All-Stars Include Hamels, Polanco...

Cole Hamels was deservedly named to his 2nd ever All-Star Game. He is enjoying his best season ever and appears poised to post the 1st full season of excellence of his career. July '07 + The 2nd halves of '08 & '10 + other stretches of dominance do not a season make. However: 9-4, 2.41 ERA with 110 S.O. and a .210 BAA is the 1st half of what may be a Cy Young contending season.

Placido Polanco, who is hitless in July and batted just .213 in June, .248 in May (with only 1 HR in each month), became the 1st Phillies All-Star starting third baseman since '02, when Scott Rolen was selected by fans, then traded by the team. Polanco's persistent back injury is said to be the cause of his uncharacteristic slump: "It doesn't feel good," Polanco said of his back. "It doesn't feel right."

This will be only the 2nd All-Star game for Polanco, who is batting a career-low .277 with 4 HR, a dismal .681 OPS and a career-worst fielding % has posted better numbers in each of his last 15 major-league seasons.

NL third baseman who are presently more deserving, but whom Polanco eclipsed in fan voting, include:

Aramis Ramirez, Cubs: .293, 12 HR, 44 RBI, .816 OPS and
Chase Headley, Padres: .307, .398 OBP, .805 OPS

Meanwhile, Roy 'Doc' Halladay, who may get the start, will be making his NL-leading 8th All-Star appearance, while Cliff Lee (3rd appearance) will be the 3rd Phils starter at the All-Star game. Lee represented Texas for the AL last season and retired Ryan Howard in a 1-2-3 4th.

Finally, Shane Victorino leads all votes for the last spot, the method that got the popular 3x Gold Glove winning CF ('08-'10) a record breaking 15.6 million votes in '09, which placed him in his 1st All-Star game. That year, Charlie Manuel managed 5 of his players in the All-Star game: Victorino, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth (whom Manuel selected himself).

Thusfar, Victorino is the Phils comeback player of 2011. After a career-low in average (.259) and career-highs in HRs (18) and RBI (69) in '10, Victorino is putting it all together in '11 with career-highs in average (.303) and SLG % (.524), while maintaining '10's production: 9 HR, 34 RBI, despite missing 1/2 of May.

Victorino is 7-for-his-last-11 and has been hot for most of 5 weeks (15 extra-base hits since June 8th), which couldn't be more important to the team.

Many experts forecast trouble for this Phillies' lineup come playoffs, because with runners in scoring position, when RBI king Ryan Howard is at his best and most valuable, teams will walk the cleanup hitter without any serious threat at #5 in the order.

Victorino, with Jayson Werth gone, Raul Ibanez unreliable and Dominic Brown still struggling for consistency, is the Phillies best hope for a #5 threat.

The most important thing, of course, is that none of the Phils All-Stars get hurt or break their rhythm. Honor aside, the concern about a starting pitcher throwing a single inning, for example, is ever-present at All-Star time, as reflected in manager Charlie Manuel's lackluster reception: "I don’t particularly want all three of them pitching, but yeah, they deserved to go."

Still, for Hamels in particular, whose other All-Star appearance was in '07, this must be a moment to savor. It was a long fall from '08 World Series MVP to '09 World Series goat, and a steeper climb still back to his present star status. Furthermore, to make the cut alongside Cy Young winning teammates Halladay and Lee is something special, indeed:

“It’s an honor,” Hamels said. “It’s your peers. Your peers and coaches are voting. They truly know who’s having a good year and who’s doing well. [The pitcher voting] is not a popularity-type contest.”

link to 2011 National League All-Star roster