SELF IMPROVEMENT

home run derby 2011 lineup
Blame the world champions if you must, but Major League Baseball — here at its halfway point, in the year 2011 — remains littered with handlebar mustaches, protruding bellies, and whatever the hell Coco Crisp and Johnny Damon are doing with their hair these days. So while the mavens of the NBA and NFL continue their locked-out summer vacations, milking the bravado-driven wardrobes for all they're worth, the question presents itself: Can you be a man of the diamond, and still a man of style?

There was a time when Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter were heralded for their straight-forward takes on the (now tired) combo of a blazer and dark t-shirt. And while Mr. 3,000 keeps things casual with the Sexiest Woman Alive, now it's All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson who is pushing forward the Yankee tradition: He looks just as comfortable in a crisp, grey pinstriped suit as he does in his uniform — the fit on both is perfect, the former because he had it custom tailored in Atlanta.

Matt Kemp of the Dodgers (above) succeeds by hewing closer to playboy cool than power-suit awkward — his casual jackets, Louis Vuitton luggage, and chambray shirts should serve as a lesson to any jock, professional or otherwise. Up in San Francisco, Tim Lincecum follows California's same casual-luxe mandate; it's not a press conference without plaid shirts and a beanie on his lid. Point is, consistency matters. Either way: The pink shirts, plaid jackets, and blazing bow ties on the Mariners legend offer a version of rock-meets-prep that wouldn't work for most men, but suits him.