SL1 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Suns trio selected to Southern League All Star Team

June 29, 2004 - Southern League (SL1)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release


Jacksonville, FL– Three Suns players were named to the Southern League Eastern Division All-Star Team today as a result of ballots posted by league managers, broadcasters and media.

Second baseman Willy Aybar was voted the team's starting second baseman at the game which will be held Tuesday, July 13, at BellSouth Park in Chattanooga, Tenn. Aybar, 21, earned his second career All-Star nomination after being lauded by the Florida State League last season. He leads the Suns with nine home runs and 41 RBI and is batting .269. Aybar, a switch-hitter and Bani, Dominican Republic, native, successfully converted to second base from third, where he had played all but two of his 403 career games entering the season.

Right-handed pitcher Yhency Brazoban makes his fifth career All-Star appearance, but first as a pitcher. He had been heralded as an outfielder in his first four seasons from 1998-2001 before becoming a moundsman in 2002. In his second full season as a pitcher, Brazoban, 24, has acted as the Suns' closer, saving 12 ballgames and posting a 2.93 ERA. He resides in Palengue, Dominican Republic.

Left-handed pitcher Derek Thompson, a Land O'Lakes, Fla., native, earns the Suns' third All-Star bid. Thompson, 23, has posted a 2.87 ERA as a starter, which ranks fifth in the Southern League. He has recovered soundly from off-season elbow surgery which caused him to miss the entire 2003 season. He has not given up a home run in 69 innings, the longest stretch any Southern League pitcher has gone without allowing one this season.

Check out the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Statistics



Southern League Stories from June 29, 2004


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.

OurSports Central