Rotohelp's Complete 2002 NL All-Star roster is listed at the bottom of the article. I plan to spend today's column discussing our NL selections; we discussed our AL choices yesterday. The starting lineup represents the players for whom we voted in the balloting.

Our votes and selections were based on a number of criteria, but primarily we focused on selecting the players who are performing best this season. While we haven't made excuses for players with injuries, we did not discount anyone simply because they might decline the honor and need to be replaced. We feel that those deserving of an All-Star berth should be named to the team, even if they are in a full body cast or on crutches like Jason Kendall in 1999. They can easily be replaced after their accomplishments have been recognized.

We also believe that every team deserves representation. Managers should also make certain to get everyone in the game except maybe one or two pitchers (at least one starter needs to be available should the game go deep into extra innings), even at the potential expense of losing this exhibition. This game is for all the fans, and watching for your home team player to get in the game and make his fans proud is a part of the contest. How else will kids convince their parents to let them stay up to watch Lee Smith pitch through the 12th inning?

As Tim briefly discussed in Monday's Daily Rx, we select players by first using objective criteria like park-neutral statistics, and then narrow the list with traditional quantitative statistics before insuring all teams are represented. We relied upon the stats at Baseball Prospectus to select most of our roster.

Now to discuss our choices: Todd Helton will start at first base. Helton's power numbers have dropped slightly this season but the rest of his skills remain intact and in some cases even improved, placing him at the top of the field of elite first basemen. He'll also be Colorado's sole representative. In addition to Helton, we'll bring Ryan Klesko and Richie Sexson. Klesko deserves to be on the team and provides the team with a Padre. The host club needs more than one player on the team and Sexson has earned his spot. Jeff Bagwell's injury-decreased production removed him from consideration.

At second base, Jose Vidro will start. While we decided against voting for the All-Contraction-Stars, we've given the edge to Twins and Expos in close decisions. Junior Spivey has performed comparably to Vidro this season and will also make the team. Even though Luis Castillo's streak ended, he deserves recognition as he's also played well outside the streak.

Jose Hernandez starts at shortstop; it's nice to have a player from the host team in the starting lineup and Hernandez has earned his position. We'll also bring Jimmy Rollins; his numbers are down from last year but still in the top three for NL shortstops.

Mike Lowell's break out season merits a starting spot at third base. In addition to Lowell, we'll take Albert Pujols at third. Pujols' production continues to rank among the top players in the game this season. Edgardo Alfonzo doesn't rank with the other two but will be added to our list for the fan vote for the 30th player.

MLB added another level of voting to this year's game, allowing fans to select the 30th player from a list of five for each league provided by the All-Star Managers after the rest of the players have been named. We've included our five player lists below and bolded the player we think the fans will vote on the team.

Mike Piazza is the clear favorite to start behind the plate, several levels above his competition. Piazza will likely be the Mets' only representative. While Paul Lo Duca hasn't performed as well as expected this season, he still beats out the alternatives for a backup catcher.

Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Vladimir Guerrero will start in the outfield. Bonds and Sosa are musts as outstanding players as well as the only representatives of their teams. Guerrero might not make the team against the other outfield competition, but we wanted him there and starting as the standout Expo. The rest of the outfield will be quite crowded with Brian Giles, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman, and Shawn Green. All have performed at high levels that mandate their selection, forcing Andruw Jones, Luis Gonzalez, Pat Burrell, and Jim Edmonds to the fan vote for the 30th player. Jones makes the team as the fan's choice.

Tom Glavine edges out the competition to start the game for the NL and serves as Atlanta's delegate. Behind him we've chosen Odalis Perez, Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, Matt Morris, Vicente Padilla, Roy Oswalt, Eric Gagne, Byung-Hyun Kim, and Danny Graves.

There's no question that Perez deserves to be on this team and that Kazuhisa Ishii does not. Ishii has pitched better than most expected this season but despite a better record has not pitched nearly as well as the highly effective Perez, whose performance ranks him among the top three pitchers this season with Glavine and Derek Lowe. Gagne's dominance has taken him to the top of the ranks of closers, and Kim continues to follow close behind. Graves' good, consistent, work earns him his roster spot. I don't expect any of the pitchers to miss the game, but if anyone sits, Pedro Astacio is our first choice as a replacement, followed by Tomo Ohka and Kip Wells.

If one of the closers bows out, then we'll take first Trevor Hoffman and then Robb Nen. Once again position players can be replaced from the list for the 30th player.

Rotohelp's 2002 National League All-Stars

Starting Lineup:
1B - Todd Helton, COL
2B - Jose Vidro, MON
SS - Jose Hernandez, MIL
3B - Mike Lowell, FLO
C - Mike Piazza, NYM
OF - Barry Bonds, SF
OF - Vladimir Guerrero, MON
OF - Sammy Sosa, CHC

Bench
Ryan Klesko, 1B, SD
Richie Sexson, 1B, MIL
Junior Spivey, 2B, ARI
Luis Castillo, 2B, FLO
Jimmy Rollins, SS, PHI
Albert Pujols, 3B, STL
Paul Lo Duca, C, LA
Brian Giles, OF, PIT
Lance Berkman, OF, HOU
Adam Dunn, OF, CIN
Shawn Green, OF, LA

Candidates for 30th Roster Spot Vote:
Edgardo Alfonzo, 3B, NYM
Andruw Jones, OF, ATL
Luis Gonzalez, OF, ARI
Pat Burrell, OF, PHI
Jim Edmonds, OF, STL

Pitchers:
NL Starter - Tom Glavine, ATL
Odalis Perez, LA
Curt Schilling, ARI
Randy Johnson, ARI
Matt Morris, STL
Vicente Padilla, PHI
Roy Oswalt, HOU
Eric Gagne, LA
Byung-Hyun Kim, ARI
Danny Graves, CIN

Alternate Pitchers
Pedro Astacio, NYM
Tomo Ohka, MON
Kip Wells, PIT