Fans Get Their Way in the All-Star Game

Sure, it counts. We know.

But if the All-Star game’s outcome were so important to baseball fans, then explain how Jason Giambi gets half a million votes. Why does Carlos Beltran lap Andruw Jones?

Does the guy in the Safeco Field bleachers punch the little box beside Adrian Beltre’s name because American League victory means World Series home-field advantage for the Seattle Mariners? Does he punch it 400,000 times?

October is forever away, as far as the Mariners are from the Angels. If enough people want Beltre, have Beltre. Or Giambi. Whomever.

So, let the fans have at it. It’s entertainment, sort of. A player has worn his helmet backward, the game has finished in a tie. It’s a golf outing with a few speeches and putting contests where the golf should be.

If so many people (more than 700,000 by last count) want to see a .157-hitting, groin-damaged shortstop play in Detroit in two weeks, by all means let’s invite Nomar Garciaparra. Happens every year.

The rosters are 32 players long; there’s room for everybody.

That said, and purely for reference sake, the popular ballots whiffed on a few deserving players. And, by “deserving,” we mean guys who have bonuses riding on this thing.

Announcements are today. In the following, fan choices are based on votes cast through midweek, and some races were too close to call. At press time, we were waiting on a few counties in Ohio.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

FIRST BASE

Fans: Derrek Lee, Cubs, or Albert Pujols, Cardinals

Reality: Lee. What should have been a close vote was; Lee had a near-triple crown first half, Pujols wasn’t far off.

Backup: Pujols.

Also considered: Carlos Delgado, Marlins; Nick Johnson, Nationals.

SECOND BASE

Fans: Jeff Kent, Dodgers.

Reality: Kent can be prickly and sullen, but he could open fire in the clubhouse and still be the Dodgers’ most valuable player. In fact

Backup: Chase Utley, Phillies.

Also considered: Marcus Giles, Braves; Craig Biggio, Astros; Bill Hall, Brewers.

THIRD BASE

Fans: Scott Rolen, Cardinals.

Reality: Morgan Ensberg, Astros. If you’ve been wondering how the Astros score runs with a minimally effective Lance Berkman and an ailing Jeff Bagwell, here’s your reason.

Backup: Aramis Ramirez, Cubs.

Also considered: Troy Glaus, Diamondbacks; David Wright, Mets.

SHORTSTOP

Fans: David Eckstein, Cardinals

Reality: Felipe Lopez, Reds. Lopez, who took over the everyday job in mid-May, leads NL shortstops in homers, RBIs and slugging.

Backup: Omar Vizquel, Giants.

Also considered: Cesar Izturis, Dodgers; Eckstein; Clint Barmes, Rockies; Jimmy Rollins, Phillies; Jose Reyes, Mets; Rafael Furcal, Braves.

CATCHER

Fans: Mike Piazza, Mets

Reality: Paul Lo Duca, Marlins. In a down year for NL catchers, Lo Duca is a clutch and productive hitter.

Backup: Michael Barrett, Cubs.

Also considered: Piazza; Yadier Molina, Cardinals; Mike Matheny, Giants; Johnny Estrada, Braves; Ramon Hernandez, Padres.

OUTFIELD

Fans: Bobby Abreu, Phillies; Jim Edmonds, Cardinals; Carlos Beltran, Mets.

Reality: Miguel Cabrera, Marlins; Carlos Lee, Brewers, Andruw Jones, Braves. Cabrera could chase Derrek Lee into September for MVP votes, Carlos Lee had 30 RBIs in May and 28 in June, Jones leads the majors in home runs.

Backups: Abreu, Phillies; Pat Burrell, Phillies; Edmonds.

Also considered: Luis Gonzalez, Diamondbacks; Cliff Floyd, Mets; Jason Bay, Pittsburgh; Moises Alou, Giants; Jose Guillen, Nationals.

PITCHERS

Starters: Dontrelle Willis, Marlins; Chris Carpenter, Cardinals; Roger Clemens, Astros; Pedro Martinez, Mets; Livan Hernandez, Nationals; Roy Oswalt, Astros; John Smoltz, Braves; Jake Peavy, Padres.

Relievers: Chad Cordero, Nationals; Jason Isringhausen, Cardinals; Trevor Hoffman, Padres.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

FIRST BASE

Fans: Mark Teixeira, Rangers

Reality: The switch-hitting Teixeira has all of his 22 home runs and all but four of his 64 RBIs from the left side.

Backup: Paul Konerko, White Sox.

Also considered: Richie Sexson, Mariners; Darin Erstad, Angels.

