To honor the 4th of July, here is your 2009 All America team.

C-Joe Mauer

There isn’t alot that he isn’t good at. This year he’s hitting, hitting for power, playing excellent D, saving babies, all that good American Pie crap that writers pine about. He’s tapering off a little from his insane pace earlier in the season, but he’s still a great player in an era where the word great has been overused.

1B-Adrian Gonzalez

The pride of San Diego has turned in his best season to date thus far this year. There is nothing more american than a Mexican-American these days, believe me, and this Mexican-American is throwing his name in there with Fernando as a legend in Mexican player lore.

2B-Ian Kinsler

This is starting to look like my fantasy infield. Kinsler belongs, he’s got an outside shot at 30/30 this year, he scores runs and drives them in, and is the rare 2B that can still have offensive value whilst hitting .263. Most middle infielders have to hit for a high average to stay on the team, but it isn’t true with Kinsler who has excellent power.

SS-Derek Jeter

Capt. America makes it on here only because the best SS are like cars these days, the best are made outside of US borders. Offensively he’s doing great, but defensivley he’s regressing again. In a seperate column I’ll write about why contending teams shouldn’t hold on to declining players who are pursuing career milestones like Jetes will in about 2011/2012.

3B-Mark Reynolds

Yes, he will absolutely strike out 200+ times this year. No question. His slash stats are also .270/.356/.561. That is an insane line when you tie in the 22 HR’s and 13 SB’s. You could absolutely argue Evan Longoria, but I think that Reynolds has him by a nose right now, defense included. Reynolds is no Brooks Robinson, he’ll struggle to be even Tony Bautista with the glove, but he’s putting together a more complete season than Longoria right now. It is very close however.

OF-Raul Ibanez

He’s still hurt, and that’s alarming, but no one has had a better season in left than Raul. Good average, great counting stats, and a solid glove out there, he can just flat out play. He’s from New York too.

OF-Carl Crawford

Yea, I’m cheating and putting him in center. He has 40 stolen bases this year. Four-Zero. He’s on pace for a Rickey-Like 80. After the season he had last year no one really expected this from him.

OF-Jermaine Dye

Late career peak for a player who had his proper peak interrupted by injury. It’s a good peak though, and while his defense is going to force the Sox to put him as the DH once Jimmy two time retires, he can still go get it a little in right. Jermaine Dye just goes out there and produces without much fanfare or hoopla. That’s valuable.

SP-Tim Lincecum

No one can touch him. His K-BB ratio is better than 4-1, he’s on pace for 264 SO’s and 56 BB’s. He has a 1.07 WHiP. I foolishly thought that Dan Haren was close, but he isn’t really. Tiny Tim is the real deal.

CP-Joe Nathan

Automatic, gets the tough saves and the easy ones, an insane .77 WHiP, a crazy 1.44 ERA, great periphial stats, there is no one better in the ninth, American born or otherwise, that can touch Nathan this year. Mariano is better overall, but in 2009, Nathan is the king.