Neil Walker to Seattle Makes Some Sense

The countdown to the return of Greg Bird is imminent as the Yankees young first baseman could be activated as early as this week. While it seems like a foregone conclusion that Bird will be making his 2018 debut soon it is unclear how the Yankees will deal with the best problem to have, too many good players and not enough positions to play them all at. The Yankees have not only survived, but flourished, without Bird using the combination of Neil Walker, Tyler Austin, Gleyber Torres, Brandon Drury and Miguel Andujar in their infield, but it seems like when Bird is activated off the disabled list that at least one of them will have to go. You can’t really send down Andujar or Torres in my opinion, Drury is already biding his time at Triple-A and Austin has earned his spot here on the roster in my opinion leaving just one man, the former New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers product. You know what they say around baseball when you have these impending roster crunches, these things tend to work themselves out, and this situation in the Bronx may have been worked out last week due to an old friend.

Robinson Cano, former New York Yankees player and 2009 World Series champion, was suspended by the league for a failed PED test leading Seattle to be without their second baseman for at least 80 games, although most of those games the Mariners would have been without him anyway due to a broken bone in his hand. That is another rant for another day. The Mariners are said to be scouring the trade market either for a second baseman to replace Cano during the suspension or a center fielder to replace Dee Gordon, a former second baseman and the Mariners current center fielder who will be filling in for Cano at least temporarily. It has been speculated that the Mariners and the Boston Red Sox may be willing to make a deal involving Jackie Bradley Jr., Eduardo Nunez or Brock Holt, but could the Yankees swoop in and steal a prospect or two from Seattle instead?

Neil Walker seems like he will be the odd man out of the Bronx when Greg Bird returns so you have to think the Yankees would like to get something for Walker in return for his services rather than designating him for assignment, right? Walker is a natural second baseman that could fill in for Cano now at the position while he could also help the team march towards the postseason in the second half when Cano returns. Walker to the Mariners makes a whole lot of sense for the Yankees and for Seattle right now, so let’s make a deal. The Yankees should send Walker to Seattle for a prospect or two, I don’t know much about the Mariners system to name a name but presumably it would not be a Top 10 prospect in my opinion, while the Mariners take on the remaining part of Walker’s $4 million salary.

The Yankees clear a spot for Bird and they clear some money to spend at the July 31^st trading deadline while staying under the luxury tax threshold. The team can also add a good prospect or two, this seems like a win-win for New York and for Seattle. Make it happen, Cashman.

Can’t Even Get a Lump of Cole for Christmas…

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…

Most families are preparing for Christmas and the Holiday Season, and I am sure that the Yankees family is no different. The likelihood of any major Yankees news over the next few days is about as realistic as Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos graciously handing Manny Machado over to the Yankees. In other words, it is going to be very quiet as we try on our new Giancarlo Stanton jerseys.

I admit it. I reacted like a lemming to all of the rumors that percolated on Thursday night about renewed talks between the Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates about starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. It turned out to be nothing, and it would appear the Pirates are still trying to aim high (too high) with their asking price. I’ve seen suggestions of OF Clint Frazier, 2B/SS Tyler Wade, 3B Miguel Andujar, and LHP Jordan Montgomery for Cole. That’s ridiculous and not something that should be considered. To me, that’s akin to asking for Yankees soon-to-be starting second baseman Gleyber Torres. I strongly  believe the latest Cole rumors had their origin in the Pirates camp as the Pirates attempt to gain some leverage in talks. It’s not like GM Brian Cashman or his team to leak proposed trade details. Of course, it could also just be the Red Sox Nation trolling Yankees fans. 

