[mikev]

Sawyer Silk's Jersey Retired

In a special press conference today, Crawdad fans old and new gathered to honor one of the greatest players in the history of the MBBA, Sawyer Silk. Silk announced his retirement from baseball this offseason, and Crawdads GM Mike Voelker wasted no time arranging the conference to retire Silk's jersey in New Orleans.

"Sawyer was already gone when I took over as Crawdads GM, but after a quick phone call to Jeremy (Kopra, former GM) who is still out bonding with nature or whatever they do in Oregon, it was really just determining the right time to do it. We decided to not bother waiting and just go ahead and have the Sawyer Silk jersey adorning the centerfield wall that used to be his stomping grounds."

Silk really needs no introduction, but just for kicks we'll chime in and let you know that he has the highest OPS in MBBA history. Ever. Yes, higher than Steve Collins. He began his MBBA career in 1981, going 5/14 in 5 games as a pro. He made his mark on the league in 1982, hitting .290 with 23 homers and 98 RBI, and posting an .840 OPS. That would be his last sub-.900 OPS until 1993.

His 1987 season was one that many Crawdad fans remember fondly. His 62 home runs were only good for second in the league (ha!), he hit .311 with a .415 OBP and a ridiculous .727 SLG. He was an all star, won the Slick Fielder award in CF, and was the Owners Choice Award winner for Best Hitter (that's league MVP, folks.). His most impressive stat, however, has to be his 100 walks and sixteen strikeouts. It was one of seven consecutive seasons in which Silk would K less than twenty times. Amazing.

Sawyer Silk was possibly the best all around player in MBBA history, and the Crawdads are proud to retire his jersey in New Orleans. Weclome home, Silk.