After seeing it this morning, my god what a rebirth.

Jason Segel and The Muppets

Segel’s script is perfect because it has the Muppets put on a show, which is really what the Muppets are all about. Segel’s character, Gary and his brother Walter (who nobody realizes just happens to be a Muppet) vacation to LA with Gary’s girlfriend Mary, played by Amy Adams (in a much different role than Charlene Fleming from The Fighter). On a tour of the abandoned Muppet Studios, Walter overhears Tex Richman’s plan to tear down the studios and drill for oil. To save the theatre, they start by tracking down Kermit and convincing him to put the old gang back together for one more show to save the theatre.

The macro story at play here is that there are, and always have been Muppet fans sitting out there waiting for someone (a fellow fan, as it turned out) to bring back everything that we once loved about the Muppets, individually and as a group. A huge Muppet fan himself, Segel inserts his character and Adams’ character into the movie to start, but then wisely backs them out so that the Muppets can take over the show. Walter joins on as the Muppets prepare for a final show with Jack Black playing host rather reluctantly.

As they rehearse and plan for their show, celebrity cameos, a critical element for a Muppet movie, abound. Some of them are extended as Rashida Jones (The Office, Parks & Rec) plays a TV executive who reluctantly allows the Muppets telethon to happen and some cameos last only one line, but Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)nails that one line, which might be the best line of the entire movie. I can’t really explain how Jim Parsons’ (The Big Bang Theory) cameo fits in, but it’s dynamite. And if Zach Galifinakis is not “Hobo Joe” in every Muppet movie going forward, I’ll be disappointed. Muppet cameos abound as well, as every Muppet I knew was involved, as well as plenty that I had forgotten about. Jason Segel’s checklist of Muppets to include was more extensive than I would have ever imagined.

But what truly makes a great Muppet movie is the music, and it is phenomenal in the most recent installment. “Life’s a Happy Song” is the true breakout song, and several hours after the movie I’m still humming it. It’s so catchy they used it on two separate occasions and it didn’t feel recycled at all. “Man or Muppet” eases some humor back into the movie when the movie hits an emotional high point. Another emotional moment comes as Kermit sings in reminiscence of his old Muppet Show pals “Pictures In My Head.” Even though we religiously watch Muppet Christmas Carol every December 24, Jason Segel made me fall in love with the Muppets all over again.

Non-Muppet fans probably won’t find the movie probably as fantastic as it actually is, but for the millions of Muppet fans out there, and I’m convinced there’s one deep in everybody, this film is a breath of fresh air and the beginning of what I hope is a new era of Muppet relevance. The movie is a shot in the arm, and fan’s loving tribute and hopefully the springboard for sequels-yet-to-come.

And now I’m off to find video of each and every Muppet Show episode, even if I have to Travel By Map to find them.

Another underrated aspect Community is cuteness of Annie, played by the adorable Alison Brie. And if Community is truly on its farewell tour the rest of this season, then at least we’ll always have the GIFable memories of sweet, cute Annie.

LOOKING BACK

After signing free agent prize Carl Crawford and trading three unspectacular prospects for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the Red Sox spent the offseason being touted as the greatest team in Major League history.

Greatest Team Evahhhh!

Their rotation of Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka found themselves labeled as Five Aces, despite serious injury or performance concerns on all but one of them. Hundreds of articles were written about the lineup scoring over 1,000 runs in 2011, despite never accomplishing that feat in over 100 years of existence.

Every single “expert” at ESPN picked them to win the AL East and over half of them picked the Red Sox to win the World Series. But then something funny happened—the season started. Boston opened the season by losing its first six games and ten of its first twelve.

No worries, the media said, it was just an adjustment period for a team with so many new additions. And then for awhile it seemed as though they were right. The Red Sox put together winning streaks of five, seven, five, nine and six and headed into the All Star Break leading the division and with the best record in the American League.

