As it turns out, he wasn't the only member of the Indians' organization to leave the All-Star break with MVP honors.
Last month it was announced that catcher Eric Haase had been selected to play in the Triple-A All-Star Game, which took place on Wednesday night in El Paso, Texas. And while Haase, who currently plays for the Indians' Triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers, played on the losing side of the exhibition, he still managed to walk away with some hardware after being named the MVP of the International League team.
Haase recorded one hit and 2 RBIs in the All-Star Game, which saw the Pacific Coast League beat the International League by a score of 9-3. The 26-year-old's first RBI came on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, before he added another one with a 2-out hit in the top of the eighth inning.
Haase was one of three players from the Clippers to play in Wednesday night's affair, joining outfielder Brandon Barnes and relief pitcher Josh Smith. Barnes went 0-for-2 in his two at-bats, while Smith allowed 2 hits, 1 run and recorded a strikeout while pitching the bottom of the fourth inning.
Barnes also competed in the Triple-A Home Run Derby on Tuesday night, hitting 15 home runs before losing a tiebreaker to New York Yankees first base prospect Mike Ford in the opening round.
A member of the Indians' 40-man roster, Haase has recorded a slash line of .261/.353/.600 to go along with 23 home runs and 42 RBIs in 65 games in Columbus this season. In May, he appeared in two games with Cleveland, going hitless with one walk in seven plate appearances.