At this point, I am so tired of the Cole rumors that I wish the Yankees would either pull the trigger (but not to the point they overpay) or walk away. There are things that I like about Cole but conversely I recognize the faults of a pitcher that has never lived up to his potential.  We did not like it during the stretch last year when Masahiro Tanaka was serving up batting practice during games and it wouldn’t be well received to watch Cole as a gopher ball pitcher in Yankee Stadium. Cashman should give Pirates GM Neal Huntington a ‘take it or leave it’ offer (perhaps throwing in Austin Romine for no other reason than the Pirates seem to like our catchers, ala Francisco Cervelli and previously Russell Martin and Chris Stewart) and be prepared to move on if Huntington responds negatively. I’ve felt all along that a package of Clint Frazier and Chance Adams is very, very fair, but many argue that’s too much. Anything more, for Cole alone, is too much.

I’ve wondered what the Yankees will do with their international bonus money that was accumulated for a failed run at Japanese superstar Shohei Otani. The Yankees didn’t sign any of the top international prospects that were recently released by the Atlanta Braves as part of their punishment by MLB so the obvious choices were the remaining unsigned players on Baseball America’s ranking of top international prospects, most notably tenth-ranked outfielder Raimfer Salinas, 16, and fifteenth-ranked catcher Antonio Cabello, 17. Sure enough, the two Venezuelan players have been signed by the Yankees according to Baseball America. The signings give the Yankees a total of five of the top 20 international players as ranked in the 2017 signing period. The Yankees had previously signed fifth-ranked OF Everson Pereira, eleventh-ranked SS Ronny Rojas and twentieth-ranked SS Robinson Chirinos. We’ll soon learn more about Salinas and Cabello in  future editions of Meet a Prospect by TGP’s own Daniel Burch I am sure, but for now, welcome to the Yankees family, Raimfer and Antonio!

Speaking of prospects, I was saddened to see the departure of Dante Bichette, Jr. He had six years to progress through the Yankees farm system, but the third baseman, 25, was unable to advance past Double A. If he had been able to develop into a Major League player, his timing would have been perfect to take over third base for the Yankees next season. But alas, it was not to be. Young Dante became a minor league free agent in November and has signed with the Colorado Rockies, the team his father once starred for. The Bichette family is very close to former Yankees manager Joe Girardi and young Dante grew up calling him “Uncle Joe”.  Girardi named his own son Dante after the elder Bichette. I wish Dante Jr the best as he tries to achieve his elusive MLB dream in the Mile High City.

Credit:  Martin Griff

For every Yankees blogger (myself included) that suggests the Yankees should find a way to unload Jacoby on the San Francisco Giants, there’s a Giants blogger writing why Ellsbury would be a very bad fit for the Giants. Bottom line, the Giants want no part of Ells. I hate it, but I think we’re stuck with #22 for the long haul. The biggest waste of a roster spot in my opinion. At some point, the Yankees will choose to cut bait but that’s probably not this off-season. I keeping hoping for a Christmas Miracle that takes Ellsbury away but I think I’ll be disappointed with that one.  

I was listening to MLB Network’s interview yesterday with former Miami Marlins second baseman and now Mariners center fielder Dee Gordon. He was asked if he had spoken with the other recently traded Marlins (Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna). We know that Stanton is now the big slugger in the lineup of big sluggers, while Ozuna went to the organization that holds the most World Series titles not named the Yankees, the St Louis Cardinals. The reactions conveyed by Gordon were very different. While Ozuna was saddened by the trade (despite the fact that he is going to a storied franchise with a long-standing history of baseball tradition and success), “G” is excited and ready to get after it. I love it. I can’t wait to watch Stanton in spring training wearing the perfect shade of blue.  

Go Yankees! 

Fantasy Baseball: Second Basemen

We looked at the shortstops of your respective fantasy baseball leagues this morning so it seems only fitting to check in with their double-play combo’s here this afternoon. The second baseman. Second base is generally thought of as a defensive-first and offensively anemic position with a few stars, a few sleepers and a slew of guys stuck in the middle. Here are the stars and the sleepers that could potentially help you win your league in 2017.

