First Place Cougars Field Seven All-Star Game Nods
Published on June 5, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release
GENEVA, IL - The Midwest League has announced the rosters for the 2009 All-Star Game, which will be held on Tuesday, June 23 at Alliant Energy Field in Clinton, Iowa - home of the LumberKings. A total of seven Kane County Cougars have been named to the Western Division All-Star Team, the second-most among Western Division teams and the largest total of star-studded Cougars since the '04 team, which also held seven midseason All-Stars. Only the '03 Cougars All-Star class, which held eight players (including current Major Leaguers John Baker, Joe Blanton and Nelson Cruz), have posted a larger number of Kane County All-Stars since the Cougars became an A's affiliate prior to the '03 season.
In voting by league managers, the seven Cougars (five of which are from Oakland's '08 draft class) selected to this year's All-Star Game include infielders Steve Kleen, Jason Christian and Dusty Coleman, outfielder Jeremy Barfield and pitchers Shawn Haviland, Jamie Richmond and Kenny Smalley. Three-fourths of the starting infield for the Western Division squad will wear Kane County hats, as Christian (3B), Coleman (SS) and Kleen (1B) have earned starting nods. Barfield also finds a spot in the starting lineup as designated hitter, while pitchers Richmond, Haviland and Smalley will be available on the mound for the Western Division All-Stars. Both Smalley and Haviland, who have each posted strong first halves as starting pitchers this season, are possible candidates to start the game but that decision, made by the All-Star coaching staff of the host team Clinton LumberKings, will be announced as the game nears.
Smalley, the first-ever Cougar from the Tri-Cities, has had a happy homecoming this spring. The righty leads the Midwest League with a 1.69 ERA and is 5-1 on the season. Also contributing to the Cougars' starting rotation is Shawn Haviland, the Harvard graduate whose numbers from the hill include a 4-1 ledger and 2.78 ERA. Jamie Richmond's work has been exclusively from the bullpen in '09 (4-2 record, team-high 16 appearances) and collectively, the three Cougars All-Star pitchers have 13 of the team's 33 wins this season.
Entering play this evening, Coleman ranks among the Midwest League's top 10 in several offensive categories including doubles (18, T-3rd), extra-base hits (29, T-2nd) and RBI (36, 5th). Coleman's clutch hitting this season includes a pair of walk-off home runs (5/1 vs. Lansing, 5/21 vs. Wisconsin), while Barfield became the fifth player in Cougars history to hit three home runs in a game (5/12 vs. Burlington). Both Kleen and Christian have stabilized the corner spots of manager Steve Scarsone's infield and will also make the trip to Clinton.
The Kane County Cougars (33-20) are currently tied with Cedar Rapids for first place in the Western Division, and both teams hold a four game lead over the Peoria Chiefs for the wild card playoff spot. The season's first half of play concludes on Sunday, June 21.
Midwest League Stories from June 5, 2009
- Late Lansing Flurry Sends TinCaps to 9-2 Loss - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Bees Allow Two in the Ninth in Loss to Quad Cities - Burlington Bees
- Cougars Squander Late Lead - Kane County Cougars
- Whitecaps Pummeled By Loons - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Lugnuts Explode Late, Trounce TinCaps, 9-2 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Bandits' All-Star Leads Charge in 7-5 Win - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Rattlers End Kernels Win Streak - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Chiefs Sweep Series Against Snappers, 5-1 - Peoria Chiefs
- Pedroza's Cycle Highlights 16-4 Loons Win - Great Lakes Loons
- Dayton Wins Game and Series - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Dragons Win Third Straight over South Bend - Dayton Dragons
- Five Rattlers named to 2009 Midwest League All-Star Game - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Kernels put six on MWL All-Star team - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Left Hander Joe Testa Named All-Star - Beloit Sky Carp
- Cutler Named MWL All-Star - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Fairel, Coddington Selected to Play in All-Star Game - Dayton Dragons
- Eight LumberKings Named to 2009 MWL All-Star Game - Clinton LumberKings
- Record Seven Loons Named to All-Star Team - Great Lakes Loons
- LumberKings Team Up with Missouri Department of Tourism - Clinton LumberKings
- First Place Cougars Field Seven All-Star Game Nods - Kane County Cougars
- Four Hawks Named to All-Star Roster - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Long Joins Roster - Dayton Dragons
- Dragons GameDay - Dayton Dragons
- Six Whitecaps Named to MWL All-Star Team - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Rosters Announced for Donald Driver Charity Softball Game - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Four Bees Selected to All-Star Game - Burlington Bees
- Six Chiefs to Represent Peoria in MWL All-Star Game - Peoria Chiefs
- Five TinCaps Named MWL All-Stars - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Lugnuts' Alvarez, Van Kirk Named MWL All-Stars - Lansing Lugnuts
- INF Gabe Jacobo placed on DL - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Midwest League Announces 2009 All-Star Rosters - MWL1
- Kernels cruise into first place with 8-0 win over Wisconsin - Cedar Rapids Kernels
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