GET YER ALL-STARS....RIGHT HERE!

As I write this post on Friday the 29th of July, BARB teams have now all played anywhere from 79 to 86 games. Thus, we are at the season's effective halfway point, and it is now time to select the league's All-Stars! With that in mind, I am providing you a ballot with the top 5-6 at each position for players, and the top 20 pitchers, listed alphabetically by position with some key stats in BARB noted. I hope everyone will chime in the comments with how they would rank the players in question, and (with a little luck) we can have a little fun with whatever player files GM's select! Players who are currently injured are marked in red. Rookies are in bold.

Catcher:

Ramon Hernandez, Central Cali (.336 avg..2nd in BARB, 3 HR, 29 RBI)
John Jaso, Pottsylvania (.278, 5 HR, 18 RBI)
Miguel Montero, New England (.285, 5 HR, 24 RBI)
Victor Martinez, Frostbite (.232, 8 HR, 23 RBI)
Buster Posey, Yuma (.329, 6 HR, 38 RBI)

DH/First Basemen:

Miguel Cabrera, New England (.291, league-leading 29 HR, 76 RBI)
Adrian Gonzalez, Philadelphia (.299, 12 HR, 63 RBI)
Ryan Howard, Brooklyn (.261, 19 HR, 64 RBI)
Albert Pujols, Frostbite (.272, 27 HR, league-leading .645 slugging)
Joey Votto, Yuma (.313, 22 HR, 49 RBI)

Second Basemen:

Robinson Cano, Worcester (.292, 9 HR, 50 RBI)
Howie Kendrick, AC/BC (.273, 3 HR, 43 runs scored)
Dustin Pedroia, New England (.249, 19 HR, 65 runs scored)
Brandon Philips, Sin City (.291, 4 HR, outstanding defense)
Martin Prado, Yuma (.271, 4 HR, 42 runs scored)

Shortstops:

Starlin Castro, Los Angeles (.294, 38 runs scored)
Alex Ramirez, St. Francis (.278, 1 HR, outstanding defense)
Hanley Ramirez, Worcester (.320, 3 HR, 5 SB)
Jose Reyes, Frostbite (.283, 36 runs scored, 9 SB)
Marco Scutaro, Central California (.312, 6 HR in 58 games)
Troy Tulowitzki, Brooklyn (.278, 12 HR, 59 runs scored)

Third Basemen:

Adrian Beltre, Brookyn (.293, 21 HR, 80 RBI in 78 G)
Chris Johnson, Worcester (.311, 6 HR, 37 RBI in 71 G)
Alex Rodriguez, Philadelphia (.243, 10 HR, 49 RBI)
Kevin Youkilis, St. Francis (league-leading .433 OBP and 82 runs scored)
Ryan Zimmerman, Yuma (.343, 6 HR in 29 G)

DH/Outfielders:

Jose Bautista, St. Francis (.228, league-leading 29 HR, 80 RBI)
Ryan Braun, Yuma (.270, 8 HR, 62 RBI)
Shin Soo-Choo (.305, 52 runs scored, 68 RBI)
Carlos Gonzalez, Casselton (BARB-leading 109 hits, 13 HR, 52 runs, 6 SB)
Corey Hart, New England (.304, 14 HR, 42 RBI)
Matt Holliday, Central Cali (.305, 10 HR, 52 runs scored)
Matt Kemp, Pottsylvania (16 HR, 47 RBI, 12-0 as a basestealer)
Nick Markakis, Yuma (.293, 2 HR, 47 runs scored)
Justin Morneau, New England (.349, .591 slugging over 61 G)
Michael Morse, Worcester (.242, 11 HR, 35 RBI)
David Ortiz, AC/BC (.269, 18 HR, 42 RBI)
Colby Rasmus, Sin City (.250, 17 HR, 52 RBI)
Ichiro Suzuki, Philadelphia (.315, 52 runs scored, 14 SB)
Jayson Werth, Frostbite (.294, 15 HR, 49 RBI)

Starting Pitchers:

