TSTBL Celebrates 4th All-Star Game, Rehabbed League Site

[Driver 8]

Fargo (AP) - After having lost all three previous All-Star contests and two of three World Series, you could understand the Eastern League's burgeoning inferiority complex that has blossomed through playful taunts coming from the West. Not wanting to perpetuate the image, the Eastern League put together a solid effort top to bottom in outplaying the West in a seemingly insignificant contest.

"Sure, they (Western League players and fans) like to run their mouth," commented four-time EL all-star Adam Dunn. "But then again, they've earned it. We have some great players over here, but until we can win consistently on the big stage, we'll have to grin and bear it. But don't mistake that for rolling over."

Roll over they didn't. In a solid effort from the start, the EL beat the WL 5-2 in an effort that was effective on every front. After a harmless top of the first, the East came to bat against WL starter Kerry Wood and was immediately served notice that they would have to prove themselves. Major league hitting leader Michael Preble lead-off the bottom of the first with a single. On the first pitched served to the second batter Preble raced towards second and slid in steps ahead of the tag. The very next pitch saw shortstop Rafael Furcal slap a single down the first base line under the diving glove of Hee Seop Choi, scoring Preble. After just four pitches, the West had the lead with a runner on second base.

Stepping up when they could have rolled over, 2004 Most Valuable Pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez lead the East in a total team effort in shutting down the West. Rodriguez managed to escape the inning with no more damage and combined with Chris Capuano and Josh Beckett in baffling Western hitters while the East exploded back.

In the top of the fourth, still down 1-0, Dunn lead off the inning by lofting a fly ball down the leftfield line that barely cleared the fence 348 feet away. The next batter, designated hitter Jorge Padilla followed with a towering 432-foot homer to dead center. Salt Lake City hurler Brandon Claussen then allowed a double to Indianapolis shortstop Miguel Tejada and a walk to Nashville thirdbaseman Aramis Ramirez to put men on first and second with none out. Claussen's first pitch to the next batter, Juan Rivera, bounced in front of home plate and advanced both runners, before Claussen allowed a screaming liner off Rivera's bat that was barely snagged by secondbaseman Cesar Izturis. After allowing four hard hit balls, and a walk, to the five batters he faced, Claussen was replaced by Portland's Bobby Bradley who allowed a run-scoring ground out to Corey Patterson before fanning Choi to end the inning.

While the East pitchers worked their magic in shutting down the West in the bottom of the frame, Bradley opened the top of the fifth by fanning pinch-hitter Mark Ellis. The next batter, Steven Wilcoxson, singled down the rightfield line, but remained as the next batter, Dunn, struck out swinging. With Steve Lomasney on to pinch-hit for Padilla, West manager called for Albuquerque's Roy Oswalt to come on to pitch. A two-time Most Valuable Pitcher, Oswalt also was the starting pitcher for the West squad in the previous three all-star contests. After three-plus years of unmitigated success, Oswalt suffered a small measure of failure as pinch-hitter Lomasney hit a tremendous shot into the left-field upper deck 389 feet away to give the East a 5-1 lead. The only other run came as 2004 all-star game MVP Albert Pujols hit a meaningless solo shot off David Williams in the 8th to account for the final 5-2 tally.

"I don't have to tell anyone that this doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things," commented Wilcoxson after the game, "but then again after reading all of the media reports, it may indeed mean something to us, as players. After getting our butts handed to us the last three years in the all-star game, coupled with our (Toledo) 'failure' last fall, this small victory will go a long way to satiate our appetite until we can avenge our reputation this fall."

After winning a league record 114 games in 2004, the Mudhens were heavy favorites to win advance to, and win, the World Series. In the biggest upset in the short history of the TSTBL, the Mudhens were swept in the EL Championship Series by the Memphis Redbirds, winners of 87 games during the regular season. Adding insult to injury, Memphis was largely ineffective in the World Series, being outscored 40-20 in the five-game series. A four-run ninth in their 5-3, Game Four win was the only thing that kept Memphis from being swept.

While it won't be determined until October if the East is back on the map, the East will hold bragging rights for a few months.

TSTBL Web Exclusives: All-Star History Page All-Star Records All-Star Rosters

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In conjunction with the fourth TSTBL All-Star contest, the league office has unveiled the league's new web-site, featuring redesigned team pages, Cato's incredible data base utility, one of the most comprehensive record books available anywhere, as well as managerial, All-Star and post-season registers!