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AL favourites for All-Star Game

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 14/07/2009

It might not be the World Series but this week's Major League Baseball All-Star Game certainly has a huge influence on the outcome of the Fall Classic.

The best players in the National League and American League will go head-to-head in St Louis with the winners gaining home field advantage in the best-of-seven World Series in October.

Since 2003, spice has been added to what used to be little more than an exhibition game and the changes have certainly been met with a mixed reaction.

Those in favour point to a better quality game with the winning league gaining their end-of-season champion four home games instead of three in the World Series.

However, those against it point to a dulling of the celebratory feel of the two-day event which begins on Monday with the usually explosive Home Run Derby.

One group certainly in favour of the change is the American League as they have not lost an All-Star Game since 1996.

Eleven straight victories and one tie mean they are the runaway favourites among the sportsbooks to win again this year at Busch Stadium.

The two teams are selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers and the American League certainly boasts a galaxy of stars.

Reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners' Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter Mark and big-hitting outfielder Josh Hamilton from the Texas Rangers are all included in the starting line-up.

Boston duo Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield, plus Toronto Blue Jays' Roy Halladay are among a stellar group of starting pitchers.

The National League aren't without their big names with slugger Albert Pujols likely to receive the biggest cheer of the night from his home fans and Tim Lincecum of San Franciso Giants and New York Mets' Johan Santana both starting pitchers.

However, on paper the American League appears to have the advantage as their roster seems to have more strength in depth.

As ever the key to winning will be managing pitchers effectively and that is where respective managers - Joe Maddon of the AL Tampa Bay Rays for the AL and Charlie Manuel from the Philadelphia Phillies of the NL - will either succeed or fail.

Neither manager will want to overwork a particular star pitcher at this midpoint in the 162-game regular season, while too many changes on the mound can lead to a disjointed game where the batters prevail.

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