All-Star Weekend in the ABA!

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The ABA 1992 All-Star Game

50,000 faithful fans made the trip to lovely Fresno County Stadium yesterday on a typical breezy, sunny, hot July day in Fresno. Despite the heat, it was a great day to watch the best the American Baseball Association had to offer. These were the all-stars. The best of the best chosen by the league’s General Managers, the sixth addition of the All-Stars representing each team in the ABA . The starters were chosen by the league GMS while the rosters were rounded out by last season’s ABA championship representatives. Tucson’s Andy Samford chose the reserves for the Kuffrey League while Buffalo’s Don Bemont chose the Heinsohn League reserve squad.

Both teams featured a good mix of young talents and old superstars ranging from first time all-stars like Tucson’s young first baseman Robert Bibbins to home run king Remington Poe (Ft Worth) who has 32 homers at the break. Representing the HL was Nashville’s amazing 24 year old third baseman Robert Williams who is pacing the HL in hitting at .383!

Richmond ace Richard Smith, appearing in his 3rd all-star game, opened the game with a quick and dominating 1st inning by striking out William Rodriguez and Nicolas Ayala. Only Andre Mayo from Nashville got a bat on the ball, grounding out weakly to Smith.

Sacramento ace and 4 time All-Star Tio Cuatemhoc further validated why these two men were chosen as the best pitchers in their respective leagues. Cuatemhoc mowed down William Deer and Willard Huebener before getting Robert Bibbins to pop up to left to end the very quick 1st inning.

It was Portland’s big-swinging shortstop Gregorio Acosta that got to Smith first. Acosta drilled the 2nd pitch of the 2nd inning into the gap in right-center for a standup double. Acosta nearly scored on the very next pitch when Sacramento’s catcher Jose Aceves hit a smash between 3rd and short. Only a brilliant diving stop and throw from his knees by Clifford Clewis to get Aceves prevented the run and held Acosta at 3rd. With one out, Smith worked very carefully to the youngster Robert Williams, walking him on 5 pitches to set up the double play chance. In most games, that strategy has a good chance of working to your advantage. But when Charlie Fonseca (CF – Nashville) is on deck, the odds are stacked against you. The speedy Fonseca, who swings with a mighty uppercut, has grounded into 4 double plays all season. Fonseca promptly deposited Smith’s first pitch into the left-field corner to score Acosta and move Williams to third. Giving the HL the first run of the game. The 3rd straight Grey to come to the plate, second baseman Bill Hummel, made it 2 to 0 with a slow roller to second that scored Williams. Cuatemhoc struck out looking to end the second at 2 to 0 in favor of the HL.

Cuatemhoc disposed of catcher Remington Poe and second baseman Juan Banas before allowing his first baserunner via a walk to Tucson leftfielder Andrew Uresti. Tucson rightfielder Paul Follansbee worked the count to 2 and 2 before uncorking a monstrous shot to left that curved foul at the last second. Obviously not wanting to give Follansbee another chance to hit it a little bit more to the right, Cuatemhoc threw two consecutive balls to put Follansbee on first. That brought up Richmond shortstop Clifford Clewis in his first career All-Star at bat. Clewis, who robbed Jose Aceves of an RBI single in the top of the inning was repaid the favor by third baseman Robert Williams who made a diving stop on a smash down the line to end the inning and keep the HL ahead by 2 runs.

John Temples, the starter turned reliever from Pittsburgh took the mound for the KL in the top of the 3rd. He was greeted rather rudely by Portland’s perennial All-Star William Rodriguez with a 370 foot smash over the rightfield wall on a 0 and 2 count to make the score 3 to 0. Nicolas Ayala nearly made it 4 to 0, but Paul Follansbee leaped to make the catch on a ball that looked to have the height to clear the left centerfield fence. After two and a half, it was the HL leading by 3.

Buffalo reliever Francisco Ceniceros took the mound for the HL in the top of the third walking pinch hitter Warren Thurber and Willard Huebner before giving up a single to left by Robert Bibbins to load the bases with one out. Ceniceros got Remington Poe to fly out to right center which scored Thurber to get the KL on the board. Juan Banas flew out to left center to end the threat.

