White Sox Pitching Elite Not Stars?

Take a look at the team pitching stats in the Sunday New York Times.  Alone atop the baseball world, sits the Chicago White Sox pithing staff, boasting an almost immaculate 3.38 ERA.  

Even more impressive is that this league-leading ERA comes from the powerful American League where pitchers often face eight or even nine quality hitters. Also, the Sox home, US Cellular Field has been known categorically as a hitter's haven.  A fact evidenced by the White Sox AL leading 120 round trippers.  

To at least this Sox fan, this staff has that odor of a champion, that sweet smell the permeated the entire league back in 2005.  

With the All-Star game coming up, it would seem a sure bet that the staff with the best ERA in baseball would be well represented.  Not so, says AL manager Terry Francona.  Shockingly, the White Sox staff was snubbed.  

Now admittedly, the Sox do not boast the sexy individual stats like K-Rod's million saves, Joe Saunders' improbable record, or Roy Halladay's complete game prowess.  But at closer glance two names should be on the All Star roster.  

Gavin Floyd at 10-4, whose resume also includes two near no hitters and an incredible knack for busting up White Sox losing streaks is one.  Put him on there Terry, somehow fit in the best starter on the best staff in baseball.  

Also, the White Sox boast the best bullpen ERA in the American League.  New addition Scott Linebrink, with a sub 2.00 ERA, and 19 holds, also deserves a nod to represent the AL's best relief corps.

In the event that Terry Francona could not get a White Sox pitcher on the team, he could have at least put catcher A.J. Peirzynski on as an indirect nod to the staff.  It is not as if A.J. and his .296 BA and 20 doubles don't belong on the roster for his work at the plate alone.  

Interesting that Francona turns out a roster including his aging and light-hitting catcher Jason Varitek.  Interesting that the first place White Sox get two representatives, the exact same amount as the dead last and embarrassing Cleveland Indians.  

Perhaps Francona has forgotten that the only AL team to beat him in the playoffs is the White Sox.  Or perhaps he has just been too busy managing a second place team to take a look around the league and see what a first place team looks like.  

Well Terry, thanks. Hopefully your snub of the White Sox staff will provide motivation for another first round sweeping of the vaunted defending champion Boston Red Sox.  

Jason Varitek?  really?