They won eleven of their sixteen games following the All Star Break and entered August with the best record in the American League. They lost two of three to the Yankees at the end of August, but still entered September with the best record in the league and atop their division. A 6-0 win over Texas on August 25 left Boston with a 99.989% chance of making the playoffs. But then everything fell apart.

They lost two of three to Texas and two of three to Toronto. Then they lost six of seven against Tampa Bay and three of four to Baltimore, dropping their playoff chances to 80.0%. But the free fall didn’t stop there as they lost four of their last six games, including the last game of the season which let Tampa Bay roll right on by them.

The greatest team ever ended up with the ninth best overall record in baseball and missed the playoffs. In order to completely collapse, everything needed to go wrong for Boston and it did. The offense disappeared with the exception of a handful of games and the pitching and defense were worse.

Boston went 3-19 in September when the offense scored less than 10 runs and received just four quality starts out of twenty-seven September games. Their team ERA was 5.84 for the month and their starter’s ERA was 7.08. Of the six pitchers who started a game for the Red Sox in September, Tim Wakefield’s ERA of 5.25 was the lowest.

LOOKING FORWARD

Boston has a lot of question marks moving forward. With the game’s second highest payroll, someone is going to have to take the fall for the historic collapse. It could be the general manager Theo Epstein, who despite high media praise, has swung-and-missed on several key free agent signings.

John Lackey still has three years and over $45 million left on his contract and Carl Crawford has six years and $122 million. Previous free agent endeavors JD Drew, Julio Lugo, Edgar Renteria and John Smoltz has flamed out in spectacular fashion.

In addition to big free agent blunders, Epstein has failed to build any semblance of starting pitching depth and the upper levels of Boston’s farm system are severely lacking any impact talent.

It could be the manager, Terry Francona who seemed unable to motivate his players down the stretch. Or it could be the pitching coach who saw his pitchers succumb to injury and poor performance throughout the year.

More time to enjoy the Shire this offseason

Personnel-wise, Boston has the opportunity to shake things up, but not in their rotation. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka are all under contract for 2012. There are no better internal options, and unless they can find someone desperate enough to take Lackey or Dice-K off their hands, the Boston rotation is full. Boston would have to eat a ton of cash to move either guy, and while I’m sure they’d be willing to, I doubt they could find a taker.

Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia will be back manning the right side of the infield, and will provide MVP-caliber offense and defense. The left side of the infield is less certain. Boston can bring Marco Scutaro back on a team option for $6 million and will probably do so. Kevin Youkilis is under contract for 2012, but the team may consider shifting him to the DH role to try and keep him healthy while replacing him at third with Jed Lowrie or from outside the organization.

If the team moves Youkilis to DH full-time, David Ortiz’s time with Boston is probably up. JD Drew’s definitely is. Drew was never as terrible as Boston fans may have thought, but his playing time was sporadic due to his injuries. Boston will probably cut ties with Drew and look to free agency to fill RF after youngsters Josh Reddick failed to impress. Carlos Beltran is the best available RF option, but Boston may choose to go with someone who has a better track record health-wise, like Oakland’s Josh Willingham. Ellsbury and Crawford will return to complete the outfield.

The biggest turnover could happen in the bullpen. Longtime closer Jonathan Papelbon will be a free agent and could jump ship after some unpleasant ends to seasons recently. If he does leave, Daniel Bard is the likely heir to the ninth inning unless Boston chooses to pick from the plethora of closers that will be on the open market.

Next season doesn’t promise to be any easier regardless of how the Red Sox look to plug their holes. The Yankees will undoubtedly hit the offseason with money to spend and word is Toronto will be looking to raise their payroll as well. With the Yankees and Rays already among the games powerhouse franchises, Toronto’s return to respectability would make the game’s best division even better.

Boston will need to make some smart free agent decisions this offseason while hoping that some of their dead wood can bounce back from atrocious seasons. It’s tough to be successful when your highest paid players put up some of the worst numbers in the game.

