Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

J.D. Martinez did just about everything he could for the Lexington Legends during his half-season-plus with the team.

J.D. Martinez

He did so well enough that he has been named Most Valuable Player in the South Atlantic League.

Martinez is joined on the SAL post-season all-star team by another since-promoted Legend, second baseman Jose Altuve.

Martinez, a right fielder and designated hitter during his time with the Legends, hit .362 over 88 games, with 15 homers, 31 doubles and three triples among his 126 hits. He drove in 64 runs and scored 83. He finished with a .433 on-base percentage, .598 slugging and 1.030 OPS.

Promoted to Class Double-A Corpus Christi on July 16, Martinez is batting .302 with three homers, 25 RBI and 24 runs scored over 47 games.

Jose Altuve

Altuve stayed with the Legends through July 30, batting .308 with 11 homers, 45 RBI, 75 runs, 39 stolen bases and an .809 OPS.

Since being promoted to High-A Lancaster, Altuve is batting .272 with three homers, 18 RBI, 15 runs and three stolen bases.

The SAL post-season awards were determined by a vote of league field managers, general managers, sportswriters and broadcasters.

Most Outstanding Pitcher honors went to James Fuller (8-3, 1.93 ERA, 19 games) of the Savannah Sand Gnats.

Lakewood BlueClaws first baseman Jonathan Singleton is the Most Outstanding Major League Prospect, hitting .297 with 107 hits and 14 homers over 98 games.

Lakewood’s Mark Parent is Manager of the Year and Marc Valdes of Savannah is Coach of the Year.

All-star selections included Augusta GreenJackets third baseman Chris Dominguez, out of the University of Louisville.

2010 South Atlantic League All-Star Team

Manager – Mark Parent (Lakewood BlueClaws)
Coach — Marc Valdez (Savvanah Sand Gnats)
Right-handed pitcher — Jorge Bucardo (Augusta GreenJackets)
Left-handed pitcher — James Fuller (Savannah)
Catcher — Sebastian Valle (Lakewood)
First baseman — Jared Clark (Asheville Tourists)
Second baseman — Jose Altuve (Lexington Legends)
Shortstop — Jonathan Villar (Lakewood)
Third baseman — Chris Dominguez (Augusta GreenJackets)
Utility infielder — Robert Lyerly (Charleston RiverDogs)
Outfielder — J.D. Martinez (Lexington Legends)
Outfielder — Eliezer Mesa (Asheville)
Outfielder — Jeremy Hazelbaker (Greenville Drive)
Utility outfielder — Destin Hood (Hagerstown Suns)
Designated hitter — Justin Bloxom (Hagerstown)

Most Valuable Player – J.D. Martinez (Lexington Legends)
Most Outstanding Pitcher — James Fuller (Savannah)
Most Outstanding MLB Prospect — Jonathan Singleton (Lakewood)

Baseball

South Atlantic 
    League

Lexington Legends
      versus
                                      Augusta GreenJackets

What: Four-game series

When: Sunday through Wednesday (7:05 Sunday through Tuesday nights, 12:05 p.m. Wednesday)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call   (859) 422-7867  

Major League affiliates: Astros (Legends), Giants (GreenJackets)

Brad Dydalewicz

Juan Minaya

Tanner Bushue

Robby Donovan

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Sunday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (0-2, 8.36) vs. RH Brian Irving (4-1, 4.24); Monday, RH Robby Donovan (7-4, 3.12) vs. RH Chris Heston (2-9, 5.21); Tuesday, RH Tanner Bushue (4-4, 4.29) vs. RH Jorge Bucardo (8-3, 2.23); Wednesday, RH Juan Minaya (2-8, 6.01) vs. LH Craig Clark (0-1, 3.60).

Chris Dominguez

GreenJacket to watch: 3B Chris Dominguez (6-foot-3, 215 pounds, from Los Angeles) came into the season rated by Baseball America as the 18th-best prospect in the Giants system. A third-round draft choice last year out of the University of Louisville, Dominguez twice won Big East Player of the Year honors and set a U of L record his senior season by socking 25 home runs. He broke into pro ball last year with the Arizona League Giants and Salem-Keizer of the Northwest League, combining for a .263 average, 11 homers and 40 RBI over 56 games. Over 79 games with Augusta, Dominguez is batting .273 — .236 at home and .308 on the road. In nine games since the all-star break, he is 12-for-38 (.316). He leads the GreenJackets in homers (12), RBI (53), hits (89) and total bases (146), and shares the team lead in runs (48).

Jiovanni Mier

Legend to watch: SS Jiovanni Mier (6-1, 200, from Pomona, Calif.) is 16-for-45 (.355) over his last 13 games, raising his batting average 26 points to .225. Rated by Baseball America as the second-best prospect in the Astros system, Mier was a 2009 first-round draft pick (21st overall) out of Bonita High School and signed for $1.358 million. Baseball America’s report reads, in part: “Mier has an advanced feel for the game at the plate and in the field. He has a good eye, works deep counts and shows good pitch recognition. He has a smooth, loose, line-drive stroke with quick hands and solid bat speed. He projects to stat at shortstop with a plus arm, great actions, good hands and above-average range to both sides.” With the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League last year, Mier hit .276 with seven homers, 32 RBI and 32 runs over 51 games. Over 73 games with the Legends, Mier has 34 RBI and 39 runs. In 10 games since the all-star break, he is 12-for-36 (.333) with six RBI and five run.

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