SECOND BASE

Fans: Brian Roberts, Orioles, or Alfonso Soriano, Rangers

Reality: Roberts is batting .362 with runners in scoring position, .323 with runners in scoring position and two out and his on-base plus slugging percentages is 1.052.

Backup: Soriano.

Also considered: Jorge Cantu, Devil Rays.

THIRD BASE

Fans: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees.

Reality: He might not be a real Yankee, but he’s a real All-Star. On his way to 200 hits for the fourth time in his career.

Backup: Hank Blalock, Rangers.

Also considered: Melvin Mora, Orioles; Shea Hillenbrand, Blue Jays; Brandon Inge, Tigers.

SHORTSTOP

Fans: Miguel Tejada, Orioles.

Reality: Tejada not only drives the Oriole offense, he drives the clubhouse as well. He -- and not Manager Lee Mazzilli -- is getting credit for most of what’s gone right for the Orioles, and Mazzilli is beginning to feel the heat for what is going wrong.

Backup: Michael Young, Rangers.

Also considered: Derek Jeter, Yankees; Edgar Renteria, Red Sox.

CATCHER

Fans: Jason Varitek, Red Sox.

Reality: The adult in a room of semi-sanity, Varitek is having another solid season amid the chaos. His impact on the pitching staff is immeasurable.

Backup: Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers.

Also considered: A.J. Pierzynski, White Sox; Jorge Posada, Yankees; Victor Martinez, Indians; Gregg Zaun, Blue Jays; Joe Mauer, Twins, Bengie Molina, Angels.

OUTFIELD

Fans: Manny Ramirez, Red Sox, Vladimir Guerrero, Angels, Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners, or Johnny Damon, Red Sox.

Reality: Ramirez, Damon, Guerrero. Ramirez isn’t quite what he was last season, when he led the league in home runs and became the World Series MVP. Damon’s contract push has his batting average (.339) and on-base percentage (.383) at career highs. Despite three weeks on the disabled list, Guerrero continues as the most feared hitter in the league.

Backups: Suzuki; Garret Anderson, Angels; Gary Sheffield, Yankees.

Also considered: Hideki Matsui, Yankees; Shannon Stewart, Twins; Kevin Mench, Rangers; Scott Podsednik, White Sox; Torii Hunter, Twins; Grady Sizemore, Indians.

DESIGNATED HITTER

Fans: David Ortiz, Red Sox.

Reality: The prototypical DH, Ortiz is as effective against left-handers as he is right-handers.

Backup: Travis Hafner, Indians.

Also considered: Raul Ibanez, Mariners.

PITCHERS

Starters: Mark Buehrle, White Sox; Roy Halladay, Blue Jays; Jon Garland, White Sox; Kenny Rogers, Rangers; Matt Clement, Red Sox; Bartolo Colon, Angels; Freddy Garcia, White Sox.

Relievers: Mariano Rivera, Yankees; B.J. Ryan, Orioles; Eddie Guardado, Mariners; Dustin Hermanson, White Sox; Jesse Crain, Twins.

Bats and Pieces

Red Sox closer Keith Foulke, whose quotes are becoming an On Baseball regular, as his ERA in save situations rose to 11.00, said the boos don’t matter. In the Boston Globe: “They’re not going to make it any harder than it is for me to go home and look in the mirror. ... I’m more embarrassed to walk into this locker room and look into the faces of my teammates than I am to walk out and see Johnny from Burger King booing me.” On your way around the bases, please pay at the second window.

It’s Ozzie Guillen’s world. He has the White Sox playing their best ball in a decade, has a nice new contract extension and, so far, has not allowed the Carl Everett-Frank Thomas playing-time situation to bury him. But even Guillen’s best pals admit he has a thing or two to learn about game management. Tuesday night in Detroit, Guillen hooked Buehrle, the likely All-Star starter, in the seventh inning with a 1-and-1 count on Inge. If that’s not odd enough, Buehrle actually appreciated it. “I got lucky,” he told Chicago reporters after giving up his first earned run in four starts. ... Matt Beech, who was 8-22 in three seasons with the Phillies from 1996 to ‘98, is pitching in Taiwan after recovering from two Tommy John surgeries. His agent is former big league reliever Joe Sambito, whose Tommy John surgery in 1982 is believed to be the sixth performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, a list that has grown into the hundreds. Sambito is based in Irvine.

Grady Sizemore’s line from Wednesday night’s Indians-Red Sox game: 3 4 0 0. Sizemore walked and scored in the first, grounded out in the second and fourth, walked and scored in the sixth, grounded into a fielder’s choice and scored in the eighth, and walked and scored (on Hafner’s grand slam off Foulke) in the ninth. He then showered without getting wet, ate without swallowing, and arrived on Thursday without aging.