Atlanta Braves
September 1: (81-56) Led Wild Card by 8.5 games
September 29: (89-73) Lost Wild Card by 1 game

LOOKING BACK

When play began on September 2, the Braves held a comfortable 9 game lead in the loss column for the NL Wild Card over the Cardinals and the Giants. The Braves were sitting pretty, with a playoff probability of well over 90%. Everything was going right for Atlanta—the starting pitching was strong, the back end of the bullpen was superb and the hitters were finally starting to show signs of life. Dan Uggla was fresh off a 33-game hitting streak and Chipper Jones was healthy and regaining his stroke.

But just around the time when Atlanta playoff tickets went on sale, disaster hit. Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens, two of the Braves top three starters went down with injuries. The offense up and disappeared, with four regulars hitting under .250 and no one with over 60 AB hit over .271 in the month of September. The enormous workload of relief duo of Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters finally caught up to them and fastballs down and on the corners started leaking back over the middle of the plate.

The Braves lost 18 of their final 26 games, including their last five contests. They were swept by the Cardinals in mid-September and went 0-6 against Philadelphia. September produced the Braves highest ERA of any month of the season, and their lowest OPS. Seventeen of their last twenty-six games were against teams with losing records, but the Braves managed just an 8-9 record in those games.

LOOKING FORWARD

What does the near future look like for Atlanta? There shouldn’t be too much roster turnover, as many of the Braves core players are under team control for 2012. Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla will undoubtedly return to the right side of the infield and Brian McCann and Chipper Jones are under contract for 2012. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez is the only infielder without a contract for next season, so the Braves may look to bring in a replacement with more offensive upside.

Dan Uggla hopes 2012 is a little kinder than 2011

Jason Heyward (pre-arbitration), Martin Prado and Michael Bourn (both arbitration eligible) should make up the outfield next season and the prospective OF class doesn’t have a clear-cut upgrade available apart from Carlos Beltran.

The rotation and bullpen should stay mostly the same with the returns of Hanson and Jurrjens. Both Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe are in the final years of their contracts and the Braves could look to unload one or both. Hudson should be fairly easy to deal if they choose to do so, but Atlanta would have to kick in a lot of money for anyone to take Derek Lowe off their hands. The Braves have Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor and Randall Delgado to fill out the rotation and to act as starting pitching depth.

The bullpen should see the normal amount of turnover with the top guys staying locked into their roles and guys like Scott Linebrink and George Sherrill should be replaced either by similar veteran arms or from within the system.

The Braves will return pretty much the same team that missed the wild card by one game this year, but their path to the playoffs might be significantly more difficult. Washington is finally seeing some returns from their high draft picks and finished the 2011 season just one game under .500. I wouldn’t count them as a lock to finish worse than Atlanta next season. The Marlins will move into a new stadium and a new name (Miami Marlins) and the new revenues that come with those. There have been rumors of the Marlins spending that money and I wouldn’t be surprised if they take a shot (however remote) at Albert Pujols. Certainly they’ll be in on the top pitchers (CJ Wilson) and they always have plenty of young homegrown talent.

With the division’s toughest inter-league schedule and the improvements of the rest of the NL East, the Braves will have a more daunting task awaiting them in 2012, without a whole lot of room for outside improvement. Atlanta will once again have to rely on the continued development of its young players and hope to keep its key rotation pieces healthy for a full season.

Realistically, the only major change the Braves could make is to their coaching staff, which despite the collapse seems unlikely. Fredi Gonzalez is a poor manager, but will certainly won’t be let go after just one season.

Justin Verlander 24-5, 2.40

But delving deeper into his season might show otherwise. Undoubtedly, traditional stats like wins, ERA and strikeouts confirm that Verlander is the clear Cy Young winner. He will win the pitching triple crown this season by leading the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA. While not as rare as the hitting triple crown (average, HRs and RBIs) the last dozen pitchers that have won the triple crown have also won the Cy Young award.

However, more extensive statistics show that Verlander might not be the clear-cut best pitcher in the American League. His WAR of 7.0 is tied with CC Sabathia for the best in the American League, but of qualified starters, Justin Verlander ranks just fourth in FIP and second in xFIP. FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching and eliminates things that pitchers have no control over, such as defense. His FIP is actually the highest it has been since 2008, while his ERA this year is a career-low.

