MLB All Star Game

The best way to start off this new blog is to talk about the most American thing of the day, the MLB All Star Game. Tonight the best of the majors gather at Yankee Stadium in New York to watch the exciting match-up between the seemingly always dominant American League and the National League. As a Braves fan living with Red Sox fans, it is a tough decision for me to make. Right now, the Braves are in a dire spot in their standings sitting at 6.5 games behind the division leading Philadelphia Phillies and an equally upsetting 7.5 games back in the Wild Card. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox are at the top of everything. I have grown accustom to seeing a rather dominant Red Sox organization and admire their abilities to win. This is where my dilemma begins. If the Braves do not make the playoffs, there is no other team in the National League that I could follow. My fall-back position is always with the dominant force of Red Sox Nation. Therefore, I am not quite sure who to root for since the Braves situation seems dire at best. No matter what the outcome of this game is, it promises to be an exciting game between baseball's best.

Here are the lineups for starters:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
DH Milton Bradley Texas Rangers
C Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
*1B Kevin Youkilis Boston Red Sox
*2B Dustin Pedroia Boston Red Sox
SS Derek Jeter New York Yankees
3B Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees
OF Ichiro Suzuki Seattle Mariners
OF Josh Hamilton Texas Rangers
*OF Manny Ramirez Boston Red Sox
P Cliff Lee Cleveland Indians

NATIONAL LEAGUE
DH Albert Pujols St. Louis Cardinals
C Geovany Soto Chicago Cubs
1B Lance Berkman Houston Astros
2B Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies
SS Hanley Ramirez Florida Marlins
*3B Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves
OF Matt Holliday Colorado Rockies
OF Kosuke Fukudome Chicago Cubs
OF Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers
P Ben Sheets Milwaukee Brewers