If I were to rank my Top Five second baseman in the league in order of how I would draft them I would have to start with Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros and follow it up with Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals, Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners, Rougned Odor of the Texas Rangers and Brian Dozier of the Minnesota Twins. If I were to expand that list to include my 6^th – 10^th best second basemen in the league I would include Matt Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians (although a recent injury will likely keep him on the disabled list to start the season), Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals, Jonathan Villar of the Milwaukee Brewers (who is also eligible at shortstop) and Ian Kinsler of the Detroit Tigers. Sorry Yankees fans, Starlin Castro would not make this list but the “homer” in me would likely make Robert Refsnyder an honorable mention just for the whole shock value and comedic aspect of it all.

If you want a solid player that can play all over the board you may want to look at Ben Zobrist, although he is far from a sleeper or an unknown commodity at this point so good luck, as he is eligible at the position. If you’re looking for a true sleeper though then look no further than Devon Travis of the Toronto Blue Jays. When healthy Travis can hit .300 with plenty of extra-base hits, RBI and runs scored in that deep Toronto lineup. Travis could give you 10-15 home run power, or more depending on how friendly the Rogers Centre is to him in Toronto, along with a ton of stolen bases if healthy. The best part about Travis is that you can get him at the end of your draft in the 16-18^th round or maybe even later depending on the pool of competitors.

If all else fails you can just take a Dee Gordon of the Miami Marlins or a Starlin Castro of the Yankees and fill in the gaps where they lack elsewhere. Castro should still give you 20-home run power and Gordon should get on base and steal bases with Giancarlo Stanton behind him looking to knock him in. It’s not ideal but sometimes you have to simply do the best you can with what you have.

And that’s that. Now go grab you a fantasy baseball second basemen! Good luck!

Peptides, Is the Game Clean and the New CBA

Just when you thought this great game of Major League Baseball was clean the league announces a couple steroid suspensions. It seems to happen more and more often and it seems to happen every year now. This year we’ve already seen notable suspensions for Chris Colabello and Dee Gordon and the league hints at more to come with the main focus being on a new frontier of doping, these are called peptides.

Between the Major Leagues and the Minor Leagues there have been five positive tests for peptides in the last calendar year. Peptides are formulated and produced from raw materials imported from China and are available on dozens upon dozens of websites from suppliers based in China and even the United states. These peptides have become easily accessible to anyone and everyone and until this season many thought these PED’s were undetectable in Major League Baseball. Boy were they wrong, huh?

Why these players would even take these peptides are beyond me as the FDA has not approved the drug. In fact the drugs are labeled as “not for human consumption” giving the suppliers loopholes and deniability in these cases. They are not classified as controlled substances with this labeling even though they are still considered to be anabolic steroids.

Peptides are what got Taylor Teagarden, the man who admitted to use in the Al Jazeera investigation, suspended for 80 games and are what also got Josh Ravin of the Dodgers and Andrew McKirahan of the Braves suspended along with three minor league pitchers. Peptides have been banned for a while by the World Anti-Doping Agency and sports leagues yet these players still continue to risk their careers in taking them and why? For money? Fortune? Fame?

Will the game ever be clean? We may never know but if history is any indicator of the future it looks like the answer is “probably not.”

Most Popular Article of the Week: If Miami Needs a Second Baseman…..

Well the most popular article of the week was a posting wondering why Drew Bridges was shown on the Yankees 40 man roster and shown as being called up from Charleston  despite a .205 batting average in Low-A Ball. This was eventually discovered to be a "glitch" or "clerical error"  so I wouldn't feel right putting an inaccurate story up as the Most Popular Article of the Week so we go with the second most popular article of the week, the post that asked the question whether Miami needed a second baseman and would be willing to give up some starting pitching after losing Dee Gordon to suspension for 80 days.

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that reigning National League batting champion and current Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon has been suspended for 80 games due to “unknowingly” taking steroids and/or performance enhancing drugs. If you haven’t then more on that later. One position that the Yankees seem to be absolutely stacked at is the middle infield leaving me to wonder if Miami needs a second baseman and the Yankees need some pitching help could these two teams hook up for a trade later on this season?