CC Sabathia has a lower FIP and xFIP than Verlander, and the 0.60 edge Verlander has in ERA is due entirely to Sabathia’s unusually high BABIP (batting average of balls in play) of .318 this season. Verlander’s 2.40 ERA is due mostly to an abnormally low BABIP and an abnormally high LOB% (left on base percentage). Both of these statistics are based mainly on “luck” and if these numbers were more in line with Verlander’s career numbers his season may have a different look. His career BABIP is .285 which is a very normal number, but in 2011 it is .238—much lower than the league average.

Another aspect of Verlander’s season that must be taken into account is the competition he has faced. Pitching in the American League Central division, Verlander will have made 10 starts against teams with a winning record this season, and just three such starts since July. CC Sabathia on the other hand has made 19 starts against winning teams, 11 since June.

Traditional statistics point to Justin Verlander as a clear-cut Cy Young favorite, but advanced metrics show that CC Sabathia has been the American League’s best pitcher in 2011. Cases can be made for either man to win the award, and I wouldn’t be all that upset if either pitcher received the award.

But, I can see no case whatsoever where anyone can make a case that Justin Verlander is the Most Valuable Player.

First of all, anyone that says the Tigers would have missed the playoffs without Verlander is insane. Detroit will end up winning the division by at least 14 games, probably more. The Tigers also outscored every team in their division by anywhere from 40 to 160 runs. Hitters like Miguel Cabrera have a much better case for MVP than Verlander. Cabrera is somewhat overlooked because he is this good every season. Verlander is having a career year, but Cabrera has a career year every year. The Tigers would have made the playoffs if I replaced him in the starting rotation.

Secondly, pitchers have had much better seasons than Verlander is having this year. If Pedro Martinez didn’t win the MVP for his 1999 season, Verlander shouldn’t finish top 10. That season, Pedro struck out 63 more batters than Verlander did this year, despite facing 134 less batters. Never mind Pedro did it in the midst of the Steroid Age and Verlander’s doing his thing in an offensive decline.

Every day skill players like Jose Bautista, Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson and Miguel Cabrera are more valuable to their team than Justin Verlander. I believe that in baseball, the best player is the most valuable player. During a short playoff series, one starting pitcher can most definitely be the most valuable player, but over the course of a 162 game season, an everyday player provides a team the most value.

Justin Verlander is having an incredible season, but it is far from the historically good year that would force me admit that he is as a runaway Cy Young winner or a serious MVP candidate.

Inglourious Basterds: B-
Drawn out and lengthy. I felt there was a lot of film fluff in the movie that did little to further the plot. It was both jumpy and extended at the same time. I’ve never really been a huge Tarantino fan and he certainly didn’t win me over with this one. As is most of his work, Basterds was a little over the top and unbelievable.

Defiance: A
I love a good war movie, and this one was absolutely fantastic. Daniel Craig is phenomenal as the oldest Beilski brother, leading refugee Jews out of the Nazi’s way. He sets up temporary settlements for his people in the forests, moving and starting from scratch every time they are discovered. The Beilski brothers clash over how to handle their responsibilities and are ultimately confronted by the German army.

Schindler’s List: B
Liam Neeson is terrific and Ralph Fiennes is terrifying in the true story of Oskar Schindler. The movie is a bit long, but is nonetheless a fantastic retelling of one of World War 2′s finest men. Schindler was personally responsible for saving the lives of hundreds of Jews by employing them in his factories rather than shipping them off to concentration camps.

We Were Soldiers: A+
For me to hand out an A+ to a movie it has to be absolutely amazing, and We Were Soldiers is that caliber of movie. Mel Gibson is tremendous as Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore of the 7th Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of Ia Drang. The movie captures the true atmosphere of the Vietnam War and retells the story in a way that does the American soldiers true justice.

