All-Star Preview and some quotes

The QC Times had this on Sunday, but I saved it until today. First, Ex-Rattler Denny Almonte, who is the lone Clinton position player starting tonight, is the main focus of the early part of the story.

Almonte, a 20-year-old outfielder from Miami, is in his second season in the Midwest League. A second-round pick of the Mariners in 2007, he hit .249 with 20 doubles, 10 homers and 51 RBIs last season when Seattle's affiliate called Wisconsin home.

He's batting .262 for the LumberKings, and leads the team with 69 hits, 15 doubles, 12 homers and 44 RBIs.

"My goal has always been to find a way to put the ball in play and use my speed. It's been a good start, but I don't think I should be our only starter in the all-star game," Almonte said.

A little history:

Clinton hosts the Midwest League All-Star Game for the fourth time on Tuesday.

Ross Gload was named the Star of Stars on most recent occasion in 1998, a game that also included Peoria's Rick Ankiel, Quad-Cities' Juan Rincon and Fort Wayne's Michael Cuddyer.

And a preview, too. You'll have to click to find out those players.

The quotes referred to above would be in the Clinton Herald story on the Home Run Derby last night. I didn't expect them to have the story on-line already and the post from the L-Kings website was up already...so...enough, already.

Ridling, a 25th-round selection out of Oklahoma State, belted three dingers in the first round, four in the second and five in the final to claim the title.

“I thought once I had the timing, I would be able to hit a few out,” said Ridling, who also won a home run derby in high school. “Then I got the timing and took advantage of it.”

Clinton also hosted the league's All-Star Game in 1976, 1988 and 1998. But those midseason showcases did not feature a home run derby.

Lawrie, the No. 16 overall selection in the 2008 MLB Draft, hit one homer off the scoreboard in the finals, finishing in second with five total round-trippers.

“I just wanted to try my best and get the fans going a little bit,” said Lawrie, the highest-ever draft pick out of Canada. “I got a little tired toward the end there, but it was great to be a part of this.”

Why were home run totals down in this derby? There are two theories.

Some of the 13 contestants said Monday's weather caused rapid fatigue. Temperature displays at the contest’s onset read 96 degrees.

Ridling, however, said the humidity had no effect. It actually helped him stay loose.

“When it's this hot out, you take a couple practice swings, and you're ready to go,” he said. “It was probably worse for the (players) who have to sit and watch.”

The Midwest League sluggers faced a pitching machine during the contest and reported problems picking up the ball. Players train their eyes to track the ball during a pitcher's circular delivery.

The machine doesn't provide such a motion.

“You could tell it affected some of the guys,” Lawrie said. “It takes a while to get used to. You know when a guy who has 17 home runs this year (Russell) only hits two, something's up.”

Lawrie batted first in the finals. After a short massage at the plate from teammates, he pelted the top of the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall.

Ridling took it from there.

Yes. Yes, he did.