Sports
With the season nearly halfway done, it is almost time for Major League Baseball's midseason showcase -- the 2004 All-Star game.
This year's game will be held in Houston's Minute Maid Park on July 13.
The game remains a novelty, even though it decides home field advantage for the New York Yankees and their National League opponent in the 2004 World Series.
The midseason game also suffers because, as in recent years, some of the best players in baseball will inevitably be omitted from the All-Star rosters because of fan balloting.
Fans chose the MLB All-Star starters, and they tend to chose household names rather than 2004 talent.
New York Yankees Jason Giambi (.237 AVG, 11 HR) and Derek Jeter (.266 AVG, 39 RBI) and Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa (.285 AVG, 29 RBI) are all slated to be 2004 All-Stars, according to current ballot polls, despite the fact that none are at the top of their games.
Sosa and Giambi have been limited by injuries all season, and Jeter's effort to date has been streaky.
Therefore, more important than dwelling on who belongs on the 2004 All-Star rosters is contemplating how different stars will perform in the later stages of the second season.
As in every season, some first-half stars are bound to drift into obscurity and some perennial stars who had quiet first halves look poised to rebound in time for the playoff push.
The Dartmouth takes a look at some stars who could struggle or shine in the second half of the season:
Shine
OF Garrett Anderson, Anaheim Angels (.333 AVG, 16 RBI):
Anderson is gearing up for a strong second-half run, following an injury plagued first half.
