by Kristin Kolehouse

Created on: July 06, 2009

With the recent announcement of the 2009 MLB All-Star Game rosters, many of the most popular baseball players of 2009 are absent. Alex Rodriguez missed the first month and a half of the season and is being out preformed by the All-Star Game's starting third baseman Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays), and surprising slugger Brandon Inge (Detroit Tigers). Also plagued with injury this season is David Ortiz. While he has made a name for himself in Boston as a tremendous clutch hitter, he is batting a paltry .225 with just 9 home runs this season. Finally, Manny Ramirez. Ramirez missed 50 games because of a positive performance enhancing drug test and was also left off the 2009 All-Star Game roster.

It is impossible to argue that these three players aren't still among the most popular in baseball, but their popularity is based on their performance in past seasons and, in the case of Rodriguez and Ramirez, has been ratcheted up even more in 2009 because of steroid allegations, positive drug tests and dramatic personal lives. Ortiz, while not surrounded with scandal, had an even smaller chance of making the All-Star Game roster simply because the game is being played in a National League park. With no designated hitter position and the likes of Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis and Miguel Cabrera having banner years at first base, Ortiz's chances were unlikely even if he were having a better year. These players are obviously among the most popular in baseball, but who are the players that are popular in 2009 because of their performance this year?

Albert Pujols

Pujols, like Rodriguez, Ramirez and Ortiz, is always a popular player. However, with 31 homeruns and a .336 batting average, he is popular for baseball reasons only. He was voted in by fans as the starting first baseman for the National League All-Star team. With close to 6 million votes, he was the highest vote getter in this year's voting. Also, Pujols is a player that isn't haunted by drama from his personal life. In fact, Pujols is known as a pretty altruistic guy. He is a family man, philanthropist and he even did something that many foreign-born MLB players don't do; he became an American citizen. His consistently astonishing performance and admirable work off the field make Albert Pujols one of the most perennially popular players and 2009 is no exception.

Tim Lincecum- Pitcher, San Francisco Giants

The Brooklyn Dodgers were lovingly referred to as "Dem Brooklyn Bums," by fans. The World Series winning

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