The first half of the season is over, and the National League was victorious for the second consecutive year in the annual All-Star Game. Here is a review of some of the players that stood out before the all-star break; some of these players may have been either make-or-break high draft picks for your team, or a team in your league, or they are players that you might consider picking up for the second half.

Stud of the first half, American League: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Red Sox

When Gonzalez was traded to the Red Sox last year, every non-Red Sox fan was terrified of how dangerous he could be offensively with the Green Monster as his home field. Gonzalez made sure that all of those fears were realized, as he has hit .354 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs. This season is a perfect example of a power hitter making a transition from the National League to the American League, and finding massive success. A-Gon will finally get the recognition he deserves as a hitter by being in a lineup which allows him to drive in a huge amount of runs, and by playing in a stadium which turns fly balls that were previously opposite field fly-outs into home runs and doubles. This combination ensures that Gonzalez is going to be a high first round draft pick in every fantasy baseball league for years to come. (Honourable mentions: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays, .336 AVG, 31 HR, 65 RBI; Curtis Granderson, Yankees, .271 AVG, 25 HR, 65 RBI)

Stud of the first half, National League: Matt Kemp, CF, Dodgers

Center field is a position where offensive production is a bonus. Players like Peter Bourjos are serviceable center fielders for MLB teams because they offer value on defense in a position that demands it; Matt Kemp, however, has been somewhat of a fantasy baseball monster, hitting .313 with 22 homeruns and 27 stolen bases, while driving in 67 runs. He’s on pace for a 40 HR – 40 SB season, which is certainly something special for a player of any position.  The fact that he plays a position without many strong offensive players makes him that much more valuable to your fantasy team. (Honourable mentions: Jose Reyes, Mets, .354 AVG, 15 3B, 30 SB; Prince Fielder, Brewers, .298 AVG, 22 HR, 73 RBI)

Bust of the first half, American League: Adam Dunn, 1B, White Sox

Before coming to the White Sox, Adam Dunn was a model of consistency: from 2005 to 2010, he hit no less than 38 homers and no more than 40 each year, while posting an on-base percentage in the high .300’s. Over the first half, however, Dunn has hit only 9 home runs with a .160 AVG and a .292 OBP. This is, quite obviously, a massive decline from his expected production that had been so consistent while he was playing for Washington and Cincinnati. (Dishonourable Mention: Hideki Matsui, Athletics, .209 AVG, 6 HR, 34 RBI)

Bust of the first half, National League: Jayson Werth, OF, Nationals

In the offseason Jayson Werth managed to sign the fifteenth most lucrative contract in baseball history, for $126,000,000 of total value. Needless to say, he should be performing at a premium level. Unfortunately for Nationals fans, they may have to wait for Bryce Harper to make the MLB roster before they can have another impact outfielder. Jayson Werth has batted .215 throughout the first half, which ties him with Manny Burriss of the Giants. Who? Exactly. Werth has also hit only 10 home runs, and his slugging percentage is down almost 200 points from last season. If he doesn’t find his old swing soon, he’s sure to be crowned as the second “Vernon Wells” of the 21st century (who, coincidentally, also signed for $126 million back in 2008 with the Blue Jays). (Dishonourable Mention: Dan Uggla, Braves, .185 AVG, 15 HR, 34 RBI)

Rookie of the first half, American League: Michael Pineda, SP, Mariners

Being successful in the MLB when you are 22-years-old is an accomplishment in itself, but Pineda has managed to put together a fantastic season with an all-star appearance. Pineda has been strong in all facets of pitching, already having thrown 113 innings of 3.03 ERA baseball with 113 strikeouts and only 37 walks. He’s also averaging 95.0 MPH on his fastball, which ties him for fourth in the majors. He’s looking like a fantastically talented young pitcher, and he is certainly the backup that King Felix needs and the Mariners have been lacking since Cliff Lee’s departure. (Honourable mention: Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles, .260 AVG, 17 HR, 41 RBI)

Rookie of the first half, National League: Danny Espinosa, 2B, Nationals

While Werth has certainly been a complete letdown so far in Washington, Espinosa has been a sign of the team’s bright future. He has only posted a .242 AVG, but he has hit 16 homeruns and driven in 52 RBIs. He’s also managed to post an OPS of .793, which is impressive for such a young second baseman. While Espinosa has been striking out a fair bit (22.2% of his plate appearances are strikeouts), it is four percent lower than last year, and at 24 years of age he has a lot of time left to improve his plate discipline. He’s also stolen 12 bases, a welcome addition to any fantasy team. (Honourable mention: Freddie Freeman, Braves, .274 AVG, 13 HR, 43 RBI)

