Former St. Louis Cardinals star Scott Rolen was named to play in the 2011 MLB All-Star Game Saturday, after the thin third base corps in the National League got even thinner when Chipper Jones underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. The game is Rolen's sixth All-Star appearance, and his second in a row after a renaissance season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010. (Between 2003 and 2006 Rolen made four consecutive appearances for the Cardinals.)
Rolen has struggled to date in 2011, hitting .245/.278/.403 with five home runs and 18 doubles in 60 games, but as the reigning Gold Glover he makes as much sense as any other third baseman in the league, including Phillies starter (and the other half of the Scott Rolen trade) Placido Polanco, who won the fan vote with an OPS of .687. David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman haven't stayed healthy in the NL East, while Pedro Alvarez has been perhaps the only disappointment on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central.
Perhaps the most deserving remaining third basemen in the National League are Aramis Ramirez, in the midst of a comeback season for the foundering Cubs, and Pablo Sandoval of the Giants—but neither one is exactly known for his defense at the position.