, voting in Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp and Lance Berkman.

Braun (.320-16-62) becomes the third Brewer starter, joining Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks.

Bochy added Matt Holliday (.321-10-40), Hunter Pence (.323-10-57), Justin Upton (.297-13-43), Jay Bruce (.267-18-51) and Carlos Beltran (.281-12-54). Pence and Upton are their team's lone reps, but Bruce and Beltran are not. The Reds have Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, while the Mets are already represented by starting shortstop Jose Reyes.

Others deserving strong consideration include the Dodgers' Andre Ethier (.322-7-41), the Phillies' Shane Victorino (.299-9-34), the Astros' Michael Bourn (.297-1-26, major-league-leading 35 steals) and the Pirates's Andrew McCutchen (.289-12-43). Ethier and Victorino could still make the team through the Final Vote.

Overall Grade: A

Bruce Bochy has a solid mix of regular stars, deserving no-names and even soon-to-be-retired future Hall of Famers. And that's what the All-Star Game is all about, honoring the game's best in a balanced way.

Viable debates can be made on a few fronts, namely the omissions of Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols and perhaps Craig Kimbrel, but overall Bochy did one of the best jobs an All-Star manager has done in the last several years.