Who will get the nod to start for Micro?

A number of the Micro Conference's No. 1 starting pitchers will have a chance to make their case for the 2014 All-Star Game in Durham, with some final jockeying to possibly determine who will be named the starter (which is based on the number of votes cast).

Brick City's Jose Fernandez has been living up to the billing so far in the first half of 2014. Heading into his final start on Saturday before the All-Star break with an 8-3 mark, this year's first overall pick leads the DMBL in ERA (1.79), WHIP (0.94), batting average (.194), hits/9 (5.9), and R/9 (8.6), to go with 4 complete games, which ranks third in the conference. He trails a number of other starters in wins (8) but will his peripherals be enough to convince voters to make him the starer for the Micro Conference?

Hoboken ace Clayton Kershaw leads the Micro's in wins (10-3) and is likely to add to his leading 130.7 innings in his final start before the break on Saturday. He's also the conference co-leader with 5 complete games, ranks fourth in the league with 117 Ks, trails only Fernandez in ERA (2.76), and sports a sterling 1.05 WHIP.

With Kershaw, fellow left-hander Cliff Lee (8-6) leads the league with five complete games but is alone in quality starts (14) and within the Diamond Conference is tops WHIP (0.97). He's currently tied with teammate Hisashi Iwakuma for second in the conference with 120 innings and should add to the total as he's scheduled to start Saturday in the final game before the All-Star break. Lee is second only to Fernandez in R/9 (8.7) and has registered 108 Ks.

"I've got your All-Star vote? Exxxcellent..."

Yu Darvish's 146 strikeouts easily leads the entire league, far head of the 122 of Hillsborough's Max Scherzer, and 11.8 K/9. The Brick City hurler can be wild (evidenced by a 9K, 8 BB performance this year) but warrants consideration for the final five (7-4, 3.31 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), especially for votes who favor strikeouts.

Matt Harvey (8-3, 2.82) is putting together a fine sophomore season for Arkansas. He's second in the conference in quality starts (13), innings (124.7) and strikeouts (119).

'Hey Stump -- catch this!"

There are others who might garner attention for the five starting spots on the Micro Conference, if you're looking for under-the-rader candidates to fill out your ballot. Not to be overlooked is Allentown's Iwakuma (6-6, 3.45). The .500 record could be a turn-off (as well as the league-high 26 home runs), but in addition to logging 120 innings he sports a 1.07 WHIP, third-best in the Diamond and is tied for 4th overall in the league in R/9 (9.8), with Kershaw and Scherzer.

If you're only looking at wins, there's Hoboken teammates Mike Leake (9-6) and Hiroki Kuroda (9-5) but you'd have to overlook some things, like Leake's 5.01 ERA/1.39 WHIP and Kuroda's only slightly better (4.80/1.40) but does have three complete games. Left-hander Madison Bumgarner has a losing record (4-7) but has been solid for Blue Ridge (3.71 ERA, 1.33 WHIP), striking out 102 in 104.3 innings. Others who might go unnoticed judging only their records are Sardine City's Nathan Eovaldi. Just 6-5, Eovaldi has a 3.50 ERA in 110.7 innings but also a 1.33 WHIP. Hey, at least they're not Zach Greinke, who's suffered through a 1-12 first half with Saskatoon.

Diamond Conference all-star starting pitcher possibilities

The leading vote-getter among starting pitchers on All-Star ballots will be awarded the distinction of starting the midseason classic. Who will that be? Let's look at the contenders for the Diamond Conference's five starting spots:

"I might start the All-Star Game?!?"

If your ballot goes straight up by most wins, you're man would be Durham's Sonny Gray (11-3). No one can catch him and he has a chance to add another W in Friday's scheduled start versus Hillsborough. So far, he's also struck out 108 in 108 innings.

Ivan Nova (10-4) of Marietta and San Francisco's A.J. Burnett (10-4) both won their final starts before the break on Tuesday but you'd have to overlook their respective 3.38 ERA/1.41 WHIP and 5.08 ERA/1.50 WHIP. For Burnett, you'd also have to take the extra step of writing him in on the ballot.

