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Long distance information, get me Memphis, Tennessee.
Triple-A Baseball's best and brightest better start making travel plans for the 2003 All-Star Game.

06.26.03 - The general consensus in Triple-A baseball has established the PCL as being a hitter's league and the IL as being a pitcher's league.

The Pacific Coast League and International League will soon have a chance to see if good pitching beats good hitting, or vice versa, at the 16th annual
Triple-A All-Star Game.

Earlier today, both leagues announced the teams that will represent their respective circuits in the game to be played July 16th at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee.

Club field personnel, media representatives, and League administrators select each team with both units comprised of at least one player from every Triple-A club.

This year marks the sixth consecutive season that teams representing the Pacific Coast League and International League have met. Ten prior Triple-A All-Star meetings pitted National League affiliates against their counterparts in the American League.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE PUNCTUATED BY POWER

The PCL will have plenty of power available for All-Star Manager Rick Sweet, including Albuquerque's Rob Stratton, who leads all of professional baseball with 26 home runs. Stratton is not the only Pacific Coast League All-Star with a penchant for the long-ball, as the team includes Sacramento first baseman Dave McCarty, who is fifth in the League in homers (14) and first in runs batted in (62).

The PCL roster also includes the game's only .400 hitter in Las Vegas outfielder Bubba Crosby, who is currently batting .412, as well as a couple of offensive leaders in Colorado Springs third baseman Garrett Atkins, who has 12 homers and 53 RBI to go along with his .333 average, and Edmonton outfielder Terrmel Sledge (.333, 12 HR, 48 RBI).

The squad also features a mix of experience and youth, as veteran catcher and 1992 World Series MVP Pat Borders from Tacoma (.339), will join Sacramento's 21-year old right-hander Rich Harden (8-2 2.88 ERA) on the starting battery.

Joining Harden on the PCL pitching staff is Omaha's Wes Obermueller, who is tied for the PCL lead with nine wins, and Nashville reliever Mark Corey, who leads the League in saves (22).

Corey's Nashville teammate John Wasdin will also be making the trip to Memphis after throwing just the second perfect game in League history earlier this season, while Fresno reliever Manny Aybar makes his second consecutive Triple-A All-Star appearance after striking out the side in the ninth inning of the 2002 contest.

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE PROSPERS WITH PITCHING

Pitching is the prominent feature of the International League All-Star team, as five members of manager Marc Bombard's staff boast seven or more victories on the season.

Buffalo right-hander Jason Phillips brings a League-leading 9-1 record along with a 2.31 ERA, while Durham's Carlos Reyes leads the IL with a minuscule 1.50 ERA combined with a 7-1 record.

Other selections include fellow Durham Bull Lee Gardner, who is tied for the IL lead in saves (16), Toledo's Shane Loux, who is tied for second in wins (8) with fellow All-Star Ryan Madson from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Richmond left-hander Andy Pratt who has fanned 100 opponents.

Offensively, the International League features 11 players hitting over .300, including Charlotte first baseman Ross Gload, who's second in the IL in hitting (.340) and first in doubles (26) and Richmond catcher Johnny Estrada, who ranks third in the League with a .338 average.

Also included on the IL roster are Buffalo outfielder Alex Escobar and Durham shortstop Jason Smith who lead the IL players with 12 homers, Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre's Travis Chapman, who leads the circuit with 51 RBI, and Pawtucket outfielder Anton French, who is third in the League with 24 stolen bases.

Louisville 3B/DH Brandon Larson, the winner of last year's All-Star Home Run Derby, returns to the 2003 Game with 11 round trippers and 40 RBI.

The Game begins at 7:05 pm Central Time will also be broadcast live nationally on both television and radio.

