Futures Game to have SL Flavor

Published on June 23, 2003 under Southern League (SL1) News Release

MARIETTA, GA – The 2003 RadioShack All-Star Futures Game to be held on July 13 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago will be full of Southern League flavor. The rosters were announced by Baseball America in conjunction with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball. The RadioShack All-Star Futures Game, which will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m. (ET), features the top prospects in Minor League Baseball, with a team of U.S.-born players competing against players from around the world.

In total, eight current Southern League players were selected to play in the Futures Game featuring baseball's top prospects. Six Southern Leaguers were named to the U.S. Team and two were named to the World Team. In addition, there were also four former Southern League players chosen to participate in the game.

Current Southern Leaguers named to the U.S. roster are as follows:
SS J.J. Hardy – Huntsville Stars/Milwaukee Brewers
OF Dave Krynzel – Huntsville Stars/Milwaukee Brewers
OF Stephen Smitherman – Chattanooga Lookouts/Cincinnati Reds
P Neal Cotts – Birmingham Barons/Chicago White Sox
P Edwin Jackson – Jacksonville Suns/Los Angeles Dodgers
P Royce Ring – Birmingham Barons/Chicago White Sox

Current Southern Leaguers named to the World Roster are as follows:
P Denny Bautista – Carolina Mudcats/Florida Marlins
P Angel Guzman – West Tenn Diamond Jaxx

Former Southern League Players include:
INF Khalil Greene (Mobile BayBears) – U.S.
INF Adam LaRoche (Greenville Braves) – U.S.
P Dan Haren (Tennessee Smokies) – U.S.
INF Rene Reyes (Carolina Mudcats) – World

Adding to the Southern League flavor at the game will be U.S. Team Coach and Huntsville Stars' Manager Frank Kremblas as well as World Team Coach and Carolina Mudcats' Manager Tracy Woodson.

Umpires Cameron Keller and Scott Kennedy, two crew chiefs from the Southern League will be members of the Futures Game 4-man umpiring crew.

Southern League Stories from June 23, 2003

• Suns win in last at bat, 4-3 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
• Suns Ruin Rays' Rally - Orlando Rays
• G-Braves Blanked Again - Mississippi Braves
• Ankiel Homers, Smokies Blank Braves Again - Knoxville Smokies
• Cotts, Ring Selected to All-Star Futures Game - Birmingham Barons
• Futures Game to have SL Flavor - SL1
• Stars Fall to Mudcats in 13, 6-2 - Huntsville Stars

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