Vancouver Names Award Winners
Team Break Up Dinner Tomorrow Night
by Caitlen Sullivan
Vancouver Sun Sports Reporter
October 2, 2002
The Vancouver Mounties today announced the winners of the Mountie Awards for outstanding play during 2002:
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
First baseman Brock Lee came here five years ago as a free agent from Madison to help rejuvenate the Mountie offense, noted at the time for its inability to score runs. He has delivered each and every year with over 100 RBIs. To be exact his five year totals with the Mounties are 153 home runs and 570 RBIs. Often foreshadowed in the voting by players like Shane Wookey and Doug Newhouse, this year Brock’s play stood out. He led the team in home runs (33) and RBIs (118). He had his best average (.304) and best on base percentage (.402) as a Mountie. And he had his highest VORP ever at 53.1 On top of that, he missed only a single game all year. Oh, and he's a two-time Zimmer Diamond Glove winner at first base.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
While it might seem odd that Brock Lee didn’t pull down this award as well, by the narrowest of margins the winner is Matt Brunson. The oft injured shortstop played the full slate of games (162) in 2002. He had 230 hits, the first time he has managed to top the magic 200 mark, resulting in a spiffy .312 batting average. He stole 17 bases in 22 attempts. He even knocked in 69 runs batting solely in the leadoff spot.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Despite Robbie Sargent having his fourth consecutive brilliant season, the surprise winner in 2002 is Tom Mayes. In prior seasons Tom has shuffled between the bullpen and the rotation but won a starting slot this year even before the injury to Shane Wookey. He started 32 games and ended up tied with Sargent as the top winner on the staff with 17 while dropping 6. He logged 229 innings, by far the most in his career.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Popular Bill Govea went 15-11 in 2000 to help the Mounties win a championship. Then in 2001 he was 0-3 with Vancouver and then 3-3 with Victoria (AAA), mostly in relief. His career seemed in jeopardy. Then he bounced back dramatically this year by going 13-10 in 31 games and posting an excellent ERA of 3.77.
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR
A tie!
Ewan Olsen had the most hits he has ever had in a season (170) resulting in a second straight .298 batting average. His versatility kept him the lineup last year as he filled in at shortstop for the injured Matt Brunson, but this year he was a starter the whole season in either left or right field.
Christian Nichols disappointed as a rookie last year and had expected to be delegated to the bullpen as a long reliever in 2002. Wookey’s injury changed those plans, and he became a valuable member of the starting rotation. He finished at 11-3 with a fine ERA of 3.13.
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