Prosser’s Moore on front of USA Today

YAKIMA, Wash. — If you missed the front page of Friday’s USA Today, you missed a feature story on Prosser’s Kellen Moore and the Boise State Broncos, who are ranked No. 5 in the newspaper’s preseason coaches poll.

The story, mostly an introduction to the history and culture of the BSU program, talks about how Moore was recruited (and initially confused with his taller and younger brother Kirby) and the Broncos’ prospects for the upcoming season.

Moore, who the story says was offered scholarships by BSU, Idaho and Eastern Washington, is quoted as saying:

“A lot of guys just have chips on their shoulders,” Moore said. “For whatever reason, they didn’t get their dream opportunity originally, but of course they’re getting it now.”

Click here to read the story.

Villeneuve back at Indy with eye on future

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jacques Villeneuve was supposed to be in Europe this week working on a potential deal to return to Formula One next season.

Then he suddenly got the chance to try to qualify for Sunday’s Sprint Cup series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so Villeneuve put those talks on hold to go racing.

“This came about only a week ago,” Villeneuve said. “This is really last minute.”

The 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1997 Formula One champion hasn’t had a steady ride in a top series since 2006. While the 39-year-old Canadian is working on an F1 deal, he remains interested in finding a full-time ride in NASCAR.

“There’s a lot going on, and until you have something finalized, you have to look at every opportunity that’s out there,” Villeneuve said. “I really, really enjoy driving the NASCARs. That’s why I moved back on this side of the ocean in 2006, was to concentrate on NASCAR. And it’s taken a while to get going.”

Big picture aside, Villeneuve’s immediate concern is trying to put Braun Racing’s No. 32 Toyota in the field during Saturday’s qualifying.

It’s a newly built car for a team that only races part time in the Cup series; Villeneuve has raced road course races in the Nationwide series for Braun — most recently at Road America, where he ran strong all day and made a few breathtaking passes, only to have an electrical problem derail a potential top-five finish.

Villeneuve is seen mostly as a road-course specialist in NASCAR, but wants to prove himself on ovals.

Despite his experience at the track — in addition to the Indy 500, he also has raced on the track’s road course configuration as an F1 driver — Indianapolis isn’t the easiest place for a part-time driver to try to get up to speed in a stock car.

“It’s tough for a guy that doesn’t do it every week for sure,” said Tony Stewart, who successfully made the jump from open-wheel racing to stock cars. “There’s a lot of emphasis put on this race obviously. He’s been a champion here, so he knows how to get around this place. It’s just, can he figure it out in a stock car?”

Relatively flat turns make the track tough to drive, and it’s a tough place for teams to find the right setup to make their cars go fast.

“It’s very challenging, because we can’t prepare like we would want to,” Villeneuve said. “If you put me on the road course, it’s no problem. But this is a difficult oval. The team doesn’t have a backlog of experience here, either. So we’ll have to see. The first laps will be a little tough.”

Villeneuve figures his crew would lean on other teams for a little help setting up their car.

“They all know each other, so you can get a little base, I guess,” Villeneuve said. “Then it’s just a question of getting up to speed.”

That was a struggle early on, as Villeneuve was 45th on the speed charts in the first practice Friday.

If Villeneuve does rally to make the race, his experience tells him not to be too aggressive early on.

“It’s a long race and a lot happens on this track,” Villeneuve said. “There’s no point in going crazy early on.”

Regardless of what happens this weekend, Villeneuve will need to figure out his racing future. He has been talking to Italy-based Durango, which might try to race F1 next season.

“The opportunity was there, so there’s no way I was going to say, ’No, don’t bother,”’ Villeneuve said. “I don’t have a full-time ride here anyway, I can’t just (ignore) something and stay home. But I haven’t spent as much time as I should have or would have wanted to on it because I’ve been here.”

