Torii Hunter, Hideki Matsui best bets for Angels’ All-Stars

By Bill Shaikin
The All-Star game comes to Anaheim this summer for the third time, and this time the Angels might have one of their own in the starting lineup.

In 1967, the Angels had three players — shortstop Jim Fregosi, first baseman Don Mincher and pitcher Jim McGlothlin — selected as reserves. In 1989, they had outfielder Devon White and pitcher Chuck Finley selected as reserves, and Finley did not get into the game.
The Angels have emerged as an elite franchise since then, but the only players elected into the starting lineup over the last two decades are Troy Glaus (2003) and Vladimir Guerrero (2004-07).

The best bets to break into the starting lineup this year are Torii Hunter and Hideki Matsui.

Hunter finished fourth in voting for outfielders last year, behind Jason Bay, who is now in the National League, Ichiro Suzuki and Josh Hamilton. Matsui finished second to David Ortiz in voting for designated hitter two years ago, the last time the game was played in an American League ballpark, and all that Yankees name recognition — Matsui was the World Series most valuable player last year — couldn’t hurt.

Times Major League Baseball reporter Bill Shaikin tries his hand at predicting what the starting lineups might look like for the 2010 All-Star game at Angel Stadium:

NATIONAL LEAGUE
1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2B: Chase Utley, Philadelphia
SS: Hanley Ramirez, Florida
3B: David Wright, New York
LF: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
CF: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
RF: Matt Holliday, St. Louis
C: Brian McCann, Atlanta
DH: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado
P: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia

AMERICAN LEAGUE
1B: Mark Teixeira, New York
2B: Dustin Pedroia, Boston
SS: Derek Jeter, New York
3B: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
LF: Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay
CF: Curtis Granderson, New York
RF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
C: Joe Mauer, Minnesota
DH: Hideki Matsui, Angels
P: Zack Greinke, Kansas City