Roy Halladay, New England (leads league with 11 wins, 2.44 ERA and 5 shutouts)
Dan Haren, Philadelphia (One of six to win nine or more games)
Jeremy Hellickson, Pottsylvania (9-5 with sub-.500 club)
Felix Hernandz, Frostbite (9-4, league-leading 87 K and 126 IP)
Daniel Hudson, Central Calia (82 K, 112 IP for rookie)
Cliff Lee, Philadelphia (3 shutouts, 76 strikeouts)
Tim Lincecum, Frostbite (2.50 ERA, .202 BAA leads league, 79 K)
Clayton Kershaw, AC/BC (Lefty also holding league to .202 clip, 85 K, 117 IP)
Hideki Kuroda, Central Cali (116 IP, 3 shutouts, 12 quality starts)
David Price, Yuma (9-2, 3.29, 120.1 IP, 2nd in loop)
C.C. Sabathia, Yuma (2.92 ERA, 9-4 record, 120 IP)
Travis Wood, Sin City (lefty 3rd in league with 2.84 ERA)
Jered Weaver, Central Cali (8-7, 80 K, 112 IP)

Relief Pitchers:

Heath Bell, Worcester (7-2 setting up for Rivera)
Joaquin Benoit, St. Francis (11 holds leads BARB)
Neftali Feliz, Brooklyn (leads all bullpenners with eight wins in relief)
Jonathan Papelbon, New England (17 saves, 45 GF leads league)
Mariano Rivera, Worcester (Finished 35 games, 14-1 in save situations)
Jose Valverde, Philadelphia (16-2 in save situations)
Brian Wilson, Central Cali (BARB-leading 18 saves...in 18 tries)

Notable absences from this list due to injury or sub-par performance, in no particular order:

Matt Cain, Chris Carpenter, Chipper Jones, Jon Lester, Evan Longoria, Joe Mauer, Roy Oswalt, Aramis Ramirez, Joakin Soria, Geovany Soto, Mark Teixeira, David Wright

BROOKLYN: EARLY LEAD IN WEST AT WORLD CHAMP'S EXPENSE

Justin Verlander couldn't survive a fourth-inning error by Ryan Howard, but the big man and new teammate John Buck battled back to tie the game in the sixth, then beat the best closer in BARB history to take an early two-game lead in the Eastern Division.

Verlander (3 IP, 6 H, four runs, three earned) failed to retire a batter in the fourth, and in an unusual move former Yuma closer Huston Street came in to stop the bleeding with two men on and none out in the fourth against visiting Worcester. The defending world champs were eager to get in the 'W' column in this young season, and by the time Hanley Ramirez had made the last out they were nursing a 4-0 lead.

But Brooklyn battled back in the sixth. Troy Tulowitzki banged a leadoff double off Ted Lilly, and scored one out later on Howard's RBI single. C John Buck, getting a start against a tough lefty, tomahawked a ball into the bleachers for a two-run shot, and just like that, the game was tied. That was all for Lilly, who went 5 and 1/3 innings in his first start with the Eliminators, giving up four earned. Rookie Craig Kimbrel finished off the sixth without allowing any more damage, and he and 2009 setup star Heath Bell fanned six of the next nine hitters they faced to keep the game tied.

Ryan Madson did the same thing for Brooklyn, however, with the former Yuma setup man scattering two hits over three frames...setting up a dramatic ninth. With the score knotted 4-4, Neftali Feliz (1-0, 4.50) proved mortal, giving up a single to Teixeira and, with one down, a ringing double to the RF corner by Joe Mauer. 'Tex' easily scored, but Mauer was rung up at third when he over-ran second, on a fine relay from RF Ben Zobrist.

Still, the world champs had done what they do best: string together many hits late in a ball game to beat good pitching, and hand a one-run lead to Mariano Rivera. Rivera led all of BARB in saves last year with 36, and has killed more rallies in the loop's eight seasons than any other pitcher.

Lights out? Not quite, because Buck singled with one out, Zobrist hit a soft flare over short to put Buck on second, and Brooklyn had some bullets left on the bench. PINCH-hitter Jed Lowrie hit a slow roller to Cano that forced Zobrist for the second out, but put runners at the corners. PINCH-hitter Ian Stewart, who lost his starting job at 3B to Adrian Beltre, singled sharply to easily score Buck from third, tieing the ballgame, and putting Lowrie into scoring position. Then, with two out, a previously-hitless Andrew McCutcheon sliced one past Cano .....scoring Lowrie with the winning run, walk-off, GAME OVER!

Just an April win, but after being nosed out on an extra day in a single-game playoff after an injury-plagued year, it was a sweet one for Brooklyn, giving the Moabs a (very early) 2-0 lead in the division against the world champs, and doing it with the bench strength that they hope will be the difference in 2011.

In other BARB action:

SIN CITY 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 0

WP: Edison Volquez (1-0, 0.00)
LP: Cole Hamels (0-1, 4.26)

The rechristened Cowboys continued to play road warriors, keeping the host Squirrels without a win, as young gun Edison Volquez threw blanks for eight frames and added an RBI groundout at the expense of Cole Hamels to win on the road in Frostbite Falls. Volquez's accomplishment was all the more notable, as his teammates played sloppy defense (errors by Sanchez and Wright) to create run-scoring opportunities in the fourth and sixth.

