Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings

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June 30, 2003

Interview with Chris Lubanski
California League - Carolina League All-Stars
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Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

Two High A leagues square off in All-Star clash
June 30, 2003

Steven Shell

50 players from two of professional baseball's three high Class A circuits, many of them among the brightest prospects in the game, met at the Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga, California on June 24th for the annual all-star contest between the California and Carolina Leagues.

The visitors from the Carolina League came out on top, 5-3, in the nine inning game. Myrtle Beach shortstop Tony Pena Jr. (Atlanta Braves) was named the Player of the Game for the winners, while Inland Empire's Greg Jacobs (Seattle Mariners) received the same honor for the California League. Frederick outfielder Woody Cliffords (Baltimore Orioles) was recognized as the Defensive Player of the game.

Rancho Cucamonga outfielder Nick Gorneault (Anaheim Angels), leading off the bottom of the ninth inning, hit the game's only homerun. Gorneault had competed in the pre-game homerun hitting contest, reaching the final round before losing to Kinston's left-handed slugger Luke Scott (Cleveland Indians). Lake Elsinore pitcher Mike Wodnicki (San Diego Padres) won the Pitching Skills contest, also held as part of the afternoon activities at the Epicenter.

The real story of the day was how much the players, managers and coaches enjoyed being part of the event. The camaraderie among the participants throughout the day was obvious.

J.J. Furmaniak

"It feels great," remarked Rancho Cucamonga pitcher Steven Shell (Anaheim Angels), who started the game for the California League squad. "You couldn't ask for anything better, (especially with) the caliber of players I get to play with tonight."

Lake Elsinore shortstop J.J. Furmaniak (San Diego Padres) was equally enthusiastic. "It's a great reward for the first half of the season," he said, "and hopefully you can keep everything going in the second half. But it's a nice time to relax and meet some other guys."

Furmaniak's Lake Elsinore teammate, second baseman Josh Barfield, seemed to be enjoying his time in Rancho Cucamonga even more than the others. He roamed the sidelines during the pre-game festivities with a digital video camera, even conducting a mock interview with fellow Padre farmhand Greg Sain.

"It was a lot of fun," commented Barfield after the game. "It was real laid back ... a great group of guys. We just had a good time today." Barfield was joined at the Epicenter by his family, including his father, former major league star Jesse Barfield.

Josh Barfield with his video camera

Cliffords had even more reason to savor the trip from back east to Rancho Cucamonga. "I'm from Southern California," he stated, "so to be able to come home halfway through the season is unbelievable."

While it was important for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves, the players were made aware of the importance of putting forth a good effort for the multitude of major league scouts in attendance.

Carolina League manager Dave Clark, a former big league outfielder, concurred, stating, "I had a meeting with them earlier and that's exactly what I told them. I said, 'Go out and have fun. But realize one thing ... there are other clubs here that are going to be watching them. Trades are happening every day ... So go out and play hard, and show these guys what you've got.'"

Clark also used this game as an opportunity his profile as a manager. The regular season skipper of the Pirates' Carolina League affiliate in Lynchburg, Virginia remarked, "When I stopped playing, I wanted to get back to the big leagues ... My ultimate goal is to one day manage at the big league level. I think this is going to help me, especially being with kids that I've never been around before."

Dave Clark

Pena, the son of the former big league catcher and current manager of the Kansas City Royals, impressed fans in his first professional all-star game with strong defense at shortstop and his two for two night at the plate. When asked whether his surprising performance would give him added incentive in the second half of the minor league season, Pena replied, "I always have the incentive to work hard all year. If I get down, I know who to call. I know my dad will give me a kick in the butt and make me keep going."

Barfield was also eager to get to the remainder of the regular season schedule. "I just want to go out there and have a better second half than the first," he said, "... to put up better numbers than I did in the first half."

The 2004 version of the California League - Carolina League All-Star game will return to the west coast for the second year in a row, as the Inland Empire team will host the event at their stadium in San Bernardino.

--- Bill Mitchell