FREEWAY NOT CLOSED BUT LOSES; VALLEY DIVISION WINS ALL-STAR GAME : VALLEY 9, FREEWAY 4.Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer The much-maligned Freeway Division was giving the California League The California League is a minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth and a Lancaster Municipal Stadium crowd of 4,714 what few expected: a competitive California All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league. The players are often chosen by a popular vote of fans of the sport and the game often occurs at the halfway point of the regular season, although this is not the case for some all-star games . The quintet that saw its first-half champion finish just two games over .500 refused to bow down Verb 1. bow down - get into a prostrate position, as in submission prostrate lie down, lie - assume a reclining position; "lie down on the bed until you feel better" 2. to a Valley Division that claimed four of five teams completing the halfway mark with at least a .500 record, including first-place San Jose's 46-24 mark. The Freeway took a major detour in the fifth inning, however, and the favored Valley Division took command, scoring five times to win 9-4. Freeway Division pitcher Brent Iddon of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a minor league baseball team in Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA. They are a "high-A" class team in the California League, and have been a farm team of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim since 2001. was the victim of both timely Valley hitting and shoddy defense by his teammates. The carnage began with singles by Michael Byas and Jeff DaVanon Jeffrey Graham DaVanon (born December 8, 1973 in San Diego, California) is a Major League Baseball outfielder with the Oakland Athletics. DaVanon came up through the Oakland Athletics system before being traded to the Anaheim Angels as a minor-leaguer in 1999. . With Byas at third, right fielder right fielder n. Baseball The player who defends right field. Noun 1. right fielder - the person who plays right field outfielder - (baseball) a person who plays in the outfield Luke Allen misjudged Josh Klimek's fly ball for a three-base error and the go-ahead runs. Iddon recorded one out but yielded a smash off the right-center-field fence by Modesto's Cody McKay for a triple. When Allen bobbled the ball for his second error of the inning, the catcher chugged around third and scored to make it 6-3. The circus atmosphere didn't stop there. Rod Barajas doubled and moved to third on a groundout. With Visalia's Mike Holmes in for Iddon, JetHawk Adonis Harrison's grounder to the right side was booted by second baseman Dionys Cesar of Visalia. San Jose's Juan Dilone, a 25-year-old veteran of seven minor-league seasons, was the unanimous choice as the game's most valuable player. The Dominican Republic native slammed a second-inning home run off UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX product Pete Zamora as part of a 3-for-4, three-RBI night. JetHawks right-hander Brian Sweeney struck out the side sandwiched between a walk in his one inning to earn the pitching victory. The Freeway Division started quickly when San Bernardino's Rich Saitta hit the 1-2 pitch of San Jose's Jason Grote over the right-center-field fence for a home run leading off the game. Twice the Valley Division tied the score but fell behind a run, the last time in the top of the fifth when JetHawks ace Patrick Dunham allowed the go-ahead run on Luke Allen's RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in single. This All-Star game meant as much to Visalia's Duane Filchner than perhaps to any of the remaining 43 players. The 25-year-old, in his fourth season with the Oakland A's organization, retired following the game in favor of a position in the athletic department at Radford University. Filchner participated in the pregame home run contest and thrilled the crowd by going deep 12 times in the opening round. Filchner, who singled in three at-bats as the starting designated hitter, reached the finals against Modesto's McKay. After each hit one home run, McKay defeated his Oakland teammate with a homer over the fence in right in a one-pitch tiebreaker tie·break·er n. An additional contest or period of play designed to establish a winner among tied contestants. Also called tiebreak. tie . Combining the three rounds, Filchner actually outhomered McKay 19-18. MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT Several locals will compete in the Southern League All-Star game, scheduled for June 22 at Hank Aaron Stadium Hank Aaron Stadium is a baseball stadium in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It hosts the Mobile BayBears, a minor-league professional team in the Southern League. The stadium opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 6,000. in Mobile, Ala. The stars include Jacksonville's Gabe Kapler (Taft High) and Carlos Villalobos (former JetHawk), Orlando's Sean Spencer (former JetHawk) and Mobile's Mike Mitchell (UCLA). Monday's top performers: Derek Wallace (Chatsworth) improved to 3-1 for Triple-A Norfolk in a two-inning relief stint. . . . Former JetHawk Shawn Buhner homered and stole his first base of the season for Double-A Orlando. . . . The local trio of Stacy Kleiner (Taft), Adam Kennedy (CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge ) and Nate Dishington (Hoover) played a big part in Double-A Arkansas' 21-20 win over Jackson. Kleiner went 4 for 6 with three RBI, Dishington was 4-6 with two RBI and Kennedy went 3-7 with an RBI. --- Chris Cocoles CAPTION(S): Photo, Box PHOTO (Color) Lancaster's Cirilo Cruz pops out in the first. Almost 5,000 fans showed up for the Cal League All-Star Game. Gus Ruelas/Daily News BOX: MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT (see text) |
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