Seven Bees Named to Atlantic League All-Star Rosters
July 6, 2016 - Atlantic League (AtL)
New Britain Bees News Release
(Lancaster, Penn) - The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball today announced the rosters for the 2016 Atlantic League All-Star Game. Representatives from the Liberty and Freedom Divisions will square off in the league's 19th annual midsummer classic on Wednesday, July 13 at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pa., with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
New Britain infielders Jovan Rosa and Jonathan Roof, outfielder Jon Jones, designated hitter Craig Maddox, and pitchers Cole Johnson and Shawn Gilblair will represent the Bees' on the Liberty Division roster, while Bees' manager Stan Cliburn will manage the Freedom Division team.
Rosa, 28, leads New Britain with in average (.311), home runs (eight) and RBIs (38). The native of East Hartford, CT is in his second season of Atlantic League play and will appear in his first ALPB All-Star game as the Liberty Division's third baseman. Rosa joins Long Island's Fehlandt Lentini as the only members of the Atlantic League to appear in every one of their team's games this season. Rosa drove in the first run in Bees' history and hit the first grand slam in team history as well.
The 27 year old Roof will appear as the Liberty Division's second baseman in his first year of Atlantic League play. The Padukah, KY native and former Red Sox farmhand leads the Bees with 16 doubles and has a .265 average with two home runs and 25 RBIs on the season. Roof has also appeared in left field for New Britain.
Jones, 26, has been the Bees' primary center fielder this season, and tallied the second grand slam in team history. The Vacaville, CA native is second on the team with 22 stolen bases and has five home runs and 32 RBIs to go with a .265 average. Jones, a former Toronto Blue Jays farmhand, is in his second season in independent baseball and first in the Atlantic League, and has not made an error in the field this season.
Maddox, who also serves as the Bees' hitting coach, has tallied six home runs and 29 RBIs while hitting .282 as New Britain's primary designated hitter. The 31-year old native of Locust Grove, GA is in his second Atlantic League season, and will appear in his first ALPB all-star game. Maddox has also appeared at third base and first base for the Bees this season.
Johnson, a resident of Newington, CT, will make his first Atlantic League All-Star roster in his first ALPB season. The former New Britain Rock Cat and Twins farmhand is second in the Atlantic League in ERA at 2.70, tallying seven wins and six losses in 15 starts for the Bees while striking out 48. Johnson is tied with fellow Liberty Division All-Star Jonathan Albaladejo for the league lead in wins with seven.
Gilblair, 29, serves as the Bees' closer, registering 4 saves with an ERA of 1.33 with a perfect 3-0 record. The Eastern Connecticut State University product and native of Windham, CT has struck out 26 in 20.1 innings across 19 appearances, all in relief. Gilblair, who has spent his entire professional career in independent baseball, is in his first Atlantic League season.
Cliburn will manage his first Atlantic League All-Star game, and will cross back over to the Freedom Division for this special event and manage against his own current players in the game. The long-time manager in the Minnesota Twins farm system first came to the Atlantic League in 2014 as the hitting coach in Lancaster but returned to managerial duties in 2015 with the Blue Crabs. His Southern Maryland squad won that division's first half and went on to take down the second half champion Barnstormers in four games in the Freedom Division series. Cliburn was a coach during the 2015 Atlantic League All-Star game for the Freedom Division.
"There is a tremendous amount of talent featured among the rosters of our eight member clubs this season," says Atlantic League President Rick White. "Fans attending the All-Star Game will have the privilege of seeing some of the best players in professional baseball take the field in a fun-filled atmosphere."
Both squads will feature 22 Atlantic League players, including 13 position players and nine pitchers. Position players were chosen by league officials, coaching staffs and media voting, while pitchers were selected by the All-Star Game managers. Representatives from all eight teams in the league are featured on the All-Star Game rosters.
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