If an indication of a team's destiny can be determined by how many players they have in the All-Star game, the Syracuse Chiefs could be in for a fantastic second half. Chiefs' infielder Jim Negrych was named to the International League's roster today, the forth Syracuse player to get the nod, joining Chiefs' teammates Corey Brown, Zach Duke and Carlos Rivero. The opportunity is extra special for Negrych, who will get a chance to play in the All-Star game in his home town of Buffalo. Negrych joined the Chiefs while the first half was already in progress, hitting .284 in 54 games, along with six home runs and 30 RBI.
"I couldn't be happier to be here," says Negrych, "I love playing here, I love being close to be home, being in a part of the country I feel comfortable being. Definitely you don't get that a lot in minor league baseball, and we're obviously winning baseball games, so it's fun and hopefully we can keep it going."
Despite a four game losing streak heading into the All-Star break and a slow start to the season, the Chiefs showed great potential in the first half of the season. While the team is two games below .500, seven and a half games back in their division, they've shown the ability to stay in games and put themselves in a position to win. Both the offense and starting pitching has picked up as the season has progressed, and the clubhouse has a positive vibe according to the brand new All-Star.
"The great thing about these guys and our clubhouse is we don't dwell on what happened the day before", explains Negrych, "and we don't look forward to any thing in the future we just focus on what we have today and go out with a clean slate."
The All-Star game will be played in Wednesday night in Buffalo. The Chiefs are back in action against Wilkes Barre-Scranton on Thursday.
