G-Braves Canizares, Conrad and Valdez named International League All-Stars

July 2, 6:11 PMGwinnett Braves ExaminerJon Cooper

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The Gwinnett Braves will be well represented when the International League All-Stars takes on the Pacific Coast League's at the 22nd annual Cricket Wireless Triple-A All-Star Game. The game will be played on July 15 at PGE Park, the home of the Portland Beavers (San Diego Padres).

First baseman Barbaro Canizares, second baseman Brooks Conrad and pitcher Luis Valdez will represent the G-Braves on the 28-man squad, which was announced Thursday afternoon. Gwinnett was one of five IL teams to have three players chosen.

Canizares will be making his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance. The International League leader in hits (91, heading into action on July 2), Cannizares also is fourth in the league in batting (.325). He has hit safely in 57 of 71 games this season, including putting together a league-high 13-game hitting streak from April 25 through May 8, and hasn't gone more than two games without a hit. The 29-year-old former catcher, was promoted to Atlanta on June 11 and got a hit in his Major League debut. He was four-for-17 (.235) in four games with the Braves and has hit .271 with a homer, five RBIs and seven runs scored in 12 games since returning to Gwinnett. Canizares is tied for the G-Braves lead with nine homers and leads the team in RBIs (42), doubles (19), total bases (139) and is second in runs scored (40).

Conrad has made the most of his first season in the International League. He's hit safely in 49 of 71 games, with 14 multi-hit games, including a four-hit game on May 29 at Syracuse (4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs). The 29-year-old switch-hitter, who played parts of the last three seasons in the PCL with the Round Rock Express (Houston Astros) and Sacramento River Cats (Oakland A's), is currently fifth in the IL with 46 runs scored (tops on the G-Braves), has hit nine homers (tied for the team lead with Canizares), and is second in hits (67), RBIs (38), doubles (13), and total bases (107) behind Canizares. He also is second on the G-Braves in triples (three, one behind Brian Barton) and stolen bases (eight, two behind Reid Gorecki). His eight steals have come in nine attempts.

Valdez, who recently turned 25, is 3-3, with a 3.14 ERA (15 earned runs in 43.0 innings) and has made a league-leading 33 appearances this season. He has 13 saves (fourth in the league) in 19 opportunities, and has retired 24 or 32 first batters. The righty, who closed for the Mississippi Braves (Double-A) in 2008, has allowed only one earned run and five hits over his last five appearances, covering 6 1/3 innings and has a nearly 4:1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, having whiffed 45, while walking 12.

The Cricket Wireless Triple-A All-Star Game will feature many of baseball’s top prospects, including Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) shortstop Reid Brignac, Pawtucket Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees outfielder Austin Jackson, and Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles) righty Chris Tillman, plus elected outfielder Drew Stubbs of the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds) and selected righty Anthony Swarzak of the Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota Twins).

The International League has won two of the last three All-Star Games, but dropped a tough 6-5 decision in last year's game and trails the PCL, 6-5, since the game was changed to the current IL vs. PCL format. The winning league is the home team in The Bricktown Showdown Triple-A Championship Game in Oklahoma City in September.

The 2009 International League All-Star squad is made up of 13 elected players, with ballots from teams’ managers and general managers, members of the media, and online fan voting each counting an equal third. In addition, 15 All-Stars are selected by the International League office. Each of the IL’s 14 teams will have at least one representative.

All-Stars in tow, the Braves began play Thursday night with a 43-37 record, good for third place in the South Division and tied with Syracuse for second in the Wildcard race. They can make up ground in a hurry, however, as their next five games are against second-place Norfolk (43-34), which currently holds the wildcard and leads the Braves by a game and a half. The teams will play a brief two-game set in Norfolk followed immediately by a three-game series in Gwinnett. The Braves then finish their pre-All-Star slate with three games in Durham and three in Charlotte.