Just off the top of my head without doing too much research I can name you at least 10 middle infielders that the Yankees could deem as trade bait to send to the Marlins in a potential trade. The list starts with Robert Refsnyder, continues with Ronald Torreyes, wraps around Jorge Mateo and ends with some combination of Wilkerman Garcia, Chase Headley (move Martin Prado to second and Headley to third), Kyle Holder, Tyler Wade and a slew of others I could name but you likely already know by name anyway at this point.


What does Miami potentially have to offer in return? Well I don’t pretend to be an expert on the Miami Marlins and I’m especially not well versed in their farm system but I know a guy named Jose Fernandez! A guy can dream anyway, right? But in all seriousness the Marlins have to have something to match up with the Yankees. Maybe a Justin Nicolino? I really don't know, maybe someone can fill me in.



You get what you pay for, remember that, but if the Marlins need a second baseman and the Yankees need some pitching I think these two sides could work something out. Miami will likely ride things out without Gordon, it is only for 80 games, but this may be the perfect opportunity for Cashman to do what he does best. Sell from a strength and take advantage of what is going on around him to maximize the deal. He did it with Aroldis Chapman and gave up peanuts in terms of the return and he can do so again with Dee Gordon. But will he? Stay tuned.

Just When You Thought the Game Was Getting Clean

Just when you thought Major League Baseball was finally starting to get ahead of this whole steroids and performance enhancing drugs thing you find two players getting suspended at the Major League level for 80 games each. In recent weeks the Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello was suspended for 80 games while vehemently denying any use and any allegations while the Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon was also popped on a failed drug test this week. This game is not getting any cleaner the drugs are just getting harder to detect and the players are getting sneakier which could complicate things when the two sides go sit down at the table to talk about the subject and a new collective bargaining agreement this winter.

It’s not just the Major Leagues that are struggling with PED use and suspensions but it’s minor league baseball as well. You can go on Baseball America once a month and see the list of two or three, sometimes even four or five, players that got suspended that month for PED use. You know why? In the minor leagues it’s almost worth the risk to do it at least once. I’m not condoning the use of steroids nor am I making it out to be okay that they are using it but some players you have to remember are international free agents. They left everything they had and everything they knew to come here on the off chance they may make it to the show and they have very little to lose and the world to gain by using and not getting caught. The Major League players should know better especially MLB players like Dee Gordon who just signed a monster contract extension with his club.

Truth be told the game may never be clean because the world will never be free of dirty people looking to cheat the system and exploit anything and everything with every opportunity that they can. We are living in a world where people will cheat and exploit something as simple as a video game or a math test. We are living in a world where lawyers can be vilified but at the same time they can rise to fame and stardom, remember Johnny Cochran? We are living in a world where if you’re not cheating you’re not trying and if you’re not trying you’re not feeding your kids as well as the next guy. I may be over simplifying this thing but I am only doing so to prove a point and that point is this. The game will never be clean. Every time we think it’s clean we read about someone getting popped for drugs and steroids. We just have to deal with it.

If Miami Needs a Second Baseman…..

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that reigning National League batting champion and current Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon has been suspended for 80 games due to “unknowingly” taking steroids and/or performance enhancing drugs. If you haven’t then more on that later. One position that the Yankees seem to be absolutely stacked at is the middle infield leaving me to wonder if Miami needs a second baseman and the Yankees need some pitching help could these two teams hook up for a trade later on this season?

Just off the top of my head without doing too much research I can name you at least 10 middle infielders that the Yankees could deem as trade bait to send to the Marlins in a potential trade. The list starts with Robert Refsnyder, continues with Ronald Torreyes, wraps around Jorge Mateo and ends with some combination of Wilkerman Garcia, Chase Headley (move Martin Prado to second and Headley to third), Kyle Holder, Tyler Wade and a slew of others I could name but you likely already know by name anyway at this point.