Villeneuve nearly returned to F1 with a startup team this season, but the deal fell apart when the team wasn’t approved to race. Despite all the talk about F1, he still has a strong interest in NASCAR.

“Obviously, there’s been a lot of talks about Formula 1, and as long as this is an option, I have to keep it open,” Villeneuve said. “It’s really hard to tell you what the preference would be because you have to wait until the real opportunity is there on the table. Until there’s something full time that we can get going, I can’t really focus on one.”

— Chris Jenkins

Mark Martin says he has no ‘road map’

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Mark Martin tried being polite. Really, really tried.

For weeks the NASCAR veteran has respectfully addressed speculation about his future, saying he has no plans to leave his job driving the No. 5 for Hendrick Motorsports next year to make way for the recently signed Kasey Kahne.

Frankly, he’s tired of talking about it. He plans on returning to Hendrick in 2011. Period.

“I feel very disrespected when the media doesn’t accept that because what that means is that you make me look like I’m about to get fired,” Martin said Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “That’s very disrespectful.”

Though the 51-year-old acknowledged his team has struggled at times this season, he’s not plotting a graceful exit.

“I’ve made myself perfectly clear over the last several weeks,” he said. “There’s no inclination of any change, but I will tell you this: there is no road map for me and my future. So don’t even start thinking about criticizing what I do in 2012 or beyond, because I don’t know.”

Not everyone is convinced.

Ray Evernham, who won three Cup titles as a crew chief for Jeff Gordon while working for Hendrick and now works as a TV analyst, believes if Martin races in 2011, it will be in a different car.

“I won’t be surprised if in the next 3-4 weeks that Mark makes some kind of announcement that says ’Hey Rick Hendrick has been good to me, the best thing I can do for him is to make room for Kasey,”’ he said.

Kahne signed with Hendrick Motorsports in April to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in 2012. The deal called for Hendrick to find a place for Kahne next season while he waits for his seat to open.

Owner Rick Hendrick dismissed a report last month that Kahne would drive for Phoenix Racing in 2011, saying he’s still weighing his options.

Until Kahne’s situation is sorted out, Martin knows chatter over his plans will persist.

“I understand it will all be put to rest whenever they announce what Kasey’s going to do. I understand that,” he said. “You should be focused on that. What is Kasey going to do? Because I’ve told you what I’m going to do.”

Namely, drive. Though Martin admits he has no idea what he’ll do after 2011, he’s enjoying his resurgence at Hendrick. He won five races a year ago and is 14th in the points heading into Sunday’s 400-mile race at the Brickyard.

“I’m at the point in my career where I get to do whatever in the heck I want to do,” he said. “Racing is my life. And I don’t know what I’ll do if I was to ever lose that. And I’m not going to lose that anytime soon.”

Hornish facing uncertain future at Penske ||

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Hornish Jr. doesn’t know where he’ll be racing next season.

Speaking in front of one of team owner Roger Penske’s many Indianapolis 500 cars in the museum at the Brickyard on Friday, Hornish said his future in NASCAR is uncertain. Because sponsor ExxonMobil is leaving his car at the end of this season, there’s nothing in place for Hornish to drive next year.

“No updates as far as I’m concerned yet,” he said. “I’d definitely like to be back in the Sprint Cup series and I’m going to work to be able to try to do that. Definitely, things are still tough with the economy and trying to find full-time sponsors and things like that. We’re going to do everything we can do to make that happen and be back in Sprint Cup.

“If that doesn’t work, we’re going to look around and see what else (is available). But I think we’ve got some great opportunities to make that happen.”

Hornish has struggled since moving to NASCAR late in the 2006 season. One of the most storied American open-wheel drivers, he’s got just seven top-10 finishes in 91 career Cup races and is 29th in the standings. He finished a career-best 28th in points last year.

Because Hornish had such a successful open-wheel career — he won the 2006 Indianapolis 500 for Penske and won three titles in what’s now the IndyCar Series — there’s always speculation that he could return to that form of racing.

