The Huntsville Item, Huntsville, TX

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July 14, 2010

Pitching dominates Triple-A All-Star Game

SHSU-ex Martin goes 0-for-3 but International League team wins 2-1

Staff Writer The Huntsville Item

HUNTSVILLE — Like the Major League All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif., pitchers dominated the Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday in Allentown, Pa.

The best players in the International and Pacific Coast leagues combined for only six hits through the first 5 1/2 innings, and they finished with just 10 total hits in the annual summer get-together for two Triple-A leagues.

Former Sam Houston State outfielder Dustin Martin batted three times, striking out twice and flying out in the bottom of the seventh with his International League team holding a slim 2-1 lead. That’s the way the game ended, with the International League Stars on top 2-1.

Martin earned a starting spot on the Triple-A All-Star team by hitting .266 with nine home runs and 55 RBIs in 84 games this season with the Rochester (N.Y.) Red Wings. Martin has legged out 18 doubles and four triples in 2010 and he’s stolen eight bases.

A four-year letterman at SHSU from 2003-06, Martin was drafted by the New York Mets in the 26th round of the 2006 MLB first-year player draft.

After a full year of playing for the Fort Myers Miracle in the Florida State League at the Class A advanced level, Martin was traded along with Drew Butera to the Twins organization in exchange for Luis Castillo on July 30, 2007.

Martin made it up to Double-A in ’08 and played for the New Britain Rock Cats in the Eastern League. He had a successful season, hitting .290 with 10 home runs and 72 RBIs.

The left-handed slugger was promoted again last year, this time to Triple-A, where he joined the Red Wings.

Martin started this season on a tear, hitting .338 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 19 games in April. He followed that with another strong month (.280, 30 hits in 29 games), but tailed off a bit in June and so far in July.

Martin feels like he’s knocking on the Twins’ big door in Minnesota.

“I know I’m close to getting called up,” Martin told the Item last week. “If you’re putting up good numbers, then they can’t ignore you for too long. Plus, there’s 32 teams out there looking, too.”

“This is a great achievement,” he said of his being named to the Triple-A All-Star team, “but this definitely isn’t where I want to finish. Getting to play in the big leagues is ultimately where I want to go and be able to play at that level. You want to play and compete with the best.”

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