What does Miami potentially have to offer in return? Well I don’t pretend to be an expert on the Miami Marlins and I’m especially not well versed in their farm system but I know a guy named Jose Fernandez! A guy can dream anyway, right? But in all seriousness the Marlins have to have something to match up with the Yankees. Maybe a  Justin Nicolino? I really don't know, maybe someone can fill me in. 

You get what you pay for, remember that, but if the Marlins need a second baseman and the Yankees need some pitching I think these two sides could work something out. Miami will likely ride things out without Gordon, it is only for 80 games, but this may be the perfect opportunity for Cashman to do what he does best. Sell from a strength and take advantage of what is going on around him to maximize the deal. He did it with Aroldis Chapman and gave up peanuts in terms of the return and he can do so again with Dee Gordon. But will he? Stay tuned. 

Fantasy Baseball: Who are the Miami Marlins?

If you’re sitting in front of your computer on draft night and Jose Fernandez or Giancarlo Stanton are sitting there on the board you need to hurry up and take them. Obviously if you have the first few picks in the draft then maybe you want to stay away but other than that you need to take these new perennial fantasy baseball superstars. This much you probably already know though and I doubt you clicked on my post because you needed guidance whether to take one of these superstars or not. No, you clicked on this post because you want to read about the sleepers and who should be taken around Round 15 and beyond. You know, the sleeper picks that more times than not win or lose you your draft. Don’t fret, I’m here to help.

The Marlins are an intriguing team because even last season they had so much talent on the ball club and despite the talent lost far more games than they won. Not many people saw the miraculous season that Dee Gordon had at second base or the season that Adeiny Hechavarria quietly had at shortstop for the Marlins due to all the losing and the distrust of owner Jeffrey Loria. The Marlins have quietly assembled one of the better young teams in the league but the talent there needs to trust their talent before they can truly succeed. That’s where veterans and key players like Wei-Yin Chen, Carter Capps and Christian Yelich come in.

Chen specifically should benefit from the move from the AL East to the NL East and should especially benefit from pitching in the park, Marlins Park, which has allowed the second fewest home runs in the Major Leagues since its inception in 2012. Even if the team decides to move the fences in a bit like they are discussing this winter pitching in Marlins Park will never be like pitching inside Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park three or four times a season and it won’t be like facing that powerful Toronto Blue Jays lineup in his old league. Chen should see a spike in all his major stats except for obviously his strikeout numbers which have never been truly high in his career. Chen is a winner and can pitch like an ace despite pitching to contact and limiting his walks to get by.

Yelich got a big contract extension last season much like Giancarlo Stanton did and Yelich went out and did what Yelich does, he hit for a high batting average and he stole a lot of bases. Yelich is not a huge home run threat, even if they move in the fences down in Miami, as he hits the ball on the ground more times than not but he could jump up to a 10-20 home run guy as he matures and grows into his body. If you need average, stolen bases and runs scored than Yelich is your man. If you need power you’re probably not going to get it, although you may be pleasantly surprised by September.

Finally you have Carter Capps who is likely to start the season as a setup man for closer A.J. Ramos but will not likely stay there for much of the season. Ramos struggles with his command and has for much of his career making a huge stride in that department unlikely, although not impossible, in 2016. The difference between Capps and Ramos though is that Capps can be had around the 20^th round or so while Ramos is still a Top 20 closer in the league even with his command struggles. Capps would be the smart pick and easily put back on the waiver wire or traded if Ramos somehow finds the zone more consistently this season. You can always pull the “he may take over for Ramos if he continues to walk guys” card and get something valuable out of him. Plus his strikeout numbers are great anyway so you may just want to keep him.

There you have it, those are the Miami Marlins that could help you win your Fantasy Baseball league this spring. Also be on the lookout for any and all pitchers that make impacts in camp or are signed by Miami because Edwin Jackson’s value to the team is more as a reliever than a starter even though he is listed as the team’s 5^th starter currently. That can and likely will change before the end of the season so be on the lookout. 