He didn’t seem inclined to go back, though.

“I’d like to be here in a stock car, for sure,” he said.

Johnson gears for Colorado NHRA stop

MORRISON, Colo. — Allen Johnson comes to the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals near Denver trailing points leader Mike Edwards by 413 points in Pro Stock.

It’s not necessarily an insurmountable lead as the 2010 NHRA series winds down with its 16th stop on a 17-event schedule because there’s still the six weeks of the Countdown to 1, the championship playoffs of the NHRA.

“It isn’t the way it used to be,” Johnson said. “The way it works is we have two races left and then the points all reset and Mike will only be one round ahead of us with those six races to go.”

Johnson hopes to maintain second place over these last two stops in Colorado and Brainerd, Minn., giving him a good shot in the Countdown. Racing in Colorado begins Friday.

“We’re trying to imitate like we’re already in the countdown and try to eliminate mistakes, be aggressive and see where we end up in two weeks,” said Johnson, who has yet to win in 2010. “And then spend those last six races hopefully getting in his (Edwards’) back pocket to take the lead and go for the championship.”

While able to define his goal, Johnson acknowledges it hasn’t been easy zeroing in on the mistakes that have kept him out of the winner’s circle.

“It could be the driving, it could be all kinds of mistakes, engine tuning, gear ration or misreading the track,” he said. “You have to be perfect in Pro Stock.”

And then it simply could be that Edwards has been too good to catch. He’s won eight times after earning 10 No. 1 qualifying positions that have led to a 1,526-1,113 points advantage over Johnson.

“Sometimes he does a better job than us,” Johnson said.

Cory McClenathan shares the gold rush ambitions Johnson has for the Countdown. McClenathan trails Larry Dixon 1,444-1,233 in Top Fuel.

“Larry has a 200-plus points lead and that’s pretty crazy,” McClenathan said. “So the countdown is going to give us that opportunity to go in there and start from scratch and we will have to do whatever to raise the bar.”

McClenathan has done that three times. He posted victories in Phoenix, Charlotte and Houston.

“I have a car that can win every weekend,” McClenathan said. “But it’s been feast or famine.”

Johnson and McClenathan share another common thread. Each has done very well on Bandimere Speedway.

Johnson won the event in 2007 and ’09 and was runner-up to Edwards in ’02 and to Greg Anderson in ’08.

“We’ve had some great luck here,” Johnson said. “We’ve tested well, we’ve gotten some great notes and we like to show off in front of our primary sponsor, Mopar.”

McClenathan drove to victories here in 1997 and ’98. He finished second to Darrell Russell in ’02.

And both agree about the challenges presented by the altitude. Only Johnson offers a lighthearted take on the thin air.

“Because of the altitude, the only thing that is the same on the car when you come here is the paint job,” Johnson said. “And I’m not so sure we don’t need to change it.”

The competition figures to be heated in Funny Car, where John Force holds a 1,114-1,071 lead over Robert Hight. Hector Arana is ahead of Matt Smith, 804-663 in the Pro Stock Motorcycle points lead entering the weekend.

German GP marks start of 2nd half of F1 season

MADRID — The second half of the Formula One season starts Sunday at the German Grand Prix, with Red Bull looking for calm after a driver dispute, McLaren intent on maintaining its championship lead, and Ferrari out to prove it’s still in the title race.

Red Bull insists it has cleared the air with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel after a front wing swap left eventual British GP winner Webber fuming.

Webber will get the first look at any car upgrade next time around since he is higher in the standings than Vettel, while the Australian driver has also backtracked over his strong comments following Silverstone when he questioned his future in the team.

Red Bull insists it will treat the drivers equally even if it damages its title ambitions, as the drivers have split the last two races to re-energize the team’s chances after McLaren overtook it in the overall standings.

“I don’t want any favoritism,” Webber said earlier this week. “Just a fair deal.”

