Three Central League players selected to Baseball America's All-Independent League All-Star team
Published on October 11, 2004 under Central Baseball League (Central League) News Release
Durham, N.C. -- Edinburg's Anthony Angel and Julio Ruiz along with Pensacola's Rafael Alvarez were selected by Baseball America to the 2004 All-Independent League All-Star team on Monday, Oct. 11. Angel was named to the first team, while Alvarez and Ruiz earned second team honors. Victor Rodriguez of the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League was selected as the Independent League Player of the Year.
Angel, a 6-0 second baseman, was named to the team after hitting .308 with 107 hits, 68 runs scored, 20 doubles, six homers and 66 RBI. He also was a participant in the CBL's All-Star Game and selected by the media and managers to the All-League team at the completion of the season. Angel was named the NEL Batter of the Week on June 20 after he went 14-for-28 (.500) with 10 runs scored and seven RBI. He also added six doubles, a triple and a home run for a slugging percentage of .893 for that week. Angel was originally selected by the Astros in the 14th round of the 2000 MLB draft. He played two seasons with the organization, making it to Class-A Michigan of the Midwest League in 2001. Angel just completed his second season with the Roadrunners, which won the Central Baseball League Championship.
Rafael Alvarez, a 5-11 outfielder who was named the CBL's Player of the Year, was selected to the second team after leading the league in hitting (.353), slugging (.642) and on-base percentage (.468). In addition, he scored 60 runs, hit 12 homers, drove in 52 RBI and stole 20 bases for the Pelicans, which captured the second half East Division Title. Earlier in the year, Alvarez had a season-best 25-game hit streak in which he hit .473 with 10 doubles, eight homers and 23 runs scored. He also reached base in a league-high 36 consecutive games from June 4 - July 26. Alvarez, who earned Batter of the Week honors on August 9, committed only three errors all season and struck out every 0.83 at bats (40 Ks in 218 ABs). He began his baseball career in 1994 with the Minnesota Twins and finished his first season in the CBL this year.
Ruiz, a 5-11 right-handed pitcher and the Rookie Pitcher of the Year, went 8-3 with a league-leading 2.24 earned run average for Edinburg this season. In 92 1/3 innings, he allowed 64 hits, 27 runs, 23 earned, and struck out 79, as opposing teams were hitting .197 against him. After beginning the season in the bullpen, Ruiz became a starting pitcher and won seven of his 10 starts with a 1.83 ERA. On August 2, he was chosen as the Pitcher of the Week after allowing one hit and striking out seven while walking four in a complete game effort against Coastal Bend on July 28. Ruiz pitched for UT-Brownsville prior to signing with Edinburg.
Below is the complete list of the first and second team members
2004 ALL-INDEPENDENT LEAGUE ALL-STARS
As selected by the staff of Baseball America
First Team
Pos. Player, Team (League)
C Kelley Gulledge, Fargo-Moorhead (Northern)
1B Doug Jennings, Long Island (Atlantic)
2B Anthony Angel, Edinburg (Central)
SS Victor Rodriguez, Somerset (Atlantic)
3B Wilton Veras, New Jersey (Northeast)
OF Richard Austin, Rockford (Frontier)
OF Kimera Bartee, Long Island (Atlantic)
OF Adam Olow, St. Paul (Northern)
DH Eddie Pearson, Kansas City (Northern)
SP Kevin Henthrorne, Atlantic City (Atlantic)
SP Brian Mazone, Joliet (Northern)
SP Hank Woodman, Schaumburg (Northern)
RP Chris Chavez, St. Paul (Northern)
RP Alex Santos, Quebec (Northeast)
Second Team
Pos. Player, Team (League)
C Chris Widger, Camden (Atlantic)
1B Mario Delgado, Schaumburg (Northern)
2B Justin Hall, St. Paul (Northern)
SS Geoff McCallum, Schaumburg (Northern)
3B Dario Delgado, Atlantic City (Atlantic)
OF Rafael Alvarez, Pensacola (Central)
OF Brody Jackson, River City (Frontier)
OF Josh Loggins, Joliet (Northern)
DH Ray Brown, Kansas City (Northern)
SP Jerry Long, Bangor (Northeast)
SP Lincoln Mikkelsen, Camden (Atlantic)
SP Julio Ruiz, Edinburg (Central)
RP Bill Simas, Long Island (Atlantic)
RP Chad Sosebee, Richmond (Frontier)
Central Baseball League Stories from October 11, 2004
- Three Central League players selected to Baseball America's All-Independent League All-Star team - Central League
- New Pelicans Fan Born - Pensacola Pelicans
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