Gold Division Captures Second Annual All-Star Classic
CHARLESTON, WV - The Gold Division All-Stars won the Second Annual Mountaineer League All-Star Classic at Appalachian Power Park, 6-5, in front of 4,888 fans on a balmy, humid evening beneath the lights. The game featured 22 hits, 11 runs, and a new chapter in the growing controversy concerning pitcher David Slater of the Morgantown Monsters.
The talented pitcher, who was at the center of a league-wide brouhaha regarding all-star balloting and fan voting for days, declined to play and instead spent the entire game as a spectator from the bench.
"He said he didn't want to play," Wheeling Owls manager, Rob Lee, the manager of the Gold Division team, stated after the game. "He didn't want to cause any more controversy, I guess. At least that's the impression I got. I didn't question him; it's his decision after all."
The fans in attendance starting chanting "We want Slice! We want Slice!" mid-way through the fifth inning, and were booing by the eighth as Slater still hadn't appeared. Slater was unavailable for comment after the game. Many other players, from both teams, however, were.
"I think it's bush-league," LF Steven Hutton of the Bluefield Bullfrogs stated. "This game is about the fans, not about us. Either play or don't even bother to show up."
"I have no idea why he didn't want to play. I really didn't get to speak with him about it. He looked like he was just not here tonight, spitting sunflower seeds in the dugout the whole game," J.W. Casto, Wheeling Owl catcher remarked.
"Maybe he'd be happier in the Independent League," Jeff Derenberger, right fielder for the Huntington Hawks, chided after the game when asked about the superstar pitcher's disappearance. "I hear they have a team named the Crickets that are just chirping for a pitcher like him!"
"I can't speak for him, so no comment," Fairmont Engineers SS Dave Lowry diplomatically allowed. "We all have our own reasons for doing what we do sometimes."
"If Slater thought that by not playing he'd be avoiding controversy, he must be have seriously -- and I mean seriously -- under-thought this whole idea. Anybody with a brain should understand that doing something like dissing the fans at an All-Star game isn't the best course of action," Fairmont Engineers 1B Mark Weaver noted.
Aside from the controversy, the game was entertaining. The player of the game was Kevin Kingsley, catcher for the Huntington Hawks, who went 2-4, with a HR, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
"It was an honor to play with such a talented group of guys," Kingsley stated after the game. "It's just too bad we couldn't bring it home for the Blue Division fans here tonight."
2nd Annual All-Star Classic Box Score 
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On an Out-of-Dynasty note, I was amazed when I saw that David Slater was not selected as the SP for the Gold Division team. I decided to use it as an in-dynasty element to create some controversy and make the All-Star game a little more interesting. But it makes me wonder how the code actually does select all-stars. And then he didn't even play in the game! The man is, literally, dominating the league. He did so last year as well. Very interesting . . .