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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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