The Dee Gordon Extension and Didi Gregorius

The Miami Marlins may finally be doing things right as an organization. So many times in the past we’ve seen the team “buy” players and a championship here or there only to have a fire sale the next season so team owner Jeffrey Loria can presumably line his pockets with money. That’s another blog post for another day though and the team is getting a bit of a pass for the past after locking up players like Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and most recently Dee Gordon to long term deals. Gordon signed a five-year deal with an option for a sixth leaving many to wonder if the Yankees should consider doing this now with some of their young guys, namely Didi Gregorius.

Gordon was under team control through the 2018 season before signing this new deal that extends five years and is worth $50 million before an option year for a sixth season. Gordon will receive a hefty raise annually from his $2.5 million he made in 2015 but don’t let it be confused, Gordon deserved it and this is still an absolute bargain for Miami. Gordon won the National league batting title in 2015 after leading the league with 205 hits and 58 stolen bases. Gordon finished the season batting .333 despite missing 17 games of the season with a thumb injury. Gordon was an All-Star for the second time in 2015 and was chosen as Miami’s MVP after leading all second baseman in fielding percentage as well at batting.

Gordon was great in 2015 and while Didi was good he wasn’t Gordon. I’m in no way comparing the two I am merely comparing their situations as middle infielders who had breakout seasons respectively. I am only mentioning this now rather than in a year or two after the team evaluates whether they are getting the Gregorius that played the first two months of the season in the Bronx or the Didi that played the final four months inside Yankee Stadium. If New York wants to save a few dollars though, and it’s obvious that they do, they may want to take the opportunity to pounce now while the iron is hot and not smoldering.

Didi did not lead in fielding percentage nor did he lead the league in hitting but without the first month and a half to two months of the season he quietly had a fantastic season. Truth be told, and this may be the Yankees homer in me talking, he should have won the Gold Glove at the position in 2015 and should have received more praise for the offensive work he did the second half of the season. Locking him up now would cost the Yankees in the short term but I truly believe it would save them a lot of money and a lot of heartache later on down the road. Using Gordon’s deal as a starting point would not be the worst thing in the world for either side but if it’s going to happen it needs to happen now. 

Scratch Don Mattingly off the Yankees Hitting Coach Wish List

Don Mattingly has officially signed a four-year deal with the Miami Marlins to be their new manager for the ball club. Mattingly will take over a young and talented team led by Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, Jose Fernandez and others in hopes of toppling the top two teams I the National League East Division, the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals. The Miami job was basically Mattingly’s to lose all along and Mattingly didn’t lose it unfortunately.

I say unfortunately because I, as a fan, wanted to see Mattingly return to the city where he spent his entire playing career but I have to admit that I never fully expected the reunion of Don Mattingly and the New York Yankees to happen. I never lost hope but Mattingly deserves to manage and he can manage in Miami, good for him.

Mattingly will be Giancarlo Stanton’s eighth different manager since the beginning of the 2010 season, with a little stability in his life imagine what that kid could do. Congratulations to Mattingly but more so congratulations to the Miami Marlins organization and players, you guys got a good one. 

If You’re Not Going to Give the 2B Job to Robert Refsnyder…

Let’s just assume the obvious for the sake of this blog post and point out that the New York Yankees, barring injury of course, are not going to hand the reigns over to Robert Refsnyder at second base despite being younger, far superior, better offensively, much improved defensively, right-handed which balances out a very left heavy lineup, a contact hitter at the bottom of the order with speed that could give the Yankees potentially three or four leadoff type hitters with Didi Gregorius, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Refsnyder and despite that nobody is wanting to lower the Mendoza Line the rename it after him. Let’s assume for the sake of this blog post, and for the sake of this is probably what’s really going to happen as long as Brian Cashman is in charge, that New York is going to go out onto the trade market to upgrade at second base, will we see a Martin Prado reunion?

