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 Three Teams Corral Six Topps/NAPBL Nov. 17, 1998 ST. PETERSBURG, FL--Three teams--Wichita, Jacksonville and New Britain--captured half of the 12 honor positions on the 1998 TOPPS/NAPBL Class AA All-Star team. All three are affiliated with American League teams. The best performances in all classifications of Minor League Baseball again this year are being honored by the Topps Company of New York, NY, in conjunction with the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL). The individual talent paid off for the teams as the three teams finished a collective 66 games over .500. All three teams won first round playoff rounds, but stumbled in the title round. New Britain, a Minnesota farm, was represented by two pitchers--starter Mike Lincoln, 23, who led the Eastern League with 15 wins, and relief ace Brent Stentz, 23, who led all Minor League pitchers with 43 saves. Jacksonville, a Detroit affiliate, had a powerful attack with outfielder Gabe Kapler, 23, and DH Robert Fick, 24, who combined for 46 homers and 260 RBIs. Kapler led all Minor League hitters with 146 RBIs. Wichita, a Kansas City farm, was represented by second baseman Carlos Febles, 22, who was in the Detroit system until traded last December, and outfielder Mark Quinn, 24, who won the Texas League batting championship with a .349 average. Four of the players earned Topps’ honors previously. Fick was on the Class A team last year with West Michigan; Kapler was on the "A" team in 1996 with Fayetteville; Pickering was on the 1996 Short-A/Rookie team with Bluefield; and Stentz was on the 1995 Short-A/Rookie squad with the Gulf Coast Royals. 1998 TOPPS/NAPBL CLASS AA ALL-STAR TEAM
NEXT--Class AAA All-Stars will be announced on Nov. 24.
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