TL1 Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Nine Naturals Voted Texas League All-Stars

Published on June 15, 2010 under Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


SPRINGDALE, AR- This year's Texas League All-Star Game might be located in West Texas, but it will have a distinct Northwest Arkansas feel.

Nine players plus three members of the Naturals' coaching staff will represent the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at the Texas League All-Star Game, Wednesday, June 30th in Midland, TX. Tom Kayser, Texas League President, announced the rosters last night and the Naturals' All-Stars will join their fellow players from the North Division as they face off against the Texas League's South Division.

Perhaps most impressive, five Naturals regulars were voted in to start for the North Division, led by the Naturals' slugging third baseman, Mike Moustakas. Outfielders Derrick Robinson and Paulo Orlando were also voted into the North Division's starting nine, as was second baseman Johnny Giavotella and first baseman Clint Robinson, who will serve as designated hitter for the North.

Moustakas, 21 years old and in his third full season of professional baseball after being the second overall selection in the 2007 draft, has had a standout season in the Texas League. Moustakas leads the league in several categories, including batting average (.339), RBI (54), and slugging percentage (.678), and is second in the loop in homers (14), extra-base hits (30), and on-base percentage (.416). Entering the season, the Northridge, CA resident was regarded by Baseball America as the fourth best prospect in the Kansas City Royals' system.

Derrick Robinson, the 22-year old center fielder from Archer, FL, is also having a spectacular first half in the league. Robinson is seventh in the league in batting average (.297), fifth in hits (68), and has 22 RBI as the Naturals' everyday leadoff hitter. The fleet-footed outfielder's has tallied 28 stolen bases, not only first in the league but 15 more than Midland's Archie Gilbert, who is tied for second with 13 swipes. Robinson's defense has also made ESPN's SportsCenter's Top Plays list.

Orlando, seeking to become the first native Brazilian to make it the major leagues, has emerged as a prospect this season with his stellar play both defensively and at the plate. Bolstered by a scorching month of May that saw him post a .400 average in 22 games, Orlando is ranked sixth in the league in batting average (.299), and fifth in stolen bases (12) for a Naturals team that paces the league in both categories. Playing mostly corner outfield, the 23-year old Orlando has impressed on defense as well with spectacular range.

Giavotella, the Royals' second-round pick in 2008, has a .272 batting average and 18 RBI. The 22-year old Harahan, LA resident ranks first in the league in runs scored with 40 and is third on the Naturals with 14 doubles. His eight stolen bases also ranks him third on the club.

Clint Robinson, a 25th round selection of the Royals in 2007, has served as the Naturals' primary cleanup hitter this season and has also acquitted himself quite well in his first season in the Texas League. The 25-year old Robinson is batting .276 with eight homers, but more impressively leads the league in doubles (23), extra-base hits (32), is tied for third in the league in RBI (41), and is fourth in total bases (113).

Outfielder Tim Smith has also been named as a Texas League All-Star as a reserve. The 24-year old Smith has missed some time with injury this season, but when healthy has posted solid numbers. Smith has a .303 average with four homers and 19 RBI. His .388 on-base percentage is second on the club amongst regulars in the Naturals' lineup. Smith was acquired from the Texas Rangers in a September 2009 trade that also brought catcher Manny Pina to the Royals' organization.

Three members of the rotation were selected as All-Stars. Left-handers Edgar Osuna and Mike Montgomery along with right-hander Mario Santiago were all voted in as All-Stars, although Montgomery was replaced on the roster as a precautionary measure due to his recent forearm injury.

Osuna, a 22-year old from Mazatlan, Mexico, would seem to be a candidate to get the starting nod for the North Division. He's 6-2 on the season with a league-leading 1.77 ERA, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio (49 strikeouts and eight walks) is amongst the best across minor league baseball. Selected by the Royals in the Major League phase of last December's Rule 5 Draft, Osuna became a Natural on the final day of spring training when the Atlanta Braves opted not to take him back for a $25,000 fee, allowing the Royals to outright his contract to the Naturals.

Santiago, the Royals' 16th round selection in 2005, has quietly put together an impressive campaign in his own right. His 2.33 ERA ranks him right behind Osuna amongst the league leaders, and most of his peripheral numbers belie his 5-5 record. The Puerto Rican right-hander has done nothing but get better as the season rolls on, posting a 3-1 record and a 2.40 ERA in May, and allowing two earned runs in 18 2/3 innings thus far in June. He's been particularly adept at keeping the ball in the ballpark, allowing just two homers, and generating ground ball outs.

The top overall prospect in the Kansas City Royals' organization according to Baseball America, Montgomery has a 3-1 record and a 2.84 ERA in five starts since joining the Naturals in late April. Because he was recently sidelined with a forearm injury, the league opted to replace Montgomery on the roster with Travelers' starting pitcher Tim Kiely.

Naturals' third-year skipper Brian Poldberg along with Hitting Coach Terry Bradshaw and Athletic Trainer Tony Medina will also represent Northwest Arkansas in Midland. Poldberg, a resident of Carter Lake, IA, has led the Naturals to two consecutive playoff appearances, including an appearance in the Texas League Championship Series last fall, and has the club on the brink of a playoff spot this season. Under Bradshaw's tutelage, the 2010 Naturals have compiled a .283 batting average, not only best in the club's three-year history but nearly 30 points better than the next-best hitting squad in the Texas League. Northwest Arkansas' 322 runs scored pace the league as well.

The 24-man All-Star rosters were selected by a voting panel which includes the Texas League President as well as the league's managers, coaches, radio broadcasters, and newspaper beat writers. The remainder of the rosters can be viewed on the Texas League's official website, www.texas-league.com. For tickets to the All-Star game, visit the Midland RockHounds' website, www.midlandrockhounds.org.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. The Naturals have a toll-free ticket hotline (1-877-444-2637) for fans to purchase Naturals tickets. Our website, nwanaturals.com offers fans the opportunity to purchase tickets online and avoid lines at the ticket windows by printing their tickets at home or at the office.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics

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Texas League Stories from June 15, 2010


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