Surf Send Six To All-Star Game

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South Jersey Baseball:
Surf Send Six To All-Star Game

Wednesday, July 7, 2004

By Chuck Betson
Atlantic City Surf Director of Media Relations

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and the Camden Riversharks announced the rosters for the 2004 All-Star Game at Campbell’s Field, the site of this year’s game, earlier today. Six players from the Atlantic City Surf have been selected to play for the South Division on Wednesday, July 14.

The selected pitchers are RHP Andy Zwirchitz and Ray Davis. The position players are catcher Melvin Rosario, first baseman Dario Delgado, and outfielder Ozzie Timmons. Demetrius “Meatball” Heath, the team’s regular second baseman, will be one of two designated hitters, as he was in that position when the ballots were drawn up. The Surf are the only South Division team to send players in all five categories.

“I am pleased and proud that six of our players made the All-Star team for 2004,” said Surf general manager Mario Perrucci. “They have certainly earned this distinction from their performance on the playing field. I am sure they will represent the South Division and Atlantic City Surf in the seventh annual All-Star Game. However, I am extremely disappointed to hear that Ryan Minor was not selected to the All-Star team.”

The chosen players certainly have earned this distinction through their performances this year. Heading into Wednesday’s game at the Somerset Patriots, Heath leads the Atlantic League in stolen bases, with 38, and runs scored, with 50. Timmons’ 53 RBIs leads the league, and is tied with Delgado and teammate Ryan Minor in the home run catergory, with 13 each. Zwirchitz and Davis are the only Surf pitchers to record complete games this year. Timmons’.351 batting average leads the team, while Rosario has accumulated a .380 slugging percentage along with outstanding defense behind the plate. Each pitcher has one nine-inning complete game, the only type considered a complete game by the league’s statistics bureau, Howe Sports Data. Davis has pitched two seven-inning complete games in doubleheader games, including this Sunday over Camden, while Zwirchitz threw all the pitches in the rain-shortened game against Newark June 6th.

Former Orioles’ third baseman Ryan Minor has hit .302 this season with 13 homers and 39 RBIs, and a .529 slugging percentage. Mike and Mike will bring you the All-Star action on 1490-AM The Game that night.