Minor League Stars & news

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Right now, there are many stories & articles written about the MLB – especially now with the All Star game coming up. I would like to take this opportunity and give a little something about some of the stars in the Minor Leagues.

Minors

Minor League futures game (United States vs The World): The United States entered the XM Satellite Radio Futures Game with a roster that conjured up images of great offensive production. Sporting nine former first-round picks among their position players, the Americans weren't lacking at the plate and it showed Sunday at PNC Park.

Gary Carter's charges blasted a pair of two-run homers and banged out 11 hits en route to an 8-5 victory over the World Team. The victory was the fifth in eight Futures Games for the U.S. and its first since 2004. The victory also marked the second consecutive season that Kansas City prospects had a big impact on the game. Alex Gordon, Wichita Wranglers, and Billy Butler, also Wichita, combined to go 4-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs. Butler, who connected for one of those two-run homers, was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

The United States won 8-5.

AAA International League

Six of Triple-A Baseball's top sluggers are scheduled to appear at the classification's annual Home Run Derby as part of Triple-A All-Star Game festivities. The Home Run Derby will take place on Monday night, July 10, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. at Fifth Third Field, home of the International League's Toledo Mud Hens.

The Home Run Derby will feature several of the top home run hitters in both the International and Pacific Coast Leagues, including each circuit's current HR leader. Kevin Witt of the IL's Durham Bulls is currently tied for the Minor League Baseball lead with 22 roundtrippers (tied with Terry Evans of Springfield, Double-A Texas League). Joining Witt in representing the IL will be two other sluggers currently in the League's top ten in long balls.

Toledo's Ryan Ludwick will be the hometown favorite; his 14 bombs this season brings his career Minor League total to 118. Ohio baseball fans will also be excited to see Buffalo's Andy Marte in the Home Run Derby. Among Cleveland's top prospects, Marte leads the Bisons with 13 homers in 2006, including a stretch of five straight games with a long ball in mid-June.

The Pacific Coast League will be represented by its top home run hitter of the past two years. Luke Scott of Round Rock leads the PCL with 19 HR this season, one year after he topped the League with 31 bombs for the Express in 2005. Also representing the PCL will be Nelson Cruz, the top home run hitter (15) for the defending League Champion Nashville Sounds, and Justin Leone, who has gone deep 12 times this season for the Portland Beavers.

This year's Derby will have a unique flavor to it. Over the course of the season, Toledo-area high school baseball players have squared off at Mud Hens games for the opportunity to compete along side the professional sluggers in the Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby. The top two high schoolers have earned a spot in the Derby, along side the six current Triple-A All-Stars and a pair of former Major League players also competing. The high school hitters will be allowed to use aluminum bats in an effort to keep the pressure on the pros.

AA

Eastern League

The Eastern League has announce that Harrisburg Senators third baseman/outfielder Kory Casto has been selected as the Eastern League Player of the Month for the month of June. The 24-year old had an outstanding month, hitting .344 (32-for-93) with seven doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 29 RBI, 21 runs scored, 19 walks, two stolen bases, a .461 on-base percentage and a .667 slugging percentage in 25 games.

Reading Phillies

In other news - On Sunday, July 2, prior to their game against the Erie SeaWolves, the Reading Phillies held a ceremony to retire the number of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg, who was an Eastern League All-Star with the Phillies in 1980, is the second former Reading Phillie to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Sandberg is also the second former player to have his number retired in Reading, joining Mike Schmidt, a 1971 Phil, who was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1995.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Left-hander Ricky Romero, the sixth overall pick in the 2005 draft, has been promoted from High-A Dunedin to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The 21-year-old was 2-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 10 appearances with Dunedin this season, holding opponents to a .224 batting average and striking out 61 batters in 58.1 innings of work. Entering this season, Romero was ranked by Baseball America as the second best prospect in the Blue Jays organization.