YUMA 10, PHILADELPHIA 5

WP: Tyler Clippard (1-0, 0.00)
LP: Edward Mujica (0-1, 6.00)
SV: Kuo (1)

Matt Cain was gone by the fourth, but the host Rebels blew a 5-0 lead, with Ryan Zimmerman going deep and Ryan Braun adding three hits to pound the home team's bullpen in Philadelphia. How ironic that the 'City of Brotherly Love' should witness a late beatdown between two sibling rivals!

CASSELTON 5, AC/BC 1

WP: John Danks (1-0, 1.29)
LP: Clayton Kershaw (9-1, 2.25)
SV: Nathan (1)

Former AC/BC (Darwin) shortstop Miguel Tejada took reliever Hideki Okajima deep, John Danks outpitched Clayton Kershaw, and a day after faltering in their road opener, new Toads closer Joe Nathan collected his first save of the year to help the defending Central champs claim their first win of 2011, on the road at...um....AC/BC.

ST. FRANCIS 4, CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 3

WP: Bronson Arroyo (1-0, 3.38)
LP: Hideki Kuroda (0-1, 3.24)
SV: Cordero (1)

Bronson Arroyo gave up a long bomb to Matt Holliday, but otherwise was in command, sticking around long enough to outlast Kuroda, who allowed a tie-breaking double to pinch-hitter Juan Uribe to lose what had been a decently-pitched ball game. Francisco Cordero, coming up an uneven 2010 season that saw him released by Yuma, picked up his first save of 2011 to bring the Friars to .500.

NEW ENGLAND 9, LOS ANGELES 8

WP: Jonathan Papelbon (1-0, 0.00)
LP: Matt Lindstrom (0-1, 4.50)

Backup catcher David Ross hit a go-ahead double in the bottom of the 13th, and Jonathan Papelbon picked up the win with two scoreless innings of relief, but the most impressive numbers were those put up by 2011 draftee Evan Meek, who came into the game with his club trailing 8-5 in the sixth. But Dustin Pedroia hit a solo shot off Edwin Jackson, and former St. Francis OF Carlos Quentin hit a two-run blast off Rafael Perez in the seventh. In the meantime, Meek proceeded to stitch together five innings of no-hit ball.

TROPICANA FIELD PICKS UP AND MOVES

The Pottsylvania Creepers shell out the cash to bring in a new ballpark and coaching staff.

After having his regular field in Reno, Nevada get taken over by "Pottsylvania creepers" (the man-eating plants that the team is named after--a picture can be seen on the team Website at http://www.barb-creepers.blogspot.com/), GM Jeff Moore decided to follow in the spirit of the London Bridge--buying a landmark and moving it, piece-by-piece.

So Tampa's Tropicana Field, catwalks and all, was sold and moved in sections to the west. Moore, promising "great changes," announced a new name for the park: the Creeper Dome.

Along with the stadium came the surface of artificial turf--the first time the Creepers (or the inaugural version of the team, the hapless Boise Brawlers) have played on fake grass at home.

The other great changes had to do with the coaching staff. Bench coach Will "The Thrill" Clark was promoted to manager, but, according to Moore, "everyone else is toast." That included longtime Creepers manager Tony La Russa, who was let go after spring training after what is only being described as "a disagreement with management."

Clark's staff will include many names familiar to the 15 diehard Brawler/Creepers fans in existence:

Bench Coach-Jeff Reboulet (.128 in 196 AB with 2003 Boise)

First Base Coach- B.J. Surhoff (.250 with 1 HR and 4 RBI in 92 AB with 2003 Boise)

Third Base Coach- Mike Bordick (.227 in 242 AB with 2003 Boise)

Hitting Coach-Mark McGwire

Bullpen Coach- Paul Quantrill (A respectable 5-6 with 6 Sv, 3.44 ERA in 143 appearances with 2003 Boise, 2004/05 Pottsylvania)

Pitching Coach- Mark "Agent" Mulder (1 IP, 1 ER, 3 H in last BARB playing attempt with 2008 Pottsylvania)

"It needed to be done," said Moore. "The team was getting too stagnant; we needed a new attitude to reflect our new home."

According to Pottsylvania Times reporter R.B. Guy, with these moves and Moore's poor outlook for the season, many insiders believe he has finally "returned to the deep end."