OMAHA, NE - Lenny DiNardo today was chosen as the top pitcher at the highest level of Minor League Baseball last season, being named as the pitcher on the 2009 Topps' Triple-A All-Star Team. The Omaha hurler was selected earlier as the best left-handed pitcher in the Pacific Coast League by being the Royals first player named to the All-PCL team since 2005. He was also named earlier by the Kansas City Royals as Omaha's Pitcher of the Year.DiNardo was 10-5 with a 3.32 ERA and two saves in 29 games for the O-Royals, including 23 starts. His 3.32 ERA ranked fourth in the PCL, while his 127 strikeouts were tied for third and were the most for a Royals pitcher since 1989. In 151.2 innings with Omaha, he gave up only 38 walks and yielded just five home runs. He was involved in six of the Royals' league-leading 17 shutouts, starting five of them and earning a save in another.
A native of Gainesville, Florida, DiNardo was called up by Kansas City in September and made five starts down the stretch, going 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA. Earlier this week, the Royals assigned DiNardo outright to Omaha, clearing the way for him to declare free agency. Originally the New York Mets' third round selection in the 2001 draft out of Stetson University, he had previously pitched in the big leagues with Boston and Oakland before being signed by Kansas City as a minor league free agent last December.
Also named to the Topps' Triple-A All-Star Team today was former Bellevue University star Randy Ruiz. The Las Vegas 51s first baseman was earlier chosen as the Pacific Coast League's Most Valuable Player after hitting.320 with 25 home runs and a Triple-A best 106 RBI.
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