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Eastern League All-Star Game

to be held on Wednesday 12th July 2006

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Vote your favorite Curve "Stars" into the Eastern League All-Star game

For the fourth consecutive season, Altoona Curve fans will have the opportunity to vote their favorite players into the Eastern League All-Star Game thanks to the league's unique fan balloting process, held in conjunction with corporate partner Rite Aid

And with this year's E.L. Mid-Summer Classic being held at Blair County Ballpark, Curve fans will have the unique opportunity to help select two players to represent Altoona in front of their home fans on Wednesday, July 12th

Rite Aid All-Star balloting will be held at Blair County Ballpark and each of the other eleven Eastern League ballparks through Sunday, June 25th
Any fan that attends a game during the balloting period will be able to vote for one position player and one pitcher from their home team that they would like to see play in the 2006 UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game
At the conclusion of the balloting period all of the votes will be tallied and one position player and one pitcher from every team in the league will be selected for the Eastern League All-Star rosters based on the voting results

Any fan that drops off a completed Rite Aid All-Star ballot at an Eastern League ballpark during the balloting period will not only be casting a vote for their favorite players to be selected as an Eastern League All-Star, but will also be entered into a grand prize drawing with a chance to win a $2,500 savings bond courtesy of the Rite Aid Corporation
The grand prize drawing will be held on the field at the Eastern League All-Star Game in Altoona on Wednesday, July 12th

“The Eastern League is delighted to be partnering with Rite Aid again this season to give the fans of the Eastern League a voice in selecting the players that will participate in the Eastern League All-Star Game" said Eastern League President Joe McEacharn
"We are very grateful to the Rite Aid Corporation and each of our clubs for all of their hard work and cooperation which helps make this unique program such a success every year”

The Rite Aid Corporation is also sponsoring a Rite Aid Photo Day at each of the Eastern League ballparks during the balloting period
The first 500 fans to pass through the gates at Rite Aid Photo Day will receive a complimentary one-time use camera, courtesy of Rite Aid and Rite Aid will also be distributing 1,000 Child ID kit folders at each ballpark
Fans will also have a unique photo opportunity at each ballpark as part of the Rite Aid Photo Day festivities
Rite Aid Photo Day will be held at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona on Sunday, June 18th when the Curve host the Reading Phillies at 6.05pm
Ballpark gates will open at the special time of 4.30pm and fans will be invited onto the field to take photos of and receive autographs from their favorite Curve players

Limited seating remains for the 2006 UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game on Wednesday night, July 12th, at Blair County Ballpark
Ticket prices for the All-Star Game range from $7 to $15 and are available through the Curve Ticket Office and on-line at AltoonaCurve.com

Ballpark gates will open at 5.30pm for the 7.45pm contest
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The following article was published in the ...

... on Sunday 25th June 2006

"All-Star Thursday"

Eastern League All-Star selections will be announced Thursday 29th June, and several Curve players appear to be locks for the game

The contest, to be played at Blair County Ballpark, pits stars from the Southern Division against the Northern, and each league member usually has four to six representatives


Outfielder Vic Buttler (.322, 13 triples, 38 RBIs), first baseman Simon Pond (.297, eight homers, 46 RBIs) and
outfielder Brett Roneberg (.308, 34 RBIs) seem to be easy All-Star choices from the Curve

On the pitching side, starter Landon Jacobsen (7-5, 3.19) and reliever Brandon Knight (1.70, 12 saves) are good bets to make it
Versatile Shane Youman (4-2, 1.65) also has a chance, as do relievers Chris Hernandez (5-2, 2.37) and Jorge Vasquez (1-2, 2.48)
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 Eastern League All Star Game

Southern Division v Northern Division

 CLICK HERE

to see the complete rosters


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(Macromedia Flash Presentation)

Hey Brett
We remember how you looked and felt when you got off the plane here in Cairns after the operation
And we watched what you went through when rehabing in the carport and over at the fields
CONGRATULATIONS ON WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN 2006!!
YOU REALLY DESERVE THIS!!
A chance to play in this All Star Game, and that is great
Enjoy and have fun at all the Festivities, and have a great game as an Eastern League All Star!!!
Dad and Mum
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Curve place League-high six players on Eastern League All Star Squad

The Altoona Curve will be represented by a league-high six players at the 2006 UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game at Blair County Ballpark on July 12, the Eastern League announced today

Altoona pitchers Landon Jacobsen, Brandon Knight and Shane Youman are joined by infielder Simon Pond and outfielders Vic Buttler and
Brett Roneberg on the Southern Division’s All-Star roster

