Thursday, November 8, 2074
IPA AWARDS BANQUET SLATED FOR SATURDAY AT HALL OF FAME IN MARSTON
The IPA stars will be shining brightly this coming Saturday night at the Hall of Fame in Marston... all of the major awards for 2074 will be bestowed by the Islandian Pro Alliance in a poll conducted by the Baseball News Network broadcasters and sportswriters.
Ruthlandian Union Awards
Volusia first baseman Matt Hazelton won the Ruthlandian Union batting crown... the 5th-year veteran led the league with a .361 batting average, 212 hits, 31 homers, 119 runs and 120 RBIs... he edged out second baseman Stosh Dusek of Fort Benton and first baseman Dude Gurley of Cold Creek... rookie Dusek played in 113 games, batted .356 with 210 base hits, 33 doubles, 7 triples, 2 homers, 69 RBIs, 116 runs scored and stole 47 bases.... second-year man Gurley collected 208 hits in 12 games with 37 doubles, 3 triples and 3 home runs... he drove in 113, scored 116 times and stole 4 bases.
The top winning twirlers in the RU were all rookies... Hamilton Burger of Elnora with 18 wins... Vince Bonner of Taranto and Lloyd Mason of Crystal Lake came in second with 17... Burger was 18-8 with a 3.99 ERA... Bonner posted a 17-6 mark with a 2.92 ERA and Mason was 17-7 with a 3.72 ERA.
Anxo Di Lima of Middlefield had the top ERA... he was 14-8 for the 7th place Roosters with a sparkling 2.18 ERA... rookie Glen Boston of Forest City was second with an 11-10 mark and a 2.37 ERA... third was Crystal Lake rookie Lew McGrane with a 14-4 record and a 2.52 ERA.
The 2074 RU Golden Bat went to Matt Hazelton of the Volusia Vigilantes... he led the league hitting with a .361 average... Dude Gurley of Cold Creek was second in the balloting and Cookie Garland of Crystal Lake was third... Hazelton played in 150 games, had 212 hits, 40 doubles, 9 triples, 31 homers, led the the RU with 120 RBIs and scored 119 with 21 stolen bases... in 152 games Gurley batted .355 with 202 hits, 37 doubles, 3 triples, 36 HR/113 RBI, 116 R and 4 stolen bases... Garland starred with a .351 mark in 150 games with 35 doubles, 6 triples, 20 roundtrippers, 106 ribbies and 105 runs, along with 6 SB.
Stoner closer and workhorse Darryl Edmonds was picked the best pitcher and won the Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm Award... he compiled a 15-10 record in 97 games with a 2.95 ERA... Edmonds also chalked up 20 saves and fanned 220 batters in his 198 innings... ERA leader Anxo Di Lima of Middlefield was second in the poll with a 14-8 record and 2.18 ERA for a 6th-place club... third was Lew McGrane of Crystal Lake with a 14-4 mark and a 2.52 ERA.
The best rookies in the Ruthlandian Union were outfielder Tory Swinnerton, second sacker Sookie Murphy and pitcher Lew McGrane...
LaGrange's Swinnerton topped the RU in homers with 43... he was acclaimed the RU Rookie of the Year... he batted .281 with 158 hits and 120 RBIs... Murphy of the Crystal Lake Skippers was second in the voting and stood out with 19 homers, 57 RBIs, 113 R and 44 stolen bases with a .270 BA... third place went to McGrane with 14-4 record and a fine 2.52 ERA.
The 2074 Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player was Matt Hazelton of Volusia... he was also the league-leading hitter with a .361 BA and Golden Bat winner... just like the Golden Bat balloting, Dude Gurley of Cold Creek was the runner-up MVP with Cookie Garland of Crystal Lake ranking third.
And who are the RU Golden Glove Award winners in 2074?
They are the guys that steal outs... they make spectacular plays, but they also consistently make the routine plays, too... here are the defensive stalwarts that made a name for themselves with their gifted and golden gloves.