In a typical Brian Cashman type trade I can see the Yankees once again acquiring Prado for middle infield prospect Jose Pirela. Pirela was not used often in his call up to the major leagues and his bat and defense seemingly suffered for it. Not every player can handle being on the bench and only getting two or three reps a week in the field or two of three at bats a week off the bench, Pirela may be that guy. In Miami, a team that is looking to unload expiring contracts but not totally rebuild, could use Pirela in a bench role or at second base until Dee Gordon comes back off the disabled list while Prado could be the everyday second baseman for the Yankees. Stephen Drew would be once again delegated to a bench role, for real this time, while the Yankees offense, defense, versatility and flexibility all improve for a minimal loss to the ball club.

If you’re not going to give Pirela a shot, or Refsnyder or any of the other top-end prospects in the farm system then do us all a favor and trade them. Pirela deserves a shot to play every day and so does Refsnyder, even if it’s not for the team in the Bronx. Getting Prado, assuming he and his shoulder are healthy, would vastly improve the team for this season leaving Cashman to once again dumpster dive for the position in 2016. That’s the new Yankees way though, isn’t it?

The Daily Dozen - 2014 All-Star Game Edition

THE DAILY DOZEN
(Twelve Takeaways from Tonight's Game - 2014 All-Star Game Edition)

1. Derek Jeter is 40 and Still Hits Like He's 20.  I don't care what Wainwright may be saying...the double to lead off the game was classic Jeter.  He was the obvious pick for MVP and he deserved it to be honest.  According to Baseball Tonight, Jeter finished his All-Star Game career with a .482 average.  The crowd at Target Field game him a great sendoff.

The Great One...Derek Jeter...The Great One

2. Mike Trout is the best player in baseball hands down.  No question about it.  The best hitter in baseball is Miguel Cabrera, but the best overall player is Mike Trout...did you SEE that triple...just saying.

3. Jon Lester really sucks and I hate him. *Unless he becomes a Yankee.

4. How the heck does Milwaukee have so many All-Stars and one of them isn't Ryan Braun?  I smell a rat...could it be the next guy I talk about?

5. Bud Selig resembles a robot.  Since he is retiring I am officially throwing in my name to be the next Commissioner of Baseball up there with Bob Costas, Mike Greenberg, Pete Rose, and Daniel Burch.

"I assure you, I am NOT a robot..."

6. Yasiel Puig does not impress me at all.  Just in case you missed it...this guy acts like Jose Canseco and bats in clutch situations like Mike Gallego.  I can't wait until he gets busted for using PEDs.

7. The American League had a double, triple, and home run in the 1st inning by Jeter, Trout, and Cabrera.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau the last time that happened in an All-Star Game was in 2004 by the AL off of Roger Clemens, then with Houston.

8. Tulowitzki needs to be a Yankee by Friday.  Send the Farm...the whole farm.  He WANTS to be a Yankee...let's make that happen, shall we Mr. Cashman?  He could play 3rd base for the rest of the season and take over for his hero at SS next season.

Yeah...he'd look good in Pinstripes.  Source: Fox Sports

9. Dee Gordon is really, really, really fast.

10. I can actually stand Harold Reynolds.  This is a bit of an oddity because for the most part broadcasters in general get on my nerves, especially when they repeatedly say RBIs on the air.  IT'S FREAKING RUNS BATTED IN! RBI...get it right Joe Buck!

11. How do the Dodgers ever lose?  With a rotation of Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu, Beckett, and Haren?  Of course both Beckett and Billingsley (remember that guy?) are on the DL.  Seriously...Mattingly better get these guys deep into the playoffs or he may be let go...which would be great for the Yankees since he should be the next Manager...just saying...

Sure...he could use a haircut, but a straight-up trade of Kershaw
for A-Rod would look really nice right about now!
#GetGreedy

12. Jim Caple of ESPN.com predicted the American League would win 5-3 and that Derek Jeter would be named the MVP.  He may have come in contact with Marty McFly in Back to the Future II in my humble opinion.  He is now the only source there I can reliably trust.  Yes, I know...Mike Trout got the MVP award...but we all know who deserved to get it. #RE2PECT

Seriously...this guy needs to play the lottery!