Lewis Hamilton leads McLaren teammate Jenson Button in the standings with 145 points to 133, while Webber’s third win in 10 races put him at 128 points — seven ahead of Vettel.

McLaren expects to recover from its development setback at Silverstone, where a new diffuser failed to provide the desired edge even though Hamilton was second and Button fourth.

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said the constructors’ championship leader will have both its old and new diffusers available for Friday practice before deciding what to go with for qualifying on Saturday.

“I’m not sure we’ve been behind in the development race. It’s always nicer to be quicker, it’s always nicer to be more reliable, but I think we’re in a reasonable position,” Whitmarsh said. “But we know that we’ve got to continue to develop the car if we are going to win both championships this year.”

Ferrari will need a much-improved performance after two straight sub-par results have left Fernando Alonso fifth with 98 points and teammate Felipe Massa in eighth with 67.

Despite finishing 14th at Silverstone, Alonso was encouraged by his car’s performance.

“I think we still have the possibility to fight for championship,” the two-time world champion from Spain said. “We saw this year if you can have two or three good races it can change the picture. … We need to do two or three podiums in a row.”

Team principal Stefano Domenicali expected his team to respond to the challenges.

“Anyone who does not believe that we can win the world championship would do better looking for another job,” Domenicali said. “No one here is giving up. There are still nine races to go and anything can happen. We will have to do our job perfectly, that is to say the Ferrari way, and then the results will come.”

Whitmarsh said it was too early to dismiss Ferrari.

“Experience has told me that you can’t write them off,” Whitmarsh said. “Red Bull clearly are the principle challenge at the moment, but I don’t dismiss the others.”

Mercedes will hope to unsettle the leaders, with Michael Schumacher racing in his native country for the first time in his comeback.

But it’s teammate Nico Rosberg who has been the better of the German drivers, with 90 points to 36 for Schumacher, who expects “an emotional” homecoming.

“I will be extra motivated to give (the German fans) a weekend to remember,” the seven-time F1 champion said. “We will have some updates for our car which we hope will give us a step forward so we can look forward to an exciting race.”

Robert Kubica of Renault is seventh with 83 points, after having to retire for the first time this season at Silverstone.

Washougal MX: A blast from the past

Washougal’s MX National will celebrate its 30th anniversary this weekend ||

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Washougal Motocross is going retro.

When the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship returns to Washougal this week, racing fans will be encouraged to go back in time to celebrate.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first Washougal MX National. Some of today’s professionals are expected to ride on bikes with 1980s color schemes and styles in the 450 and 250 series, and former champions and Northwest legends will ride in a vintage race between the two motos Saturday.

Fans can get in on the fun, too, with prizes to be awarded for the best retro-style costumes.

Brian Barnes, the track’s spokesman, has worked at Washougal since 1980. He remembers the first National, and he is proud of the fact that Washougal has become a popular venue for riders and fans from all the world. The event annually attracts more than 20,000 spectators on race day.

“Honestly, I think it’s just a gift from God,” Barnes said, referring to the National at its 30th anniversary in Washougal.

This year’s National will feature Ryan Dungey, who is dominating the 450 Class in his first year on the bigger machine. Dungey, who has won the past two years at Washougal in the 250 Class, has won six of the seven competitions on the 450 this season.

Chad Reed, the defending series champion, won the first 450 of the 2010 season — at Hangtown in Sacramento, Calif. — but it’s been all Dungey since then.

Washougal is the eighth stop in the 12-round series, and Dungey has an 89-point lead over Andrew Short in the standings. Dungey, who rides a Suzuki, has won 10 of the 14 motos. No other rider has won more than one moto this season.

(An event is comprised of two races — called motos — with the overall winner being the rider who has earned the most points through his finishes in each moto.)

