Only a few criticisms of All-Star picks

First impressions from the 2009 All-Star Game selections:

American League

• Best story: Tim Wakefield making the team for the first time at age 42. Only Satchel Paige was older in his first All-Star Game.
• Worst pick by fans: Tie, Josh Hamilton and Dustin Pedroia. The fans remembered 2008 a little too much with both of these guys. Home Run Derby hero Hamilton is hurt and might be replaced. Aaron Hill is having a better season than Pedroia, the reigning AL MVP.
• Worst pick by manager: Tampa Bay's Joe Maddon left himself open to criticism by picking three reserves from his own third-place team, but you can make an argument for Carl Crawford, Ben Zobrist (.286, 16 HR) and Jason Bartlett (.362, 18 HR). No doubt Bartlett deserved it, and Crawford (.318, 8 HR, 40 SB) is having a very good year. But Maddon already had a second baseman in Toronto's Hill, and Texas' Michael Young can also play multiple positions. So scratch Zobrist.
• Robbed: The AL might have been better served with the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera (.324, 16 HR) off the bench as a pinch hitter. Or even another Tampa Bay player in Carlos Pena. And Cabrera wasn't even in the final vote? What's up with that?
• Final online vote (one player to be selected): Adam Lind, Blue Jays; Ian Kinsler, Rangers; Chone Figgins, Angels; Carlos Pena, Rays; Brandon Inge, Tigers. My pick: Lind. He has the best stat line (.309, 17 HR, 55 RBI), and is the one guy on this list that the casual fan has never heard of. That's why he won't win.

National League

• Best story: Fans picking the Phillies' Raul Ibanez. Gotta give the NL fans credit here. They made no glaring errors. Putting Ibanez in the game for the first time at age 37 was great.
• Worst pick by fans: You could have picked Brian McCann over Yadier Molina, but it's close. Carlos Beltran is hurt, but fourth-place Alfonso Soriano didn't deserve it this year, either. Hunter Pence, picked as a reserve, is probably the best choice to start in his place, as neither Ryan Braun nor Ibanez should be playing center.
• Worst pick by manager: Charlie Manuel obviously wanted lots of bullpen help and fewer starters. He had a lot of great closers to choose from, too. He had to pick a Cincinnati pitcher, so that's why Francisco Cordero is there. Ryan Franklin has been great for the All-Star host Cardinals, but Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo deserves to be there more. He's 8-5 with a 2.75 ERA and opponents are hitting just .193 against him. If Manuel still wanted all that relief, he could have replaced Chad Billingsley (9-4, 3.12, opponent average .231) as well.
• Robbed: Pablo Sandoval, Giants. The young third baseman is hitting .333 with 14 homers, but Manuel had to pick Ryan Zimmerman to give the Nationals a representative. The surprising Giants did get two pitchers on the team in Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.
• Final online vote (one player to be selected): Mark Reynolds, Diamondbacks; Matt Kemp, Dodgers; Shane Victorino, Phillies; Pablo Sandoval, Giants, Cristian Guzman, Nationals. My pick: Sandoval. Kemp would also be a solid choice, as the NL needs more outfielders. Maybe he gets in as well when Manuel has to replace Beltran.

Check out the full rosters here, and the final voting totals for each league.