Pitcher: Hoyt Vincent (Claxton Diamonds) (1.000 FA/20 PO/17 A/4 DP) (5-20/4.08 ERA) (Only Rookie Winner)
Catcher: Dave Sewell (Crystal Lake Skippers) (126 G/.993 FA/2 PB/18.5 % RTO) (132 G/.265 BA/8 HR/56 RBI/61 R/30 SB) (2nd-Time Winner)
First Baseman: Ike Clark (Beechwood Jackrabbits) (147 G/.993 FA/125 Assists) (.262 BA/23 HR/69 RBI/74 R5 SB)
Second Baseman: Bobby Penfield (Eastshore Cotton Kings) (148 G/.979 FA/477 Assists) (.289 BA/9 HR/73 RBI/64 R/1 SB)
Third Baseman: Koy Magruder (Stoner Silver Sox) (147 G/.962 FA/352 Assists) (.311 BA/3 HR/79 RBI/60 R/3 SB)
Shortstop: Ollie Daggs (Eastshore Cotton Kings) (150 G/.960 FA/560 Assists) (.294 BA/12 HR/89 RBI/99 R/26 SB) (3rd-Time Winner)
Left Fielder: Olev Kotli (Valka Blackhawks) (145 G/.996 FA/265 PO/5 Assists) (.304 BA/15 HR/112 RBI/98 R/30 SB)
Center Fielder: Julio Santana (Fort Benton Defenders) (147 G/.996 FA/444 PO/20 Assists) (.294 BA/7 HR/68 RBI/64 R/13 SB)
Right Fielder: Billy Burbank (Stoner Silver Sox) (133 G/.996 FA/269 PO/15 Assists) (147 G/.319 BA/8 HR/94 RBI/94 R/29 SB)
Tycobbian Union Awards
Kenwood shortstop Wayde Jennings was honored for the top BA in the Tycobbian Union... Jennings hit a blistering .375 this season with 241 hits, 10 homers, 90 RBIs and scored 112 runs... he also stole 23 bases in 149 games... his 241 hits is the second best in IPA history, topped only by the legendary Jet Kazmarek with 248... that was in 2002 when Kazmarek hit a .428 for the Valmara Vipers, the only time any player has ever hit over the .400 mark... coming in second place was South Fork shortstop Carroll Ezzell with a .360 BA... Misha Makowski, the Kenwood first baseman, batted .355 and finished in the third spot... Ezzell's stats show 150 games, 218 hits, 25 doubles, 12 triples, 1 HR, 78 RBIs, 76 runs and 68 stolen bases... Makowski starred with 202 hits, 40 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HRs, 90 ribbies, 84 runs and 3 SB in 138 games.
Tuckanarra right-hander William Pike paced the TU with a 1.82 ERA... in second place was Riku Chisaka of Red Bluff at 2.31 ERA... coming in third was Luc Cochrane of Summerland with a 2.45 ERA... Pike finished with a 17-6 mark... Chisaka chalked up a 16-10 record... and Cochrane compiled a 17-3 record.
The 2074 Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award went to San Alejo's talented right fielder Enrique Clarizio... in 153 games the 28-year-old veteran torched pitchers for a .311 BA, 180 hits, 35 doubles, 5 triples, 31 homers, 118 RBIs, scored 121 runs and stole 14 bases... his rookie teammate and first baseman Matty Cardoso finished second in the voting... the young first sacker had an outstanding season with a .328 BA, 180 hits, 32 roundtrippers, 121 ribbies, 98 runs and 25 stolen bases... winding up third in the Golden Bat poll was Bayview's standout third baseman Zak Smalley... he excelled this season with a .343 BA, 195 hits, 19 homers, 104 RBIs And 93 runs.