Player to watch for the second half, American League: Michael Brantley, CF, Indians

A lot of people have been wondering what exactly has allowed the Indians to win so many games throughout the first half, and while much of the praise has been (rightfully) directed toward the team’s fantastic pitching, Michael Brantley has provided solid production for them on offense. He has hit for a .270 AVG so far, with 36 RBIs and a very solid 51 runs scored. He’s also stolen 12 bases and received 34 walks. Brantley has also played quite a few games in left field this season, which allows him to be a fantastic bench player for anyone’s fantasy team. Brantley is only 61.7% owned in ESPN leagues, which means that there’s a good chance you could have him backing up, or even starting, on your fantasy team for the second half.

Player to watch for the second half, National League: Chase Headley, 3B/OF, Padres

Headley has put together a very productive season in San Diego, while flying under the radar. He’s hit .300 with a .390 OBP and a .791 OPS, through the first half, while driving in 32 RBIs and scoring 34 runs. The value that he loses from having only hit 2 home runs so far, he makes up in that fantastic on-base percentage. He’s also thrown in 8 stolen bases and taken 45 walks, which is solid for any bench player on a fantasy team. Headley’s positional versatility allows him to fill in for any of your injured (or slumping) starting players at third base and in the outfield. He’s also owned in only 66.9% of ESPN leagues, so pick him up if you’re in need of someone to backup your outfield, or to provide a lot of hits and walks.

And when Werth realized that he had just been robbed of an out by a fan, he did what any jerk would do: Curse him out in front of his son.

Give me a break Jayson.  It is game 84 of a 162 game season, not Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.  The man was simply trying to catch a souvenir for his son, and that is what he did.  It should have been a joyful moment shared by both father and son, but thanks to Werth, it became a moment of fear and embarrassment.

And in case you were wondering, the Phillies would still go on to win the game in 12 innings by a score of 4-3.

After the Phillies closed out the NLCS against the Dodgers last night on Jayson Werth‘s unreal performance, fans took to the streets to celebrate.  A local news station was trying to interview the drunken frenzied mob, but unfortunately for them, live TV is difficult to censor.  After the lady on the left swears in excitement about how great the Phillies winning is, the guy on the right jumps onto a cab and literally rolls off.  These fans aren’t as diehard as some Miami Hurricanes fans perhaps, but they are still pretty crazy.

The Phillies have now advanced to the World Series for the second straight season and the revelry in Philly is evident everywhere.  Although only a few arrests were made last night and some alcohol was confiscated, the real partying will begin if the Phillies win the Series.

Phillies Fans Out of Control – [MyFOXNY]

Werth set the pace early with a 3-run bomb in the bottom of the 1st inning that put the Phillies on top 3-1. It was a pivotal shot as Cole Hamels did not have his best stuff working against the Dodgers. The boys in blue kept chipping away at the lead, but the fightin’ Phils poured on more offense at the expense of Vincente Padilla.

Then in the 7th inning, Jayson Werth came up to face Hong-Chih Kuo. Werth hit another homer to give Philly a nice cushion. He ended up 3-4 with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. All that plus 2 homers in the clinching NLCS game earns Jayson Werth has The Stat Line of the Night for 10/20/09. It helps to have a good luck charm on your side, but it also helps to have power-hitters like Jayson Werth.

The Phillies now move on to defend their title and try to win back to back World Series championships. Will it be the Yanks or the Angels?

The answer?  It must have been “there is no reason why not.”  That’s when he caught Dodgers catcher Russell Martin sleeping for a moment, and took off.  Martin threw the ball back to pitcher Ronald Belisario, before noticing Werth coming at him.  By the time he did, it was too late.  Jayson Werth would slide into home and bring the crowd to their feet, as his Phillies increased their lead to 5-3, which would end up being the final.

The win was a good start to the series for the Phillies, who are now looking to build off of last nights performance.  Following a strong push that sent them into first in the NL East, Philadelphia has stumbled again, losing 4 of 5 before last night’s win.  If their pitching continues to struggle as it has, they will be hard pressed to maintain pace with the Mets (or Marlins).  But then again, when you have a guy like Werth who can steal you some runs, I guess anything becomes possible.

Kalas passed away today at the age of 73 after he collapsed in the press box at Nationals Stadium in Washington at about 12:30 p.m. and was rushed to George Washington University Medial Center.

Our prayers go out to the Kalas family, Harry will always be remembered.

HT Picture – [PlayerHatersBall]