Warner Named an All-Independent All-Star

Six Northern League players have been selected to the first team on the 2005 Baseball America All-Independent League All-Star Squad, it was announced Thursday.

The six first team selections are four more than any other Independent League. The Atlantic, Can-Am, and Golden Leagues are represented by two players apiece and the Central and Frontier Leagues have one player each. It marks the second consecutive year that six Northern Leaguers have been named to the first team.

The Northern League first team position players are catcher Kelley Gulledge of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, shortstop Chad Ehrnsberger, who split the season between the St. Paul Saints and Joliet JackHammers, and Lincoln Saltdogs outfielder Bryan Warner, the 2005 Northern League Player of the Year. The Northern League occupies two of four starting pitcher selections: RHP Brandon Culp, the NL Pitcher of the Year from the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and RHP Greg Bicknell of the Kansas City T-Bones. RHP Matt Hammons of the St. Paul Saints was named as the first team relief pitcher.

Northern Leaguers named to Baseball America's second team are third baseman Carlos Duncan of the Calgary Vipers, outfielder Cory Harris of the Lincoln Saltdogs, and LH starter Joe Sergent of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

The nine total first and second team selections for the Northern League are also the most of any league. The Atlantic League has six players, the Can-Am League earned five spots, the Frontier and Golden League each had three selections, and the Central League had a pair of honorees. Gulledge is the only 2004 Northern League first team selection to be named again in 2005.

Baseball America selected Quebec Led Capitales third baseman Eddie Lantigua as its 2005 Independent League Player of the Year. Lantigua was the Can-Am League's Most Valuable Player, hitting .324 with 31 homers and 112 rbi in 91 games in 2005.

The complete first team is listed below.

FIRST TEAM
C--Kelly Gulledge, Fargo-Moorhead (Northern)
1B--Brian Becker, Nashua (Atlantic)
2B--Ricardo Cordova, New Jersey (Can-Am)
SS--Chad Ehrnsberger, St. Paul/Joliet (Northern)
3B--Eddie Lantigua, Quebec (Can-Am)
OF--Pete Pirman, Kalamazoo (Frontier)
OF--Bryan Warner, Lincoln (Northern)
OF--Desi Wilson, Surprise (Golden)
DH--Juan Camacho, El Paso (Central)
SP--Greg Bicknell, Kansas City (Northern)
SP--Brandon Culp, Fargo-Moorhead (Northern)
SP--Grant Gregg, Chico (Golden)
SP--Brett Laxton, Camden (Atlantic)
RP--Matt Hammons, St. Paul (Northern)

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