Papi picks HR Derby team

David Ortiz has picked Jose Bautista and Adriand Gonzalez to join him at the HR Derby at the ALL Star Game. Mark Teixeira is his fourth pick but has not confirmed. Robbie Cano and Josh Hamilton are his backups.

Ortiz, Gonzalez, Beckett and Ellsbury named AL All- Star Starters

David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez will start for the American League at the All- Star Game in Arizona.

The Yankees will have Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson in the starting line-up. Toronto's Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton of Texas and Detroit catcher Alex Avila round out the starters.

Josh Beckett makes it as a pitcher as does Felix Hernandez, Mariano Rivera, Aaron Crow, Justin Verlander, Brandon League, David Price, James Shields, Jered Weaver, CJ Wilson, Gio Gonzalez, Jose Valverde and Chris Perez.

Your reserves are Matt Wieters, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Quentin, Asdrubal Cabrera, Miguel Cabrera, Howie Kendrick, Michael Cuddyer, Russell Martin, Matt Joyce, Adrian Beltre and Michael Young.

Gonzalez back in RF Saturday in Houston

Your line-up for Saturday night with a return from CF Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez back in RF as David Ortiz starts at 1B.

CF Ellsbury
2B Pedroia
RF Gonzalez
3B Youkilis
1B Ortiz
C Saltalamacchia
LF McDonald
SS Scutaro
LHP Miller

Ortiz to captain AL HR Derby Team

I'm loving the new rules of this year's HR Derby at the All-Star Game! David Ortiz and Prince Fielder are captains of the AL and NL. They get to pick 3 players of their choosing and the players DON'T have to be All-Stars.

I'm digging it! Here's the release from MLB:

Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers and David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox have been named the first-ever captains of the National League and American League squads for the 2011 Home Run Derby.

Ortiz is the defending champion, having won the 2010 Home Run Derby in Anaheim, while Fielder won the previous year in St. Louis. The 2011 Home Run Derby will take place on Monday, July 11 at Chase Field in Phoenix at 8 p.m. (ET).

A new element of this year’s Derby format will be the team competition between the American League and National League. Fielder and Ortiz will each determine the other three participants on their teams and will personally extend the invitations. All players are eligible to participate in the Home Run Derby, not only those named to All-Star rosters. Each of the captains will select a charity of their choice which they will be hitting for during the Derby.

State Farm and Major League Baseball will donate a significant amount of money for charity through the event. The donations will be made as follows:

• $150,000 will be awarded to the winning captain's charity in his name

• $100,000 will be awarded to Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) in the name of the winning captain.

* $25,000 will be awarded to the charity of the captain of the losing team in his name.

Gonzalez in RF - Ortiz at 1B

The Red Sox have 1B Adrian Gonzalez in right field tonight in Philadelphia and get David Ortiz his first interleague start this season at first base.  Here are your line-ups:


Red SoxJacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, RF
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Josh Reddick, LF
Marco Scutaro, SS
John Lackey, P

Phillies
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Placido Polanco, 3B
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, 1B
Shane Victorino, CF
Raul Ibanez, LF
Domonic Brown, RF
Brian Schneider, C
Vance Worley, P

Ortiz sits again - Red Sox Sunday Line-up

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Gonzalez 1B
Youkilis 3B
Drew RF
Saltalamacchia C
Reddick LF
Scutaro SS
Miller LHP

Ortiz sits - Gonzalez at 1B vs. Pirates

In the first of nine games in National League ballparks, it's David Ortiz who gets to sit out Friday night against the Pirates. Here's your line-ups:

Red Sox

CF Ellsbury
2B Pedroia
1B Gonzalez
3B Youkilis
LF McDonald
RF Cameron
C Varitek
SS Scutaro
P Lester
Pirates
LF Tabata
3B d'Arnaud
CF McCutchen
2B Walker
RF Diaz
1B Overbay
SS Cedeno
C McKenry
P Maholm

