First impressions: All-Star Game rosters

The rosters were unveiled Sunday afternoon for the All-Star Game on July 12 in Arizona. And for the most part, they're decent. A few quibbles:

1. They got the wrong Yankees: As always, the New York Yankees are well represented. A few were no-brainers, such as Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano and Mariano Rivera. But CC Sabathia (11-4, 3.05) and Mark Teixeira (25 homers, 65 RBI) aren't even on the final-five ballot for the last AL spot. Meanwhile, Derek Jeter is a starter. Reminds us that it's still a popularity contest. Jeter should play in the field in the top of the first then bench himself. The Tigers' Jhonny Peralta deserves Jeter's roster spot.

2. Pirates plundered: Pittsburgh had a surprisingly strong first half, and the stats showed they deserved two All-Stars. Joel Hanrahan belongs in the NL bullpen (and he's there), but Andrew McCutchen (.294, 12 HR, 45 RBI, 15 SB) is one of the up-and-coming stars in the league, and should have been a manager's pick over the Mets' Carlos Beltran (.281, 12 HR, 54 RBI).

3. Royal screw-up: Aaron Crow in middle relief sounds like an act of desperation because Kansas City needs a representative. Alex Gordon should have been the pick. Will Crow actually play in the game? Not likely. Gordon (.301, 10 HR, 46 RBI) would at least have provided a decent pinch-hit bat, and he could play outfield or third base if the game goes into extra innings. Gordon is in the final five balloting.

4. Konerko snubbed: First base is a deep spot in the AL, but Paul Konerko is having a fantastic season (.317, 21 HR, 62 RBI) and shouldn't have been relegated to the final five. Why does Ron Washington need to carry three catchers? (And possibly a fourth, if Tigers DH-C Victor Martinez wins the final five.)

5. Chipper's lucky: Because of all the injuries at third base in the NL, Chipper Jones made his seventh All-Star team. At .258 with seven homers, the stats don't show it. Was there a better pick? No, not really.

Fortunately, none of these picks were as bad as these 10, The Worst All-Stars of All-Time.

Related: Full 2011 All-Star rosters, with stats, and how they were picked.