Miles, Staley and Weaver Named Frontier League All-Stars
Published on July 7, 2014 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
(Florence, KY) - The Florence Freedom are happy to announce that outfielder Cole Miles, catcher Joe Staley and starting pitcher Chuck Weaver will represent the Freedom in the Frontier League All-Star Game on July 16 at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, IL.
The Frontier League All-Stars were determined by a vote of the league's general managers, field managers, coaches, broadcasters and local media.
Miles, 27, will start in the outfield for the Frontier League's East Division All-Stars. It is his second Frontier League All-Star Game selection as he also earned a spot in 2011. As of July 7, Miles is hitting a team-leading .328 on the season with four home runs and 13 RBI. His four home runs match his career high. Miles has also stolen 10 bases on the year while playing an outstanding center field.
The 2014 season is Miles' fourth with the Freedom and ninth in professional baseball. Miles began his professional career at the age of 19 when he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 19th round in 2005. He reached as high as Double-A in affiliated ball. The Woods Cross, UT native creates havoc on the bases as in 2011, he stole 40 bags in 72 games. As a professional, Miles holds a career batting average of .272 entering this year.
"Miles has definitely earned this all-star nod," Freedom manager Fran Riordan said. "He's been through the wringer with injuries the last few years but the league is finally seeing what he is capable of when healthy. He is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and I feel lucky to manage him."
Staley, 25, will start at catcher for the East Division. As of July 7, Staley is hitting .294 with a team-leading six home runs and a team-leading 28 RBI. He has drawn a team-high 29 walks and has an On-Base Percentage of .424.
Staley is a former 8th round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2010. The Lubbock Christian product and Frisco, TX native advanced as far as Single-A during his time in affiliated baseball. The switch hitter's best season prior to 2014 came in 2011 as he posted career highs in home runs (8), RBI (30) and OPS (.873) playing in Short Season Single-A with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.
"Joe has been a warrior for us since day one," Riordan said. "He's caught almost every one of our games and has been the most productive offensive catcher in our division."
Weaver, 23, earns his first Frontier League All-Star Game nod in his second season of professional baseball. As of July 7, Weaver leads the league in ERA at 1.20. He has a record of 4-1 in seven starts and has only walked five batters in 44.2 innings.
Weaver was signed by the Freedom in June of last season after he finished up his collegiate career at IPFW. He had a solid rookie season, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.70 ERA in 14 appearances, 12 starts. The Ft. Wayne, IN. native started 13 games as a senior for the Mastadons, posting a 2-5 record with a 3.57 ERA. Weaver threw two complete games as a senior and pitched 70.2 innings. He played two years for IPFW after transferring from Vincennes University where he was named to the NJCAA All-Academic team.
"Weaver has grown into one of the best pitchers in the league with a combination of hard work and a lot of ability," Riordan said. "It's been incredible to watch his growth from one year to the next."
The Freedom will be live-tweeting the All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 16 and fans can follow along at https://twitter.com/FlorenceFreedom. First pitch is at 8:05 p.m. eastern time.
To keep up with all the latest Florence Freedom news and to learn about exclusive deals and contests, make sure to like the team on Facebook and follow the team on Twitter.
The Florence Freedom are members of the Frontier League of Professional Baseball. The Frontier League is the oldest continuously operating independent professional league, entering its 22nd season in 2014. For more information about the Frontier League visit www.frontierleague.com.
Frontier League Stories from July 7, 2014
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- Grizzlies Announce 2014 All-Stars; All-Star Game July 16 at GCS Ballpark - Gateway Grizzlies
- Slammers Have Three Players Selected to Frontier League All-Star - Joliet Slammers
- Miles, Staley and Weaver Named Frontier League All-Stars - Florence Y'alls
- Record Six Belters Selected to Frontier League All-Star Game - Normal CornBelters
- Three Otters Selected as 2014 Frontier League All-Stars - Evansville Otters
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