Ten days ago, Patrick Reusse wrote an article, quoting Ron Gardenhire extensively, that stated the case for Michael Cuddyer to be the Twins’ sole representative in the 2011 All-Star Game. Reusse pointed out that the Twins had to have someone, that Cuddyer was putting up decent numbers and that he could fill the role of utility player on the AL team. Reaction was pretty mixed, but also pretty intense. Many pointed to two other position players–Denard Span and Jason Kubel–and made claims that one of those guys would be a superior representative to Cuddyer. Many questioned Cuddyer’s worth, mentioning that his defense was subpar wherever he played and that he was a bad hitter in the clutch. Some thought a pitcher–Blackburn or Baker–would be a better representative. Another segment thought that Cuddyer deserved the honor. The strib poll that accompanied the article showed that a plurality thought Cuddyer should be the Twins’ representative.

Today, it has become apparent that if a Twins  position player goes to Arizona for the All-Star game it will be Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer is among the team leaders in just about every offensive category. He’s even second on the team in stolen bases. Kubel and Span have not seen the field in weeks and there is still no solid timetable for either to return to action. The biggest reason for Cuddyer’s prospects to brighten is that he has been performing like an All-Star. His overall numbers now are very good. His slash line for the season now is .352/.465/.817. That is an OPS+ of about 120. For the month of June only, Cuddy the Amazing is OPSing 1.117, with a league-leading 10 doubles, 5 homers and 16 RBI. In his current 12-game hitting streak, he has had a minimum of 2 total bases in each game.

Much of what goes into All-Star selections is ridiculous: letting the manager get his players in the game, lousy selections by the fans squeezing out deserving players, a glut of deserving players at one particular position or one team’s best option also playing the same position. Any of those factors could push Cuddyer out of the running. Some factors favor the Twins right fielder/infielder: he is a veteran who has had some fine seasons, he is regarded as a good guy and finally is not likely to fall apart and make the All-Star selection look comically inept (an example would be Dave Engle for the Twins in ’84).

Blackburn and Baker have continued to put up strong numbers, but the competition on the pitching staff will be intense and B & B aren’t on top of the charts in wins, ERA or strikeouts and there is a higher chance that either could bomb in the second half–Blackburn was sent to AAA last year and Baker pitched his way out of the playoff rotation. Plus one bad outing for a starter could make very good stats look pathetic, ask Madison Bumgarner.

The question of whether Cuddyer should continue with the Twins beyond this year or maybe even beyond the trading deadline is out there too. It really shouldn’t have any effect on Ron Washington’s All-Star decision. Count me among those who will be satisfied with the selection of Michael Cuddyer as an All-Star next month.