Trout, Miller, Green among Texas Stars
Adams was voted the Texas League Player of the Year and Matt Shoemaker was named Pitcher of the Year as the circuit revealed its 2011 postseason All-Stars. San Antonio's Doug Dascenzo was named Manager of the Year.
For Adams, the Cardinals' 23rd-round pick in 2009 out of a Division II school, the recognition is well-earned. The 22-year-old is hitting .312, ranks second in the league with 30 homers and leads the circuit with 94 RBIs. His .586 slugging percentage ranks second.
"I use a gap-to-gap approach that allows me to keep on the ball even when the pitchers throw off-speed pitches," Adams said earlier in the week. "I also have a quiet swing with not a lot of movement to it that helps eliminate holes in my swing."
The Slippery Rock (Pa.) University product homered in the All-Star Game earlier this summer, a moment he's cherished.
"It was definitely a special moment for me because I had my dad in the stands," Adams said. "To hit that ball and cross the plate and look up to him in the stands and see him smiling and cheering is something that I'll never forget."
Shoemaker was another easy pick -- the Arkansas hurler leads the league with 12 wins, a 2.21 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP and trails only Springfield's Michael Blazek with 125 strikeouts. He's managed five complete games, including two shutouts and has earned Pitcher of the Week honors three times this season.
The rest of the roster is stocked with former first-round picks -- Midland's Grant Green was voted in at the utility spot and outfielder Mike Trout, who was promoted straight to the Majors, was selected as one of four outfielders.
Rockies top prospect Wilin Rosario joined Northwest Arkansas's Salvador Perez as the team's catchers.
The league honored six pitchers, including San Antonio's Brad Brach and Joe Wieland, Corpus Christi's Dallas Keuchel and Springfield's Shelby Miller. Shoemaker's Arkansas teammate, Garrett Richards, was also selected.
Corpus Christi's John Moses was named the Mike Coolbaugh Texas League Coach of the Year.
The team was selected by managers, radio play-by-play announcers and beat writers for the clubs. The full roster is below:
2011 Texas League Postseason All-Star Team |
|||
Position Players |
|||
POS | PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATE |
C | Salvador Perez | Northwest Arkansas | Kansas City |
C | Wilin Rosario | Tulsa | Colorado |
1B | Matt Adams* | Springfield | St. Louis |
2B | Thomas Field | Tulsa | Colorado |
3B | James Darnell | San Antonio | San Diego |
SS | Ryan Jackson | Springfield | St. Louis |
OF | J.D. Martinez | Corpus Christi | Houston |
OF | Jermaine Mitchell | Midland | Oakland |
OF | Mike Trout | Arkansas | Los Angeles (AL) |
OF | Tim Wheeler | Tulsa | Colorado |
UT | Grant Green | Midland | Oakland |
DH | Tommy Mendonca | Frisco | Texas |
Pitchers |
|||
POS | PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATE |
RHP | Brad Brach | San Antonio | San Diego |
LHP | Dallas Keuchel | Corpus Christi | Houston |
RHP | Shelby Miller | Springfield | St. Louis |
RHP | Garrett Richards | Arkansas | Los Angeles (AL) |
RHP | Matt Shoemaker** | Arkansas | Los Angeles (AL) |
RHP | Joe Wieland | San Antonio | San Diego |
Manager of the Year: Doug Dascenzo, San Antonio
Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year: John Moses, Corpus Christi
* Player of the Year
** Pitcher of the Year
Danny Wild is an editor for MLB.com.