Appalachian League Notebook

Bluefield Orioles (Baltimore Orioles)
WEEK IN REVIEW: Bluefield won six of its last 10 games and finished the season with a 31-37 record, in fourth place in the East Division.

ALL-STAR: Kieron Pope was the lone Oriole named to the 2006 Appalachian League All-Star Team on Aug. 22 even though the left fielder joined the Aberdeen IronBirds of the New York-Penn League at the beginning of August.

Bristol Sox (Chicago White Sox)
WEEK IN REVIEW: Bristol finished the season on a 4-6 run and ended the year with a 22-42 record, 18 games behind Elizabethton in the cellar of the West Division.

ALL-STARS: Bristol is the only team to not have a player named to this year's All-Star Team.

LIGHTS OUT: Juan Moreno tossed seven shutout innings and combined with Domingo Gomez to blank first-place Danville on Aug. 23. Moreno allowed four hits and a walk and struck out four as he matched his longest outing of the season. The right-hander fanned 11, one shy of his season high, over six scoreless frames in a 1-0 shutout over Pulaski on Aug. 28.

Burlington Indians (Cleveland Indians)
WEEK IN REVIEW: The B-Tribe lost six of their last 10 games but still finished the season over .500 with a 34-33 record, in third place in the East.

ALL-STAR: Designated hitter Felipe Garcia, who has also spent time at first base, was named to the league's 2006 All-Star Team. He leads the Indians in hits with 70.

BITTERSWEET WELCOME: Pitchers Ryan Morris and Christopher Archer and catcher Robert Alcombrack were promoted from the Gulf Coast League Indians on Aug. 22. All of them saw some action three days later as the Indians fell to Pulaski, 18-7. Archer, who retired five batters, and Morris, who worked one inning, gave up two runs apiece. Alcombrack went 2-for-5 and scored once but struck out twice the next day as the designated hitter.

Danville Braves (Atlanta Braves)
WEEK IN REVIEW: Danville carried momentum into the playoffs, winning seven of its last 10 games to finish the regular season with a 40-27 record. The Braves meet the Twins in the Appy League Finals starting Thursday.

ALL-STARS: Danville had a league-high four players, shortstop Chase Fontaine, outfielders Willie Cabrera and Larry Williams and pitcher Jamie Richmond, named to the 2006 postseason All-Star Team. Richmond, who owns a league-best 1.21 ERA and is tied for second with seven wins, also earned the circuit's Pitcher of the Year title. Williams tops the league with 90 hits.

POSTSEASON BOUND: The Braves clinched the division for the third consecutive season with the help of Willie Cabrera's seventh-inning, two-run homer that led to a 4-2 victory over Elizabethton on Aug. 26. Cabrera also slammed a two-run homer in a 10-2 win the day before.

Elizabethton Twins (Minnesota Twins)
WEEK IN REVIEW: Elizabethton clinched the West Division but still lost six of its last 10 games to finish the season with a 42-26 record, tops in the Appy League. The Twins take on the Danville Braves in a rematch of last season's Appy League Finals, starting Thursday.

ALL-STARS: Infielder Danny Valencia and reliever Danny Hernandez earned spots on the roster for the 2006 postseason All-Star Team. Valencia finished the season hitting .311 and led the Twins with eight homers. Hernandez had the most saves in the league at 18.

A JOB WELL DONE: Skipper Ray Smith was recognized as the Appalachian League's Manager of the Year. Smith, who also received the honor last year, recorded his 500th career win earlier this season.

Greeneville Astros (Houston Astros)
WEEK IN REVIEW: Greeneville finished strong by winning eight of its last 10 games to finish the season above .500 with a 34-33 mark. The Astros tied Kingsport for second place in the West, 7 1/2 games behind Elizabethton.

ALL-STARS: Utility infielder Ronald Ramirez and starter Polin Trinidad were named to this season's postseason All-Star Team.

RED, WHITE AND "GREENE": For "Military Appreciation Night" on Aug. 28, the Astros donned camouflage caps, which they autographed and donated to a silent auction held during the game. Any former or current military personnel could attend the game for a reduced price.

Johnson City Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)
WEEK IN REVIEW: Johnson City won seven of its last 10 games to conclude the season with a 34-34 record, in fourth place in the West.

ALL-STAR: First baseman Brandon Buckman, who tops the Cards with 69 hits, was honored with a spot on the 2006 All-Star Team roster.

WHO'S HOT: Mark Shorey hit safely in 13 of his last 13 games. He finished the season with a .265 average, 14 homers and 47 RBIs.

Kingsport Mets (New York Mets)
WEEK IN REVIEW: Kingsport slumped to a 3-7 finish and ended the regular season at 34-33, in a tie for second place in the West with Greeneville.

ALL-STAR: Infielder Emmanuel Garcia is the lone representative for Kingsport on the 2006 All-Star Team. Garcia was leading the Mets with 60 hits and 35 runs before joining the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League on Aug. 25.

SKID SNAPPED: The Mets halted a seven-game slide on Aug. 23 with a 5-4 victory over Burlington, scoring the go-ahead run in the bottom of the ninth on an error. Anthony Manuel walked to lead off the half, moved into scoring position on Emmanuel Garcia's sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on Alejandro Zuaznabar's groundout before coming home on shortstop Jansy Infante's miscue.

Princeton Devil Rays (Tampa Bay Devil Rays)
WEEK IN REVIEW: The Devil Rays lost six of their last 10 games and ended the year in last place in the East. Princeton's 28-36 record was 10 1/2 games off the pace set by Danville.

ALL-STAR: League-leader Nevin Ashley joins the 2006 postseason All-Star Team. The catcher ranks first with a .440 on-base percentage and third with a .333 average.

BIG FIRSTS: The Devil Rays scored seven runs in the first inning on Aug. 23, highlighted by Desmond Jennings' three-run double, en route to a 9-7 victory over first-place Elizabethton. The following night, Henry Wrigley blasted a grand slam during a six-run first inning that powered Princeton past the Twins, 8-5.

Pulaski Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
WEEK IN REVIEW: Pulaski lost six of its last 10 games to finish the year with a 35-33 record, good for second in the East, 5 1/2 games behind Danville.

ALL-STARS: Travis Snider was doubly honored last week, as the outfielder earned a spot on the 2006 All-Star Team along with the title of Player of the Year. He topped the circuit with a .567 slugging percentage.