Escobar named Triple-A All-Star

The Topps Company, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, unveiled the Triple-A All-Star team on Thursday and Brewers shortstop Alcides Escobar made the cut. Escobar finished among the top base stealers in Triple-A with 42 while hitting .298 with four home runs, 34 RBIs, 24 doubles and six triples for the Nashville Sounds. Escobar was named to the Topps Double-A All-Star team last year.

Next season, he’ll have to contend with Major Leaguers for an All-Star bid. When the Brewers traded J.J. Hardy to the Twins last week, it opened the starting gig for Escobar, who will turn 23 on Dec. 16.

“We’ve got younger players again,”  Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. “It’s a transition that we’ll probably have to make continually. It’s no different than when we traded Lyle Overbay to make room for Prince Fielder. I told J.J. that when I talked to him on the phone. … We’re trading J.J. to make room for Escobar.”

Here is the full Triple-A All-Star squad:

2009 TOPPS/MiLB TRIPLE-A ALL-STAR TEAM

POS        PLAYER            CLUB/LEAGUE                           AFFILIATE
1B           Randy Ruiz         Las Vegas/PCL                     Toronto
2B           Kevin Russo        Scranton-Wilkes Barre/IL      New York-AL
3B           Andy Marte         Columbus/IL                         Cleveland
SS          Alcides Escobar   Nashville/PCL                        Milwaukee
OF          John Bowker        Fresno/PCL                           San Francisco
OF          Jordan Brown       Columbus/IL                         Cleveland
OF          Shelley Duncan    Scranton-Wilkes Barre/IL      New York-AL
C            John Hester          Reno/PCL                             Arizona
DH          Mitch Jones         Albuquerque/PCL                   Los Angeles-NL
P            Lenny DiNardo      Omaha/PCL                          Kansas City

Topps Double-A All-Stars will be announced on November 18.
Topps Class A All-Stars will be announced on November 25.
Topps Short Season/Rookie All-Stars will be announced on December 2.

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