The Great Escape: A-
Although a bit lengthy at nearly 3 hours, The Great Escape is a very entertaining once it gets going. Steve McQueen is fantastic as the cocky American officer and his motorcycle stunts (performed by McQueen) at the end of the movie are breath-takingly enjoyable. If the movie had been made in 2011, the Nazis would have been more evil, the heroes less interesting and the movie would have been much, much louder. As it is, The Great Escape is highly enjoyable and definitely one of my favorite wartime movies.

Behind Enemy Lines: C+
I think I’ve type-casted Owen Wilson into the frat-pack actor that it took me a while to get into him as a military man. And if you can’t buy him in that role, this movie won’t change your mind. Wilson’s character here is probably the worst Navy pilot to be stuck in enemy territory and the only reason he isn’t killed is because the villains are somehow even more incompetent than he is.

The Pianist: A-
It always surprises me that a sick freak like Roman Polanski can turn out a great movie and believe me, The Pianist is a great movie. Dark and foreboding, but fantastic nevertheless. It’s a story of terror and loss, but amidst all the devastation and destruction, something beautiful continues to persevere.

Platoon: A-
Martin Sheen had Apocalypse Now and his son has Platoon. Having actually served in Vietnam, director Oliver Stone is able to depict an infantryman’s strife more accurately than any before him. He doesn’t glorify war as many movies do and Charlie Sheen stays mostly out of the way of great performances by Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe.

Black Hawk Down: B
Black Hawk Down accurately re-creates the disastrous US military raid in Mogadishu, Somalia. Using a true ensemble cast, the movie follows several different story lines and several groups of soldiers engaged with unfriendly forces.

The Dirty Dozen: B+
Another older film in which Lee Marvin is put in charge of 12 soldiers convicted of rape and murder and is instructed to train them to infiltrate a German chateau and eliminate as many officers as possible before they are killed. The movie is smart, funny and well-paced. There are amusing moments throughout and you almost forget that the guy you are rooting for are some of the most despicable criminals imaginable.

Air Force One: A
I loved this one. Harrison Ford was excellent as the President of a hijacked Air Force One. It was a little more violent than I anticipated, but I don’t think it was overdone or unnecessary. Glenn Close was also wonderful as the determined Vice President. This is one that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from, particularly Gary Oldman’s chilling performance as a Russian terrorist. You can’t have a hero movie without a villain and the badder the bad guy, the more heroic your hero can be.

Psycho: B+
Knowing the ending really ruined it for me. While it was a very well done movie, it seemed to end rather abruptly. Instead of letting the viewer gradually figure things out for themselves before wrapping everything up, Hitchcock simply plot-dumps the whole movie in the last five minutes. A little disappointing given the recommendation this movie received.

Se7en: A
This movie is not for people that are put off by psychopathic serial killers. The entire film is dark, grisly and frankly disturbing. Despite this, it’s a fantastically fascinating film. The only thing keeping this film from an A+ grade is a somewhat disappointing ending. Not that it was bad, but so much went on during during the first hour and a half that the last half hour just seemed to “easy”. Nevertheless, Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt are both fantastic as the old dog detective about to retire and the recently transferred young hot shot hunting a serial killer, John Doe, who is carrying out his crimes to preach a lesson about the Seven Deadly Sins.

The Dark Knight: A+
“Sometimes, a man just wants to watch the world burn.” The Joker is a different breed of criminal, one who commits atrocities with dangerous precision and planning for no reason other posing moral dilemmas for his intended targets. The special effects are incredible, but the movie is enjoyable because of the performances of the actors. Heath Ledger’s Joker is psychotic and insane while Batman, Gordon and Dent are all focal points of his evil transgressions. Possibly two of the world’s greatest actors, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine stand in as Batman’s pillars of confidence, both moral and ethical. Director Christopher Nolan has successfully taken Batman out of the comic books and transplanted the world onto the big screen in a way never done before.