The 2006 UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game will feature some of the brightest stars from the league’s twelve teams, as the top players from the Eastern League’s Southern Division (Akron Aeros, Altoona Curve, Bowie Baysox, Erie SeaWolves, Harrisburg Senators and Reading Phillies) will square off against All-Star players from the league’s Northern Division clubs (Binghamton Mets, Connecticut Defenders, New Britain Rock Cats, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Portland Sea Dogs and Trenton Thunder)

Each roster consists of twenty-five players, including at least three players from each of the Eastern League’s twelve teams

Every club is also represented by at least one position player and one pitcher, as selected by fans of each respective team through Rite Aid Fan Balloting at the twelve Eastern League ballparks

The remaining selections were made through voting by league media, managers and officials

The field staffs of the host Altoona Curve (Pirates) and defending Northern Division champion Portland Sea Dogs, led by managers Tim Leiper and Todd Claus, will serve as the coaches for the contest

Buttler has been the Curve’s most potent offensive weapon this season, leading the squad in batting average (.318), hits (82), triples (13), slugging percentage (.539) and stolen bases (11)
The 25-year old was named E.L. Player of the Week for the week of May 8 after hitting .393 (11-for-28) with a double, four triples, four RBI and five runs scored in seven games during the week
Buttler was selected to the All-Star Game as part of the fan’s balloting process

Jacobsen is currently tied for the fourth-most victories in the Eastern League with seven
The right-hander became the first ever Curve pitcher to open a season with four wins in his first four starts when he began the 2006 campaign 4-0
The 27-year old was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on June 11, but returned to Altoona and threw the team’s first complete-game shutout of the season against the Harrisburg Senators on June 22

Knight has been voted to the All-Star Game by Curve fans as part of the E.L.'s fan balloting process in his first Eastern League season after signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent during the off-season
The former major-leaguer has converted thirteen of his fourteen save opportunities out of the Curve bullpen this season and is tied for the third most saves in the league
The 29-year old enjoyed a team-high 17-1/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched streak from April 25 - June 2

Pond has been a solid producer in middle of the Curve lineup all season long, leading the club with 48 RBI and second on the team with nine homeruns
The 13-year veteran is playing for his fifth different Eastern League team and entering Thursday’s game, possesses an eleven game hitting streak, the third double-digit streak for the Curve in 2006

Roneberg was named to the All-Star team despite missing the first two-and-a-half weeks of the season with a strained back
The 27-year old spent the entire 2003 season with the Curve before being traded to the Boston Red Sox and being named a 2004 Eastern League All-Star as a member of the Portland Sea Dogs
The left fielder ranks ninth in the league in batting average (.297) and fourth in runs scored (43) and tied a Curve record on May 3 with five hits in a game against the Erie SeaWolves

Youman
will be appearing in his first Eastern League All-Star Game in his second full season with the Altoona Curve
The right-hander has a team-low 1.63 ERA this season and is 5-2 in eighteen appearances
One of the most reliable arms for the Curve, Youman has enjoyed success both as a starter and out of the bullpen
Originally selected by the Pirates in the 2001 draft, Youman appeared in one game this season for the Indianpolis Indians, pitching two innings of relief in his Triple-A debut on May 11

The 2006 UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game will be surrounded by two days of ballpark and community events, highlighted by the All-Star Gala Event on Tuesday night, July 11th at Blair County Ballpark

Tickets for both the UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game and the All-Star Gala Event - featuring a concert by rock icon Eddie Money - are currently on sale by calling toll-free at (877) 99-CURVE or by visiting the Curve Ticket Office at Blair County Ballpark
Fans can also secure seats to both events on-line at AltoonaCurve.com
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Curve lead Eastern League in All Star selections

It’s only fitting, given the way this season has unfolded, that the Curve will have more Eastern League All-Stars than any other club
It’s been a total team effort all season for Altoona, which has received big-time contributions from just about everyone at some point

Six of the most consistent performers were rewarded with All-Star nods Thursday and will get to represent the hometown team during the July 12 game at Blair County Ballpark

“I’m ecstatic” outfielder Vic Buttler said of his selection
“It’s definitely an honor
When I came to the field[Thursday, in the clubhouse my teammates were congratulating me, and I knew they were talking about the All-Star team
I just can’t wait to go out there and perform in front of the fans”

Curve teammates joining Buttler on the Southern Division squad will be - first baseman Simon Pond,
outfielder Brett Roneberg, starting pitchers Shane Youman and Landon Jacobsen and reliever Brandon Knight

The five members of Altoona’s coaching staff will lead the Southern Division team, bringing the Curve’s total number of All-Stars to eleven


That will give the big crowd expected to be on hand at BCB plenty of hometown favorites to cheer

“Any time you make an All-Star team it’s an honor, and especially here in Altoona it’s going to be nice to play in front of the hometown fans” Jacobsen said

