Dioner Navarro named 2012 International League All-Star

Louisville Bats catcher Dioner Navarro has been named to the 2012 International League All-Star team after being selected by the league. The game will take place on July 11 at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, NY. The switch-hitter has a .333 average entering play today and has scored 15 runs while also knocking in 19. He has six doubles and three home runs. He has a catcher’s ERA of 4.09 in 288 innings this year and has thrown out 39 percent of would-be base stealers. In 2005 while in the Dodgers organization, he was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team while playing for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s.

The Venezuelan has a .244 average with 39 home runs and 197 RBI in 602 career Major Leauge games with the Yankees, Dodgers and Rays. He hit .353 (6-17) with a double and two runs in the 2008 World Series as the Rays’ starting catcher against the Phillies.

Also in 2008, he was an American League All-Star and went 1-for-4 in the MLB All-Star Game at the old Yankee Stadium in The Bronx. He caught the final eight innings of the game and singled in the bottom of the 15th inning as part of the American League’s game-winning rally to defeat the National League.

Navarro was signed by the Reds to a minor league contract on January 16, 2012.