All Star Ballot

The 2007 All Star game ballot is up over at MLB.com, and ready to receive your 25 votes (per email address) for who should participate this year. Like all things in baseball that involve voting, everyone seems to have their own theory about what criteria you should use to pick this team. Some people like to vote for who's having the best season now (which makes voting in April and May a little silly). Some people like to vote for who they think are the best overall players in the game. Others like to vote for whichever players have had the best stats since last year's all star game, and still others vote for the people who have had the best highlights on ESPN or the most TV commercials.

But this year, why not vote for some people who have really earned the right to some recognition? Why not vote for the guys who have the most career HBPs? The ones who have put their team ahead of their own well being for season after season... lets give them the individual recognition they deserve just for being willing to take a fastball in the shoulder and get on base rather dive for cover so they can hack at another pitch for a "hey, look at me" home run or something.

So, here are the players with the top career HBPs by position on this year's All Star ballot (top three in each category are included in case you have a moral objection to voting for players from certain teams like the Yankees, or other assorted suspected steroid users):

National League:

First Base:
Carlos Delgado, NYM - 150
Nomar Garciaparra, LAD - 58
Nick Johnson, WAS - 52
Derrek Lee, CHC - 52

Second Base:
Craig Biggio, HOU - 283
Jeff Kent, LAD - 115
Ray Durham, SF - 68

Short Stop:
David Eckstein, STL - 107
Alex Gonzalez, CIN - 56
Omar Vizquel, SF - 46

Third Base:
Scott Rolen, STL - 91
Aramis Ramirez, CHC - 53
Craig Counsell, MIL - 37

Catcher:
Brad Ausmus, HOU - 61
Paul Lo Duca, NYM - 49
Bengie Molina, SF - 30

Outfield:
Luis Gonzalez, LAD - 108
Barry Bonds, SF - 104
Geoff Jenkins, MIL - 86
Andruw Jones, ATL - 78
Ken Griffey, CIN - 76


American League:

First Base:
Jason Giambi, NYY - 128
Sean Casey, DET - 58
Paul Konerko, CWS - 57

Second Base:
Mark Grudzielanek, KC - 94
Placido Polanco, DET - 55
Mark Ellis, OAK - 27

Short Stop:
Derek Jeter, NYY - 119
Miguel Tejada, BAL - 83
Royce Clayton, TOR - 45

Third Base:
Alex Rodriguez, NYY - 108
Melvin Mora, BAL - 89
Mike Lowell, BOS - 43

Catcher:
Jason Kendall, OAK - 210
AJ Pierzynski, CWS - 71
Jorge Posada, NYY - 55

Outfield:
Gary Sheffield, DET - 123
Jose Guillen, SEA - 98
Rondell White, MIN - 85
Manny Ramirez, BOS - 78
Vlad Guerrero, LAA - 73
Shannon Stewart, OAK - 71
Reed Johnson, TOR - 71


Vote early and vote often. (But not for the Yankees or Team BALCO)