bdj610's End of Year MLB All-Star Teams: 2001 Edition

The year 2001 began with my daughter getting really sick on New Year's Day (to the point we were at the emergency room in Evanston) and ended with the announcement that we were expecting a second child. In between, many references to 2001: A Space Odyssey abounded. And in between that, we experienced the joys and pains of being parents to a toddler. Those were the days.

In 2001, Topps celebrated it's 50th year of being in the baseball card business. The 2001 Topps set itself was the first one that made me want to start collecting all the regular insert cards included in the sets. Money was tight, but eBay helped save me time and money when it came to completing the 2001 Topps Through the Years 50-card reprint set. I even started selling cards online. One of these days, I'll start that up again.

I did follow baseball a lot during the summer (who couldn't???), with Barry Bonds making history, a player from Japan who was NOT a pitcher hitting everything in sight, and in St. Louis, a hitting prodigy makes an impact not only on the game, but in the Hobby itself. Also, 2001 had the most exciting World Series to date. On the same day the D-Backs won the seventh game of the World Series (happy birthday sweetheart...), the Bears beat the Browns in a way that I had never seen before. The week before against the 49ers, the Bears

• tied the game in the 4th quarter, sending the game into overtime,
• lost the toss, and
• on the 49ers' first offensive series in OT, Mike Brown intercepted the ball and scored a touchdown.

Now, I said that I had never seen it before. Not the play, I've seen that many times before. But the fact that in that game against the Browns, the Bears won the game in the exact...EXACT...same way:

• tied the game in the 4th quarter, sending the game into overtime,
• lost the toss, and
• on the Browns' first offensive series in OT, Mike Brown intercepted the ball and scored a touchdown.

Talk about your déjà vu!!! Okay, enough football.

Did I come up with All-Star Teams? Of course. But this year, I added an eleventh pitcher, a middle reliever, to the roster. Why? Because I felt it was about time that I added a pitcher that would normally would never get recognition. A player who fills in a position that never gets recognized. And hey, somebody has to represent them. So there are 11 pitchers on each team (six starters, one middle reliever, and four closers), and because the 2002 ASG would be in Milwaukee (at Miller Park), there was no DH needed (remember, the Brewers joined the NL in 1998). So the rosters remain at 35 players per team.

So without further ado, for the first time online, I am proud to introduce my 2001 End of Year MLB All-Star Teams (in alphabetical order by position):

(Cue Also sprach Zarathustra...)

American League First Basemen Jason Giambi, Athletics Rafael Palmeiro, Rangers Mike Sweeney, Royals Second Basemen Roberto Alomar, Indians Bret Boone, Mariners Ray Durham, White Sox Third Basemen Tony Batista, Orioles Eric Chavez, Athletics* Troy Glaus, Angels Shortstops Derek Jeter, Yankees Alex Rodriguez, Rangers Miguel Tejada, Athletics* Outfielders Mike Cameron, Mariners* Roger Cedeño, Tigers * Juan Gonzalez, Indians Magglio Ordoñez, White Sox Manny Ramirez, Red Sox Shannon Stewart, Blue Jays* Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners* Greg Vaughn, Devil Rays Bernie Williams, Yankees Catchers Robert Fick, Tigers* Jorge Posada, Yankees Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers Pitchers Roger Clemens, Yankees Keith Foulke, White Sox* Freddy Garcia, Mariners* Joe Mays, Twins* Jamie Moyer, Mariners Mark Mulder, Athletics* Troy Percival, Angels Paul Quantrill, Blue Jays* Mariano Rivera, Yankees C. C. Sabathia, Indians* Kazuhiro Sasaki, Mariners Manager: Charlie Manuel, Indians The Starters: 1B: Giambi 2B: Boone 3B: Glaus SS: ARodriguez OF: Suzuki OF: JGonzalez OF: Ramirez C: Rodriguez P: Clemens *First-Time All-Star

National League First Basemen Sean Casey, Reds Todd Helton, Rockies Richie Sexson, Brewers* Second Basemen Craig Biggio, Astros Jeff Kent, Giants Todd Walker, Reds* Third Basemen Chipper Jones, Braves Phil Nevin, Padres* Albert Pujols, Cardinals* Shortstops Rich Aurelia, Giants Ricky Gutierrez, Cubs* Jimmy Rollins, Phillies* Outfielders Moises Alou, Astros Lance Berkman, Astros* Barry Bonds, Giants Cliff Floyd, Marlins Luis Gonzalez, Diamondbacks Vladimir Guerrero, Expos Gary Sheffield, Dodgers Sammy Sosa, Cubs Larry Walker, Rockies Catchers Jason Kendall, Pirates Paul LoDuca, Dodgers* Mike Piazza, Mets Pitchers Armando Benitez, Mets Kyle Farnsworth, Cubs* Trevor Hoffman, Padres Randy Johnson, Diamondbacks Jon Lieber, Cubs* Greg Maddux, Braves Matt Morris, Cardinals* Robb Nen, Giants Russ Ortiz, Giants* Curt Schilling, Diamondbacks Jeff Shaw, Dodgers Manager: Bob Brenly, Diamondbacks The Starters: 1B: Helton 2B: Kent 3B: Jones SS: Aurelia OF: Bonds OF: LGonzalez OF: Sosa C: Piazza P: Johnson

Twenty-five players are first-time all-stars (13 for the American League, 12 for the Nationals). One-person teams on my 2001 rosters include the Devil Rays (Vaughn), Orioles (Batista), Red Sox (Ramirez), Royals (Sweeney), Twins (Mays), Brewers (Sexson), Expos (Guerrero), Marlins (Floyd), Phillies (Rollins), and Pirates (Giles). The Mariners send six representatives to the AL, leading both leagues. The Yankees and Giants each send five players to their respective squads. Chicago bias makes a comeback as there are seven players from both Chicago teams (3 from the White Sox, 4 from the Cubs).

As always, seven regular games (10,000 simulations each, six with the same starting pitchers, one where lineups and starting pitchers change), and one All-Star Game will be simulated during the course of the week. I hope to have the results of all the games by the end of the week.

Now it's time for me to create the .DAT files before getting the games set. Results to come on Monday (unless we party too late).

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama