All Star notes: Haren, not Beckett, will start for AL

Haran will oppose Peavy in San Fran tomorrow night
Detroit Tigers manager Smokey Jim Leyland, fresh off his team's three-game ass reaming of the BoSox, delivered another blow to the already angry team: the All Star skipper selected Oakland's ERA king and talented young righty Dan Haren to start the Midsummer Classic over longtime frontrunner Josh Beckett.

Perhaps the Marlboro Man was swayed by the fact that the game is in San Fran, and Haren pitches across the Bay in Oakland. Or it could have been the simple fact that Haren leads the league in ERA at 2.30, a mark that is at least a full run better than Beckett (3.44) and C.C. Sabathia (3.58), and nearly half a run better than John Lackey (2.91) of Anaheim, the other candidates for the job.

Still something tells me that the bitter old smokestack that Leyland is just wanted to stick it Boston once more, shunning them like his team shunned the Sox this weekend and not wanting to bestow the honor on a pitcher he perceives could line up against him in a playoff series.

I know I'm reaching, but I'm bitter. First the sweep, and now the snub.

Well, at least he didn't pull a Torre and select his own fucking guy, Verlander.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that Beckett pitches two quality innings, Papi hits a homer, Oki gets a hold, Lowell makes a great play at third, Manny shows up, and Paps saves the game.

That'll show Leyland.

Unless of course the Tigers make it to the series again and our Sox have helped them get the homefield advantage needed to win.

Oh, Captain Cancer Stick also named his starting lineup. Here it is along with the NL list:

POS: AL/NL
1B: Papi/ Fielder
2B: Polanco/ Utley
3B: ARod/ Wright
SS: Jeter/ Reyes
C: Rodriguez/ Martin
RF: Vlad/ Griffey
CF: Ichiro/ Beltran
LF: Maggs/ Bonds
SP: Haren/ Peavy