The Curve are 45-32, their second-best record ever at this point in the season, and are battling to earn a fourth straight trip to the EL playoffs
The six All-Star players have been a big part of that success, but they’ve also had help

“It’s definitely a team effort, and underline team” pitching coach Ray Searage said
“Even though we have six All-Stars, there’s a lot of guys that contributed”

Searage and hitting coach Brandon Moore have been All-Stars in their own right, getting balance out of a team that has endured numerous key personnel losses because of promotions and injuries
Both will be All-Star coaches for the first time in their careers, as will manager Tim Leiper

“It is a great balance” Moore said of the Curve offense that leads the league in runs
“The one thing that we pride ourselves on in this organization is situational baseball
That has been our driving force
It’s the reason we score runs and the reason we have the RBI totals that we have”

Pond leads the Curve and ranks fourth in the EL with fourty-eight RBIs, so like Buttler, he was no-brainer for the All-Star nod
“I’m happy about it” Pond said
“It should be fun”

Moore called Pond “A veteran, leadership-type guy who leads on the field. And he’s a good baseball player. He shows up every day, and no matter where you put him - you can pencil him at left field, third base, first base - and you know what you’ve got there”

Roneberg missed the first three weeks of the season with a back injury but gave the offense an immediate spark upon joining the club
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen this year staying in extended spring to start, so it’s definitely nice to be able to come up here and be selected” Roneberg said


Fans in each city could vote for one pitcher and one position player from their local team
Altoona’s fans singled out Buttler and Knight, the latter a former major leaguer who is on pace to break the Curve’s single-season saves record of 22

“It’s cool” Knight said of the fan vote
“Obviously that’s a real big deal because the people that come out here and watch you play, it tells me they’re paying attention and enjoy the things you do
It’s always nice to be recognized for the things that you’ve done
It’s also good to see that some other guys on the team who have put up good numbers are also on the team, so I’m really proud of them”

Jacobsen won his first four starts of the season - the first Curve pitcher ever to do that - and is tied for third in the EL with seven wins
The fourth-year member of the Curve will be playing in his first EL All-Star Game
“I’m definitely excited” Jacobsen said
“We’ve got a good group of guys here, everybody plays well together, and it kind of shows when you’ve got six guys on the All-Star team”

Youman has excelled as a reliever and as a starter and earned his All-Star selection behind the strength of a 1.63 ERA
“It’s my first time being on an All-Star team since I’ve been in pro ball, so of course it’s an honor for me to be able to participate in something like that” Youman said

Each division will have a 25-man roster for the All-Star Game
The Curve’s six representatives lead the way, while Trenton was second with five
Every other team had four players picked, except Bowie, which had three

The rosters could see several changes between now and the game as replacements will be needed for players who are promoted or injured
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News and Notes and Photos and Videos and an Interview !!

Simply click on the links below

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Rock Icon "Eddie Money" to play at the Eastern League All Star Gala Event

Page includes all the details, photos, clips from four of Eddies' songs, and a link to his Official Web Site

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All Star Week

A complete schedule of all the events and entertainment taking place prior to the All Star Game

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The MLB and EL All Star Games - Eddie Money at the Gala - The Starting Lineups

A look at the All Star Games played on consecutive nights, the Gala held on Tuesday evening,
and the Curve players in the Southern Division starting lineup - and Brett is in leftfield!!!

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THE GAME

 Pre-game Notes Fielding Position 
 Game Reports Batting Order 
 Game Photos Brett's At-Bats 
 Game Videos  

......and Brett was selected as the "MVP - Star of Stars"!!!

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Brett's Photo Albumn

Photos - All Star Week
The Pre-Game Events and Entertainement and during The Game
......includes photos of Brett's "Most Valuable Player" Award!!!

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The Game on DVD

A piece of Altoona Curve and Eastern League history with the
2006 UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game on a commemorative DVD

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INTERVIEW

Around the Minors
Pirates outfield prospect Brett Roneberg talks about earning the "Most Valuable Player Award" of the Eastern League All Star Game

The above interview with Brett was done immediately after the All Star Game
Click on the logo below and scroll down to the 17th July and then click on the interview link
Make sure your speakers are on - you may have to adjust the sliding volume control on the player that appears as well



NOTE #01
Due to its file format and copyright, I am unable to save this to our own web pages and I am not sure for how long this audio will be available
It is in the "Audio and Video Archives" at the Major League Baseball web site and I have no idea how long they keep their files
Unfortunately, the link could "die" at anytime!!
(last checked on Thursday 23rd July 2009)

NOTE #02
There are other Eastern League and/or Altoona Curve audio links on this page plus there is a 'by year' and 'by month' menu at the top of the page
I haven't scrolled through all of these - but there could be other interesting interviews!! ...... Please let me know if you find any - Thanks
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