Monday, November 5, 2063
RUTHLANDIAN, TYCOBBIAN UNION MVP AWARDS
The elite of the elite just might be the Islandian Pro Alliance Most Valuable Player Awards... these awards go to the premier performers, the ones who play key roles in the success of their teams... the 2063 honorees are Eliot Marcum, the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player and Hugo Sutton, the Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player.
Ruthlandian Union
Eliot Marcum is kind of a surprise winner... he plays for the lowly Belle Plaine Musketeers, who finished seventh in the RU East... it is tough for great players like him to win awards that are based in some degree on the success of the team... this year's MVP had such a fine year, that he overcame that obstacle... Marcum already was chosen the RU Golden Bat of the Year... and now he has been given the ultimate award -- the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player trophy... Marcum played in 153 games, hit .338 with 198 hits, 35 doubles, 9 triples, 42 homers, batted in 113 runs and scored 122 times... this six-year IPA left fielder has blossomed the last two seasons into one of the best hitters in the Islands... this year Marcum topped the RU in homers, runs and RBIs... came in fifth in hits... and he had the sixth-best batting average... the 26-year-old is a lifetime .303 hitter with 193 roundtrippers... and the best is yet to come.
MVP Marcum beat out two players that played for pennant-winning Colfax, Bralen Josephson and Lanny Waldrep... both of them also came in second and third in the RU Golden Bat poll... Black Sox first baseman Josephson stood out in 154 games with a .356 BA, second in the RU and topped the league in hits with 222... he rapped 28 doubles, 4 triples, 30 home runs, drove in 91 runs and scored 114 times... after seven years in the IPA, Josephson has been a truly great batter with a .344 career mark... 2063 was a monster year for the 6-foot-5, 255-pound slugger... Josephson is 27 years old and in the prime of his career... look out if he has not reached his talent peak yet.
Third place in the Ruthlandian MVP polling went to Lanny Waldrep, Colfax's superstud right fielder... only 25 years old... also in his seventh season... a 3-time Golden Glover and 2-time All-Star... Waldrep stood out with a .319 BA, played in 153 games... hammered 38 doubles, 8 triples, 31 homers with 100 ribbies and scored 103 runs... carries a .311 lifetime batting average with 182 homers.
Tycobbian Union
The 2063 TU Most Valuable Player was Hugo Sutton... the 23-year-old marvelous center fielder for the Rolling Hills Racers had a gigantic year... just in his second season and first full year, Sutton led the Tycobbian Union with a .343 BA... playing in 153 games he also topped the league with 209 hits, 134 runs and 21 triples... Sutton also added 32 doubles, 32 roundtrippers and 141 RBIs (2nd) to his massive totals... Sutton was one of the primary reasons Rolling Hills rolled up 106 victories and won the TU West Division.
Sutton had some very stiff competion in the Tycobbian MVP balloting... it came from his Rolling Hills teammate, third sacker Teddy Stonich, who was the runner-up... Stonich had the sixth-best batting average at .335... fourth with 204 hits... was number one with 57 doubles and 153 RBIs... he hit 32 out of the park and cracked 7 triples in 152 games... Stonich just might be the best hitter in the IPA... at age 29, the seven-year veteran sports a lofty .335 career BA and is a 4-time All-Star... Stonich was the TU Rookie of the Year in '57.
Another tremendously talented fine all-around performer came in third in the Tycobbian MVP poll... Summerland's sensational center fielder Johnny Pendergrass was the TU Rookie of the Year in '59... 3-time All-Star... twice a Golden Glover... Pendergrass paced the Sunsets to the TU South pennant this season... he batted .341, second to champ Sutton... with 206 hits, again second to Sutton... played in 152 games, had 30 doubles, 4 triples, 21 homers, 96 RBI, scored 101 times and stole 23 bases... Pendergrass is a stalwart defender with a great throwing arm... lifetime he has hit .322 in five seasons.