Seven Naturals Voted as Texas League All-Stars
Tom Kayser, Texas League President, announced the rosters this evening and seven Naturals will be making the trip to Springfield to compete with the other All-Star players from the North Division as they face off against the Texas League's South Division. The seven all-star berths are tied for the most amongst any of the league's teams.
The North Division's starting lineup will include two players representing Northwest Arkansas: 1B Kila Kaaihue and DH Juan Richardson. Kaaihue, the 24-year old Honolulu, HI resident is a fan favorite at Arvest Ballpark, known for his majestic home runs that frequently land far beyond the outfield walls. Kaaihue has been among the league's leaders in home runs and RBI for most of the season, and despite missing several games in May with back spasms, he leads the Naturals in round trippers (11) and RBI (37). Kaaihue also has one stat that is in stark contrast to most of his power-hitting brethren - he has walked 33 times this season and has struck out just 21 times.His teammate in the middle of the Naturals lineup, Richardson, the 29-year old, Bani, DR resident has been one of the league's hottest hitters since the first week of May. On the campaign, Richardson is batting .301 with five homers and 29 RBI. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Richardson, who played in Springfield in 2007.
Both shortstop Angel Sanchez and outfielder Ovandy Suero have been selected as reserves. Sanchez (.254, 1 HR, 19 RBI) has had some highlight-reel caliber plays at shortstop, while Suero (.280) leads the loop with 26 steals and is regarded as one of the fastest players in the league.
The Naturals team strength has been its starting pitching, as evidenced by the team's 3.94 staff ERA, ranking second-best in the Texas League. Indeed, two members of the Naturals' starting rotation, RHPs Dan Cortes and Blake Johnson, as well as reliable LHP Dusty Hughes have also earned selections. Cortes, the 21-year old Pomona, CA resident is the second-best prospect in the Royals' organization according to Baseball America, and has a 2-2 record and 3.27 ERA in seven starts, missing time with a quadriceps injury. Johnson, a 22-year old from Baton Rouge, LA, has been one of the more consistent starters for the Naturals this season, posting a 5-3 record and 3.69 ERA in 11 starts. Johnson has been particularly dominating at Arvest Ballpark, where he's posted a 4-1 record and a 2.20 ERA in five games. For his part, Hughes, the 25-year old Horn Lake, MS resident has accumulated a 5-3 record and 2.68 ERA, splitting his season between the rotation and bullpen. He has been very effective pitching out of the pen, earning a pair of saves and posting a 1.84 ERA in 11 appearances. As a reliever, Hughes has fanned 28 batters in 29 1/3 innings and walked just six and has proved to be one of the team's most trustworthy pitchers in relief.
The 24-man All-Star rosters were selected by the Texas League President as well as the league's managers, coaches, radio broadcasters, and newspaper beat writers. The remainder of the rosters can be viewed on the Texas League's official website, www.texas-league.com.
The Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, conveniently located off I-540 in Springdale. The Naturals have a toll-free ticket hotline (1-877-444-2637) for fans to purchase Naturals tickets. Our website also offers fans the opportunity to purchase tickets online and avoid lines at the ticket windows by printing their tickets at home or at the office.