Your ballot does include two San Francisco starters worthy of consideration: Chris Sale (8-5) and Anibal Sanchez (9-4). Sanchez is headed toward the break leading the Diamond in ERA (2.35), with 111 Ks (3rd) through 111 innings and second only to Gray (.572) in OPS (.605). Sale has the better WHIP (1.05) than Sanchez (1.19), if not the better ERA (3.56) while throwing more innings (113.7) and fewer strikeouts (102). Sanchez is tied for the conference lead with 13 quality starts.

If a classic power pitcher is what you're looking for, Hillsborough's Max Scherzer (9-5, 3.15) leads the conference in strikeouts with 119. He's also among the conference leaders in innings pitched (114.3), and second only to Bartolo Colon in WHIP (1.08). He's scheduled to face Durham on Friday night.

Sorry Bartolo, it's just too darn easy

In Livingston, the safe bet is to cast a ballot for the always reliably stellar Felix Hernandez (8-4, 3.82), however, he just hit the DL for almost a month. But he might not even have the best numbers on his team as the Lords of Swing boast three 8-game winners.

The ageless Bartolo Colon (8-2, 3.12), who's made 13 starts, ranks first in the conference in WHIP (0.99) and third in OPS (.608). He also has the best runs created ERA (2.30) if that's what you're into and a league-best 1.0 BB/9. There's also Chris Archer (8-3, 3.53) and Tyson Ross (7-3, 3.82) who join King Felix with more than 100 innings. Hernandez also already has reached the century mark in Ks. Where Colon really separates from this group is WHIP, where the trio's numbers don't appear all-star like: Hernandez (1.35), Archer (1.38) and Ross (1.43). Ross tops them all with 11 quality starts, good for fourth in the conference but Archer and Colon are scheduled to start Friday and Saturday, respectively, in their last chance to impress voters.

Gray isn't the only Bull enjoying a good first half in Durham. Kris Medlen (8-4, 3.55) leads the conference in innings pitched at 119 and with Sanchez in quality starts. Another 8-game winner for the Bulls is Stephen Strasburg (8-3, 3.79) though his 1.32 WHIP is a few notches higher than Medlen's 1.24.

Two-time first-round pick C.C. Sabathia of Empire City improved to 9-5 with a win Wednesday night in his 17th start, though his ERA (3.94) and WHIP (1.48) might scare off some voters. Teammate Chris Tillman is a respectable 7-5 but sports slightly better stats (3.76 ERA/1.31 WHIP). Hopatcong's James Shields has always been a workhorse and his 117.3 innings in the first half show it. It's his 9-7 record, 3.99 ERA and 1.27 WHIP that could keep him off ballots.

When healthy, Marietta's Clay Buchholz (8-2, 2.76) looks like he's been strong in only 10 starts, with 64 Ks in 68 innings but has a 1.35 WHIP. He'll have a chance to add to those numbers Saturday versus San Francisco. Teammate Adam Wainwright, a former McDonald Award winner, has powered the Mighty Men's rotation with 116 innings but is only 6-5 to show for it with a 4.32 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.

Tomorrow: A look at the possibilities for Micro Conference starting pitchers.

Meet the 2012 All-Stars: Micro Conference!

We already looked at the Diamond Conference All-Stars. Now let's take a look at their opponents from the Micro Conference, comprised of the best from the Drabek (Hillsborough, Amityville, Arkansas, and Las Vegas) and Fisk (Vancouver, Sardine City, Blue Ridge, and Livingston) divisions.


The Batters

We'll start out behind the plate, where Blue Ridge's Yadier Molina got the nod after receiving 8 of the 12 votes cast. Long regarded as one of the premier defensive catchers in baseball, Molina this year has upped his game offensively as well, hitting .286 (.766 OPS) with 14 2B, 10 HR, 34 R, and 44 RBI. Molina's numbers aren't as eye-popping as the Diamond Conference's Mike Napoli (.870 OPS) or even his backup, Nick Hundley (.863 OPS), but Yadier was the right choice for the Micro Conference: He leads all Drabek/Fisk catchers in runs created (36.7) and OPS (.766). It's Yadier's first All-Star appearance and the second by a Molina; his brother, Bengie, was on the team in 2009.

