And now we get into the juiciest of the awards, starting with the SJL Pitcher of the Year.
As expected Columbus left-handed starter Luis Ramirez took the honors this season, the first Pitcher of the Year honor of his career.
And not surprisingly his primary rivals for the award were teammates Jim Norris (a 2-time Pitcher of the Year) and Jamar Clay (the Reliever of the Year).
No big surprises here although it is nice to see Jalen Cotton get some love in spite of his 14-18 record. Pitching for Chicago really hurts the talented lefty, who has nearly always had the disadvantage of playing for losing clubs (before the Fire it was mostly Charlotte) and has a career 118-123 record to show for it with a very respectable 3.48 career ERA and 1.26 career WHIP.
I was a bit surprised, I guess, that Philly's Bobby Martinez didn't get any support. He had a fine season (13-7, 2.74) and is a fan favorite.