The Silence of the Lambs: B+
Serial killers are never easily understood. So a movie about two serial killers is bound to be one messed up film—and Silence of the Lambs is just that. Hannibal Lecter’s entrance is carefully prepared and it is eventually under his guidance that the FBI locates and stops another serial killer. The Beauty and the Beast theme is played out very obviously, and Jodie Foster is terrific in her role as the young trainee assigned to work with Lecter and her steadiness and pluckiness are paramount to the movie. Despite her excellent work, she is upstaged by Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of what could possibly be film’s most iconic villain.

Die Hard: B
Overall a solid film that really defined a genre. Fast-paced and fascinating, Die Hard was highly enjoyable. Bruce Willis was pretty good as the man part of man-against-the world, but even more impressive was Alan Rickman’s portrayal of the sadistic corporate thief. His presence is so powerful that you almost find yourself more concerned about the outcome of Hans Gruber that the movie’s hero.

Up for next week? War movies.

How To Train Your Dragon: A-
I had not read the book and had put off seeing the movie because I assumed it would be some cheesy kids flick. I was wrong. This movie was very enjoyable for any age, it was clever and funny. It also took me over an hour to figure out that the head Viking was voiced by Gerard Butler. Very well written story and very impressive animation.

Tangled: B+
Another animated movie targeted to children that ended up as a quite enjoyable adult movie as well. It was a very clever re-telling of the classic tale Rapunzel and if you’re going to reinterpret a classic childhood fairy tale, you had better do a good job and they did.

Rio: B
Maybe it’s just my taste, but I continually find myself enjoying a good animated flick and you can count Rio among those. It’s easier to take liberties in an animated movie and maybe that’s what makes them special or maybe it’s hearing Anne Hathaway’s voice come out of a parrot that’s somehow attractive. One domesticated bird and one wild one team up to elude poachers and make it to their respective destinations.

Megamind: B+
Megamind wasn’t fantastic, but it put a smile on my face and made me laugh on more than one occasional, which is what any good movie does. Will Ferrell’s character goes from last survivor to evil genius to Metro City’s last hope.

Up: A
If Pixar has made a bad movie, I’ve yet to come across it. Up is just next in line of Pixar’s home runs. The plot is far-fetched but fascinating and the pairing of crotchety old gentleman, over-eager boy scout and talking dog just makes all the sense in the world. It’s an emotional and endearing story that immerses you in a world of wonder.

Gnomeo & Juliet: D-
There’s a reason that William Shakespeare didn’t pen his classic piece of literature about garden gnomes. There were close to a million characters and at 84 minutes, there just isn’t enough time to properly develop any of them, leading to a horribly confusing movie. It helps if you’re intricately familiar with the original source, but not much

Great American Ball Park

Great American Ball Park gets a very high grade in my book. It was spacious with plenty of room to move around, yet it didn’t feel like behemoth of a structure. It was friendly and accessible all at the same time. Food was reasonably priced and parking is a breeze. Located right on the Ohio River, very affordable parking garages abound within walking distance in all directions. You could park in Kentucky and walk across one of several bridges without breaking a sweat.

There were very few superfluous annoyances around the park, which enables fans to focus on the game they came to see. There is no grating PA announcer and the mid-inning gimmicks are tasteful and enjoyable. The only real complaint I had was the brutal heat (mid 90s all game) but our seats were directly in the sun, and there were numerous “Cool Zones” with misting fans and water to keep fans cool.

Speaking of fans, the Reds fans impressed me immensely. The crowd was solid, well informed and well behaved. I don’t think I heard a single curse word the whole afternoon which may be a baseball game first for me. Certainly they were more involved than Atlanta fans, more hospitable than Cardinal fans and more numerous than Royal fans.

The baseball experience doesn’t begin and end with the product on the field, but it incorporates many more elements. TJ and I enjoyed a well-played and entertaining game in a venue that was both accommodating and comfortable.

We ended our long weekend trip with by swinging through the Louisville bat factory in Kentucky. A cheap and fascinating way to spend an hour or two, ten bucks gets you into the museum and through the factory where millions of bats are produced each year.

