It is not an easy task to pick the best players for the annual baseball classic -- the All-Star Game. It is not possible to please everybody. Whether we agree or not, they have been chosen ... and here they are. The rosters for this year's Major League All-Star Game have been announced.
For the American, the roster includes:
SP Tommy Hanson (MIN) - 10-4, 2.77 ERA
SP Jake Peavy (BOS) - 10-4, 3.01 ERA
SP David Price (TB) - 10-4, 2.66 ERA
SP Danny Salazar (CLE) - 9-3, 2.80 ERA
SP James Shields (KC) - 9-4, 2.69 ERA
SP Justin Verlander (DET) - 10-2, 2.90 ERA
CL Sean Doolittle (OAK) - 0-0, 24 SV, 1.26 ERA
CL Matt Lindstrom (CHA) - 4-4, 24 SV, 2.70 ERA
CL Jake McGee (TB) - 2-2, 21 SV, 0.88 ERA
CL Joe Nathan (DET) - 1-1, 25 SV, 2.15 ERA
CL David Robertson (NYA) - 4-1, 23 SV, 3.21 ERA
CL Fernando Rodney (SEA) - 3-3, 20 SV, 2.68 ERA
C Carlos Corporan (CHA) - .251/.290/.518, 19 HR, 43 RBI
C Chris Iannetta (LAA) - .243/.346/.418, 11 HR, 45 RBI
1B Pablo Sandoval (CHA) - .319/.376/.549, 17 HR, 59 RBI
1B Mark Teixeira (NYA) - .297/.370/.569, 24 HR, 58 RBI
1B Chris Davis (BAL) - .277/.363/.584, 29 HR, 66 RBI
1B Carlos Santana (CLE) - .308/.413/.549, 20 HR, 59 RBI
2B Dustin Pedroia (BOS) - .313/.379/.478, 9 HR, 38 RBI
3B Xander Bogaerts (BOS) - .279/.362/.462, 12 HR, 40 RBI
3B Manny Machado (BAL) - .309/.354/.507, 13 HR, 49 RBI
SS Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE) - .280/.334/.431, 10 HR, 39 RBI
LF Mike Trout (LAA) - .294/.381/.452, 10 HR, 39 RBI
LF Josh Willingham (MIN) - .262/.389/.473, 18 HR, 50 RBI
LF Alejandro De Aza (CHA) - .293/.345/.433, 9 HR, 40 RBI
CF Jacoby Ellsbury (NYA) - .305/.359/.423, 9 HR, 34 RBI
RF Dayan Viciedo (CHA) - .332/.368/.536, 14 HR, 46 RBI
RF Carlos Beltran (NYA) - .293/.364/.570, 21 HR, 50 RBI
For the National these players have been selected:
SP Gerrit Cole (PIT) - 10-2, 1.62 ERA
SP Bartolo Colon (NYN) - 9-6, 2.42 ERA
SP Tyson Ross (SD) - 11-5, 2.23 ERA
SP Stephen Strasburg (WAS) - 12-6, 2.52 ERA
SP Michael Wacha (STL) - 15-4, 2.10 ERA
SP Jordan Zimmermann (STL) - 9-6, 2.50 ERA
MR Brandon Kintzler (MIL) - 4-1, 16 SV, 2.49 ERA
CL Rex Brothers (COL) - 5-4, 23 SV, 3.00 ERA
CL Kenley Jansen (LAN) - 2-3, 22 SV, 2.22 ERA
CL Craig Kimbrel (ATL) - 4-2, 19 SV, 2.38 ERA
CL Trevor Rosenthal (STL) - 3-3, 29 SV, 2.54 ERA
CL Rafael Soriano (WAS) - 4-1, 17 SV, 0.94 ERA
C Wilin Rosario (COL) - .304/.335/.568, 24 HR, 65 RBI
C Buster Posey (SF) - .286/.363/.473, 10 HR, 36 RBI
1B Joey Votto (CIN) - .346/.468/.567, 18 HR, 53 RBI
1B Freddie Freeman (ATL) - .333/.379/.559, 20 HR, 62 RBI
1B Mike Napoli (WAS) - .264/.343/.586, 29 HR, 82 RBI
2B Kolten Wong (STL) - .301/.337/.508, 10 HR, 42 RBI
2B Dan Uggla (ATL) - .256/.335/.506, 22 HR, 51 RBI
3B Ryan Zimmerman (WAS) - .284/.362/.468, 15 HR, 48 RBI
3B David Wright (NYN) - .269/.378/.407, 10 HR, 40 RBI
SS Ian Desmond (WAS) - .316/.357/.442, 8 HR, 37 RBI
LF Angel Pagan (SF) - .298/.347/.474, 10 HR, 40 RBI
LF Domonic Brown (PHI) - .278/.337/.489, 16 HR, 47 RBI
CF Andrew McCutchen (PIT) - .299/.381/.477, 13 HR, 40 RBI
RF Yasiel Puig (LAN) - .279/.348/.450, 13 HR, 53 RBI
RF Ryan Braun (MIL) - .292/.357/.525, 19 HR, 67 RBI
RF Jason Heyward (ATL) - .294/.385/.517, 11 HR, 41 RBI
The AL manager conceded that not every deserving player is rewarded with a spot on the roster. "Every year," he said, "someone is disappointed to be left out. This year's no different -- too many good players, not enough roster spots."