Monday, November 13, 2084
IPA PREMIER AWARDS PRESENTED TO LAGRANGE'S SWINNERTON AND HARTSDALE'S MANNON
The 2084 IPA Most Valuable Player Awards went to LaGrange's hard-hitting swinger galore Tory Swinnerton and to Hartsdale's talented Calvin Mannon. When all the votes were cast and counted
by the Islandian baseball observers and commentators, Swinnerton, a 33-year-old first baseman, and Mannon, a 24-year-old right fielder, outpolled several other superstars.
Tory Swinnerton was the class of the 2084 class in the Ruthlandian Union. He had a superlative season, leading the league with a .345 BA and 51 homers. Swinnerton also drove in 134 runs and
scored 106 times and played a big part in the Gators' pennant-winning season. His club won its third RU North title in the last four years. This was Swinnerton's third Ruthlandian Union MVP trophy.
He was also honored in 2078 and 2081. 10 of the last 11 seasons Swinnerton has topped the RU in homers. He has driven in 100 runs in all of his years with the Gators. This year's MVP also snared
his 3rd Golden Bat in his superb career.
Second in the MVP poll was 30-year-old Belair Beach center fielder Lucky Hayden, who stood out with a .339 BA, 37 doubles, 2 triples and 34 roundtrippers. He also batted in 111 runs, scored
103 runs and stole 9 bases, while propelling his Sunbirds to the RU South crown.
Fort Benton hurler Noah Fairclough wound up in the third spot for the Ruthlandian MVP honor. At age 36 Fairclough had a magnificent year, piling up 22 victories and only 2 losses with a 2.71 ERA
in 32 starts and 246 innings. His Cannons also won their division, the Ruthlandian West. Fairclough also nabbed his first RU Golden Arm Award.
Rated the best of the best this year in the Tycobbian Union was Calvin Mannon, Hartsdale's fabulous right fielder. He won the 2084 TU Most Valuable Player Award, but did not get the TU Golden Bat.
Hartsdale winning the TU North pennant just might have put him over the top in the MVP poll. His Hellcats had a marvelous year and easily copped the division crown. Just 24 years old, Mannon sizzled
at the plate with a .329 BA, 29 doubles, 5 triples, 117 ribbies, 129 runs and 16 stolen bases. He has paced the Hellcats to three consecutive TU North titles. This is Mannon's second MVP trophy. He also
won it and the Golden Bat in 2082. Mannon also was named the top rookie in 2081.
Bayview's brilliant first baseman, Kim Kallstrom, has seemingly done it all in his first two seasons in the IPA. He was the TU Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year last year. At age 20 he posted massive
numbers. Kallstrom was even better this year with a .349 BA, leading the league with 50 homers, 132 runs and 127 RBIs. Yeah, buddy, he almost won everything again this year. It looks like the scribes
might have given too much credence to Hartsdale's pennant-winning ways. Sadly, the Bayview Vikings lost another close race to powerful Rolling Hills in the TU West and wound up in the runner-up spot
again this year. This apparently spoiled Kallstrom's hope for a repeat MVP this year.
South Fork's sensational first sacker, Davy Mannington wound up third in the MVP poll. He might have been better than both Mannon and Kallstrom, but his South Fork Stallions finished second to Ozarka
in the TU East. Just look at his numbers: .359 BA, 33 HRs, 125 RBIs, 128 runs and 217 hits. He won the TU Golden Bat in 2083. Mannington is just 22 years old.
Fans can't wait until next year. All of these Tycobbian superstars are in their early 20s with their prime years all ahead of them. The Tycobbian Union is sitting pretty with lots of talented youngsters.