GABP from the Roebling Bridge

Field view from inside

The Great American Scoreboard

View from our seats - Section 141, Row A, Seats 18-19

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Catcher: Alex Avila, Tigers
Avila has quietly put together a fantastic year for the Tigers. His .300/.373/.532 triple-slash line is impressive for just about any position, but for a catcher it’s exceptional. He strikes out quite a bit (27.6%) but that’s about the only black mark on an otherwise flawless offensive campaign. Russell Martin has missed some time due to a lingering back injury and Carlos Santana’s little hot streak is coming just a bit too late.
June 1 pick: Russell Martin, Yankees

1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
Back on June 1, three AL first basemen were clumped together, but in the 30 days since then the imported Red Sox slugger has distanced himself from his competitors. Mark Teixeira and Miguel Cabrera haven’t been bad at all, Gonzalez has just been that good. He’s hitting .417/.488/.792 in June and is on pace for over 150 RBI. Gonzalez’s antics have overshadowed performances from guys like Paul Konerko (.331/.400/.610) and Adam Lind (.328/.371/.603).
June 1 pick: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers

2B: Robinson Cano, Yankees
After a somewhat disappointing May, Cano has rebounded to MVP-level performance, hitting .329/.397/.529 in June. He’s slowly rounding into form and is very easily the best second baseman in the league. Dustin Pedroia has also rebounded from a rocky April and May, but his power away from Fenway is still non-existent (9 XBH in 131 AB). Zobrist has struggled to maintain his early season performance and Howie Kendrick spent an extended time on the DL
June 1 pick: Ben Zobrist, Rays

3B: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
Rodriguez remains the class of the American League’s third basemen. Despite slumping for three weeks in May, A-Rod holds a .296/.375/.510 line with above-average defense at the hot corner. Kevin Youkilis has rebounded from a slow offensive start, but not quite enough to earn him the starting nod over Rodriguez.
June 1 pick: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees

SS: Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
Cabrera has carried his strong early-season performance into the beginning of summer, and therefore retains my vote as AL shortstop. Jhonny Peralta has been nearly as impressive with the bat, but his defense is steady rather than spectacular. JJ Hardy is also making a push with a strong June in Baltimore, but it’s too little too late.
June 1 pick: Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians

OF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
I don’t really need to change much from the comments I made on Bautista a month ago. Even with the down month of June in which his power completely disappeared (.227/.378/.288) he stills leads all outfielders in average, on-base percentage and slugging. There should be no debate about who is the American League’s best outfielder.
June 1 pick: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays

OF: Curtis Granderson, Yankees
If you’re looking for things to critique about Granderson’s season so far, you won’t find much that amounts to anything. He’s hit for average (.280) and power (.481) and has a 10% walk rate, which is eighth-best among AL outfielders, but third-best among Yankee outfielders. He’s hit lefties (.978 OPS) and righties (.934 OPS) and he’s hit at home (.968 OPS) and on the road (.926 OPS). All that offense and above average defense in centerfield? All-star all the way.
June 1 pick: Curtis Granderson, Yankees

OF: Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
Ellsbury completes my outfield from the AL East. He surpasses guys on my list who have struggled (Matt Joyce) or been hurt (Josh Hamilton). Ellsbury has rebounded spectacularly from a 2010 season lost to various injuries by posting a .313/.373/.469 line and setting the table for baseball’s best offense. His defense is adventurous but exciting and he’s just the guy to leadoff for the American League in Arizona.
June 1 pick: Matt Joyce, Rays

DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox
Ortiz is still the leader in a weak field and by a large margin. His offense carried the Red Sox lineup through early season struggles and now only complements his teammates as they put up ten-spot after ten-spot.
June 1 pick: David Ortiz

SP: Justin Verlander, Tigers
Verlander already has a no-hitter to his name this season and if not for pesky Orlando Cabrera, he might have two. Absolutely un-hittable when he’s on, Verlander’s pure stuff can blow hitters away even when he doesn’t have everything working. He’s a little homer prone and has a slight tendency for flyballs, but other than that he’s been nearly a perfect pitcher. A workhorse and ace in every sense of the words.
June 1 pick: Jered Weaver, Angels

