2b Kendrick

3b Gordon, A.

of Young, Delmon

dh Hafner

1b Teixeira

c  Mauer

of Markakis

cf Sizemore

ss Tejada

sp Santana, J.

sp Kazmir

sp Sabathia

sp Lackey

sp Hernandez, F.

rp Ryan, BJ

The starting line-up is listed as a plausible old-school batting order.

● Kendrick gets the nod at secondbase, if he can field the position – and the Angels are giving him the chance – there is a good chance he will be the new Rod Carew.

● This was tough, but Gordon gets the nod over A-Rod because of age. Although, A-Rod is only 31 and could have a bunch of .900+ seasons still in him, I’d be surprised if Gordon doesn’t have more of them, but, then, I was going goo-goo ga-ga over Hank Blalock a few years ago. Bill James warned me long ago to not project a player to get more than one level better than he already is. We refuse to learn this lesson and, after all, this is a “dream team”.

● Mauer is an easy choice, but Victor Martinez deserves to be picked in any start up league’s first round.

● Hafner was the best hitter in the AL last year and he’s younger than Pappy or Manny.

● Although, Morneau is officially the MVP, I’d take my chances with Teixeira.

● Delmon Young is scary in many ways.

● I would have given the MVP award to Sizemore or Mauer last year, if I could.

● Twenty-two year old rookie Markakis took a big step each month until he presumably burned out in September.

● Thirty-somethings Tejada, Jeter, Guillen, and Mike Young were still the best AL shortstops after Peralta flopped this year.

● Santana is so far above the pack, I don’t need to point out any reasons why.

● By his strikeouts, Kazmir has the most upside of all the fine young pitchers who made their mark this year (’07) and did not require Tommy John surgery.

● Sabathia may have harnessed his potential now.

● Lackey is the most reliable anchor for this staff.

● King Felix is still only a prince, but the crown is in sight.

● Ryan is the reliever who is closest to the top in all categories: durability, strikeouts, command, run prevention, and isolated power against. Yes, K-Rod and Street are much younger, but youth is a completely different variable with pitchers than hitters. I doubt there is a significantly greater chance that Rodriguez or Street will still around in five years than Ryan.

In that book Tuesdays with Marrie, Marrie Schwartz had Lou Gehrigh’s disease. But what isn’t generally known is that because of a mix-up at the hospital, Lou Gehrig had Hodgkin’s disease, Hodkin had Parkinson’s disease, and Parkinosn had Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, Alzheimer couldn’t remember whose disease he had. He thinks it might have been Wally Pipp.

                                                         - George Carlin from Napalm and Silly Putty