The 250 class is much more competitive, with five different winners in the first events. Christophe Pourcel leads the points race, but Trey Canard has won the past two Nationals — at RedBud in Buchanan, Mich, and Spring Creek in Millville, Minn.

Pourcel, who rides a Kawasaki, has won two overalls and has a season-high eight moto wins for a total of 296 points. Dean Wilson is in second place with 264 points. Canard, with his back-to-back wins, has moved into third place at 252.

Longtime spectators will notice a new starting gate at Washougal MX Park, allowing riders a longer straightaway before a sharp left turn to make it to the hole shot. In the past, it was a shorter straightaway, and then an abrupt turn, almost a U-turn, that caused a bottleneck.

Also back this year is a return to Amateur Days prior to the National.

For years, thousands of amateur riders would gather at Washougal to camp and compete for a few days leading up to the big race. Last year, the series switched from Sunday to Saturday races, and the track moved the amateurs to Sunday.

Now, track organizers, after listening to concerns from the amateurs, decided to return the amateurs to before the National. The amateur racing will be Thursday and Friday.

On Friday afternoon, more than 80 machines from 1971 to 1981, — the “bikes of yesteryear,” according to Barnes — will be on display at Washougal’s infield for Fan Fest.

Fans also can get autographs from former champions. Rick Burgett, Chuck Sun, and Eric Eaton are among those scheduled to attend.

— Paul Valencia/The Vancouver (Wash.) Columbian

Edwards-Keselowski wreck video

Friday’s NASCAR truck race postponed

MADISON, Ill. — A power outage caused Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series race to be rescheduled for this afternoon at Gateway International Raceway, outside of St. Louis.

Kevin Harvick is scheduled to start the CampingWorld.com 200 from pole, having clocked a lap time of 33.752 seconds around the 1 1/4-mile oval earlier Friday.

It is Harvick’s first career pole in the trucks series.

Race Guide: Lifelock.com 400

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THREE THINGS TO WATCH

1. This might be another good week for points leader Kevin Harvick to pad his margin of 212 over Jeff Gordon after winning last week at Daytona. He’s won twice at Chicagoland and has an average finish of 8.7 in nine starts.

2. Big week for first-time dad Jimmie Johnson, whose wife Chandra gave birth to a daughter Wednesday. Johnson’s attention understandably has been split between family and profession. Johnson was to return to Charlotte late Friday after qualifying to be with his family, then return to Chicago on Saturday for the race. We’ll see how all that affects him on the track on Saturday night.

3. Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the midst of a renaissance or a mini-streak? He’s moved into 11th place in the standings and has a victory at Chicagoland (2005).

OBSERVATIONS

An impressive milestone for Gordon tonight: He will start his 600th series race (all consecutively). Bobby Labonte is right behind him. He would get to No. 600 in two weeks at Indianapolis.

LIFELOCK.COM 400 WHERE: Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill. TRACK TYPE: 1.5-mile paved, banked tri-oval. RACE DISTANCE: 267 laps, 400 miles. WHEN: Green flag is Saturday at 4:30 p.m. WEATHER: Mostly clear with spotty thunderstorms. High: 87 during the day. Low: 62 later in the evening. TV: Coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. on TNT. RADIO: Sirius NASCAR Radio/MRN

There seems to be lots of talk among drivers about how Johnson’s four championships are due primarily to his skills at Chase tracks. That might be true, but that doesn’t explain away his successes at non-Chase tracks like Chicagoland, where he has seven top-10s in eight starts. He’s pretty good most everywhere.

If you’re still not used to TNT’s NASCAR coverage, it’s too late. ESPN/ABC will take over for the rest of the season after TNT’s six-race mid-summer stint.

THE PICK

DAVID SCOTT: He had four straight top-10 finishes before a 25th at Daytona last week. But he usually runs well at Chicago and seems primed for his first victory of the year. Winner: Tony Stewart.

NOTES

Change can be scary

Drivers had different takes on NASCAR’s considering potential changes to the Chase for the Sprint Cup format for 2011, changes that President Brian France said created more “impact moments.”