NATIONAL LEAGUE

C: Brian McCann, Braves
Brian McCann has to be one of the most underrated players in Major League Baseball. Year after year he posts some of the best numbers amongst major league catchers and does it all while catching 130+ games. Miguel Montero will make a fine back-up, but McCann is clearly the class of the National League catchers.
June 1 pick: Brian McCann, Braves

1B: Prince Fielder, Brewers
Gaby Sanchez was my nice little story, but since the beginning of June, he’s cooled off somewhat while Prince Fielder has gone on an absolute tear. Surprisingly, there are only two NL first basemen slugging over .502 (Prince and Washington’s Michael Morse). Albert Pujols’ injury removes him from the race, and Joey Votto is still looking for the home run power he had last year.
June 1 pick: Gaby Sanchez, Marlins

2B: Rickie Weeks, Brewers
Rickie Weeks is without a doubt the National League starter at second. He has been consistently good in all facets of the game since Day 1 and holds statistical advantages just about across the board. Washington’s Danny Espinosa has been putting up some good counting numbers, but a .230 average and .320 OBP put him in a tier well below Weeks.
June 1 leader: Rickie Weeks, Brewers

3B: Chase Headley, Padres
Headley has used three four-hit games in the past week to really push his case for the NL squad. He’s not hitting for much power (.108 IsoP) but nobody does in Petco Park. He holds a .297/.392/.406 which makes him the most valuable offensive third baseman in the league. He’s adjusted well to hitting in the middle of the lineup and is now a foundation for the Padres’ future.
June 1 pick: Placido Polanco, Phillies

SS: Jose Reyes, Mets
No change in shortstops over the last month, as Reyes continues to outpace his peers with a .338/.372/.550 month of June. Jimmy Rollins has heated up over the past few weeks and Starlin Castro has been consistently good, but both still fall well behind Reyes.
June 1 pick: Jose Reyes, Mets

OF: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
After last season’s dismal showing, I needed more than two months to buy into what Matt Kemp was selling. It’s now summer and Kemp is still punishing every pitcher who pitches to him. He’s hitting for power and average and he’s amongst the league leaders in stolen bases. He’s a complete offensive package, which is good enough for an all-star spot even if his defense is a little lackadaisical at times.
June 1 pick: Matt Holliday

OF: Ryan Braun, Brewers
Braun is in the midst of another MVP-caliber season that should see him start his fourth consecutive all-star game for the senior circuit. His numbers do not quite stack up with Kemp’s but they outpace just about everyone else in the NL.
June 1 pick: Ryan Braun, Brewers

OF: Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks have surprised many this year and are in serious contention for their division, with Justin Upton being the biggest reason why. After a less-than-ideal 2010 season, Upton has rebounded to superstar levels of production in 2011 as he leads Arizona to the top of the NL West. Upton fits the mold of the new power-speed combo that teams are looking for now as he, Braun and Kemp will all enter the All-Star weekend with excellent chances at 30-30 seasons.
June 1 leader: Lance Berkman, Cardinals

DH: Lance Berkman, Cardinals
If the National League really wants the pitcher to bat so freaking badly, let them. But don’t force the AL to follow your stupid rules. If your game is better, then beat us at our game, using yours. Rant aside, Berkman has been fantastic for the Cardinals this season amidst slumps and injuries to other star players. He’s been pushed out of the starting outfield, but his consolation prize is here because of the game-destroying DH rule implemented for the ASG.

SP: Roy Halladay, Phillies
What else can you say about the man? He’s consistently phenomenal regardless of who he is facing, where he is pitching or whatever other extenuating circumstances there may be. He’s thrown a perfect game and a no-hitter in the last year and is once again the NL’s elite talent when it comes to starting pitchers. He has the league’s lowest BB rate and pairs that with nearly a strikeout per inning and an overwhelming amount of ground-balls. He’s the ultimate video game pitcher pitching in real-life.