So now that the all-star ballots are out, I guess I haven't asked you guys how you usually vote.  Or if you even do, if you think it even matters, etc.  I'm not convinced that our votes really matter, but I still fill out like 5 ballots each year.

Some Giants fans that I know don't bother voting American League, and just vote Giants up and down the National League ticket every year.  (This is what I used to do myself - easy, no thought whatsoever involved).

But I eventually I stopped that.  Basically, as a San Francisco fan, I root for the National League to win.  The all-star game is one day, that I try and forget all my prejudices about other teams in the NL, and cheer them on (except hoping that each Dodger player tears his ACL or something at the end of the game).  I'm sick and tired of hearing how the American League is always better than us.  And I'm still pissed off at how we lost the last '08 all-star game (a bullshit call in a game where the bullshit commissioner wanted to end the game as early as possible - they were going to call him safe no matter what).

So my voting philosophy now is -  (a) I try and vote the NL players in who I think would most help the National League to win, AND (b) I vote for the suckiest possible American League players (who knows maybe just one of those guys will get in).  What do you think - is this too much thought put into something that doesn't matter?  I'm not convinced this would ever matter - but I do it anyway as a baseball fan.

A National League fan's voting guide -

1) vote for these AL guys

C - Jason Varitek BOS (batting .225 right now, shit, even Miguel Olivo is playing better than Varitek is right now - but I think I'm voting along with a lot of blindly prejudiced AL fans here)

1B - Mark Teixeira NYY (if you don't play fantasy baseball, you might not realize how badly Teixeira is sucking right now, and he's a Yankee, so your vote could help give him that little edge)

2B - Placido Polanco DET

3B - Eric Chavez OAK (A-Rod will get it, but I'm voting Chavez as a matter of principle)

SS - Mike Aviles KC

OF - Ken Griffey Jr. SEA

OF - David DeJesus KC

OF - J.D. Drew BOS

2) vote for these NL guys

C - Bengie Molina SF

1B - Albert Pujols STL (although Adrian Gonzalez is smashing homers out the wazoo right now, and the guy plays in Petco Park, so he'd be excellent too)

2B - Chase Utley PHI (yeah, you heard me, screw Orlando Hudson)

3B - David Wright NYM

SS - Hanley Ramirez FLA

OF - Carlos Beltran NYM

OF - Ryan J. Braun MIL

OF - Manny Ramirez LAD (under any other circumstances I'd vote for Alfonso Soriano or maybe even Raul Ibanez here because Manny's a Dodger, but I have to vote for Manny this year, because (1) there is a good chance fans really will vote him in as a F--K You to Selig, the MLB management, and their ridiculous banned substances list ... (2) besides, how many Boston players you think will be on the AL team? would it be great if Manny could tell them all to screw themselves by hitting a home run? ... and (3) how cool would it be if the only Dodger on the NL all-star team is their one player who is suspended right now?)

So there they are - my voting picks for the all-star game.  Thoughts?