Rosenthal on Big Papi: "Back to Classic Form"

From Fox Sports -

Division Leaders Phillies, Giants, Rangers Step to the Plate on MLB on FOX

Saturday at 4:00 PM ET

Rosenthal:  Big Papi Back to Classic Form  

DIVISION LEADERS HIGHLIGHT FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GOW SLATE – On Saturday, June 11 (4:00 PM ET) the FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK presents three exciting matchups each showcasing a division leader. Runs have been hard to come by in Philadelphia, whether by the Philly bats or against the Phillies’ pitching staff. One of their four aces, Cliff Lee, takes the mound looking to keep the Cubs in check. Even with injury concerns, the Giants have kept on rolling. Saturday, they put their ace, Tim Lincecum, on the hill to face Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and the slugging Reds. With Joe Mauer beginning a minor league rehab soon, the Twins will need Justin Morneau to return to MVP form as the Twins welcome Josh Hamilton and the defending AL champs, the Rangers. The MLB on FOX pregame originates live from the AT&T Park in San Francisco, with host Chris Rose. Once game action begins, Rose joins Thom Brennaman and Eric Karros as a field reporter.

For instant updates throughout the week and during games from the entire MLB on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MLBONFOX.  Fans can gain more access to exclusive FOX Sports content by logging on to www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.myspace.com/foxsports.

  

Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies  (59% of nation)                        

Kenny Albert, Tim McCarver & Ken Rosenthal   

Citizens Bank Park – Philadelphia, PA                         

MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, New York, Norfolk, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, St. Louis, Tampa, Washington, West Palm Beach

Probable Pitchers:  Matt Garza, RHP (2-5, 4.07 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee, LHP (5-5, 3.62 ERA)

Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants  (24% of nation)                 

Thom Brennaman & Eric Karros       

AT&T Park – San Francisco, CA

MARKETS INCLUDE:  Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco

Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. Tim Lincecum, RHP (5-4, 2.85 ERA)

Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins (16% of nation)                            

Matt Vasgersian & Mark Grace   

Target Field – Minneapolis, MN

MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Seattle, Tulsa

Probable Pitchers: Colby Lewis, RHP (5-6, 4.37 ERA) vs. Scott Baker, RHP (3-4, 3.86 ERA)

ROSENTHAL: BIG PAPI PRODUCING ON ANOTHER LEVEL – MLB on FOX reporter and FOXSports.com senior MLB columnist Ken Rosenthal writes that Boston Red Sox DH David Oritz is back in classic form.  “This is the old Papi all right, turning back the clock to his glory years: 2004 to ’07, when he averaged 44 home runs, 135 RBI and a 1.024 OPS.  Teams no longer want to pay DHs big money. But if Ortiz keeps this up, the Red Sox will be ‘stuck’ with him again — and not at a pay cut from his $12.5 million salary, either,” said Rosenthal.  “Ortiz, 35, is tied for fourth in the AL with 14 homers. He is fourth in the league and first on his team with a .992 OPS. No other primary DH is producing at even close to the same level.”

To read Rosenthal’s entire column, visit: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/david-ortiz-bringing-DH-back-for-boston-red-sox-060711

FANS HAVE DESIGNS TO SUPPORT TROOPS IN BOW TIE CONTEST – MLB on FOX reporter and FOXSports.com senior MLB columnist Ken Rosenthal has been rocking a bow tie during every MLB on FOX broadcast this season in support of NFL player Dhani Jones’ BowTie Cause initiative.  Fans now have a unique opportunity to design a bow tie for Rosenthal to wear on the final regular-season broadcast of 2011, while supporting the US military at the same time.  Simply visit www.bowtiecause.org to create and submit your bow tie design. The top 32 designs received by the June 11 deadline will be entered into the Bow Ties for the Troops Tournament, launching June 17. Fans vote, bracket-style, for five rounds to determine a winner.  Rosenthal wears the winning design on the September 24 MLB on FOX broadcast.  All submitted designs will be sent to our US military personnel overseas to let them know we're thinking of them.