Next to take the mound for the KL was the 25 year old reliever from Richmond Mario Woolbright. Woolbright got Aceves to ground out to short for the first out before the wheels came off. Robert Williams singed to left and scored on Charlie Fonseca’s second double of the game. Hummel singled in Fonseca on a bloop single to short center. Hummel was then erased at second on a fielders choice before William Rodriguez was walked. Andre Mayo laced a liner to center that scored Osvaldo Prieto from second and moved Rodrigues to third on an ill-advised throw to the plate by centerfielder William Deer. Rodriguez scored on a single to right by Ayala before Gregorio Acosta flew out down the rightfield line. When the dust had settled, the powerful HL lineup had put themselves up 7 to 1.

Chicago starter Russell Garner mowed through the KL lineup in the bottom of the 4th to preserve the big lead. In the top of the 5th, young gun and hometown hero Alex Palen from Fresno took the mound for the KL. Palen gave up a leadoff single to Jose Aceves before sawing through the next three HL bats. The third out came via a 100 mph heater that Bill Hummel never saw.

In the bottom of the inning, Russell Garner again mowed through the KL lineup getting MLB transplant Bobby Bonilla to fly out to end the inning. After 5 innings, it was still the HL 7 and the KL 1.

Salt Lake City’s dominant closer Miquel Mazzarella took the hill for the KL in the top of the 6th and easily retired the side in order.

Chett Bugg, Tacoma’s only representative in the game took the ball in the bottom of the 6th for the HL. Bugg walked Pittsburgh shortstop Tommy Epstein to lead off the inning before allowing single down first base line by Toledo catcher Lance Gosselin that moved Epstein to third. With one out, six time all-star, leftfielder Andrew Uresti singled up the middle to score Epstein. Raleigh’s superstar second baseman Kadin Reynolds moved to second on the hit. That brought up Tucson’s Paul Follansbee. Follansbee made the best of the opportunity by uncorking a 421 foot bomb to center to close the gap to 7 to 5. Pinch hitter Rupert Aiello followed the homer with a single, but Bugg got Warren Thurber and Richmond’s Beebo Buckner to ground out to end the threat.

Ft. Worth ace Bradt Wylie pitched a scoreless seventh for the KL and Buffalo closer Nick Apodaca matched him with a perfect bottom half of the inning.

The HL threatened again in the top of the 8th with singes by Osvaldo Prieto and Portland third baseman David Prowse. But James Brock (Tucson) closed the door by striking out Christopher Emerson to end the inning with the score still 7 to 5 in favor of the HL.

In the bottom of the 8th, Hartford reliever Brandon Kirts set the KL down in order striking out both Ronaldo Garcia and Paul Follansbee.

Shortstop Gregorio Acosta, the two time all-star from Portland made it 8 to 5 in the top of the ninth with a one out solo shot to center off Miami closer Todd Lane that gave the HL squad some much needed breathing room. Lane retired the next two HL hitters to end the inning.

HL manager Don Bemont brought in his own closer, Trinidad Valdez from Buffalo to try to finish off the KL. Rupert Aiello made sure that it wasn’t going to be easy by drilling a leadoff triple into the gap in right center on the second pitch he saw. After Warren Thurber popped out to the catcher for the first out of the inning, Benajmin Buckner worked an 8 pitch walk to put runners at the corners with Bobby Bonilla walking to the plate. Bonilla, the tying run, popped out to left for the second out of the inning. Tommy Epstein then took his spot in the box with the game on the line. Valdez, however, was just a little better than Epstein today and blew a 95 mph heater past him to end the game with a strikeout.

The HL scored 8 runs on 13 hits with no errors while the KL could only manage 5 runs on 6 hits. The KL squad was perfect in the field as well. Starter Tio Cuatemhoc got the victory going two innings and allowing no hits and two walks. KL starter Richard Smith got tagged with the loss giving up two runs in his two innings of work. Trinidad Valdez got the save by pitching a rocky ninth. Player of the game honors went to Portland shortstop Gregorio Acosta who played the entire game going 2 for 5 with a home run and two runs scored.