Reckling & Conger Named Texas League All Stars
August 31, 2009 - Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
NORTH LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas Travelers are honored to announce that left handed pitcher Trevor Reckling and catcher Hank Conger have been selected to the 2009 Texas League Post Season All Star Team. 17 players were selected through a balloting process conducted by managers, broadcasters and beat writers of the Texas League's eight cities to represent the finest talent in the circuit. Travs pitching coach Ken Patterson has also been named as the recipient of the 2009 Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year Award.
Conger, the only catcher voted as a Texas League All Star, has been with the Travs for the entire 2009 season. In 115 games the 21-year old from Huntington Beach, California owns a .294 batting average, the highest for a Texas League catcher, plus 10 home runs and 65 RBI. With only 3 passed balls charged to him, Conger has worked with the pitching staff with the league's lowest ERA while throwing out 29 percent of opposing base stealers.
Reckling came to the Travs in late April as the youngest player in the Texas League. Following a 3-game stint at Rancho Cucamonga where he held a 0.95 ERA, the 20-year old from Newark, New Jersey made 23 starts with the Travs finishing 8-7 with a 2.93 ERA. Reckling led the club in wins, innings pitched (135.1), walks (75) and strikeouts (106) while holding batters to a .244 average. The only left hander to be named to the TL All Star Team, Reckling made his final start for the Travs on Saturday and is scheduled to leave the club Tuesday to join Team USA in Cary, North Carolina before taking part in the 2009 IBAF World Cup in Europe.
Patterson, 45, is the third recipient of the Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year Award since its inception after the 2007 season. In his third year as the Travs pitching coach, Patterson helped guide the staff that held the league's lowest ERA for most of the season. As of August 31, the Travs team ERA of 3.76 is the lowest in the league. The native of Waco, Texas in his fourth year as a coach in the Los Angeles Angels farm system worked with 23 pitchers during the 2009 season, 18 of which posted at least one win while 12 started at least one game. Sean O'Sullivan and Trevor Bell, two members of the starting rotation in April have made their Major League debuts and each own at least one win for the Angels.
Other coaches who have own a Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year Award are Scott Coolbaugh (Frisco- 2007) and Larry Carter (Northwest Arkansas - 2008).
2009 Texas League Post Season All-Star Team
1B Chris Carter - Midland (Player of the Year)
2B Daniel Decalso - Springfield
3B Darin Holcomb - Tulsa
SS Wladimir Sutil - Corpus Christi
UTL Adrian Cardenas - Midland
C Hank Conger - Arkansas
OF Craig Gentry - Frisco
OF Tyler Henley - Springfield
OF Drew Locke - Corpus Christi
P Jhoulys Chacin - Tulsa
P Samuel Deduno - Tulsa (Pitcher of the Year)
P Graham Godfrey - Midland
P Trey Hearne - Springfield
P Andrew Johnston - Tulsa
P Lance Lynn - Springfield
P Trevor Reckling - Arkansas
Manager of the Year Darren Bush - Midland
Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year - Ken Patterson - Arkansas
• Discuss this story on the Texas League message board...
Texas League Stories from August 31, 2009
- Missions add LHP Steve Garrison; LHP Cory Luebke to join Team USA - San Antonio Missions
- Drillers win, narrow gap on Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cards hold off Travs 2-1 to split series - Arkansas Travelers
- Midland takes finale in Frisco - Frisco RoughRiders
- Cards win 2-1, return Tuesday for seven-game homestand - Springfield Cardinals
- Inman Stifles Sweep - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Missions let early lead, game slip away - San Antonio Missions
- Free Concessions Rewards; Post-Season All-Stars Named - Springfield Cardinals
- Reckling & Conger Named Texas League All Stars - Arkansas Travelers
- Locke, Sutil Claim Post-Season Honors - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Naturals to place single-game playoff tickets on sale Tuesday - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Join the Drillers Chase for a Championship - Tulsa Drillers
- Hooks Rally, Outlast Missions - Corpus Christi Hooks
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