MLB ALL-STAR GAME VOTING UPDATE – With less than five weeks before first pitch of Major League Baseball’s 82^nd Mid-Summer Classic, airing Tuesday, July 12 (8:00 PM ET) on FOX, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has surged past St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols as leading vote-getter in the National League.  Braun is aiming to become the first N.L. outfielder to start in four consecutive All-Star Games since Barry Bonds was elected to five straight from 2000-2004.  In the American League, Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista became the first player in this season’s All-Star voting in either league to garner over two million votes.  Bautista who is having another outstanding year at the plate is followed closely by Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. 

Fans can vote for their hometown superstar and get more information on this year’s ballots, by visiting www.allstargame.com or www.dbacks.com/asg. Spanish-language ballots are also available at lasmayores.com.

                  

CANADIAN GRAND PRIX AIRS THIS SUNDAY ON FOX – FOX Sports features coverage of the Canadian Grand Prix this Sunday, June 12 (1:00 PM ET). After placing sixth in the May 29 Monaco Grand Prix and angering stewards with his post-race comments, last year’s winner, Lewis Hamilton, has a lot to prove in Sunday’s race. He is currently ranked second in the overall standings, behind Monaco winner, Sebastian Vettel, by 58 points, just as his team, McLaren, is second behind Vettel’s team, Red Bull. Though the Montreal circuit has proven to be a bumpy and unpredictable circuit, Hamilton, who also won the Canada Grand Prix in 2007, has his sights already set on a third victory. “I’ve always got on really well with the track, the layout seems to suit my driving style,” said Hamilton. “It’s set to be another good weekend for us – I’ll be looking for a strong result on Sunday.”

EAST COAST DUEL, NORTHWEST RIVALRY SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK’S MLS ‘SOCCER NIGHT IN AMERICA’ GAMES – FOX Soccer brings a double dose of “Soccer Night in America” this weekend, beginning Friday, June 10 (8:30 PM ET) when the New York Red Bulls host the New England Revolution from Red Bull Arena. All eyes will be on the forward tandem of Thierry Henry and Luke Rodgers, who have combined for 11 goals for the Red Bulls this season. New England comes into Friday’s game eager to stop a three-match losing streak.  J.P. Dellacamera calls play-by-play, with former MLS standout Kyle Martino handling analysis and Brian Dunseth reporting from the sidelines.

On Saturday, June 11 (10:30 PM ET), the focus turns to the white-hot soccer passion of the Pacific Northwest, when the Vancouver Whitecaps visit Quest Field and the awaiting Seattle Sounders.  Former U.S. National Team and MLS players Eric Wynalda, Christopher Sullivan and Cobi Jones team up for pregame, halftime and postgame coverage beginning at 8:00 PM ET as Seattle gets its first glimpse of Northwest rivals Vancouver since the Whitecaps entered MLS this season.  Vancouver is coming off a tie versus Chivas USA last week, but still do not have a W to show for its last 13 games.  FOX Soccer’s Christopher Sullivan teams up with the Sounders’ play-by-play regular, Arlo White in the booth and Keith Bleyer handles sideline reports. 

For the latest MLS news, information and FOX Soccer’s 2011 MLS telecast schedule, visit: http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/mls.

Ortiz supports Posada

Yankees troubled catcher/designated hitter Jorge Posada has found a strange ally in Red Sox DH David Ortiz after Posada's trouble came to a head Saturday when Posada pulled himself from the Yankees lineup against Boston.

Confusion reigns in the NY lockerroom between Posada, GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi over whether Jorge had a back injury, was mad at being put in the number nine slot in the lineup or whether Posada just needed a mental health day.

Here's what Ortiz had to say about the whole situation:

“You want me to tell you what I think? They’re doing that guy wrong. They’re doing him wrong. Because that guy, he’s legendary right there in the organization.”