MLB

Tim Lincecum has taken fans on a roller-coaster ride during the last three years, and it's finally reached its peak.

The MLB All-Star Game is used to highlight the best players in baseball near the halfway point of the regular season. Derek Jeter is not one of these players, but he still is worthy of his spot in the starting lineup for the American League.

While Major League Baseball's All-Stars take the field on Tuesday night to celebrate the game, there are a lot of players anxiously waiting to find out where they will be after the July 31 trade deadline.

This is the time of year where fans and players are in perfect sync, pulling their hair out and biting their nails trying to determine if the latest rumor being floated out there is true or just due diligence by the team.

It can be difficult to break down Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game in a strategic manner. After all, these are teams molded by fans and feature talented players all lumped together, not carefully pieced together by a general manager.

Players may play unusual roles. They hit from new spots in the lineup. Starters become relievers. Closers become setup men. Up is down, left is right...you get the point.

But clear strengths do become apparent when you study the rosters closely. This year is no different.  

Oakland A's catcher Derek Norris made the All-Star Game for the first time in his young career in 2014, but he didn't get all of the perks of being an All-Star in Minnesota.

All-Stars are supposed get their own car and sign for the parade on the day of the game. That didn't happen for Norris.

Keep it locked right here as we bring you live coverage of the 2014 All-Star Game! 

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The San Diego Padres Systems Check video offers a quick overview of the team's farm system, addressing its strengths and weaknesses and how it can improve moving forward. The video also provides a breakdown of the Padres top prospects for 2014, catcher Austin Hedges, right-hander Matt Wisler and left-hander Max Fried, including each player's ETA in the major leagues and potential long-term role within the organization

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In this era of Major League Baseball, where power is hard to come by, the Home Run Derby takes on a new level of importance. We don't just watch to see balls go over the fence but to see the amazing feats of strength from these incredible athletes. 

The Seattle Mariners enter the All-Star break with a 2.5-game lead in the race for the second American League wild-card spot but still have some clear needs to address at the MLB trading deadline.