As has become a tradition since GM Rob McMonigal took over, the Yellow Springs Nine once again present their 2057 Season Awards.
"I know the fans are really tired of hearing me say this, but 2057 was a challenging year. We simply did not play very well. Still, there are some standouts that we wish to acknowledge. They kept on going even when times were bad. That's the true sign of an amazing ball player. We honor each and every one of these men, especially our prospect and our rookie. Those men will be keys to making this a winning team again. Something I hope will happen very, very soon."
The 2057 Awards are as follows:
2057 Coach of the Year
Huibert Stapps, Cat Island Pirates (Short A)
Stapps got the Pirates to the playoffs for the second time in three years, leading them to a 49-27 record, one game shy of their 2056 total, though that year they finished in third place and outside the playoffs. While the team did not win a Championship, Stapps once again displayed the skills necessary to take the Nine's youngest, newest players to great heights and give them invaluable playoff experience. Stapps may be looking at working with his current players for a bit longer as he's long expressed a desire to take a promotion within the Nine. "We'll have news on this soon," said McMonigal. "I think Stapps will be pleasantly surprised."
2057 Offensive Player of the Year
CF Arvin Duggin
Duggin returned to the Nine in 2056 and played well. In a difficult year for the team in 2057, Duggin hung in there, posting a WAR of 2.0 with 19 home runs (second), 63 runs batted in (first), 12 stolen bases (second) and 43 walks (first). None of those numbers are earth-shattering, but they did keep the Nine in games. "We didn't hit well," said McMonigal. "There's no sugar coating it. Shiplack practically led the team and he left after 75 games. But we appreciate all Arvin did for us in 2057.
2057 Defensive Player of the Year
SS Tristan Colenutt
The Nine may have found their regular shortstop in Colenutt, who came to the team in a trade with Charm City a little before the season began. In 133 starts there, he had a zone rating of 1.5, a range of 4.24 and an efficiency of .983. Those may be modest numbers, but they represented the best a Nine shortstop has done in the past five years. "With Colenutt, we've been able to stabilize the left side of the infield in ways we haven't been able to do before. A lot of those balls he caught in 2057 went off into left field, which made things harder for Koganti. We really like what Tristan can do, either as a starter or as a support player."
2057 Pitcher of the Year
SP Brody Picot
Picot gets back to back nods for this award, picking up in 2057 right where he left off in 2056, despite the team's struggles elsewhere. He continued to anchor the staff while also being the lone All-Star. He pitched 193 innings, leading the team, with a 7-16 record that wasn't reflective of his performance at all. Picot finished with a 3.1 WAR, 4.06 ERA, and 144 strikeouts. Once again buffeted by trade rumors, he stayed with the team all year and earned the pick up of his team option. Picot's WHIP was a clearn 1.24 and his 1.1 HR/9 meant very few games were lost due to a big hit. "What more can I say about Brody other than he proved his doubters wrong?" asked McMonigal. "We can't wait to see what he does for us in 2058, and perhaps beyond."
2057 Rookie of the Year
[iOF Ziya Turkes[/i]
Turkes came to the Nine in the controversial Rodriguez trade, which was looking pretty bad for Yellow Springs until 2057, when Turkes showed he could be a valuable contributor. In 116 games (91 starts), Turkes put up .6 WAR, which is modest to be sure, but he also batted .255, good for 4th on the team, alongside 16 home runs, which placed him third. The latter was the most exciting thing about Turkes, who was supposed to have great power but rarely showed in in the minor leagues. "Ziya really showed us what he can do as a big league ballplayer," said McMonigal. "It might not be the highs that some projected for him back when Nashville signed him as an international prospect, but if he can keep up the pace, I can see him having a long career in the BBA."
2057 Prospect of the Year
OF Edgar Barron
The Nine set an unofficial policy not to give this to the same player twice in a row, but after a 7.0 WAR season in AA, where he won his second consecutive Batter Award (this time the Jorge Olivas) and platinum stick award, along with being an all-star, it was impossible to consider anyone else. As with 2056, he played all three outfield positions and is headed to AAA in 2058 for a check up on the way to being the next superstar of the Nine. "What else can I say about this guy? He's simply amazing. An OPS of over 1.000! He's never hit lower than .307 since being in the pros. Defensive leader in the outfield, no matter where you slot him in. Barron is the real deal and I can't wait for him to arrive on the scene in Yellow Springs sometime in 2058."
As with last year, in addition to the award, players who win get to donate $50,000 to a charity of their choice. At press time, no charities were named.