He'll be backed up by seven-time All-Star Joe Mauer, the choice on two ballots. The Las Vegas catcher has the longest active streak of consecutive All-Star appearances (seven); if he makes the team next year, he'll tie Mariano Rivera for second place with eight straight. And if he's on the team in 2014, he'll tie Mike Piazza's all-time record of nine consecutive All-Star Game appearances. Apparently the two owners who voted for Mauer wanted to preserve his streak; we can't think of another reason why anyone would vote for him this year (.246 BA, .622 OPS). Amityville's Wilson Ramos (.259, .749 OPS) or Vancouver's Josh Thole (.282, .674 OPS), who each received one vote, had much stronger cases.

At first base, there was really no choice other than Sardine City's Eric Hosmer. The 22-year-old rookie is hitting .307/.353/.528 (.880 OPS); he leads all Micro first basemen in OPS, batting average, slugging percentage, and runs created (48.3). Hosmer was the choice on 10 of the 12 ballots cast, tying him for second for most votes received by a batter. The other votes went, curiously, to Vancouver's Todd Helton (.230 BA, .672 OPS) and Hillsborough's Billy Butler (.235 BA, .656 OPS).

Second base also was a no-brainer, with Blue Ridge's Ben Zobrist the choice on 10 of the 12 ballots cast. Zobrist, returning for his second All-Star Game after being the choice in 2010, leads all second basemen in the DMBL in just about every category -- BA (.320), OBP (.394), SLG (.576), OPS (.970), runs created (77.3), RC/27 (9.0), total average (1.035), and on and on. Why was he not the unanimous choice? Apparently someone wanted to embarrass Las Vegas's Dan Uggla (.210 BA, .705 OPS) and Amityville's Howie Kendrick (.255, .705). Look how puny your numbers are compare to Zobrist's!

Third base, for the 13th time, will be manned by #13 -- Las Vegas's Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod has been an All-Star in every year of his career save three (1999, 2005, and 2010). He was on six of the 12 ballots after an impressive first half (.280/.345/.538, .882 OPS, 26 2B, 21 HR, 63 R, 48 RBI). A-Rod is tied for the league lead in runs and is in the top 10 in OPS, SLG, hits (97), doubles, HRs, extra base hits (47), runs created (61.4), isolated power (.257), and total bases (186).

He'll be backed up by Vancouver's Ryan Zimmerman, the choice on four of the other six ballots. Zimmerman, whose first All-Star nod comes in his sixth DMBL season, also is having a terrific year (.297/.360/.491, .851 OPS, 15 2B, 12 HR, 31 R, 51 RBI). The final two ballots were cast in vain for Arkansas's Mike Moustakas, who is hitting a rather empty .290 (.699 OPS).

There's no stand-out candidate at shortstop. Sardine City's Starlin Castro (.278/.319/.396, .715 OPS, 6 3B, 5 HR, 36 R, 36 RBI) won on a plurality of ballots, the choice of five of the 12 cast. The first-time All-Star will be backed up by a four-time All-Star: Jimmy Rollins (.262/.304/.404, .708 OPS, 16 2B, 11 HR, 38 R, 32 RBI), who is Livingston's sole representative on the team. Two other votes went to Amityville's Yunel Escobar (.275 BA, .685 OPS), and one to Las Vegas's Hanley Ramirez (.219 BA, .675 OPS).

The best hitter in the Micro Conference right now is probably Sardine City's Ryan Braun (.307/.381/.565, .946 OPS, 20 HR, 56 RBI), who was the choice on nine of the 12 ballots cast. Braun is in the DMBL top 10 in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, hits (99), runs (55), extra base hits (41), stolen base percentage (.727), runs created (70.7), RC/27 (8.2), isolated power (.258), total average (.991), total bases (182), secondary average (.382) and AB/HR (16.1), and he's had an 18-game hitting streak this season. This is Braun's third straight All-Star appearance and fourth overall.

