Six Cardinals named to Texas League All-Star Team

Springfield, MO - The Texas League announced on Tuesday the rosters for the 77th Annual Texas League All-Star Game presented by Castrol, and the Springfield Cardinals will be represented by six players on the North Division Team - 3B Ruben Gotay and LF Mike O'Neill as starters, along with OF Tommy Pham, RHP Keith Butler, RHP Deryk Hooker and RHP Kevin Thomas. Only the Arkansas Travelers with eight representatives will send more players than the Cardinals to the Northern squad.

The 2013 Texas League All-Star Game, will be played on Tuesday, June 25 at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas, the home of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

Gotay, 30, has provided invaluable veteran leadership throughout his first season with the Springfield Cardinals. The native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, is batting .287 with four home runs and 42 RBIs through 58 games this year. He leads all Cardinals and ranks 3rd in the league with 20 doubles and is 5th in RBIs and walks (33), while also ranking 2nd on the team in hits (62) and runs (35). Gotay spent parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues with the Kansas City Royals (2004-05), the New York Mets (2007) and the Atlanta Braves (2008). The 13-year professional veteran signed with St. Louis as a free agent in March, 2013.

O'Neill, 25, has served as the Cardinals leadoff man throughout the entire season, his first full campaign in Double-A. The Riverside, California native is batting .319 with one homer and 14 RBIs. He is 3rd in the league in batting average and ranks 2nd in walks (43) and on-base percentage (.433), proving to be one of the toughest outs in the Texas League. He has reached base in a remarkable 50 of his 58 games played, including a 22-game on-base streak from April 19 - May 13. Originally selected by the Cardinals in the 31st round of the 2010 June Draft out of the University of Southern California, O'Neill debuted with Springfield in 2012 and hit .563 through 13 games.

Pham, 25, had an electric start to the season, earning the St. Louis Minor League Player of the Month honors for April. Overall, he is 4th in the league with a .316 batting average, while adding six home runs and 28 RBIs through 42 games. The Las Vegas, Nevada native had already ripped six triples by May 2, which is still tops among the league. Despite being in his second stint on the Disabled List, Pham has compiled one of the finest all-around offensive seasons in the league, along with providing flawless defense in center field. He was selected by the Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2006 June Draft out of Durango High School in Las Vegas.

Butler, 24, who is currently with the St. Louis Cardinals, provided shut down relief for Springfield prior to his call up straight to the big leagues on May 31. Through 13 outings and 13.2 total frames, the Morgantown, Kentucky native posted a miniscule 0.66 ERA with seven saves (tied for 4th in the league) and no decisions. Butler logged at least one strikeout in 12 of his 13 appearances, totaling 21 strikeouts while only walking two and giving up just one run. He had a seven-game stint with the Memphis Redbirds in AAA before returning to Springfield on May 5 and ultimately being called up to St. Louis. Butler was selected by the Cardinals in the 24th round of the 2009 June Draft out of Wabash Valley College in Illinois.

Hooker, 23, has provided some of the most dominant relief in the league for Springfield this season. Through 24 outings and 33.0 innings, the San Diego, California native has gone 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA, racking up 41 strikeouts and walking only six. He is 3rd among the league's relievers with a .186 batting average against, 5th with an 11.18 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched ratio, 4th with a 1.64 walks per 9 innings pitched ratio and 2nd with an 8.18 baserunners per 9 innings pitched ratio. Hooker also ranks 2nd with seven holds, in addition to registering three saves since Butler's call up to St. Louis. He was originally selected by the Cardinals in the 7th round of the 2007 June Draft out of Mira Mesa High School in California.

Thomas, 26, has been one of the best strikeout relievers in the league all season long. The Dallas, Texas native has racked up 33 strikeouts in 25.0 innings or work, posting the 2nd-best strikeouts per 9 innings ratio in the league at 11.88. In his second year of full time relief work, Thomas has posted a 2-2 record with a 3.60 ERA through 19 outings. He was originally selected by St. Louis in the 33rd round of the 2008 June Draft out of Stephen F. Austin State University, and served as a starter until midway through the 2011 campaign. Along with O'Neill, Butler and Hooker, he was a member of the 2012 Texas League Championship squad last year.

Click here to view the complete 2013 Texas League All-Star Rosters.

Stan Musial Tribute Jerseys and Allen Craig Bat Giveaway highlight Father's Day Game on June 16

In celebration of the life and career of the greatest Cardinal of them all, Stan Musial, the Springfield Cardinals will be wearing the newly-unveiled Stan Musial Tribute Jerseys during the game against the Tulsa Drillers on Sunday, June 16. The cream-colored jerseys are exact replicas of the St. Louis Cardinals uniforms from 1941, the year that Stan "The Man" played in Springfield before making his St. Louis debut later in the season on Sept. 17.  

Every Springfield Cardinal will not only don the tribute jerseys, but the entire team will also wear #6, marking the first time in 50 years that a Cardinal has worn the revered number. During the game, the jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri.

The Sunday, June 16 Father's Day Game also features the Rawlings Allen Craig Bat Giveaway, with 1,250 kids, 15-and-younger, with a paid admission receiving a replica bat of one of the most clutch hitters in baseball! First Pitch is 6:09pm, gates open at 5:09pm.

For information about becoming a Season Ticket Holder, organizing a Group Outing, booking a Cake Pop Company Birthday Party or ordering Individual Game Tickets right now, call the Front Office at (417) 863-2143 or visit SpringfieldCardinals.com.

Click here for the Cardinals full 2013 Promotional Schedule and to get your tickets right now.

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