Braves boast four Appy All-Stars
The 2006 squad, announced Tuesday, features four Danville players for the second season in a row. Leading the way is Pitcher of the Year Jamie Richmond.
The 20-year-old right-hander from Toronto is 7-1 with a 0.74 ERA in 60 2/3 innings. He has been charged with just five earned runs while issuing four walks in 12 games for the East Division leaders.
Richmond won his first seven decisions but gave up an unearned run over six innings on Aug. 11 and was saddled with his only loss.
Joining him on the All-Star team are Braves outfielders Larry Williams and Willie Cabrera and shortstop Chase Fontaine. Williams leads the league with 81 hits and 42 RBIs and is second with a .346 batting average. Cabrera is among the league leaders in hitting (.309) and RBIs (32). Fontaine has scored 37 runs, the fourth-best total in the league, while batting .299.
The Greeneville Astros and Elizabethton Twins each have two All-Star representatives. Left-hander Polin Trinidad, who is 3-3 with a 1.96 ERA is joined by Astros teammate, infielder Ronald Ramirez.
With the defending champion Twins boasting the best record in the League, Ray Smith was named Manager of the Year for the second straight season. Third baseman Danny Valencia and right-handed reliever Danny Hernandez are Elizabethton's on-field representatives.
Outfielder Travis Snider was named Player of the Year and is the Pulaski Blue Jays' lone All-Star. He is contending for the Triple Crown with a .325 batting average, 11 homers and 41 RBIs to go with 36 runs scored.
There is one All-Star each from the Bluefield Orioles, Kingsport Mets, Princeton Blue Jays, Johnson City Cardinals, Burlington Indians.
Orioles outfielder Kieron Pope is hitting .341 with five homers and 29 RBIs. Mets table-setter Emmanuel Garcia has 18 stolen bases and 34 runs scored.
Princeton's Nevin Ashley is the best hitting catcher in the league with a 3.26 average, four homers, 25 RBIs and seven stolen bases in nine attempts. Cardinals first baseman Brandon Buckman is batting .290 with eight homers and 32 RBIs.
Rounding out the team is Burlington DH Felipe Garcia, who hit .432 in June. He's dipped to .294 overall with seven homers and 37 RBIs.
Eric Justic is a contributor to MLB.com.