The other two starting outfielders are both from Amityville: Matt Kemp, who also received nine votes, and Jacoby Ellsbury, who received seven. Kemp, who also was an All-Star in 2010, is hitting .305/.346/.536 (.882 OPS) with 17 HR, 60 R, and 53 RBI. First-time All-Star Ellsbury is hitting .269/.335/.519 (.854 OPS) with 20 HR, 50 R, and 60 RBI.

There was quite a lot of competition for the final two outfield spots, with nine players receiving votes. But the top two were Vancouver's Dexter Fowler (.265/.364/.462, .825 OPS, 23 2B, 14 3B, 37 R, 25 RBI) and Las Vegas's Alex Gordon (.265/.331/.455, .786 OPS, 22 2B, 12 HR, 50 R, 44 RBI). Each will make his first All-Star appearance.

The biggest snubs were probably Blue Ridge's Matt Holliday (.279/.333/.480, .814 OPS, 19 2B, 16 HR, 52 R, 56 RBI) and Hillsborough's Mike Morse (.280/.341/.488, .829 OPS, 25 2B, 15 HR, 47 R, 53 RBI), who received one vote each.

Lucky to receive one vote each: Arkansas's Josh Reddick (.244 BA, .642 OPS); Hillsborough's Carlos Gonzalez (.256 BA, .725 OPS) and Justin Upton (.260 BA, .757 OPS); Vancouver's Josh Willingham (.222 BA, .657 OPS); and, in possibly the worst All-Star ballot cast this year, Blue Ridge's Andrew McCutchen (.162 BA, .542 OPS in 315 PA).

The choice for Micro DH came down to guys having good seasons in very limited at-bats against guys who play a lot but are having mediocre seasons. The voters went with quality over quantity. Arkansas's Pablo Sandoval gets the start after being the choice on six of the 12 ballots cast. His numbers are impressive -- .302 BA, .373 OBP, .584 SLG, .957 OPS -- but he has just 169 plate appearances in his team's first 83 games. It's Sandoval's first All-Star Game. Another part-timer, Hillsborough's Travis Hafner, backs him up after being on four of the 12 ballots. Pronk is hitting .324/.411/.469 (.880 OPS), but has just 246 plate appearances as a platoon player. He's an All-Star for the third time in his career, but hasn't been here since 2007.

Vancouver's Rickie Weeks (.253 BA, .752 OPS) and Amityville's Lukas Duda (.259 BA, .781 OPS) received one vote each.

The Pitchers

The starting pitcher for the Micro Conference, and the only unanimous selection this season, is Hillsborough's Justin Verlander. And how could you vote against him? He leads the league in wins (10), Ks (126), OBP (.208), SLG (.298), OPS (.506), R/9 (7.2), H/9 (5.2), and QS% (.833), and is second in ERA (2.17), innings (128.1), complete games (4) and W% (.769). He's currently on pace to set the all-time DMBL records for R/9 (8.2, set by Pedro Martinez in 2001), H/9 (6.1, set by Nolan Ryan in 1992), and OPS (.541, set by Roger Clemens in 2006). Verlander is making his All-Star debut this season.

The other four spots were all up for grabs, with 16 pitchers receiving votes. Five got five votes each, but only four could make it: Sardine City's Javier Vazquez (6-4, 2.99 ERA, 10.4 R/9), Vancouver's Derek Holland (8-5, 2.89 ERA, 10.9 R/9), Hillsborough's Dan Haren (4-4, 2.77 ERA, 10.7 R/9), and Las Vegas's Tim Lincecum (9-4, 3.19 ERA, 12.2 R/9). Vazquez is a three-time All-Star -- oddly enough, making it once every four years ('04, '08, '12). Lincecum is here for the fourth time, each year since 2009. Haren is back for his second appearance after making the team in 2010, and Holland is popping his All-Star cherry.

