PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Four Sounds Named To PCL All-Star Team

Published on June 29, 2006 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


Nashville outfielders Nelson Cruz and Tony Gwynn, catcher Mike Rivera, and starting pitcher Ben Hendrickson have been named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team and will represent the Sounds on the 28-man squad that takes on the International League stars in the 2006 Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 12 at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio.

Cruz, Gwynn, and Rivera were elected as starters by a combination of fan, media, and manager voting, while Hendrickson was selected to the team as a reserve by the PCL office. In addition to the foursome of players, Sounds pitching coach Stan Kyles will serve on the PCL coaching staff for the contest.

The four player selections for the mid-season All-Star contest are the Sounds' most since the team joined the Pacific Coast League in 1998. The previous high was three players in 2001 - pitcher Don Wengert, infielder Luis Figueroa, and outfielder Tike Redman.

Cruz, 24, currently leads all Nashville players and ranks among the PCL leaders in several offensive categories, including home runs (14), RBIs (50), total bases (136), doubles (17), and runs scored (51). He holds a .288 batting average (77-for-267) and .509 slugging mark through a team-high 76 games this season, appearing primarily as the Sounds' cleanup hitter. The slugger has also shown adeptness on the basepaths, swiping 16 bases in 20 attempts.

The 2005 PCL Championship Series MVP is in his second season with the Milwaukee Brewers organization and has been named to a mid-season All-Star team for the second time in his nine-year pro career, following a 2004 selection to the California League squad while playing for Modesto (missed the game due to promotion to Class AA).

Gwynn, 23, makes his second consecutive All-Star appearance after being honored by the Southern League last season. The son of the future MLB Hall of Famer of the same name currently ranks fourth among PCL batters with 91 hits. Gwynn has posted a .306 average (91-for-297) with 16 doubles and 19 stolen bases in his 74 games of action this season, his first at the Class AAA level. His 121 total bases are second on the club, trailing Cruz.

Rivera, 29, adds another All-Star appearance to an already impressive resume. The Nashville backstop will appear in his fifth mid-season All-Star contest, including two Florida State League games (1999-2000), an Eastern League game (2001), and the MLB All-Star Futures Game (2001). In addition, he was named to the Gulf Coast League All-Star squad in his first professional season in 1997.

Through 53 games of action this season, Rivera has posted a .288 average (55-for-191), nine home runs, and 42 RBIs. The latter two totals place him second behind Cruz among Sounds hitters. He ranked among the top three PCL hitters in average for the first two months of the season.

Hendrickson, 25, ranks second among Pacific Coast League hurlers with his 1.95 ERA (15er/69.1ip) through 11 starts and co-leads Nashville with six victories. He has posted eight quality starts in 11 PCL outings, including seven in his last eight trips to the hill. He boasts a 6-2 record along with 59 strikeouts and has held PCL batters to a .182 average on the year (43-for-236).

The right-hander makes his second career appearance in the Triple-A All-Star Game. He was the starting pitcher for the International League squad in 2004 during a stellar season in which he was named the circuit's Pitcher-of-the-Year. Hendrickson is the lone member of the 2006 PCL squad to previously appear in a Triple-A All-Star Game.

Nashville's four players named to the squad were the most among the 16 PCL clubs.

No former Sounds players were named to either the Pacific Coast League or International League rosters for the contest.

The 2006 Triple-A All-Star Game will be broadcast live on television on ESPN2 as well as on the radio on Sports Radio 560 AM at 6:00 p.m. CDT.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 29, 2006


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