For the 4th time in his impressive career Rico Alessi of the Oxford Red Caps captured the TU Golden Arm Award... and he did it at the ripe old age of 37... and this is the second straight year he had won it... Alessi also was honored in 2060, 2062 and 2073... this season Alessi was 21-5 with a strong 2.68 ERA in 30 starts... Luc Cochrane of the Summerland Sunsets came in second in the Golden Arm vote... he stood out with a 17-3 mark and an excellent 2.45 ERA... William Pike of the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats wound up in the third spot... he posted a 17-6 record and led the Tycobbian Union with a superb 1.82 ERA.
It was quite a first year in the IPA for San Alejo first baseman Matty Cardosa... not only did he come in second to his teammate Enrique Clarizio for the TU Golden Bat trophy,
Cardosa finished first in the 2074 TU Rookie of the Year competition and third in the MVP poll... in 147 games the 21-year-old sported a .328 BA with 180 hits, 32 homers, a league-leading 121 RBIs and he scored 98 runs and stole 25 bases... Cardosa beat out Blue Lake left fielder Herbie Spann and hurler Clancy Mahaffey of Chicopee for the best freshmen honor... Spann hit .283 in 150 games with 32 home runs, 100 ribbies, 91 runs and 14 stolen bases... while Mahaffey was 12-7 in 27 starts with a standout 2.47 ERA.
It was a very tight contest for the Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player Award... 37-year-old Oxford pitcher Rico Alessi won it for the first time, outpacing the TU Golden Bat Enrique Clarizio and the TU Rookie of the Year Matty Cardosa, who starred for the San Alejo Montaneros this season... Alessi had a very good season, leading the IPA with 21 victories... he lost only 5 times and registered a fine 2.68 ERA, improving his career numbers to 242 wins and only 125 losses with an overall 2.83 ERA in his 17 seasons with the Red Caps... Clarizio put up some really good numbers, hitting .311 with 31 dingers, 118 RBIs and a league-leading 121 runs... Cardoza topped the TU with 121 RBIs... he batted .328 with 32 homers and scored 98 runs.
The Golden Glove Award winners don't get the recognition of the the home-run hitters, top batters and fireballing pitchers, but they are very much appreciated by managers, their teammates and the fans, who all know the value of defensive excellence... great defense makes a difference in baseball... here are this year's top glovemen in the Tycobbian Union:
Pitcher: Beau Doane (Hillsboro Blazers) (1.000 FA/16 PO/20 Assists) (14-5/3.37 ERA) (Only Rookie)
Catcher: Pieter Eikenboom (Cape Coral Hurricanes) (123 games/71 Assists/4 PB/25.3% RTO) (135 games/321 BA/3 HR/60 RBI/50 R)
First Baseman: Billy Southward (Blue Lake Blue Caps) (150 games/.997 FA/115 Assists) (151 games/.278 BA/15 HR/67 RBI/98 R/34 SB) (3rd-Time Winner)
Second Baseman: Mick Remington (Tuckanarra Tiger Cats) (143 games/.985 FA/376 Assists) (153 games/.274 BA/20 HR/85 RBI/82 R/28 SB)
Third Baseman: Arie Vermeer (Summerland Sunsets) (136 games/.983 FA/276 Assists) (148 games/.265 BA/2 HR/59 RBI/71 R/34 SB) (2nd-Time Winner)
Shortstop: Don Bair (147 games/.982 FA/602 Assists) (148 games/.231 BA/10 HR/66 RBI/64 R)
Left Fielder: Armin Hauer (Summerland Sunsets) (143 games/.990 FA/301 PO/4 Assists) (147 games/.318 BA/2 HR/59 RBI/89 R/53 SB)
Center Fielder: Harry Stansfield (North Hills Hawks) (143 games/.986 FA/396 PO/6 Assists) (152 games/.279 BA/8 HR/61 RBI/74 R/32 SB)
Right Fielder: Donald Wilhelm (Denton City Redbirds) (115 games/.992 FA/240 PO/11 Assists) (150 games/.329 BA/9 HR/66 RBI/93 R/63 SB)
