Four SeaWolves Named to 2008 EL All-Star Game
FAN SELECTIONS –
Fans of each Eastern League club voted for one pitcher and one position player for the All-Star Game. The position player selected by the SeaWolves faithful is catcher Dusty Ryan and the pitcher is right-handed reliever Casey Fien.
C – DUSTY RYAN – Dusty has been one of the most dominant catchers in the league this season and has helped the SeaWolves to the best caught-stealing percentage in the league (52.2 percent). Dusty is the team leader and is tied for fifth in the league with a career-high 13 home runs. In 58 games, Ryan is batting .273 with 12 doubles, a triple and 40 RBI (Team RBI leader). He is in his first season with the SeaWolves and is playing in his fifth in pro ball. Dusty was tabbed as the best defensive catcher in the Tigers organization following the 2007 season by Baseball America. Ryan was the Tigers 48th round selection in the June 2003 draft out of Merced Junior College (CA). He joins Max St. Pierre and Mike Rabelo as former Erie catchers to be named to the EL mid-summer classic.
RHP – CASEY FIEN – Casey made the jump to Double-A in 2008 after a dominant 2007 season with Class-A West Michigan. Fien leads the SeaWolves with 31 appearances and has a 2.68 ERA. In 37.0 innings pitched, he has allowed 12 runs, 11 earned, on 31 hits with 10 walks and 35 strikeouts. Fien has allowed just one run in his last 15 outings (14.2 IP). He did not allow a single run in the month of June (10.2 IP). Fien was the Tigers 20th round selection in the June 2006 draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He is in his third season of pro ball.
OF – WILKIN RAMIREZ – Wilkin has come into his own in 2008 as a power-hitting corner outfielder for the SeaWolves. In 68 games for the ‘Wolves, Ramirez is hitting .297 with 16 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs (Tied for second on the club) and 37 RBI. He also leads the team with a .538 slugging percentage. Ramirez was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Tigers on February 3, 2003. The 22-year old received an invited to Major League spring training with Detroit in 2008 and is the 14th-best prospect in the Tigers organization according to Baseball America. Ramirez is in his sixth season of pro ball and his second with Erie. He appeared in 34 regular season games for the ‘Wolves in 2007 and in one game of the Eastern League Southern Division Championship series where he collected a pair of hits. Ramirez was also recently named to the World Roster for the 2008 Future’s Game to be played at Yankee Stadium on July 13.
1B – RYAN ROBERSON – After a slow start in 2008, Ryan has emerged as one of the most consistent hitters in the SeaWolves lineup. He raised his batting average from .251 at the end of May to .276 following a monster June. In 18 games in June, Roberson batted .343 (23×67) with four home runs and 15 RBI. On the season, Roberson is batting .273 with 12 doubles, 12 home runs (Tied for second on the club) and 38 RBI. He had an EL-best 19-game hitting streak from May 28-June 26. Roberson is in his fourth season of pro ball and his first with the SeaWolves. He was the Tigers 30th round selection of the June 2005 draft out of George Washington University (DC).
