All-Deacde Team: Starting Pitcher

If there is one phase of the game the Wild Things have built each of their 10 teams around, then it's starting pitching. It's why Washington has finished among the Frontier League's top four teams in ERA seven times.

That's also why choosing five pitchers for the all-decade team's starting rotation will be difficult. There are at least eight pitchers who have legitimate cases for being on the team. The No. 1 spot in the rotation, however, is not open for debate.

Aaron Ledbetter, the Wild Things' and Frontier League's all-time leader in wins, gets the top spot in the rotation.

Ledbetter was acquired by Washington in 2006, in what turned out to be a steal of a trade. Washington sent pitchers Greg Lasinski and Shawn Phillips to River City in exchange for Ledbetter, who already was an all-star pitcher with the Rascals. Lasinski and Phillips combined for four wins with River City. Ledbetter, a right-hander from Fort Smith, Ark., had a 27-9 record in 2-plus seasons with Washington.

After being acquired in early August 2006, Ledbetter went 4-1 down the stretch with the Wild Things and helped them win the East Division title by a half-game over Chillicothe. In 2007, Ledbetter had a phenomenal year, going 14-2 with a 2.71 ERA and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year. Ledbetter also pitched Washington to road wins in the playoffs over Gateway and Windy City in 2007.

Though he slowed a bit in 2008, Ledbetter still managed a 9-6 record.

While most Frontier League pitchers rely heavily on two pitches, Ledbetter's strength was his ability to throw four pitches for strikes. In his first 29 regular-season starts with Washington, Ledbetter issued more than two walks only two times.

Another thing the separated Ledbetter from other pitchers was his ability to pitch on three days rest without a dropoff in effectiveness. In 2007, Ledbetter made three starts on three days rest. He won all three games, and in doing so didn't give up a run (19 scoreless innings). Ledbetter's last six regular-season starts with Washington in 2006 were made on three days rest. In those outings, Ledbetter was 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA.

All-Dacade Team Starting Pitcher: Aaron Ledbetter (2006-08)