Tuesday, November 9, 2076
MACS BEASLEY OUTPOLLS CRAFTON FOR 2076 PRO CUP MVP
It took the whole team to win the 2076 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Trophy this year... no one player stood clearly above everyone else... there were lots of deserving players for the IPA Pro Cup Series Most Valuable Player Award... support was split among 10 players, 6 on the champion Wynnamac Sundowners and 4 on the runner-up San Alejo Montaneros... in the final tally this year's MVP was the Macs first baseman Tasmin Beasley... the 31-year-old veteran prevailed in one of the tightest ballots in recent years... 10 players were tightly bunched with only a handfull of votes separating them... Beasley nudged past his teammate Rufus Crafton and San Alejo's Alberto Amigo for the prestigious honor... other challengers were the Macs Ethan Youngman and the Monties Matty Cardoso.
1. Tasmin Beasley (Wynnamac) - in 19 postseason games he starred by hitting .311 with 23 hits in 74 at bats... Beasley cracked 6 doubles, 2 homers, drove in 15 runs and scored 14... this year in his 8th year with the Macs he batted .307 with 19 roundtrippers and 82 RBIs in 140 games... Beasley is a career .301 batter with 70 homers and 414 RBIs... he has been a regular for only the last 4 seasons.
2. Rufus Crafton (Wynnamac) - he played a crucial role in the bullpen with 9 appearances... Crafton posted a 1-0 record with 3 saves and a stellar 1.82 ERA... the 29-year-old hurler finished 9-6 in the regular season with a 3.13 ERA in 36 games, 13 of them were starting assignments... he has been with the Sundowners for 9 seasons, compiling a 112-60 record with a 3.36 ERA... 2-time All-Star in '70 and '73.
3. Alberto Amigo (San Alejo) - in a super postseason at age 23 the second-year right fielder batted .352 in 18 games with 25 hits in 71 at bats, 1 double, 6 triples and 4 home runs with 22 runs scored and 15 knocked in... he also stole 10 bases... traditionally the MVP almost always goes to a player on the winning team... Amigo had the numbers, but didn't have the Pro Cup... but he came close to winning the Pro Cup MVP honor... he hit .268 this season with 16 homers, 50 RBIs, scored 80 runs and stole 31 bases.
4. Ethan Youngman (Wynnamac) - in only his second season in the IPA the talented second baseman led the Tycobbian Union this year with a .370 BA... he continued to prosper in the playoffs with a .364 mark (28 for 77)... Youngman collected 6 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, stole 11 bases, scored 15 times and drove in 12 runs in 19 postseason games... he stood out with 207 hits this season with 32 doubles, 10 triples, 15 HRs, 98 RBIs, 88 runs and 38 SBs... Youngman is 25.
5. Matty Cardoso (San Alejo) - part two of the three Amigos (Alberto Amigo, Cardoso and Enrique Clarizio) he was a crucial element in the Montaneros' postseason success with a .319 BA, 3 homers, 18 RBIs and 10 runs scored in 18 games... the 23-year-old first baseman hit .291 in his third season with the Monties... in 151 games Cardoso homered 29 times, drove in 101 runs and scored 105, while stealing 25 bases... lifetime he is batting .303 for average wih 99 roundtrippers, 345 RBIs, 309 runs and 70 SBs... Cardoso was the TU Rookie of the Year in 2074... twice an All-Star in '75 and '76.
6. Rollie Taft (San Alejo) - excellent closer in 10 postseason games, winding up with a 5-0 mark and a 1.27 ERA and 2 saves... in the regular season Taft was 19-9 as a starter/reliever with a 2.78 ERA and 10 saves in 56 games... he is 33 years old and has played with the Montaneros only 2 full seasons... Taft starred for the Mahaska Haymakers for 12 years... overall he is 173-126 with 72 saves and a 3.45 ERA... he was 135-107 with Mahaska and 38-19 with San Alejo... All-Star this year.
7. Sebastian Solis (San Alejo) - wound up 3-1 in 7 playoffs starts with a 2.68 ERA... overall he was 20-7 this year with a 2.77 ERA in 39 starting assignments... Solis is just 21 and in his second season with San Alejo... in his rookie season he was 10-8 in 28 starts with a 3.95 ERA... All-Star this season.
8. Jurgen Rainer (Wynnamac) - this fine shortstop hit .354 in the 19 playoff games with 29 hits in 82 at bats, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 10 ribbies and 12 runs scored... in 149 games Rainer batted .298 in the regular season with 8 HRs, 77 runs, 68 RBIs and 10 stolen bases... he is 27 and has played 7 seasons with the Macs... his career BA is .303 in 7 seasons with the Sundowners with 77 homers, 587 RBIs, 509 runs and 62 stolen bases... All-Star in '74.
9. Kenny Doncaster (Wynnamac) - batted .252 in 19 playoff games... plays third base... had 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 9 RBIs, 8 runs scored with 9 stolen bases.... during the season Doncaster hit .282 with 7 roundtrippers and 61 RBIs... he scored 86 times and stole 18 bases in 144 games... Doncaster has 6 years experience... the last 4 with Wynnamac... his first two seasons were with Hartsdale... he is 29 years old... lifetime he is hitting for a .302 BA.
10. Art Call (Wynnamac) - played 19 postseason games in left field, batted .294 with 25 hits in 85 at bats, 6 doubles, 12 runs and 4 RBIs with 6 thefts... this season Call hit .260 with 3 homers, 39 RBIs and 77 runs with 30 stolen bases... he is in his second season with the Sundowners at age 29 with a career .273 BA.