All star first timers

[RockRaines]

American League

Jon Garland, White Sox starting pitcher: A 12-game winner in each of the last three seasons, the former first-round pick of the Cubs – remember the Matt Karchner trade? – might get his dozen wins for 2005 before the All-Star Game. He and Florida's Dontrelle Willis, who was also dealt away by the Cubs, are decent bets to wind up as the starting pitchers.

 

Garland opened the season as the White Sox's No. 5 starter but won his first eight starts, building the confidence he lacked in previous seasons. Some credit should go to A.J. Pierzynski and Chris Widger, who are working better with him than their catching predecessors, most notably Miguel Olivo.

 

Brian Roberts

Roberts

 

Brian Roberts, Orioles second baseman: This guy apparently didn't get the memo about hitting being down. He's leading the AL with a .362 batting average, but has done a lot more than set the table in Baltimore's powerful order. He's positioned himself for a 20/20 season, collecting 11 homers and 13 stolen bases, and played very solid defensively opposite Miguel Tejada.

 

Mark Teixeira, Rangers first baseman: A strong hitter playing in a park seemingly built for his line-drive stroke, Teixeira is tied for third in the AL with 16 homers. He could wind up as an MVP candidate with a strong second half.

 

B.J. Ryan, Orioles closer: An effective set-up man in previous seasons, he has converted 17 of 19 save chances for first-place Baltimore. He's allowing opponents to hit only .207 while striking out more than 14 batters per nine innings. And he's left-handed.

 

Tadahito Iguchi, White Sox second baseman: The latest Japanese import has made a smooth transition, partly because he's had countryman Shingo Takatsu showing him the ropes and partly because he's seeing lots of fastballs hitting behind Scott Podsednik. He was a No. 3 hitter in Japan, but is doing a good job as a table setter. He's been the most consistent hitter in Ozzie Guillen's lineup.

 

Gustavo Chacin

Chacin

 

Gustavo Chacin, Blue Jays starting pitcher: The rookie from Venezuela has made 13 solid starts in a division that should be tough for left-handed starters. He's 6-4 with a 3.04 ERA, allowing only one homer every 20 innings. Impressive.

 

Also worth considering: Rangers designated hitter David Dellucci, Tigers starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman, Twins set-up man Jesse Crain, White Sox closer Dustin Hermanson and White Sox left fielder Scott Podsednik.

 

Phil Rogers is the national baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune, which has a Web site at www.chicagosports.com.

[Kalapse]

Why the hell do people think Tadahito Iguchi is going to be an All-Star. They're only going to carry 2 secondbaseman and Roberts and Soriano have that locked up.

[YASNY]

Why the hell do people think Tadahito Iguchi is going to be an All-Star. They're only going to carry 2 secondbaseman and Roberts and Soriano have that locked up.

 

Why do you assume they are only going to carry two second basemen?

[rangercal]

Why do you assume they are only going to carry two second basemen?

why do you assume he's assuming that they are carrying 2 2nd basemen?

[YASNY]

why do you assume he's assuming that they are carrying 2 2nd basemen?                 

 

While I'm assuming you were trying to be a smart ass, and succeeding, by the way; it's because he said this:

 

They're only going to carry 2 secondbaseman

[rangercal]

While I'm assuming you were trying to be a smart ass, and succeeding, by the way; it's because he said this:

I know, I read the whole thread. I was just bored.