Curve to be well-represented at 2005 EL All-Star Game
June 30, 2005 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ALTOONA-- Nine members of the Altoona Curve--including five players--have been selected to participate in the 2005 Hannaford Eastern League All-Star Game July 13th at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine, home of the Portland Sea Dogs.
The five players--pitchers Brady Borner and Tom Gorzelanny, infielders Jose Bautista and Josh Bonifay and outfielder Rajai Davis--will represent the Curve on the Southern Division All-Star squad, which will be led by Curve manager Tony Beasley, pitching coach Jeff Andrews and hitting coach Matt Winters. Trainer Jason Palmer will also represent the Curve at the Mid-Summer Classic.
Borner and Bonifay each had the honor of being selected to the All-Star Game by Curve fans at Blair County Ballpark as part of the Eastern League's fan balloting process. Fans from each of the 12 Eastern League cities selected one pitcher and one position player to represent their respective clubs.
Bautista entered Thursday's action hitting .307 with 9 HR and a team-high 50 RBI in 70 games. The 24-year old third baseman spent the entire 2004 season in the major leagues as a Rule 5 draft selection with Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. Bautista, a native of the Dominican Republic who was originally drafted by the Pirates in 2000, returned to the Pirates organization as part of the five-player trade that sent pitcher Kris Benson to the New York Mets last July.
Bonifay will be participating in his first E.L. All-Star Game in his third season with the Curve. The 26-year old first baseman, who was voted to the All-Star Game by Curve fans as part of the E.L.'s fan balloting process, entered Thursday hitting .251 with 13 HR and 39 RBI in 51 games. Bonifay was drafted by the Pirates in the 24th round of the 1999 June draft out of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
Borner has been the Curve's most consistent relief pitcher during the first half of the 2005 season, posting a 3-0 record and outstanding 1.68 ERA in 25 appearances out of the Curve bullpen. The 26-year old left-hander opened the season by tossing 19 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. He was also selected to the All-Star Game as part of the league's fan balloting process.
Davis has jumped started the Curve offense from the leadoff position in the batting the order the entire season, hitting .292 with an Eastern League-leading 28 stolen bases in his first 73 games. The 24-year old Double-A rookie is a member of the Pirates' 40-man roster for the 2005 season.
Gorzelanny was named to the Southern Division All-Star Team despite missing the first month of the season with left elbow soreness. The 22-year old left-hander, who was the Pirates' 2nd round selection in the 2003 June draft, has gone 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts, highlighted by a three-hit shutout victory over the New Britain Rock Cats Sunday night at Blair County Ballpark.
The Curve coaching staff was selected to lead the Southern Division team by virtue of posting the best overall regular season record in the Eastern League in 2004. The Northern Division squad will be managed by Todd Claus of the host Portland Sea Dogs.
The 7 PM game on July 13th will be televised live throughout New England by the New England Sports Network (NESN), while fans in Pennsylvania can view the game on-line at www.minorleaguebaseball.com
To see full rosters for the 2005 Eastern League All-Star Game please visit www.seadogs.com/allstar.
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