Five 2011 MLB All Stars Who Shouldn't Have Made the Cut

Yesterday, the MLB announced the NL and AL rosters for the 2011 All Star game, which will be held on July 12 in Phoenix. The position players are voted in by the fans, and the pitchers are chosen by the players, coaches and managers. Although this system has been criticized frequently, it has for the most part worked effectively in selecting the most talented players for the Midsummer Classic. However, there are always a few selections that are head scratchers. Here are five players who should not have been selected, along with the players who should have been chosen instead.

1. Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees

Derek Jeter may have been an 11-time All Star and one of the most prolific hitters in baseball's modern era, but that doesn't justify voting him into this year's All Star Game. Players are supposed to be selected according to their performances in the first half of the season, and the truth of the matter is that Jeter does not come close to All Star status this year. In fact, he is having one of the worst season's of his career, hitting only .260 with a .323 OBP. He also has suffered from nagging injuries that have limited his play over the past couple of weeks. Jeter got voted in on reputation only. He will make history this summer when he gets his 3000th hit, but that hit will come about much slower than originally expected. To be blunt, Jeter is in his twilight years, and is now reaching the point in his career where we begin to reminisce about his accomplishments, rather than look forward to future ones. Sorry Derek, but the All Star game is about today, not yesterday.

The Right Choice: Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, Cleveland Indians (backup in All Star Game)

2.  Tim Lincecum, Starting Pitcher, San Francisco Giants

Lincecum, much like Jeter, got voted in simply based upon his reputation. Although he is young and has been one of baseball's most proficient pitchers in recent years, this season he has been pedestrian at best. Currently, his record stands at 6-6 with a 3.14 ERA. Nothing to brag about there, really. He has also struggled to make it past six innings on several occasions this year, something that is usually a given for All Star- caliber pitchers. Lincecum probably benefited from the fact that Bruce Bochy, the Giants manager, is also the manager for the NL All Star team this year. He may be a fan favorite, but their were several other pitchers who played much better than Lincecum and didn't get a spot on the All Star Roster.

The Right Choice: Kevin Correia, Starting Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates

3. Carlos Beltran, CF, New York Mets

Carlos Beltran, who was chosen as a reserve player by Bruce Bochy, should not be in this year's All Star game. Period. I'm not being that adamant simply because I am a Phillies fan either. There is no way that Beltran should've been chosen over the quicker and more versitale Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Let's take a look at the numbers: Beltran is batting .280, McCutchen is batting .294. Beltan's OBP is .370, McCutchen's is .393. Beltran only has 3 stolen bases compared to McCutchen's 15. McCutchen's absence from this year's All Star roster is a travesty. He probably suffered because he is on a lowly Pirates team that gets little press attention, but he is easily better than the aging and inferior Beltran.

The Right Choice: (Duh) Andrew McCuthen, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates

4.  David Price, Starting Pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays

David Price put up decent numbers throughout the first half of the season, but those numbers were not All Star caliber ones. So far this year he has gone 8-7 with a 3.56 ERA. Compare those numbers with the ones put up by Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, who is 10-4 with a 3.43 ERA, and you begin to wonder whether Lester should have Price's roster spot. It is a close call, but I think that Lester should have gotten the nod instead based on his more impressive W-L record.

The Right Choice: Jon Lester, Starting Pitcher, Boston Red Sox

5. Rickie Weeks, 2B, Milwakee Brewers

Weeks has been an above average player for this season, but he shouldn't be an All Star. He has put up some strong numbers, such as his 14 home runs, but he only has 33 RBIs. One would expect that somebody with that many HR's would bring more about more run production, but that has not been the case with Weeks. His .278 batting average is also solid, but there were other second baseman who performed better than that. Weeks is a solid, durable player, there is no doubt about that (he has had 383 plate appearances this season) but in my opinion "solid" doesn't constitute All Stardom. You need to go above and beyond to be an All Star, and Weeks has not done so.

The Right Choice: Brandon Phillips, 2B, Cincinnati Reds (backup in All Star game)