June 16, 2012
Charlotte Sports Park
Port Charlotte, Florida
By Rocky Julich
HOME RUN DERBY
The All Star participants in the Home Run Derby hit their best in the show of homeruns, to excite the 5,678 fans in the seats. North-Daytona Cubs Infielder Greg Rohan (1), South-Jupiter Hammerheads outfielder Marcell Ozuna (3), North-Daytona Cubs outfielder Nelson Perez (4), South-Ft. Myers Miracle outfielder Oswaldo Arcia (2), North-Lakeland Flying Tigers outfielder Avisail Garcia (4), South-St. Lucie Mets outfielder Cory Vaughn (4), North-Dunedin Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Schimpf (2), South-Charlotte Stone Crabs shortstop Derek Dietrich (0).
During the home run tie breaker, Lakeland Flying Tigers Avisail Garcia (Venezuela) won the Home Run Derby with four powerful blasts, beating Daytona Cubs Nelson Perez and St. Lucie Mets Cory Vaughn.
ALL STAR GAME Lineups
NORTH
.324-4-30 SS Kevin Nolan- Dunedin Blue Jays
.343-2-25 3B Cody Asche- Clearwater Threshers
.298-11-42 LF Nelson Perez- Daytona Cubs
.295-11-55 DH Greg Rohan- Daytona Cubs
.302-4-32 1B Jon Talley- Dunedin Blue Jays
.294-6-32 RF Avisail Garcia- Lakeland Flying Tigers
.292-6-33 CF Rob Segedin- Tampa Yankees
226-4-21 C Cameron Rupp- Clearwater Threshers
.270-7-34 2B Ryan Schimpf- Dunedin Blue Jays
LHP Austin Kirk (2-1, 2.63 ERA) Dayton Cubs
SOUTH
.349-0-15 LF Mike O’Neill- Palm Beach Cardinals
.299-10-40 3B Wilmer Flores- St. Lucie Mets
.266-6-31 2B Derek Dietrich- Charlotte Stone Crabs
.258-15-48 DH Marcell Ozuna- Jupiter Hammerheads
.277-3-26 CF Mikie Mahtook- Charlotte Stone Crabs
.226-12-28 RF Cory Vaughn- St. Lucie Mets
.263-5-26 C Josmil Pinto- Ft. Myers Miracle
.228-3-19 1B Richard Lucas- St. Lucie Mets
.287-1-21 SS Wilfredo Tovar- St. Lucie Mets
LHP C.J.Riefenhauser(6-2, 2.98ERA)Charlotte Stone Crabs
After months of my watching the Minor League teams of the Florida State League play A-Instructional League games, during the All Star Game it was almost as if watching a game of big leagues players.
Certainly, some of the names on the rosters; Perez, O’Neill, Vaughn, brought back memories of big leagues All Stars of past seasons.
GAME START: 7:37 P.M.
Florida State League North-Dunedin Blue Jays first baseman Jon Talley put his team on the board with home runs in the second and third innings.
At the top of the fifth inning, Dunedin Blue Jays shortstop Kevin Nolan got on base with a single. A ground rule double by Daytona Cubs leftfielder Nelson Perez drives in the third run of the game.
North 3 – South 0.
Florida State League North-Tampa Yankees RHP Mark Montgomery takes the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning; strikes out first batter St. Lucie Mets first baseman Richard Lucas, walks St. Lucie Mets replacement shortstop Daniel Santana, who steals second and takes third on throwing error by Tampa Yankees replacement catcher J.R. Murphy. Montgomery strikes out Palm Beach Cardinals leftfielder Mike O’Neill. St. Lucie Mets third baseman Wilmer Flores connects a hit and drives in Santana. Montgomery walks Palm Beach Cardinals replacement second baseman Starlin Rodriguez. Montgomery is relieved by Clearwater Threshers RHP Tyler Knigge. Knigge walks Jupiter Hammerheads DH Marcell Ozuna and Charlotte Stone Crabs center fielder Mike Mahook which loads the bases and drives in Lucas. Rodriguez scores a run on a wild pitch by Knigge. Ft. Myers Miracle pinch hitter right fielder Oswaldo Arcia fly out to left field ends the inning.
North 3 – South 3
Tampa Yankees Mark Montgomery pitched 2/3 innings, 1H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 2K (ERA 40.50)
Clearwater Threshers RHP Tyler Knigg continues pitching in the eighth inning. Jupiter Hammerheads replacement catcher J.T. Realmuto reaches first on fielding error by Clearwater Threshers third baseman Cody Asche. Realmuto reaches third on throwing error by Daytona Cubs leftfielder Nelson Perez. Walk to St. Lucie Mets second baseman Richard Lucas. The ninth pitcher for the North All Stars, RHP Bruce Rondon enters the game and pitches a force out by St. Lucie Mets shortstop Daniel Santana, Lucas is out at second base, Realmuto scores. Santana steals second base and goes to third on a wild pitch by Rondon. Walk to Palm Beach Cardinals leftfielder Mike O’Neill. St. Lucie Mets third baseman Wilmer Flores connects his third hit of the game and drives in Santana and O’Neill.
North 3 – South 6
The ninth pitcher in the game for the South-Charlotte Stone Crabs LHP Chris Rearick pitches the ninth inning. Strikes out Dunedin Blue Jays first baseman Jon Talley. Lakeland Flying Tigers right fielder Avisail Garcia gets on base with a hit. The following two batters go out on strikes; Tampa Yankees center fielder Rob Segadin and Dunedin Blue Jays replacement catcher Jack Murphy. END OF 51st ALL STAR GAME.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
“We knew all we had to do is put a run or two across and things would start happening.” said St. Lucie Mets third baseman Wilmer Flores, who went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored to earn MVP honors. “It was great to contribute and help the team (South) win, especially in such a big game.”
Final: North 3 – South 6
WP: Ricky Bowen (1-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, 1K
LP: Tyler Knigge (0-1, 27.00 ERA) 1/3 IP, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 1WP
Time: 2:40 (32 minute game delay)
Attendance: 6,678
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.