[batted balls]

June 30, 2006

Bristol, Conn.--In a game that featured so many sluggers the likes of Mark McGwire and Lou Gehrig, it was a No. 9 hitter that took home the hardware.

Texas short stop Ron Gardenhire won the Most Valuable Player Award as the West held off the East to win the All-American Baseball League's inaugural All-Star Game 6-4.

"We gave the fans their money's worth," said Gardenhire (shown below). "It was great to win the game, and it was a great honor to be selected as MVP."

Gardenhire was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple. The Texas Longhorn short stop scored twice and drew a bases-loaded walk for his lone RBI.

The game saw the West build a large lead, only to have the East rally late to put the outcome in doubt until the final batter was retired.

The West took an early 1-0 lead when Gardenhire doubled off East starter Jim Beattie to lead off the third. After Beattie retired the next two hitters, West first baseman Bob Hamelin of UCLA singled home Gardenhire.

The East tied the game 1-1 when Sam Mele of Ivy homered off West starter Mark Prior of USC in the fifth inning.

"It was a big thrill to hit one out, especially in front of the home fans," said Mele.

Although the game was played in Ivy's Eagle Nest Park, the West was the home team due to a pre-game coin toss.

The West wound up making Prior the winner by scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth. Gardenhire tripled off losing pitcher Fred Beebe of Illinois. Gardenhire scored the lead run when Texas teammate Grady Hatton singled.

East manager Bob Seddon then pulled Beebe in favor of Florida State left-hander Craig Skok. Center fielder Fred Lynn of USC greeted Skok with a single. Skok, however, retired Hamelin on a fly out. Seddon then brought in Miami right-hander Alex Fernandez to McGwire of USC. McGwire singled to load the bases. Bob Horner of Arizona State drew a bases-loaded walk from Fernandez to give the West a 3-1 lead.. Fernandez then settled down to strike out Reggie Jackson (Arizona State) and got Jeff Kent (Cal) to fly out.

The West appeared to break the game open with a three-run seventh inning. All three runs were scored with two outs as Kent delivered an RBI single off Carl Lundgren of Illinois. Florida State right-hander Richie Lewis entered the game and promptly walked in two more runs.

"I really killed our chances," Lewis said.

Lewis's teammates, however, rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth inning. Minnesota catcher Dan Wilson started the rally by reaching on the game's only error (committed by Gardenhire). Illinois short stop Lou Boudreau followed with a single off Arizona State left-hander Floyd Bannister. After fouling off eight straight 3-2 pitches, Cap Anson of Notre Dame lined an RBI double to right. Anson had three hits in the game. Boudreau scored when Bannister uncorked a wild pitch. Ivy's Gehrig drove in the final East run with a ground out.

West manager Bobby Winkles of Arizona State pulled Bannister in favor of Trevor Hoffman, the Arizona Wildcat closer. Hoffman got the final two outs of the inning.

Stanford's Steve Chitren, the AABL leader with 22 saves, came on to set the East down in order to close out the game.

Linescore:
East 000 010 030 4 9 0
West 001 020 30x 6 10 1

Boxscore
East (AB-R-H-RBI)
Jennings 2-0-0-0
Boudreau 2-1-1-0
Anson 4-1-3-1
Gehrig 4-0-1-1
Clark 4-0-1-0
Thomas 4-0-1-0
Morris 4-0-0-0
Mele 4-1-2-1
Ad**** 2-0-0-0
Evers 2-0-0-0
Fabergas 2-0-0-0
Wilson 1-1-0-0
Blair 1-0-0-0

West
Hatton 3-1-1-1
Kemp 0-0-0-1
McDowell 0-0-0-0
Lynn 5-0-1-0
Hamelin 5-0-2-1
McGwire 3-1-1-0
Horner 4-0-1-1
Koy 0-0-0-0
Incaviglia 1-0-0-0
Jackson 2-1-1-0
Kent 4-1-1-1
Colbern 2-0-0-0
Boone 1-0-0-0
Gardenhire 3-2-2-1

East Pitchers (IP-H-R-ER-BB-K)

Beattie 3-3-1-1-2-0
Beebe, L 1-2-2-2-0-2
Skok 0.1-1-0-0-0-0
Fernandez 0.2-1-0-0-1-1
Broberg 1-0-0-0-1-1
Lundgren 0.2-3-3-3-1-1
Lewis 0-0-0-0-0-2-0
Innis 0.1-0-0-0-0-0
Radatz 1-0-0-0-0-1

West Pitchers (IP-H-R-ER-BB-K)
Prior, W 5-4-1-1-0-5
Mussina 1-2-0-0-0-0
Pugh 1-0-0-0-0-0
Bannister 0.1-3-3-2-0-0
Hoffman 0.2-0-0-0-0-1
Chitren, S 1-0-0-0-0-1

Doubles: Anson, Gardenhire
Triples: Gardenhire
Home Runs: Mele
Errors: Gardenhire
Attendance: 48,559

Diamond Notes: The AABL will resume play Sunday, July 4. Each home team will host a patriotic-themed celebration complete with fireworks . . . Bobby Winkles used nearly every West position player in the All-Star Game. Only Troy Glaus (UCLA) did not see action. West pitchers Jim Barr (USC), Paul Moskau (Arizona State) and Orval Overall (Cal) did not get into the game . . . the only East position players not to appear in the All-Star were Mark Gilbert (Florida State) and Adam Piatt (Mississippi State). Miami reliever Oscar Munoz was the lone East pitcher not to appear . . . USC center fielder saved at least three runs in the All-Star Game with two fine running catches . . . Illinois activated pitcher Jack Thies from the DL . . . Notre Dame activated pitcher Ed Reulbach from the DL . . . Miami called up catcher/designated hitter Mike Piazza from the minors. Piazza was hitting .427 with 11 home runs and 21 RBIs in his brief stint in Triple-A ball.[/I]