Ryan Long and Carlos Castro will participate in the 2019 Home Run Derby, representing the Evansville Otters and the Frontier League, the league announced Monday.
In a change of format, the Home Run Derby will take place Tuesday, July 9 in Rockland County, New York. The Frontier League participants will take on the Can-Am League participants. The Rockland Boulders will host the festivities presented by Good Samaritan Hospital. This will mark the first time that these two Independent Professional leagues will face each other.
The Otters are benefitting from two quality bats in their lineup that rank among the top of the Frontier League in power.
Long is not only hitting for a high batting average (.291), but he leads the league in slugging percentage (.530) and is tied for the lead in home runs (nine). The 25-year-old played three seasons at Texas Tech and has spent all his three professional seasons with Evansville.
Castro, meanwhile, is third in the league in slugging percentage (.518) and tied for second in home runs (eight). The first baseman of the Otters is in his second season in Evansville after spending his first six professional years with the Atlanta Braves. Castro is from La Romana, Dominican Republic and signed with Atlanta as an 18-year-old in 2012.
Long and Castro will join River City’s Braxton Martinez and Washington’s Hector Roa as the Frontier League’s representatives in the Home Run Derby.
All-Star events begin with the All-Star Charitable Luncheon featuring New York Yankees’ broadcaster John Sterling on Tuesday, July 9. The Home Run Derby takes place that night and features former New York Yankees and Mets players Mookie Wilson, Jesse Barfield, and John Flaherty.
The Can-Am League vs. Frontier League All-Star Game presented by WMC Health/Good Samaritan Hospital is Wednesday, July 10. For tickets and additional information, please visit http://www.rocklandboulders.com/allstarsummer2019.
To purchase a season ticket or group outing package, call (812) 435-8686 or visit the Bosse Field front office at 23 Don Mattingly Way, Evansville, Ind. The front office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
