With the American and National leagues ready to release their starting position players today for the July 15 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, we’re going to provide you with a little cheat sheet.
Not surprisingly, there are no Indians listed below. Cleveland won’t get its All-Star recognition until pitchers are announced, with Cliff Lee (11-1, 2.26 ERA) reportedly tagged to start for the AL.
The contenders are based on the top three vote-getters (five in the outfield) from MLB’s final ballot release. Statistics through Friday.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

First base
The contenders: Boston’s Kevin Youkilis (.311, 13 HRs, 53 RBIs), Minnesota’s Justin Morneau (.313, 12 HRs, 65 RBIs), New York’s Jason Giambi (.263, 18 HRs, 53 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Youkilis
The right choice: Morneau
The reason: Morneau has a slight edge here, but his fans won’t do enough to get him elected.
Second base
The contenders: Boston’s Dustin Pedroia (.311, 9 HRs, 39 RBIs), Texas’ Ian Kinsler (.325, 13 HRs, 51 RBIs), New York’s Robinson Cano (.248, 6 HRs, 35 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Pedroia
The right choice: Kinsler
The reason: Pedroia, the AL’s Rookie of the Year in 2007, is worthy, but Kinsler’s numbers are better.
Shortstop
The contenders: New York’s Derek Jeter (.282, 4 HRs, 26 RBIs), Texas’ Michael Young (.288, 7 HRs, 45 RBIs), Detroit’s Edgar Renteria (.264, 5 HRs, 32 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Jeter
The right choice: Young
The reason: Young is the best of some slim pickings at this normally strong AL spot.
Third base
The contenders: New York’s Alex Rodriguez (.319, 17 HRs, 49 RBIs), Boston’s Mike Lowell (.303, 13 HRs, 53 RBIs), Chicago’s Joe Crede (.264, 15 HRs, 46 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Rodriguez
The right choice: Rodriguez
The reason: Not your typical gaudy numbers from A-Rod at the break, but they’re still better than his competition, and the dude is hooking up with Madonna. If that’s not an All-Star starter, what is?
Catcher
The contenders: Minnesota’s Joe Mauer (.324, 3 HRs, 36 RBIs), Boston’s Jason Varitek (.223, 7 HRs, 27 RBIs), Detroit’s Ivan Rodriguez (.283, 3 HRs, 28 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Mauer
The right choice: Mauer
The reason: Fans nail another one here, with a winning pick in Mauer, who is the best of a weak crop behind the plate.
OUTFIELD
The contenders: Boston’s Manny Ramirez (.280, 16 HRs, 53 RBIs), Texas’ Josh Hamilton (.303, 19 HRs, 82 RBIs), Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki (.303, 3 HRs, 21 RBIs, 33 SBs), Los Angeles’ Vladimir Guerrero (.285, 13 HRs, 44 RBIs), New York’s Bobby Abreu (.277, 10 HRs, 55 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Ramirez, Hamilton, Ichiro.
The right choice: Hamilton, Chicago’s Carlos Quentin (.273, 19 HRs, 61 RBIs), Texas’ Milton Bradley (.323, 17 HRs, 54 RBIs).
The reason: The fans’ will clearly error here, electing at least two guys to start who don’t deserve the nomination, while leaving out a worthy pair. Chicago’s Jermaine Dye (.309, 19 HRs, 52 RBIs) is also deserving.
Designated hitter
The contenders: Boston’s David Ortiz (.252, 13 HRs, 43 RBIs), New York’s Hideki Matsui (.323, 7 HRs, 34 RBIs), Chicago’s Jim Thome (.233, 16 HRs, 44 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Ortiz
The right choice: Baltimore’s Aubrey Huff (.282, 17 HRs, 53 RBIs).
The reason: Big Papi has put up respectable numbers despite missing a large part of the first half, but Huff is having a breakout year.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

First base
The contenders: Houston’s Lance Berkman (.355, 22 HRs, 69 RBIs), St. Louis’ Albert Pujols (.348, 18 HRs, 48 RBIs), Chicago’s Derek Lee (.298, 15 HRs, 52 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Berkman
The right choice: Berkman
The reason: All three have put up All-Star numbers, so has San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez (.284, 21 HRs, 69 RBIs), but Berkman’s are the best.
Second base
The contenders: Philadelphia’s Chase Utley (.299, 24 HRs, 67 RBIs), Chicago’s Mark DeRosa (.286, 10 HRs, 47 RBIs), Florida’s Dan Uggla (.289, 23 HRs, 58 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Utley
The right choice: Utley
The reason: Bad time for Uggla to have another career year, but he’ll still go to New York as a reserve.
Shortstop
The contenders: Florida’s Hanley Ramirez (.303, 21 HRs, 43 RBIs, 21 SB), Houston’s Miguel Tejada (.282, 10 HRs, 43 RBIs), Chicago’s Ryan Theriot (.306, 1 HRs, 22 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Ramirez
The right choice: Ramirez
The reason: Nobody has the stats to compete with the up-and-comer Ramirez, who should have made the team last year.
Third base
The contenders: Atlanta’s Chipper Jones (.390, 17 HRs, 48 RBIs), Chicago’s Aramis Ramirez (.281, 14 HRs, 55 RBIs), New York’s David Wright (.290, 16 HRs, 66 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Jones
The right choice: Jones
The reason: If Chipper can stay off the disabled list — he’s battled injuries for much of the first half — he’s en route to a magical season.
Catcher
The contenders: Chicago’s Giovany Soto (.290, 14 HRs, 51 RBIs), Atlanta’s Brian McCann (.298, 14 HRs, 47 RBIs), Los Angeles’ Russell Martin (.309, 9 HRs, 42 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Soto
The right choice: Soto
The reason: Any pick here is acceptable, with all three sporting similar numbers.
Outfield
The contenders: Chicago’s Alfonso Soriano (.283, 15 HRs, 40 RBIs), Cincinnati’s Ken Griffey Jr. (.239, 11 HRs, 38 RBIs), Chicago’s Kosuke Fukudome (.289, 7 HRs, 35 RBIs), Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (.279, 20 HR, 58 RBIs), Colorado’s Matt Holliday (.339, 12 HR, 45 RBIs).
Fan’s pick: Soriano, Griffey Jr., Fukudome
The right choice: Holliday, San Diego’s Xavier Nady (.326, 12 HRs, 53 RBIs), Braun.
The reason: Fans go 0-for-3 here, with Soriano, who has All-Star numbers in limited action, as their only acceptable choice.
Contact Chris Assenheimer
at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

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