Illowa APBA League All-Star Game this weekend!

Don Smith rolls in last year’s All-Star Game

What to do when one of your APBA teams gets knocked out of playoffs?  Well, thank goodness there’s dice action going on this weekend.  On October 3-5, the Illowa APBA League will be congregating in Downers Grove for the IAL All-Star weekend.  On Saturday, we will be playing our annual All-Star Game. 

The City Boys team will be managed by Northside Hitmen manager Chuck Lucas while Marcus Bunch, skipper of the Moline Upperdeckers, will take the helm of the Country Gents. 

I had no delusions that any of my Twin City Thunderchickens were going to be voted into the starting lineup, and I was right.  None of them were.   Imagine my surprise when the official lineup was announced and Stephen Strasburg was listed as the starter for the City Boys.  Between you and me, I don’t think he’s been the best pitcher on my team but I’ll take it. 

Position players Yan Gomes and Jason Kipnis and pitcher Alex Torres will join Strasburg as fellow Thunderchickens on the All-Star squad. 

Let’s go City Boys!

               City Boys             Chuck Lucas

1.      Mike Trout (NH)                               CF-3

2.      Andrew McCutchen (CH)                RF-3

3.      Robinson Cano (KK)                         2B-8

4.      Miguel Cabrera (NH)                       2B-3

5.      Paul Goldschmidt (NH)                   1B-5

6.      Shane Victorino (TR)                       LF-3

7.      Carlos Santana (CH)                        C-7

8.      Starlin Castro (KK)                            SS-8

9.      Stephen Strasburg (TC)                   P-1        B (XY)

                                                         41-32

Reserves

Yan Gomes (TC)                               C-8, 1B-2

Edwin Encarnacion (CH)                 1B-3, 3B-3

Jason Kipnis (TC)                              2B-7

David Wright (KK)                            3B-5

Yunel Escobar (TR)                          SS-9

Justin Upton (CH)                             OF-3

Jay Bruce (NH)                                  OF-3

Giancarlo Stanton (TR)                   OF-2

Bullpen

Alex Torres (TC)                               P-1         A&C*  (XY)

Tommy Milone (NH)                       P-1         C (Y) (Z)

Wade Miley (TR)                              P-2         B

Yu Darvish (CH)                                P-2         B (K)

A.J. Burnett (NH)                              P-1         B (XY)

Jared Weaver (KK)                           P-1         B (Y) (Z)

Travis Wood (TR)                             P-2         B

Ryan Cook (KK)                                 P-2         A* (X)

Luis Avilan (NH)                                P-2         A&C*

Brad Ziegler (CH)                              P-1         A*  (Z)

Greg Holland (KK)                            P-2         A&C*  (KX)

Country Gents                  Marcus Bunch

1.      Joey Votto (UP)                                 1B-4

2.      Joe Mauer (UP)                                C-9

3.      Hanley Ramirez (MP)                      SS-8

4.      Adam Jones (UP)                              RF-3

5.      Chris Johnson (MP)                          3B-3

6.      Howie Kendrick (GB)                       2B-7

7.      Alex Gordon (MR)                            LF-3

8.      Alex Rios (UP)                                   CF-2

9.      Clayton Kershaw (UP)                     P-2        A (X) (Z)

                                                         41-33

Reserves

Buster Posey (MP)                           C-8, 1B-2

Yadier Molina (GB)                          C-9, 1B-3

Freddie Freeman (MP)                    1B-4

Jose Altuve (IO)                                2B-8

Evan Longoria (GB)                         3B-5

Troy Tulowitzki (MR)                       SS-9

Josh Hamilton (GB)                          OF-2

Bryce Harper (MP)                           OF-2

Yoenis Cespedes (GB)                     OF-2

Bullpen

Chris Sale (IO)                                   P-2         B (X) (Z)

Julio Tehran (MR)                            P-2         B (X) (Z)

Craig Kimbrel (MR)                          P-2         A&C* (KX)

Hisashi Iwakuma (MP)                    P-2         A (Y) (Z)

Jose Fernandez (MP)                       P-2         A (XY)

Matt Harvey (MP)                            P-2         A (XY) (Z)

Adam Wainwright (GB)                   P-2         B (X) (Z)

Trevor Rosenthal (GB)                    P-2         A* (KY)

Francisco Rodriguez (UP)               P-2         B* (XY) (Z)

Kenley Jansen (UP)                          P-2         A* (KX) (Z)