The 2003 International League All-Star Roster

POSITION	NAME	TEAM	AFFILIATE
C	JOHNNY ESTRADA	RICHMOND	ATLANTA
1B	ROSS GLOAD	CHARLOTTE	CHICAGO (AL)
2B	CHASE UTLEY	SCRANTON/WB	PHILADELPHIA
3B	GREG LAROCCA	BUFFALO	CLEVELAND
SS	JASON SMITH	DURHAM	TAMPA BAY
OF	EMIL BROWN	LOUISVILLE	CINCINNATI
OF	LOU COLLIER	PAWTUCKET	BOSTON
OF	ANTON FRENCH	PAWTUCKET	BOSTON
SP	SHANE LOUX	TOLEDO	DETROIT
SP	JASON PHILLIPS	BUFFALO	CLEVELAND
RP	GRANT BALFOUR	ROCHESTER	MINNESOTA
RP	LEE GARDNER	DURHAM	TAMPA BAY
DH	BRANDON LARSON	LOUISVILLE	CINCINNATI
C	KEVIN CASH	SYRACUSE	TORONTO
C	VICTOR MARTINEZ	BUFFALO	CLEVELAND
INF	TRAVIS CHAPMAN	SCRANTON/WB	PHILADELPHIA
INF	JESSE GARCIA	RICHMOND	ATLANTA
INF	AARON MILES	CHARLOTTE	CHICAGO (AL)
INF	JORGE TOCA	NORFOLK	NEW YORK (NL)
OF	ALEX ESCOBAR	BUFFALO	CLEVELAND
OF	MICHAEL RESTOVICH	ROCHESTER	MINNESOTA
OF	MARK SMITH	INDIANAPOLIS	MILWAUKEE
P	RIGO BELTRAN	OTTAWA	BALTIMORE
P	BRANDON CLAUSSEN	COLUMBUS	NEW YORK (AL)
P	RYAN MADSON	SCRANTON/WB	PHILADELPHIA
P	ANDY PRATT	RICHMOND	ATLANTA
P	CARLOS REYES	DURHAM	TAMPA BAY
P	JASON STANFORD	BUFFALO	CLEVELAND
MANAGER	MARC BOMBARD	SCRANTON/WB	PHILADELPHIA
COACH	BOBBY FLOYD	NORFOLK	NEW YORK (NL)
COACH	OMAR MALAVE	SYRACUSE	TORONTO
TRAINER	SCOTT JOHNSON	CHARLOTTE	CHICAGO (AL)

The 2003 Pacific Coast League All-Star Roster

POSITION	NAME	TEAM	AFFILIATE
C	PAT BORDERS	TACOMA	SEATTLE
1B	DAVE MCCARTY	SACRAMENTO	OAKLAND
2B	CHONE FIGGINS	SALT LAKE	ANAHEIM
3B	GARRETT ATKINS	COLORADO SPRINGS	COLORADO
SS	ALFREDO AMEZAGA	SALT LAKE	ANAHEIM
OF	BUBBA CROSBY	LAS VEGAS	LOS ANGELES
OF	RYAN LUDWICK	OKLAHOMA	TEXAS
OF	TERRMEL SLEDGE	EDMONTON	MONTREAL
SP	RICH HARDEN	SACRAMENTO	OAKLAND
SP	JUSTIN DUCHSCHERER	SACRAMENTO	OAKLAND
RP	MARK COREY	NASHVILLE	PITTSBURGH
RP	STEVE COLYER	LAS VEGAS	LOS ANGELES
DH	ROBERT STRATTON	ALBUQUERQUE	FLORIDA
C	JOHN BUCK	NEW ORLEANS	HOUSTON
C	KOYIE HILL	LAS VEGAS	LOS ANGELES
INF	MIKE BELL	TUCSON	ARIZONA
INF	TAGG BOZIED	PORTLAND	SAN DIEGO
INF	BERNIE CASTRO	PORTLAND	SAN DIEGO
INF	CHAD TRACY	TUCSON	ARIZONA
OF	TRENIDAD HUBBARD	IOWA	CHICAGO (NL)
OF	RENE REYES	COLORADO SPRINGS	COLORADO
P	MANNY AYBAR	FRESNO	SAN FRANCISCO
P	FRANCIS BELTRAN	IOWA	CHICAGO (NL)
P	WES OBERMUELLER	OMAHA	KANSAS CITY
P	JASON RYAN	MEMPHIS	ST. LOUIS
P	DOUG SESSIONS	NEW ORLEANS	HOUSTON
P	COREY VANCE	COLORADO SPRINGS	COLORADO
P	JOHN WASDIN	NASHVILLE	PITTSBURGH
MANAGER	RICK SWEET	PORTLAND	SAN DIEGO
COACH	DYAR MILLER	MEMPHIS	ST. LOUIS
COACH	JIM EPPARD	SALT LAKE	ANAHEIM
TRAINER	AARON BRUNS	MEMPHIS	ST. LOUIS