Jeremy Milons could not have imagined being the Midwest League All-Star game’s most valuable player. The South Bend center fielder wasn’t even scheduled to start the game, but got the opportunity when Cedar Rapid’s Aaron Peel was promoted to high class A ball.
However, winning the most valuable player award is exactly what the South Bend centerfielder did Tuesday night at Peoria’s O’Brien Field, site of the 41st All-Star game.
“It’s fun when you get two RBIs right off the bat,” East manager South Bend Mark Haley said of Milons'’s performance. “I told him you have a chance to win MVP.”
Milons out-scored the western team by himself, making himself the unanimous choice for MVP. The Starkville, Miss. native in his fourth year of professional baseball, went 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs, and a stolen base.
After a scoreless first inning, the East squad took the lead when Tony Gutierrez hit an RBI single and advanced to second on an errant throw. After a Reid Brignac strike out, Milons hit a two-run single up the middle to give the East a 3-0 lead.
Milons added to that in the fourth with a double off Peoria Chief’s pitcher, Matt Weber, putting the East up 4-0.
The West looked to rally in the sixth inning when Matt Tuiasosopo doubled to right field. Emerson Frostad up with runners at the corners with one out sent Tuiasosopo home on a single. Burlington’s Rusty Brown killed the rally, grounding into a double play, to end the inning.
The scoring concluded when Asdrubal Cabrera, a player who was originally an undrafted free agent signed by the Seattle Mariners, got a two-out single to end the scoring at 4-2.
Peoria Chiefs player Ryan Harvey hit several blasts out of the ballpark, literally, to win the Homerun Derby competition.
