Sunday, October 29, 2078
SWINNERTON AND HAZLE SWINGIN' GOLDEN BATS IN IPA
The Islandian Pro Alliance announced the most prolific batters for the 2078 season... swinging the Golden Bats this year are LaGrange's Tory Swinnerton and Turon's Robert Hazle... Swinnerton is the Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat recipient, while Hazle was honored with the Tycobbian Union Golden Bat trophy.
Swinnerton edged out Christopher Jung of the Ranford Bulls and Andre Lemoine of the Belle Plaine Musketeers in the RU Golden Bat balloting... Hazle outperformed Willie Nelson of the Oxford Red Caps and Johnny Davidson of the Kenwood Wildcats for the TU Golden Bat honor.
At 26 LaGrange first sacker Tory Swinnerton is a 6-year veteran with 5 home-run titles... this season he played in 153 games, batted a solid .308 with 185 hits, 30 doubles, 2 triples, 49 homers, 121 RBIs and 107 runs, sparking the LaGrange Gators to a 4th-place finish in the Ruthlandian North Division... Swinnerton topped the RU in roundtrippers and RBIs this season.
RU Golden Bat runner-up Christopher Jung led his Ranford Bulls to a fine year... they came in second to the Kilkenny Cats in the RU North, falling just 4 games short of first place... Just in his second full-time season at the age of 23, Jung appeared in 153 contests with a .306 BA, 181 hits, 26 doubles, 7 triples, 36 home runs, 108 ribbies and 110 runs.
Coming in third in the Ruthlandian Golden Bat voting was 16-year veteran Andre Lemoine, first baseman for the Belle Plaine Musketeers... he had a glorious resurrection this season at 36, participating in all of the 154 games with a .313 mark, 177 hits, 30 doubles, 3 triples, 33 homers, 113 RBIs and 100 runs... it was great year for the Muskies... they finished third only 4 games back of the RU East champion Wynnamac Sundowners.
The 2078 Tycobbian Union Golden Bat winner, Robert Hazle, is 27 and has been with Turon for 5 seasons... this year he stood out with a .305 BA in 151 games in right field with 177 hits, 33 doubles, 11 triples, 31 homers, 115 RBIs and 107 runs... he also stole 44 bases... Turon ran away with the Tycobian South Division, winning it by 12 games over second place Summerland.
Willie Nelson is just 23 years old... he has been Oxford's regular first basemen for 3 years now... he wound up second in the TU Golden Bat poll... he topped the Tycobbian Union with 47 roundtrippers and 119 RBIs this season, while playing 153 games and batting .305 with 181 hits... Nelson has paced the Tycobbian Union in homers the last two years... it was a fine season for the Red Caps, too... they almost won the TU North... Oxford ended up in third place, just 2 games back of pennant-winning Hartsdale.
Kenwood's second baseman Johnny Davidson continued to excel, winning his second batting crown in the last three years... he is a 3-time All-Star and Golden Glover... at age 23 Davidson led the Tycobbia Union with 209 hits and a .343 BA this season... he had 42 doubles, 1 triple, 7 dingers, drove in 89 runs and scored 90 in 151 games... Davidson wound up in the third spot in the TU Golden Bat Award voting.