“That sort of extreme is scary to the traditionalist, but it fits into the world we’re living in today,” said Earnhardt. “You look around and see what’s popular.”

Earnhardt had a fitting analogy.

“I remember I was so happy to win the (Nationwide Series) championship, I wanted to start giving bonuses,” he said. “My daddy said if you’re going to be racing a long time, you might want to start off small.”

Jeff Burton said other recent changes — such as double-file restarts and the green-white-checker finish — have been successful in the eyes of fans.

“I think NASCAR will want to look and try to figure out how to do more,” Burton said. “I think that’s why they’re looking at reshuffling the Chase.”

Patrick still considering future

Danica Patrick ran in Chicagoland’s Dollar General 300, her fifth Nationwide Series race mixed in with her regular IndyCar schedule. Before the race, Patrick said she was trying to figure this NASCAR thing out and wasn’t sure what her future holds with it — or when she’ll know.

“If you want to be really good at anything, you have to centralize your focus,” Patrick said. “Is being fulltime better? Maybe, or maybe there’s not a big dramatic difference. But getting a big base of knowledge is the hardest part (of NASCAR). We’ll do the schedule this year and next year and see where we’re at. We’ll do one or the other, or both. I’m not sure.”
<br />
Sadler’s days at RPM numbered

Elliott Sadler said he won’t return to Richard Petty Motorsports for 2011. He is the second driver RPM will lose — Kasey Kahne will leave after this season and join Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.

Sadler’s best finish this year is 17th last month at Sonoma, Calif. He has three victories, most recently at Fontana, Calif., in 2004. He will race for the first time Saturday night with crew chief Todd Parrott.

She’s no LeBron James

Best line of the day came from Kurt Busch, when asked about Patrick’s future in NASCAR: “I don’t know, but she’ll probably have a one-hour ESPN prime-time special to announce it.”

Allmendinger says Daytona is in the past

A.J. Allmendinger says he’s trying to move on from his confrontation with car owner and NASCAR legend Richard Petty after crashing during Saturday’s race at Daytona.

“We had a really fast car last week. I was disappointed,” Allmendinger said through a RPM spokesperson. “. . . We’re both passionate and we were both frustrated. And I’d rather have him (Petty) frustrated than not care at all. We’ve definitely moved on.”

— Charlotte (N.C.) Observer

Strasburg deserves All-Star nod

By LARRY STONE
THE SEATTLE TIMES

SEATTLE — When the All-Star teams are announced Sunday, there will be one burning question: Strasburg, or no Strasburg?

Whether Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg should make the National League squad has become the hottest debate in baseball.

The opponents argue that he doesn’t have the body of work, and his selection would block the path of a deserving player who has been here all season.

Good points, but Strasburg still makes my All-Star team for two reasons:

—The All-Star Game is primarily for the fans, and there is no single player in baseball right now who is more electrifying, fascinating and compelling than Strasburg.

Interest in the All-Star Game has been waning. While ratings for the All-Star Game last year were the highest since 1999, the presence of a sensation like Strasburg would provide a needed jolt to the entire affair.

—With the winning league getting homefield advantage, it’s more than an exhibition. And if you think there are 13 pitchers who are better than Strasburg right now, I’d have to argue vehemently.

Incredibly, the National League hasn’t won this game since 1996. It needs to put its best players on the field. Right now, Strasburg is easily one of its best players.

Yes, he will cost someone a spot on the team, and that’s too bad. But worthy players are left off the team every year, and will be again this year, despite the fact the rosters have been expanded to 34.

Here’s a compromise: Under a new rule, any starter who pitches the Sunday before the game could be selected for the All-Star team, but would be ineligible to pitch. Those pitchers would be replaced on the roster. I’m going to pick Strasburg for the squad I unveil below, but I could live with him making a backdoor entrance, either as an injury replacement, a substitute for a Sunday pitcher, or in the “Final Vote” for the 34th roster spot that will take place after the teams are announced.

