Ranking the All-Stars who played
— -- MINNEAPOLIS -- While everyone debates on social media whether Adam Wainwright should have started the All-Star Game or been a pitcher in the Home Run Derby, let's take a look at the performances of everyone from last night's game, from best to worst.
Position: Left field
Team: Los Angeles Angels
Position: Shortstop
Team: New York Yankees
Position: First base
Team: Detroit Tigers
Position: Catcher
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Position: Starting pitcher
Team: Seattle Mariners
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Atlanta Braves
Position: Shortstop
Team: Chicago White Sox
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Detroit Tigers
Position: Third base
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Position: Catcher
Team: Oakland A's
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Position: Second base
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Minnesota Twins
Position: Second base
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Texas Rangers
Position: Second base
Team: Houston Astros
Position: Center field
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Kansas City Royals
Position: Catcher
Team: Minnesota Twins
Position: 3B
Team: Cincinnati Reds
Position: 3B
Team: Texas Rangers
He also walked in his only plate appearance. More important, he didn't get hurt, so Rangers fans have to consider that a very successful night for their team.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Cincinnati Reds
He pitched a scoreless inning and struck out one but also allowed a hit to Jeter. If he grooved Jeter a pitch, he didn't say so.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
He pitched a scoreless inning, but also walked a batter. Meanwhile, have you come up with the Hawaiian All-Stars?
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Washington Nationals
He retired the only two batters he faced. No, Stephen Strasburg would not have topped that.
Position: SS
Team: Los Angeles Angels
Aybar played in the field in the eighth and ninth but did not get an at-bat. Somehow, I think even if he had batted, it still would have been overshadowed by the performances of his teammates and the guy who started at short ahead of him.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Cincinnati Reds
Before giving you Chapman's analysis, here is the answer to the Hawaii trivia question. The other Hawaiian-born All-Stars besides Suzuki were Shane Victorino, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez and Charlie Hough. Oh, and Chapman retired the only two batters he faced.
Position: 1B
Team: Atlanta Braves
He singled but also made the game's only error. I'm still trying to calculate his WAR.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Oakland Athletics
The Oakland reliever struck out two in two-thirds of an inning. Not bad for someone who was playing third base and the outfield in the minors not that long ago.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Oakland Athletics
The Oakland starter also pitched two-thirds of a scoreless inning, which isn't bad for a guy whose career also was almost over not that long ago. Hmmm. Do you think Billy Beane is a good general manager or what?
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
He threw only one pitch to win the coveted MEP award. Most Efficient Pitcher.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Boston Red Sox
One batter, four pitches, one strikeout means second place in the MEP voting.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Seattle Mariners
He walked one batter and recorded only one out, but he did his trademark arrow gesture twice! Once during pregame introductions and again after striking out a batter in the eighth. Imagine if he had pitched an entire inning.
Position: Catcher
Team: Kansas City Royals
He was hitless in his only at-bat. Kansas City fans probably would be satisfied with that result in October because at least it would mean the Royals played one postseason game for the first time in 29 years.
Position: First base
Team: Chicago White Sox
He swung at the only pitch thrown to him and hit a fly out. Good thing he didn't take part in the Home Run Derby or he would have been absolutely exhausted here.
Position: Center field
Team: Cleveland Indians
Repeat after me. He also was hitless in his only at-bat.
Position: Right field
Team: San Francisco Giants
I will interrupt another hitless in one at-bat line to give you the answer to the trivia question about the first Brewer with two hits in an All-Star Game. Ryan Braun in 2012.
Position: Catcher
Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
And now, back to the "hitless in his only at-bat'' lines.
Position: 3B
Team: Seattle Mariners
He was 0-for-2 but didn't strike out. Still, Mariners fans have to be pleased that they had four All-Stars in this game, which is about three more than they have had too often recently.
Position: Left field
Team: Oakland Athletics
What, two at-bats and not a single home run? Maybe they should have told him it was the All-Star Derby.
Position: Catcher
Team: Cincinnati Reds
And now, we start another monotonous string of results -- he went 0-for-1 with a strikeout.
Position: Second base
Team: New York Mets
Ibid.
Position: Second base
Team: Detroit Tigers
Ditto.
Position: Right field
Team: Oakland Athletics
Stop me if you've heard this one already -- he went 0-for-1 with a strikeout
Position: DH
Team: Chicago Cubs
Déjà vu all over again.
Position: Shortstop
Team: Chicago Cubs
He also went 0-for-1 with a strikeout. So it was a good night for Cubs fans, who in addition to the Rizzo and Castro strikeouts, also got to see Jeff Samardzija not wear their uniform.
Position: Center field
Team: Colorado Rockies
I'm going to mix things up just a bit here. Blackmon went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
Position: Left field
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
As did Harrison.
Position: Center field
Team: Baltimore Orioles
And Jones.
Position: Right field
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
And Joey Bats.
Position: Left field
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
And Gomez. Perhaps the National League should have used Madison Bumgarner as a hitter.
Position: Third base
Team: Oakland Athletics
Donaldson also was 0-for-2 with a strikeout, but the Bringer of Rain did not bring any rain, as he did Monday, so call it a wash.
Position: Second base
Team: Seattle Mariners
He struck out twice in two at-bats. But cut him some slack -- he wasn't being paid to play in this game.
Position: DH
Team: Miami Marlins
Stanton went hitless with a strikeout in three at-bats. But at least he didn't lose a competition 1-0 to Todd Frazier again.
Position: First base
Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
He went hitless in three at-bats but at least he didn't make any errors at first base.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Chicago White Sox
He gave up a run and blew the American League's lead in the fourth inning. Perhaps he was just confused as to why they played "New York, New York'' when he came into the game.
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: Boston Red Sox
He gave up two runs and three hits in one inning. But hey, he got a hold!
Position: Relief pitcher
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
A Minnesota native once released by Twins, Neshek said no one was more excited about the All-Star Game than him. Unfortunately, he gave up two runs and three hits, retired only one batter and took the loss. Maybe he won't remember the game quite as fondly as the pregame festivities.
Position: Starting pitcher
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
The National League starter gave up more runs in one inning (three) than he had in any start in June and July. Of course, he probably didn't purposely groove pitches those two months as he said he did to Jeter. Are people making too much out of that given Wainwright is one the game's best pitchers and a good guy? Probably. But hey, anything that gets LeBron off the radar for a half hour is welcome.
Position: Right field
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
He followed up his dismal Home Run Derby performance by striking out three times in three plate appearances. But at least he didn't make any baserunning mistakes while walking back to the dugout.
Position: DH
Team: Baltimore Orioles
He was hitless with a strikeout in two at-bats, but I don't care what he did in the game. Anyone who is suspended for PEDs one season should not be allowed to play in the All-Star Game the next summer. And the fans definitely should not be so hypocritical that they rip players for juicing then vote a cheat into the starting lineup.