The start of the baseball season is upon us. Tomorrow is a very early but highly anticipated opening day of Major League Baseball. The Yankees face off against Tigers and my home-away-from-home team the San Francisco Giants take on their rivals the L.A. Dodgers. Of course there are other games but those are the two that stand out for me.
I am first and foremost an avid Red Sox fan. Let's not get it twisted people I bleed the red, white, and blue of the Sox but when I go into Fenway Park and the Red Sox win a game against Oakland or Tampa Bay and and well all chant (because it's what we do no matter what team we play) "YANKEES SUCK!" I have to think, do they honestly really suck?
The answer is no, they don't really suck they have three Gold Glove winners in their infield alone and they did just win the World Series in 2009.
A friend of mine who is a Yankee fan... yes I am willingly friends with a Yankee fan... asked me if I could choose my perfect team between the two current Yankee and Red Sox rosters who would I choose?
Some Red Sox fans do not want to be honest with their team and would choose all Red Sox players but as a baseball connoisseur I can look objectively at each player, what they offer their team, and their abilities in the field. Here is what my team would look like and some other members' of the sports staff picks:

Catcher - Francisco vs. Salty: Francisco Cervelli
Starting pitcher - C.C. vs. Johnny Lester - Lester
1B - Tex vs. A. Gon - Tex
2b - Robbie vs. Dusty - Dusty
SS - Jeter vs. Scutaro - Jeter (any day of the week and twice on Sunday)
3b - A. Rod vs. Youk - YOOUUUK!
LF - Gardner vs. Crawford - Crawford
CF - Granderson vs. Jacoby - Jacoby (no one can beat his speed or diving catches)
RF - Nicky vs. J.D. - NICKY!! (Been following him since he was with Oakland)
DH - Posada vs. Big Papi - Papi

Sports Editor Dan Podheiser's picks
Catcher: Salty
Starting Pitcher: Sabathia
1B: Gonzalez
2B: Pedroia
SS: Jeter
3B: Youkilis
LF: Crawford
CF: Granderson
RF: Swisher
DH: Ortiz

Register Citizen's Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Robert's Picks

Catcher – Salty

First base – Tex

Second base – Cano

Shortstop – Derek Jeter

Third Base – Youk

Left field – Crawford

Center field – Granderson

Right field – Nick Swisher

DH – Posada

Register Citizen's Staff Writer Peter Wallace's picks:
Catcher: Salty
Starting pitcher: C.C.
1B: Tex
2B: Dusty
SS: Scutaro
3B: Youk
LF: Crawford
CF: Granderson
RF: J.D.
DH: Papi

Jim Bransfield's picks and commentary:

Catcher: Martin vs. Saltamacchia -- a draw; both aren't very good, but Martin has a potentail better upside. Cervelli is a distant backup.

First base: Teixiera edge over Gonzalez, only because Tex has done it in the AL.

Second base: Cano clearly over Pedroia. Cano is one of the elite players in the game.
Shortstop: A declining Jeter is still way ahead of journeyman Scutaro. The Sox still haveen't replaced Cabrera.
Third base: One of the great players of all-time, ARod, is well ahead of a very good Youkilis.

Left field: Crawford is way ahead of Gardner.

Center field: Granderson is clearly a better player than a disappointing -- and not very well-liked in his own clubhosue -- Ellsbury.

Right field: Nick Swisher plays hurt, and just plays much better than the I couldn't be bothered Nancy Drew.
Pitchers in order: Sabathia, Lester, Buchholz, Hughes, Becket, Lackey, Matsusaka, Burnett, Garica, Nove. Clear advantage Boston.

Closer. The Greatest Closer of All-Time, The Great Mariano. That Papelbon is even in the conversation is amusing.
Bullpen: Robertson, Felicano, Chamberlain, Soriano looks to have an edge of Boston's.

The Yankee infield may well be the best offensive infield in baseball history.

You may not like it you may disagree but there it is the sports department picks for the Yankee/Red Sox All-Star team

Submit your team in either the comment box or by emailing sports@middletownpress.com.

Enjoy Opening Day!