All-Star Selection – Shortstops
Chase Utley, Aaron Rowand and Cole Hamels are All-Stars – deservedly so. Jimmy Rollins is not – deservedly so or undeservedly so? On the day JRoll hit his 14 HR to propel the Phillies to their only win of the long weekend, he was rewarded with perhaps the biggest snub of this year’s All-Star selection. Though in a way it makes sense that the shortstops from the division leading Mets (Jose Reyes) and Brewers (J.J. Hardy) are going to San Francisco instead. And unlike Bobby Abreu three years ago, Rollins will not have a chance make the team via the Final Ballot as decided by fans – this year, it’s all pitchers. Of course if an NL shortstop gets injured or otherwise can’t play, Rollins would likely be the first choice to replace him, though fellow NL East shortstops Hanley Ramirez and Edgar Renteria also have a legitimate cases. Here is how they rank among fellow NL shortstops in six categories:
| SS | R | H | HR | SB | AVG | OPS |
| Rollins | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Reyes | 3 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Hardy | 5 | 5 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 3 |
| Ramirez | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Renteria | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Looking at the rankings, maybe Hardy should have been left off in favor of Ramirez. JRoll certainly has a case for being snubbed this year, but in the overpopulated world of top-notch NL shortstops he may not have the best case.
