JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Here are your Players of the Day for Tuesday (8/31/2010):
- Rookie 3B Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins went 3/4 with two doubles and an RBI in a 4-3 triumph over the Detroit Tigers. A mid-season call-up from “AAA” ball, Valencia is batting .328, tops among AL rookies. He is 3rd among AL rookies in on-base percentage (.373) and slugging percentage (.446).
- C Ryan Lavarnway of the “AA” Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) hit a solo HR and a sacrifice fly in a 6-0 drubbing of the Binghamton Mets. The home run was his 5th in the past 8 games. In a season split between Portland and the “A-Advanced” Salem Red Sox, Lavarnway is batting a combined .288 with 22 HRs, 95 RBIs, a .393 on-base percentage and .499 slugging percentage.
- 2B Jason Kipnis of the “AA” Akron Aeros (Cleveland Indians) hit a triple and an RBI double in a 10-4 victory over the Trenton Thunder. In a season split between the Aeros and the “A+” Kinston Indians, the 23-year-old Arizona State recruit is batting a combined .313 with 15 HRs, 71 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .394, and a .502 slugging percentage.
- 1B Nate Freiman of the “A” Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) hit a two-run double, a single, and drew a walk in a 13-9 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods. A 6’7″ recruit from Duke University, Freiman leads the TinCaps in doubles (38), HRs (14/tie) and RBIs (77), and has the 2nd-highest slugging percentage (.449).
- SP Andrew Berger of the “A-short season” Yakima Bears (Arizona Diamondbacks) had his best start in more than a month, pitching 5 scoreless innings in a 4-3 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils. An undrafted pitcher out of Lehigh University, Berger gave up five hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. The 22-year-old is 2-5 with a 5.60 ERA and has 49 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings.
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