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2016 Bay League Awards

Elliott Springs' newfound ace, Jamie Wilder, made Bay League history as the first Top Rookie Award winner to also take home one of the major awards, as he was also named the 2016 Top Pitcher in the Bay League. Wilder was the clear favorite for the Top Pitcher award, after leading the league in ERA (1.90) and wins (15) and placing behind well-known strikeout artists Hawkeye Odle and Broderick Earl with 192 strikeouts. "I'm floored," said Wilder, when reached at his offseason home in Allison, "I thought I had a chance to win Top Pitcher, but I thought for sure (Steven) Underwood would be Top Rookie. I mean, you don't outhit Ace Gervin and not deserve some recognition."

There is some controversy over Underwood's second place finish in the rookie voting, as it happens. The Tifton first baseman hit .389 with 13 homers in just 55 games of Bay League action, and had enough at bats to win the batting title over Mario DeGray and Ace Gervin. "Steve should have been Top Rookie and Top Batter both," said one Tifton player who asked that his name be kept quiet. "He dominated the entire league. It's not his fault that he didn't play as many games as Gervin, or play for the best team in the league like Wilder. I tell you what it was, it was that SOB Hernandez in Silver Beach that got the rest of the league to vote for anyone that wasn't associated with Tifton." Conspiracy theories -- though the rivalry between the owners of the Silver Beach and Tifton franchises is hardly a secret -- aside, Underwood did receive a great deal of recognition from the league. In addition to the second place finish in the rookie balloting, he placed third in Top Batter voting, very close to second place finisher Mario DeGray of the Marsein Knights.

But once again, Deepvale's Ace Gervin is your Top Batter. Gervin has won the award in all three seasons of Bay League play, though by the narrowest margin yet. While Gervin's 22 homers were a career high for the slugger, his .354 average was his lowest yet. Mario DeGray gave him a run once again this year after a tight battle for the award in 2015, and as mentioned above, Steven Underwood ran neck-and-neck with DeGray for second place honors. "I'm honored, of course," said Gervin. "It's humbling to get this kind of recognition over such talented players as Mario and Steven and Riyad (Gomes) and all the others. I'm sure Riyad's not losing any sleep, what with that title the Tornadoes took home."

In Top Leather awards, only one player, Silver Beach centerfielder Jacob Leslie, was a repeat winner. The move of 2-time winner Tarise Ellis from first base to left field opened the door for Ace Gervin to win fielding honors at first. Gervin's partner on the right side, second baseman Brian Brown, gave the Ferrymen two Top Leather awards, and Gentry Hills also nabbed two with their left side of the infield, shortstop Johnny Parker and third baseman Roland Harrington. Other winners were Carlin Bonner, P, TIF; Bryan Jones, C, SIL; Sean Dyer, LF, MAR; Jared Brown, RF, ESP.