Here are my 34-man squads for each league. As always, don’t forget that every major-league team must be represented — the Orioles and Pirates, too.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

First base

Who’s leading: Justin Morneau, Twins.

Who should start: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers.

Reserves: Morneau; Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox; Paul Konerko, White Sox.

Comment: You can pretty much flip a coin between Cabrera and Morneau. One has an OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage) of 1.040, the other 1.045. But Cabrera has been the league’s leading slugger and gets an ever-so-slight nod. Youkilis and his .415 on-base percentage can’t be overlooked, and Konerko has helped carry the White Sox back into contention.

Second base

Who’s leading: Robinson Cano, Yankees.

Who should start: Cano.

Reserve: Ty Wigginton, Orioles.

Comment: This is the biggest no-brainer on the ballot, for two reasons: 1) Cano is having an awesome season; and 2) This is a down year for AL second basemen. Wigginton, who has played 36 of his 74 games at second base, has had a pretty good year, but let’s face facts: He or Nick Markakis are going to get in because the Orioles have to have someone

Shortstop

Who’s leading: Derek Jeter, Yankees.

Who should start: Jeter.

Reserves: Elvis Andrus, Rangers.

Comment: Jeter is not having a vintage year. But I’m a big believer that in all close All-Star calls, you give the edge to the players that fans want to see. And that’s Jeter. Andrus is a rising young talent who is a sensational fielder, and gets the nod over Alex Gonzalez.

Third base

Who’s leading: Evan Longoria, Rays.

Who should start: Adrian Beltre, Red Sox.

Reserves: Longoria; Michael Young, Rangers.

Comment: Mariners fans have to wonder where the heck this version of Beltre was hiding the past five years: a .346 average, 12 homers, 53 runs batted in; and his .934 OPS leads Longoria handily. The toughest choice on the entire list was between Alex Rodriguez and Michael Young for the final reserve spot. I went back and forth but finally settled on Young, whose statistics are just slightly better across the board. Sorry, A-Rod … wait ’til next year.

Catcher

Who’s leading: Joe Mauer, Twins.

Who should start: Mauer.

Reserve: Kurt Suzuki, A’s.

Comment: Mauer is having, for him, a sluggish season, but he’s still the premier catcher in the league. You could make a case for Toronto’s John Buck or the Angels’ Mike Napoli as the backup. But Suzuki, in addition to being the token Oaklander, is the most athletic catcher in the game, and has shown some pop (10 homers, 35 RBI).

Outfield

Who’s leading: Ichiro; Josh Hamilton, Rangers; Carl Crawford, Rays.

Who should start: Hamilton; Alex Rios, White Sox; Crawford

Reserves: Ichiro; Vernon Wells, Blue Jays; Shin-Soo Choo, Indians.

Comment: Hamilton went crazy in June, hitting .454 with a 23-game hitting streak and a 1.297 OPS. Rios has vindicated White Sox GM Kenny Williams for picking up his huge salary last year. And Crawford is a tremendous all-around player. Apologies to Brennan Boesch, Magglio Ordonez, Nick Swisher and David DeJesus.

Designated hitter

Who’s leading: Vladimir Guerrero, Rangers.

Who should start: Guerrero.

Reserve: David Ortiz, Red Sox.

Comment: Guerrero is having a massive season and is an automatic choice. Ortiz seemed headed for the Ken Griffey Jr. exit route early in the season, but has recovered to hit 17 homers and drive in 53.

Pitchers

Who should be selected: David Price, Rafael Soriano, Rays; CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Yankees; Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez, Mariners; Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, Red Sox; Jered Weaver, Angels; Joakim Soria, Royals; Neftali Feliz, Rangers; Jose Valverde, Tigers.