The odd man out, despite receiving five votes, was Hillsborough's Felix Hernandez (8-5, 3.57 ERA, 12.1 R/9).

The biggest snub was probably Livingston swingman Bud Norris, who got just one vote despite posting a 3.28 ERA and 10.6 R/9 in nine starts and seven relief appearances for the worst team in the league. You can also make a case for Blue Ridge's Vance Worley (8-4, 3.63 ERA, 11.2 R/9), who had four votes; his teammate Jeremy Hellickson (3-7, 3.63 ERA, 10.5 R/9), who received three; Vancouver's Johnny Cueto (6-5, 3.52 ERA, 11.8 R/9), who got two; or Las Vegas's Erik Bedard (4-4, 3.82 ERA, 11.3 R/9), who got one.

Receiving four votes each were Amityville teammates Cole Hamels (7-6, 4.50 ERA, 12.9 R/9) and Jered Weaver (6-6, 4.68 ERA, 12.1 R/9). A third Ant Slayer, Jordan Zimmermann, had the best numbers of the trio (5-7, 3.92 ERA, 11.2 R/9) but received just one vote.

Pity votes went to Arkanas's Cliff Lee (5-3, 4.44 ERA, 13.2 R/9); Las Vegas's Roy Oswalt (2-8, 4.50 ERA, 12.1 R/9); and Sardine City's Homer Bailey (6-5, 4.64 ERA, 13.2 R/9).

All five relievers in the Micro Conference's bullpen are here for their first All-Star Game. The top two vote getters were Hillsborough's John Axford (3-2, 1.85 ERA, 7.4 R/9, 9 SV) and Vancouver's Koji Uehara (1-0, 1.09 ERA, 6.3 R/9, 18 SV), who received eight votes each.

Sixteen other relievers received votes in the battle for the final three spots. The top vote getter, with five, was Arkansas's Drew Storen (2-4, 3.09 ERA, 9.5 R/9, 13 SV).

Four others got four votes, but only two could make the team. The nods went to Sardine City's Daniel Bard (0-1, 2.17 ERA, 9.9 R/9, 21 SV) and Arkansas's Sergio Romo (4-1, 2.82 ERA, 7.3 R/9, 2 SV); left off were Livingston's Neftali Feliz (2.48 ERA, 12.1 R/9) and Hillsborough's Johnny Venters (2.00 ERA, 11.3 R/9).

Receiving three votes each were Vancouver's Jim Johnson (1.37 ERA, 9.1 R/9); Sardine City's Octavio Dotel (2.23 ERA, 8.1 R/9); and Amityville's Craig Kimbrel (3.65 ERA, 12.9 R/9).

Six relievers got two votes each: Amityville's Sergio Santos (3.88 ERA, 9.7 R/9); Hillsborough's Eric O'Flaherty (2.78 ERA, 12.8 R/9); Hillsborough's Jeff Samardzija (4.05 ERA, 12.9 R/9); Hopatcong's Jose Valverde (3.34 ERA, 11.8 R/9); Hillsborough's Sean Marshall (2.13 ERA, 12.1 R/9); and Amityville's Sam LeCure (3.28 ERA, 11.7 R/9).

Receiving one vote apiece, presumably from the Francisco delegation, were Las Vegas's Francisco Rodriguez (2.85 ERA, 10.6 R/9) and Vancouver's Francisco Cordero. (3.60 ERA, 12.4 R/9).


The Totals

The All-Star balloting in the Micro closely follows the overall standings. Hillsborough, with the conference's best record, is tied for the most representatives with five; Sardine City, which was leading its division until the final game before the break, also has five. Vancouver, which caught the Straphangers on the last day for the Fisk Division lead, has four All-Stars. But in a bit of a surprise, Amityville -- despite having the third-best record in the conference -- is tied for sixth with just two representatives. They were leapfrogged by Las Vegas and Arkansas, which have three each, and are tied with Blue Ridge at two. The last-place team, the aptly named Livingston Last Place, has the minimum one All-Star.