Brown, Koshansky highlight All-PCL squad

NEW YORK -- The Pacific Coast League announced its annual All-PCL Team on Monday, a squad that features four current Major Leaguers and two Olympians.

The league selected 13 of its best players for the roster and will reveal its individual award winners later this week. All of the honorees have spent at least parts of one season in the Majors.

Catcher Rob Johnson (Tacoma Rainiers), first baseman Joe Koshansky (Colorado Springs Sky Sox), second baseman Eric Patterson (Sacramento River Cats), shortstop Brandon Wood (Salt Lake Bees) and third basemen Matt Brown (Salt Lake) and Jamie D'Antona (Tucson Sidewinders) rounded out the league's star-studded infield.

Outfielders Nelson Cruz (Oklahoma Redhawks), Nick Stavinoha (Memphis Redbirds) and Terry Tiffee (Las Vegas 51s) joined designated hitter Dallas McPherson (Albuquerque Isotopes) as the league's other top hitters.

Shane Loux (Salt Lake), Gio Gonzalez (Sacramento) and Jason Bulger (Salt Lake) comprised the roster's pitching staff.

The league's Rookie of the Year will be announced Tuesday, followed by Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday, Most Valuable Player on Thursday and Manager of the Year on Friday.

Cruz became the latest All-Star to make the jump to the bigs Monday. He missed much of August due to injury but still put up huge numbers. The 27-year-old, who was called up by the Texas Rangers, ranks third in average (.342), fourth in RBIs (99), second in steals (24), homers (37) and on-base percentage (.429) and first in slugging percentage (.695) and runs scored (93).

Patterson, promoted to Oakland on Aug. 14, was traded by the Chicago Cubs midseason and hit .330 for the River Cats after batting .320 in 52 games for the Iowa Cubs this season.

Koshansky, who's played for the Colorado Rockies each of the past two seasons, hit for the cycle twice this summer and leads the league with 113 RBIs.

Wood, a 2005 All-Star Futures Game selection, has 30 homers for the Bees and has appeared in 29 games for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this season.

Brown, batting .326 in the Minors, has appeared in five Major League games this season and was named PCL Star of the Game in the Triple-A All-Star Game. He flew to Beijing with Team USA for the Olympics and homered in the bronze medal-winning game against Japan.

D'Antona is yet another All-Star with Major League experience in '08. A Futures Game selection in July, D'Antona enjoyed a brief callup to the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this month and is hitting .351 for the Sidewinders.

Johnson, who spent time with the Seattle Mariners last season, is batting .311 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs behind the plate for Tacoma.

McPherson was an easy choice as designated hitter. The Major League veteran leads the Minors with 40 homers and is batting .275 with 91 RBIs and 89 runs scored.

Stavinoha, batting .337 with 16 homers and 74 RBIs for the Redbirds, appeared in a dozen games for the St. Louis Cardinals this season before being sent down Aug. 6.

Tiffee, who has also seen time at third base, hit over .400 for much of the year and earned a promotion to Los Angeles, where he appeared in six games this summer. The PCL All-Star also won a bronze medal with Team USA in the Olympics this month.

The Angels were also well-represented amongst pitchers. Loux, named the league's top right-hander, had his contract purchased Aug. 5 and has pitched in five games for Anaheim. He was 12-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 22 starts for Salt Lake.

Bulger, named the league's best reliever, was recalled by the Angels on Aug. 24 after a brief stint in April. In between, the righty went 4-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 15 saves in 35 games for the Bees.

Gonzalez, currently in the Majors with the Oakland A's, was selected as the league's top southpaw. He was 8-7 with a 4.24 ERA in 22 starts for Sacramento before his promotion.