Comprehensive coverage of Washington, D.C. sports by local writers
The 2012 AFL Rising Stars Game featuring Potomac Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon and RHP Aaron Barrett will air on Saturday night, November 3rd at 8:00pm EST on MLB Network, MLB.com, and Sirius/XM Radio.
Anthony Rendon – Winston-Salem Dash v. Potomac Nationals, 8/12/2012. (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Brian Goodwin on deck during spring training 2012 (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
PAIR OF P-NATS PROSPECTS TO SHINE IN ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE’S RISING STARS GAME
P-Nats 3B Anthony Rendon and RHP Aaron Barrett set for national stage in the desertWoodbridge, VA—Perhaps the most efficient barometer in determining the playing career projections of Major League Baseball’s most esteemed prospects is the nationally televised Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game. Since the annual blue chip showdown was initiated for baseball’s most polished prospects in 2006, a whopping 72.6 percent of the contest’s participants graduated to The Show. With almost three out of four prospects within this supreme talent pool accruing time in MLB, the 2012 AFL Rising Stars Game certainly provides a glimpse of the bright big league futures for the desert’s cream of the crop.
A pair of Potomac Nationals standouts and three Washington Nationals farmhands in all, who wear the uniform of the AFL’s Salt River Rafters, are set to make appearances on Saturday night in a ballgame that will definitely radiate the ambiance of a souped-up all-star prospect classic. Third baseman Anthony Rendon (1st Rd, No. 6 Overall, 2011), right-handed pitcher Aaron Barrett (9th Rd, 2010), and outfielder Brian Goodwin (Supplemental 1st Rd, No. 34 Overall, 2011) were chosen to compete by invitation only in the all-star game wrapped in an all-star league.
Among the best of the best, Rendon, 22, and Barrett, 24, both spent time with Potomac during the 2012 season, while Goodwin made the springboard jump from Class-A Hagerstown to Double-A Harrisburg. Amidst an injury plagued season, Rendon played well in limited action hitting .333 to complement five extra base hits and 17 total bases in just nine games with the P-Nats. Barrett was lights out in relief for the Potomac bullpen as he maintained a 1.06 ERA in 11 appearances, striking out 21 batters in 17.0 IP, and earning one save. Goodwin, who celebrates his 22nd birthday on the eve of the Rising Stars Game, hit .280 in 100 games over two Minor League levels, collecting 107 hits, 26 doubles, 14 home runs, 52 runs batted in, and 18 stolen bases in 25 attempts.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS AFL RISING STARS (stats as of 11/2/12)
RHP Aaron Barrett: NR, 3.38 ERA, 7 G, 8.0 IP, 1 BB, 7 SO, 2.00 GO/AO
OF Brian Goodwin: .268 BA, 14 G, 15 H, 11 R, 4 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, .931 OPS
3B Anthony Rendon: .275 BA, 14 G, 14 H, 8 R, 5 2B, 6 RBI, 19 TB, 3 SB, .367 OBP
2012 AFL Rising Stars Game will air on Saturday night, November 2nd at 8:00pm EST on MLB Network, MLB.com, and Sirius/XM Radio.
2012 AFL Rising Stars weigh in on the biggest star:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121102&content_id=40150518&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlbTo follow 2012 stats for the Salt River Rafters of the AFL head here:
http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&sid=l119&cid=527ABOUT THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE
There are six teams in the Arizona Fall League: the Scottsdale Scorpions, Mesa Solar Sox, Salt City Rafters, Phoenix Desert Dogs, Peoria Javelinas and Surprise Saguaros. These club names were picked by Major League Baseball as reflective of the Southwestern desert traditions in the state.The teams are broken into two divisions, East and West. Each Major League Baseball team sends six top prospects to the Arizona Fall League, 180 players in all. The games are played in the Spring Training stadiums used by the Giants, Mariners, Padres, Cubs, A’s, Royals, Rangers, D-backs and Rockies.
How good are the players in the Arizona Fall League? The 2011 All-Star Game in Arizona featured 41 AFL alums, including both starting pitchers — Roy Halladay and Jered Weaver.
Each August, Major League clubs hold a position draft to determine the players who will go to Arizona. Most are Double-A and Triple-A Minor League players. Each club can opt to send one player considered a Class A player.
Renew your P-Nats season tickets at Pfitzner Stadium for only $50 per seat. Five-game Pick ‘em Packs start at just $55 per seat. Sponsorship opportunities for the ‘13 season are now available. Plan your corporate outing now in preparation for next season as the P-Nats offer discounted group rates and all-inclusive picnic options. Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the ticket office at 703-590-2311 for more!
