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All-Star weekend is a time to enjoy the festivities, take a
break from reality, and see some of your favorites slug it out. For
some fans, though, it’s painful to watch. For fantasy
leaguers, the All-Star game showcases the best of the first half of
the season, with a roster full of players responsible for the
success of many fantasy teams. For the fantasy teams near the
cellar, the likelihood of having several fantasy players on the
All-Star team is pretty close to zilch. Whether it’s injuries
or slumps that have cost you a chance at that coveted league
championship, or more likely a combination of the two, none of
those players responsible for your demise have been selected to the
All-Star team. That is why I have made for you a compilation of the
downtrodden, a team you’d be proud to call your own. I call
them the Non-Stars. This week comes the American League rendition,
with the National League version due out next Wednesday.
AL Non-Stars Hitters C ““
Brook Fordyce, Orioles. He managed to hit near .300 the past two
seasons, including a torrid second half in 2000 when he was traded
from the White Sox to the Orioles. As of July 3, he was only
batting .206 with 10 RBI. 1B ““ Frank Thomas, White Sox. After
bouncing back from two poor seasons with .328-43-143 explosion in
2000, Thomas delivered .221-4-10 before requiring season-ending arm
surgery. 2B ““ Delino DeShields, Orioles. A .297 average and
37 steals in 2000 made DeShields a valuable middle infielder, but
after batting .197 the first three months, the Orioles recently
released him because it’s not possible to steal first base.
SS ““ Royce Clayton, White Sox. He was brought in to provide
defensive stability and decent offensive production, but a
golf-like swing has resulted in a .188 average and a seat on the
bench. 3B ““ Ken Caminiti, Rangers. Today, $3.5 million in the
free-agent market only buys you an injury-prone .232-9-25 third
baseman worth more to your team after he’s released. OF
““ Johnny Damon, A’s. Brought in to spark an offense as
a true leadoff man, Damon sports a .229 average and is on pace to
finish nearly 40 runs and 20 stolen bases shy of his 2000 numbers.
OF ““ Ben Grieve, Devil Rays. Ironically, the player the
A’s traded to get Damon is doing even worse with .245-6-34
numbers that make him look more like a light-hitting middle
infielder than a slugging outfielder. OF ““ Kenny Lofton,
Indians. The prototypical leadoff hitter of the 1990s is no more,
as Lofton has fought injuries on his way to amassing a .245
average, 30 runs and eight steals. DH ““ Tim Salmon, Angels.
The see-saw career of Salmon is once again on a downswing. After a
poor 1999 season, Salmon delivered with a .290-34-97 run in 2000,
but is now on the DL with a shoulder injury and .206-9-26
numbers.
Pitchers SP ““ Orlando Hernandez, Yankees.
El Duque has yet to register his first win in the 2001 season.
Along with his 0-5 record comes a 5.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in nine
starts, not to mention a prolonged stay on the DL after foot
surgery. SP ““ Chuck Finley, Indians. A dependable pitcher
who’s never had an ERA higher than 4.67 in his career, Finley
currently has a 6.45 ERA and is in danger of finishing under double
digits in wins for the first time since 1992. SP ““ Kenny
Rogers, Rangers. Many fantasy owners figured that with the
additions of Alex Rodriguez, Ken Caminiti and Andres Galarraga,
Texas pitchers like Rogers would get enough run support to near 20
wins. No amount of offense, though, could compensate for 6.37 ERA.
CL – Todd Jones, Tigers. Everyone knew to be wary of the
Orioles’ unproven Ryan Kohlmeier, but no one was ready for
Jones’ collapse. After a career-high 42 saves in 2000, Jones
has imploded to blow six of his 17 save opportunities. His 5.45 ERA
is nearly two runs higher than last season’s 3.52 ERA.