Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Lexington Legends pitchers Robert Bono and Ross Seaton, along with third baseman Ebert Rosario, were named Monday to the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division all-star team.

Charley Taylor

Pitching coach Charley Taylor, who has been unable to join the team this season due to bladder cancer and subsequent surgery to remove his bladder and prostate, was honored by being named to the coaching staff.

Ebert Rosario

The 50th SAL All-Star game is schedule for 7:35 p.m., June 23 at Appalachian Power Park, home of the West Virginia Power in Charleston.

Rosario will start at third base. Through Sunday, he is batting .304 with four homers and 20 RBI.

Robert Bono

Ross Seaton

Bono is 5-2 and third in the league with a 1.93 ERA. Fellow right-hander Seaton is 6-5, 10th in the league with a 2.49 ERA and the only pitcher in the league to have thrown a nine-inning complete game shutout. (Two other pitchers threw seven-inning complete game shutouts.)

Former Eastern Kentucky University pitcher Christian Friedrich was selected for his work with the Asheville Tourists. However, Friedrich was promoted from Asheville to the High-A Modesto Nuts on May 20.

In eight starts for the Tourists, the left-hander was 3-3, ninth in the league with a 2.18 ERA and second in the league with 66 strikeouts. The Colorado Rockies selected Friedrich in the first round of the 2008 draft. In two starts for Modesto, he has no decisions and a 2.77 ERA.

Christian Friedrich

Greenville leads the Southern Division with five all-stars, including starting pitcher Casey Kelly and first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Greenville’s Kevin Boles will manage the squad, assisted by Charleston (S.C.) manager Torre Tyson and pitching coach Jeff Ware, Greenville hitting coach Billy McMillon and pitching coach Bob Kipper, and Taylor.

Asheville, Charleston and Savannah each have four players on the Southern roster, with two starters each: catcher Jordan Pacheco and center fielder Scott Robinson for the Tourists; right fielder Melky Mesa and designated hitter Daniel Brewer for the RiverDogs; and second baseman Joshua Satin and left fielder Sean Ratliff from the Sand Gnats.

Bowling Green and Augusta have two all-stars each. Bowling Green’s Tim Beckham will start at shortstop.

The Hickory Crawdads and Lakewood BlueClaws lead the Northern stars with six players each. Greensboro has four players and host West Virginia has three.

Lakewood’s Dusty Wathan will manager the Northern team, assisted by BlueClaws coach Tim Gradoville. Also assisting will be managers Gary Green of West Virginia and Ernie Young of Kannapolis, plus West Virginia pitching coach Jeff Johnson.

The 27-player rosters were selected by a vote of league managers and coaching staffs, media and front-office executives. 

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Greenville Drive

When: Friday through Sunday (7:05 Friday and Saturday nights; 2:05 Sunday).

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Probable pitcher (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Jordan Lyles (2-5, 3.31) vs.RH Stephen Fife (0-0, 0.00); Saturday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (3-0, 0.64) vs. TBA; Sunday, RH Ross Seaton (6-4, 2.44) vs. RH Stolmy Pimentel (3-3, 2.09).

Anthony Rizzo

Drive to watch: 1B Anthony Rizzo (6-foot-3, 220 pounds, from Parkland, Fla.) leads Greenville in runs (29), RBI (26) and walks (21) through Thursday’s games. Over 48 games, the 19-year-old also is hitting .275 with six home runs. Selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, he batted .373 and drove in 11 runs over 21 games with the Drive in April of 2008. He missed the rest of the season when he was diagnosed with limited stage classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma. With the cancer in remission, he is rated by Baseball America as the 22nd-best prospect in Boston’s system.

Patrick Urckfitz

Legend to watch: LHP Patrick Urckfitz (6-4, 190, from Penfield, N.Y.) earned team Pitcher of the Month honors in May, when he went 1-0 with four saves and a 0.71 ERA. Urckfitz gave up one earned run over 10 games in May and 12 2/3 innngs, with 13 strikeouts to one walk, while holding opposing teams to a .178 batting average. Overall, Urckfitz has a 2.82 ERA and also has four saves. A non-drafted free agent out of Monroe (N.Y.) Community College, Urckfitz signed with the Astros last year on June 29. He made 15 relief appearances for Greeneville, going 1-0 with three saves and a 1.40 ERA.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Also of note: Thursday, the Houston Astros Player Development Department named Players of the Month for May, as chosen by the field staffs of the Astros minor-league teams.

Brian Pellegrini

Brandon Barnes

From the Legends, LH Patrick Urckfitz (see above) is Pitcher of the Month (POM), 1B/OF Brian Pellegrini is Offensive Player of the Month (OPM) and OF Brandon Barnes is Defensive Player of the Month (DPM).

Pellegrini, demoted from Lancaster, hit .277 (13-for-47) with three homers and nine RBI over 14 games.

Barnes has one error in 98 chances and 53 games this season, fielding at a .990 clip.

Players of the month for Houston’s other minor-league clubs (former Legends underlined):

Triple-A Round Rock — RH Yorman Bazardo (POM, 4-0, 1.49); SS Tommy Manzella (OPM and DPM, .339, 11 w, 11 2b, 2 hr, 12 rbi and .977 fielding through 52 games this season).

Double-A Corpus Christi — LH Doug Arguello (POM, 1-2, 2.28); OF Drew Locke (OPM, .327, 7 2b, 5 hr, 31 rbi); CF Josh Flores (DPM, .990 fielding over 39 games).

High-A Lancaster — RH Jordan Powell (POM, 1-1, 1 save, 3.77 ERA); OF Jonathan Gaston (OPM, .365, 23 ebh, 9 hr, 25 rbi); C Jason Castro (DPM, .984 fielding, 34 assists over 41 games). 

Ross Seaton

The Farmstros Five for  (top performers) the Week of May 27- June 3:

RHP Ross Seaton (Legends); RHP Yorman Bazardo (Round Rock); OF Drew Locke (Corpus Christi); OF Jonathan Gaston (Lancaster); RHP Xavier Baso (Dominican Summer League Astros).

Fan extras as Reds host Cubs in weekend series

Food: Kroger $7 Meal Deal this homestand: hot dog, 16-ounce Coke, chips and Cheez-It crackers.

Give and receive: The Reds and Society of St. Vincent de Paul are sponsoring a food drive during the series. Fans donating a non-perishable food item in designated collection barrels will receive two tickets to the June 17 Reds-Braves game and also can enter a drawing to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Braves game.

Individual-game promotions

Friday (7:10 p.m.) — Pre-game concert in the Fan Zone by the Paul Otten Band; game-ball delivery by Miss Teen Ohio, Jessica Paige Byington of Indian Hill; pre-fireworks mini-concert by saxophonist Elan Trotman, who has played with Bronson Arroyo’s band; post-game fireworks with soundtrack.

Saturday (7:10 p.m.) — Pre-game concert in the Fan Zone by the Goshen Brothers; team baseball card set to first 30,000 fans; “Sam” the Bald Eagle trading cards to first 20,000 fans; “Sam” the Bald Eagle flight from the riverboat to the pitcher’s mound during the national anthem.

Sunday (1:10 p.m.) – Joey Votto matted photo to first 30,000 fans (500 random winners receive a signed version); Reds Heads Kids Club members accompany a Reds starter on the field for lineup introduction; Aaron’s Aces — Aaron Harang hosts free ticket program for families with a parent who is serving in the military.