Comment: The Mariners have been the most disappointing team in baseball — though Cubs fans might have an argument. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that they have two of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball. I’d have liked to find a way to get Phil Hughes and Justin Verlander on the team. Jason Vargas will have to be satisfied with knowing that at least he got in the conversation.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

First base

Who’s leading: Albert Pujols, Cardinals.

Who should start: Pujols.

Reserves: Joey Votto, Reds; Adrian Gonzalez, Padres; Ryan Howard, Phillies.

Comment: You could probably make a case for Votto starting over Pujols, but I’m content to give Pujols bonus points for being Pujols, and let Votto start at DH.

Second base

Who’s leading: Chase Utley, Phillies.

Who should start: Martin Prado, Braves.

Reserves: Rickie Weeks, Brewers; Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks.

Comment: With Utley sidelined by a thumb injury, Prado is the clear-cut choice — and would have been even with a healthy Utley. Prado, hitting .337, might win a batting title this year.

Shortstop

Who’s leading: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins.

Who should start: Ramirez.

Reserve: Jose Reyes, Mets.

Comment: Ramirez might have his issues, but he’s still one of the most electric — and talented — players in the game. With Troy Tulowitzki injured, backup is wide open, but I give Reyes the edge over the Giants’ Juan Uribe. With 19 steals, he’ll give Charlie Manuel some options late in the game.

Third base

Who’s leading: Placido Polanco, Phillies.

Who should start: David Wright, Mets.

Reserves: Scott Rolen, Reds; Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals; Casey McGehee, Brewers.

Comment: There’s a lot of pop at this position, and there’s no room for Polanco, as well as Jorge Cantu and Mark Reynolds. Wright and Rolen have both had resurgent seasons, and either one could rightly get the nod.

Catcher

Who’s leading: Yadier Molina, Cardinals.

Who should start: Miguel Olivo, Rockies.

Reserves: Brian McCann, Braves.

Comment: Olivo leads NL catchers in just about every offensive category with his .316 average, 11 homers, 39 RBI and .926 OPS. McCann is getting to be a perennial All-Star, and deserves to go again. Sorry to disappoint fans of Molina, who’s a fine defensive catcher, but he’s just not hitting enough this year.

Outfield

Who’s leading: Ryan Braun, Brewers; Andre Ethier, Dodgers; Jayson Werth, Phillies.

Who should start: Ethier; Corey Hart, Brewers; Andrew McCutchen, Pirates.

Reserves: Braun; Hunter Pence, Astros; Marlon Byrd, Cubs.

Comment: It’s a surprisingly sparse field this year — or perhaps not so surprising when you take into account that this is The Year of the Pitcher, which corresponds to lower offensive numbers across the board. McCutchen is my outside-the-box pick, but I think he’s one of the most exciting young players in the game, and a real threat on the bases. Too bad Jason Heyward got hurt.

Pitchers

Who should be selected: Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies; Josh Johnson, Marlins; Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Cardinals; Roy Halladay, Phillies; Yovani Gallardo, Brewers; Stephen Strasburg, Matt Capps, Nationals; Tim Lincecum, Giants; Mat Latos, Heath Bell, Padres; Francisco Rodriguez, Mets; Arthur Rhodes, Reds.

Comments: This isn’t as easy as it looks, folks. Just imagine if you had to limit it to 10 pitchers, as they did a few years back. My regret list is topped by Carlos Silva, who faded a little bit at the end but could well make the team as the token Cub. Also: Jaime Garcia, Ryan Franklin, Clayton Richards, Luke Gregerson, Mike Pelfrey, Brian Wilson and Matt Cain. I allowed myself one sentimental pick: Rhodes, who is having a nearly flawless season and, at age 40, will likely never have another opportunity. Lincecum isn’t having a vintage season, but he’s been good enough to deserve a spot; being the two-time Cy Young winner and last year’s All-Star starter gives you bonus points.

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