Matt Skole Leads List of Four Suns Voted as 2012 All-Stars
Suns Manager Brian Daubach elected to serve as a coach for a second consecutive seasonHagerstown, MD – The Hagerstown Suns, in conjunction with the South Atlantic League, today announce that Suns infielder Matt Skole, catcher Adrian Nieto, outfielder Caleb Ramsey, pitcher Aaron Barrett and Manager Brian Daubach have been elected to represent Hagerstown on the Northern Division team at the 53rd Annual SAL All-Star Game to be played on June 19, 2012, at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, in Charleston, South Carolina, home of the Charleston RiverDogs.
Skole leads the list of Suns All-Stars having been among league leaders in several offensive categories throughout the season. He is currently batting .294 and ranks second in the league with 12 home runs, while checking in at third in the standings with 53 RBIs. Skole is atop the SAL in walks with 51 in 55 games played, while maintaining the league’s second highest slugging percentage at .441. A true run producer, the Woodstock, GA native has five sacrifice flies this season, first in the SAL.
Skole joined the Suns after an impressive 2011 campaign with Short Season-A Auburn where he led the New York-Penn League in RBIs (48) and doubles (23) while finishing second in extra-base hits (29) and third in total hits (79). He was selected in the fifth-round (157th overall) of the 2011 draft by the Nationals.
Ramsey, an 11th-round pick (337th overall) by the Nationals in 2011, will patrol the outfield as an All-Star. Ramsey has been a .300 hitter for Hagerstown throughout the season (currently .299 BA) while committing just one error in 45 games played. Ramsey is second on the club in hits with 55, including four doubles, four triples, five home runs and 32 RBIs. Ramsey’s consistency at the plate has brought him a seven-game hitting streak, 11 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games.
Nieto, a fifth-round pick of the Nationals in 2008, will represent the Northern Division as one of the league’s top offensive catchers. The Cuban-born backstop is currently batting .261 and coming off a season best seven-game hitting streak. Nieto, a switch-hitting catcher, has smacked eight doubles to go along with four home runs and 25 RBIs and is batting .340 versus left-handed pitching.
Barrett has emerged as one the SAL’s top relievers, especially in late game scenarios. Barrett is 3-1 with a 3.05 ERA and leads the Suns with six saves on the season. The Evansville, IN native has held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average while striking out 33 and walking just eight over 20.2 innings pitched. His swing-and-miss stuff has the right-hander fanning nearly 45% of hitters with an official at-bat against him. Barrett was selected in the ninth-round of the 2010 draft by the Nationals.
Daubach has been selected to serve as a coach for the Northern Division squad after managing the team in 2011. Under his guidance, the Suns are currently at their high-water mark, ten games above five hundred (33-23) and in second place in the division. Hagerstown is one of the SAL’s premier offensive clubs, ranking fourth in team batting average (.271), while checking in at second in home runs (54), runs scored (349) and RBIs (332). Patience at the plate has contributed to the Suns’ success in the first half, as they lead the SAL in walks with 265. Hagerstown’s first half highlights include a six-game winning streak from 5/12-5/18 and a 24-2 drubbing of the Rome Braves on 4/25, which stands as the greatest offensive output by a SAL team this season.
Both all-star teams will be represented by 26 players, selected by the votes of the team’s managers and coaching staffs, local media and front office executives. Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park will be hosting its fourth SAL All-Star game. The last time the All-Star Game was held in Charleston was in 2004, when the Southern Division defeated the Northern Division 4-2.. The annual SAL All-Star Game dates to 1960, when the All-Stars defeated the Salisbury club, 6-2, in Newton, NC.
“Once again, the amount of talent that will be showcased in this game will be incredible,” said Krupa. “The expectations of the fans are high, and I believe they will have a fun time during this exciting event. Executive Vice President & General Manager Dave Echols and his staff in Charleston have been working for more than a year to live up to the tradition and host one of the most anticipated events on our baseball calendar.”
A variety of events have been scheduled in Charleston along with the SAL All-Star Game. On Monday, June 18th, batting practice and the preliminary rounds of the Home Run Derby will be held on the deck of the USS Yorktown. On Tuesday, June 19th, there will be an All-Star Luncheon at the Marriott Charleston where the 2012 SAL Hall of Fame members will be inducted. Carolyn McKee, Bill Murray and Joseph P. Riley, Jr. will be honored as members of the class of 2012. New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman will be the featured speaker at the All-Star Luncheon. Beginning at 2:30pm at the stadium, the All-Fan Fest will be an opportunity for fans to get autographs from and pictures with the SAL All-Stars. The final round of the Home Run Derby begins at 5:15pm and the first pitch of the 2012 All-Star Game is scheduled at 7:30pm. More information can be found on the website of the Charleston RiverDogs at www.riverdogs.com.
