PORTLAND, Ore. - The International League today announced the members of its 2009 All-Star team. The squad of 28 IL standouts will take on the Pacific Coast League's best in the 2009 Cricket Wireless Triple-A All-Star Game at PGE Park on Wednesday, July 15.The 2009 International League All-Star squad is made up of 13 elected players who have received the most votes from ballots submitted by clubs' field managers and general managers, members of the media and online fan voting. The elected players are joined by 15 additional All-Stars selected by the International League office. Each of the IL's 14 clubs and PCL's 16 teams will be represented in Portland.
Five clubs lead the way with three representatives on the International League team. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, owners of the League's best record at 44-32, are sending three All-Stars to Portland, including two-thirds of the elected outfielders in Shelley Duncan, who leads the IL in home runs (21) and RBIs (65), and Austin Jackson, who ranks fifth in the IL with a .320 average. Catcher Chris Stewart was also selected to the All-Star team from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Columbus also has two elected All-Stars in third baseman Andy Marte and catcher Wyatt Toregas, who will be accompanied to Portland by Clippers outfielder Jordan Brown.
The other clubs with three All-Stars are Gwinnett (first baseman Barbaro Canizares, second baseman Brooks Conrad, and pitcher Luis Valdez), Lehigh Valley (designated hitter Mike Cervenak, first baseman Andy Tracy, and pitcher Andrew Carpenter) and Syracuse (second baseman Seth Bynum, outfielder Jorge Padilla, and pitcher J.D. Martin). Pawtucket and Norfolk combined to claim the four elected pitching positions. Pawtucket starter Clay Buchholz, the overall leader in the online fan voting, is headed to Portland along with Norfolk starter Chris Tillman. The two pitchers currently tied for the League lead in saves are the two elected relievers - Pawtucket's Fernando Cabrera and Norfolk's Jim Miller, each of whom has 16 saves.
Eight members of the 2009 IL All-Star Team will be making a return trip to the Triple-A All-Star Game. That list includes the aforementioned Canizares (2008 with Richmond), Cervenak (2005 with Fresno), Duncan (2007 with Scranton/W-B), Marte (2006 with Buffalo), and Tracy (2000 with Ottawa), as well as starting pitchers Justin Lehr of Louisville (2007 with Tacoma) and Nelson Figueroa of Buffalo (2000 with Tucson), plus Durham's Reid Brignac, who is the IL's elected shortstop for the second straight season.
Several of baseball's top prospects are International League All-Stars, including the likes of Brignac, Buchholz, Jackson, and Tillman, plus outfielder Drew Stubbs of Louisville and pitcher Anthony Swarzak of Rochester.
The PCL now owns a 6-5 advantage in the 11 years since the All-Star game changed to the current IL vs. PCL format. The winning league this season will once again earn the right to have its champion play as the home team at the Bricktown Showdown Triple-A Championship Game in Oklahoma City this September.
Former Portland manager and current Louisville Bats skipper Rick Sweet will manage the International League squad. Sweet, a native of Longview, Wash., managed the Beavers from 2001-03.
The Cricket Wireless Triple-A All-Star Game will be broadcast at 7 p.m. (Pacific) by ESPN2, with Beavers play-by-play broadcaster Rich Burk joining former major league All-Star and one-time Beaver Eric Young and Baseball America's John Manuel on the air. The game can be heard locally on KKAD AM-1550 and on the Internet at www.portlandbeavers.com with Portland's Tim Hagerty and Rochester's Josh Whetzel calling the action.
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