All-Stars coming to AT&T Field Field in Chattanooga

Monday, June 16, 2014

photo Lookouts All-Star Edwin Encarnacion slides safely into second base in a home game in 2004, the last year a Southern League All-Star game was held in Chattanooga. He remains a big-league standout, having hit 16 homers in May for Toronto.

Read moreMcCarter book honors Southern League history

STARTING PITCHERSTom GlavineBack in the day: Glavine pitched in 22 games for the 1986 Greenville Braves, going 11-6 with a 3.41 ERA.What transpired: Glavine went on to compile a 305-203 big-league record and is a 2014 Hall of Fame inductee. His 164 wins in the 1990s were second only to Atlanta teammate Greg Maddux.Ferguson JenkinsBack in the day: Jenkins pitched in 21 games for Chattanooga in 1964, going 10-6 with a 3.11 ERA.What transpired: Jenkins was a three-time major league All-Star and won the 1971 National League Cy Young Award, becoming the first Chicago Cubs pitcher to do so. He was a 1991 Hall of Fame inductee.Clayton KershawBack in the day: Kershaw pitched with Jacksonville in 2007 and '08, going 2-3 with a 1.91 ERA in 13 games in '08.What transpired: Kershaw won the NL Cy Young Award in 2011 and 2013 and was the runner-up in between. He is baseball's highest-paid pitcher at $30.7 million a year.Jack MorrisBack in the day: Morris pitched in 12 games for Montgomery in 1976, going 2-3 with a 6.25 ERA.What transpired: Morris became a five-time All-Star in the majors and won World Series titles with Detroit in 1984, Minnesota in 1991 and Toronto in 1992 and '93.Jake PeavyBack in the day: Peavy pitched for Mobile in 2001 and '02, going 4-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 14 starts in '02.What transpired: Peavy led the National League in strikeouts in 2005 and '07, and he won the 2007 Cy Young. He helped win a World Series title last season with Boston.CLOSERTrevor HoffmanBack in the day: The former University of Arizona shortstop was converted to a pitcher, and he had starting and relieving roles with Chattanooga in 1991 and '92.What transpired: Hoffman became a seven-time All-Star and became the first in the majors to notch 500 and 600 career saves. He was baseball's all-time saves leader until 2011.CATCHERYadier MolinaBack in the day: Molina hit .275 with 51 RBIs in 104 games with the Tennessee Smokies in 2003.What transpired: Molina has been selected to five consecutive All-Star games with the St. Louis Cardinals. He has played in four World Series in the past decade, winning two championships.FIRST BASEMANEddie MurrayBack in the day: Murray hit .298 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs in 88 games with Charlotte in 1976.What transpired: Murray was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1977 and was a runner-up for AL MVP on two occasions. He was a member of the 1983 World Series champs and is a 2003 Hall of Fame inductee.SECOND BASEMANLou WhitakerBack in the day: Whitaker hit .280 with 48 RBIs in 107 games with Montgomery in 1977, and he also stole 38 bases.What transpired: Whitaker was the 1978 AL Rookie of the Year and made five straight All-Star appearances. He and shortstop Alan Trammell formed a stout middle infield for both Montgomery and Detroit, which won the 1984 World Series.SHORTSTOPCal Ripken Jr.Back in the day: Ripken played for Charlotte in 1979 and 1980, hitting .276 with 25 homers and 78 RBIs in '80.What transpired: Ripken set a big-league standard by playing in 2,632 consecutive games. He was a 19-time All-Star and a two-time AL MVP and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007 with 98.5 percent of the ballots.THIRD BASEMANMiguel CabreraBack in the day: Cabrera hit .365 with 10 homers and 59 RBIs in 69 games with the 2003 Carolina Mudcats.What transpired: Cabrera is an eight-time All-Star and won batting's triple crown in 2012, when he was named the NL MVP. He came up short last season in his triple-crown bid but was named MVP again.LEFT FIELDERTim RainesBack in the day: Raines hit .290 with 50 RBIs in 145 games with Memphis in 1979, when he also stole 59 bases.What transpired: Raines became a seven-time big-league All-Star and was the 1986 NL batting champ with the Montreal Expos. He led the league in stolen bases four times.CENTER FIELDERAndruw JonesBack in the day: Jones hit .369 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs in 38 games with the Greenville Braves in 1996.What transpired: Later in the 1996 season, Jones was promoted to Atlanta and homered in his first two at-bats in the World Series. He would become a five-time All-Star.RIGHT FIELDERReggie JacksonBack in the day: Jackson hit .293 with 17 homers and 58 RBIs in 114 games with Birmingham in 1967.What transpired: The 1993 Hall of Fame inductee was a 14-time All-Star and was a part of five World Series champions. He was the AL MVP in 1973, when his Oakland A's won the second of three straight World Series titles.DESIGNATED HITTERFrank ThomasBack in the day: Thomas hit .323 with 18 homers and 71 RBIs in 109 games with Birmingham in 1990.What transpired: The former Auburn University tight end was a five-time All-Star with the Chicago White Sox. He was AL MVP in 1993 and '94 and won the AL batting title in 1997, and he is a 2014 Hall of Fame inductee.

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Edwin Encarnacion hit 16 home runs last month, joining Barry Bonds, Mickey Mantle and Mark McGwire as the only players in major league history to hit so many homers in May.

In 2004, Encarnacion represented the Chattanooga Lookouts in the Southern League All-Star Game at AT&T Field.

Chattanooga will host the league's all-star game Tuesday night for the first time in a decade. Not every player will go on to hit 16 big-league homers in a month, but there will be no shortage of promising prospects.

"I think this event is really cool," Chattanooga Lookouts owner Frank Burke said. "Unfortunately, some guys who go on to bigger and better things get promoted before the game. Adam Dunn never played in it, because he was promoted before that, but it's still really cool.

"People don't realize how hard it is to get to Double-A in the first place, much less be an all-star in a league as good as the Southern League."

Tuesday's all-star game at AT&T Field will start at 7:15. Monday night at 7, eight Southern League players will vie in a home run derby held at historic Engel Stadium.

Here's a suggested all-time team of modern Southern League players based on their major league accomplishments.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.