September/October News and Notes:
Postseason Awards:
NL Gold Gloves-
P-Ryushi Oda (Dover)
C-Denis Sullivan (Bangor)
1B-Patrick Gilbert (Dover)
2B-Richard Batterham (Durham)
3B-Diego Moran (Dover)
SS-Tracy Osborne (Bangor)
OF-Jose Munoz (Augusta)
OF-Juan Escobedo (Orono)
OF-Jorge Gutierrez (Orono)
NL Rookie of the Year-
Rob Gibson (Portsmouth) .312 28 HR 75 RBI 29 steals
NL Cy Young-
Jorge Garcia (Augusta) 16-6 2.58 ERA 220 IP 213 K
NL MVP-
Roberto Rodriguez (Newmarket) .346 30 HR 76 RBI 35 doubles 89 BB
SL Gold Gloves-
P-Chris Lawther (Salem)
C-Gabriel Mendoza (Manchester)
1B-Jim Phipps (Nashua)
2B-Brian Bennett (Peabody)
3B-Kunitaro Asano (Exeter)
SS-Sergio Rosas (Salem)
OF-Sam Davis (Marblehead)
OF-Gustavo Guerrero (Nashua)
OF-Antonio Rios (Nashua)
SL Rookie of the Year-
Andre Normandin (Manchester) .321 41 HR 110 RBI
SL Cy Young-
Chris Briggs (Gloucester) 17-5 2.08 225 2/3 IP 209 K
SL MVP-
Richard Kinneir (Nashua) .354 41 HR 105 RBI 31 doubles
-Newmarket has fired manager Morgan Lamb after one season. Lamb lead the Mules to a 58-62 record last year, good for last in the New Hampshire division. His replacement will be 38 year old Shane Wolfe. The Mules Front Office had this to say, "We felt as an organization that Shane would be able to relate to our young team better, and we felt this was a move we needed to make." Wolfe will be paid $150,000 a year for the next four season. Other managers fired after Year One of the NEBL were, Portland skipper Carl Harvey, Manuel Ortega of Augusta, Blake Reilly of Portsmouth, and Juan Garcia of Danvers.
-Dover has agreed to a new three year deal with closer Clay Browne. Last year, Browne was 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA. He had appeared in 41 games, covering 43 innings, allowing 29 hits and 15 walks with 54 strikeouts. The deal calls for Browne to be paid $523,000 a year for each of the next three seasons.
-Closer John Coury of the Newmarket Mules was awarded just over $2.9 million dollars in arbitration. Last year, Coury was 6-6 with a 2.41 ERA. He pitched 74 2/3 innings, covering 46 games, allowing 53 hits and 14 walks while striking out 100 and converting 23 saves in 30 chances.
-Steve Williams signed a three year extention with the Manchester Lancers worth $1.485 million dollars a year. Williams was 4-2 with a 2.50 for the Lancers a year ago. He pitched in 39 games, covering 54 innings, allowing 42 hits and 10 walks with 49 strikeouts and 9 saves.
-The Portsmouth Clippers send 28 year old 3B Charlie Carroll to the Dover Green Wave for reliever Kevin Norris. Last year, Norris was 1-1 with a 1.51 ERA for Dover. In 35 2/3 innings, he struck out 37 and walked 20. Carroll hit .235 with no homeruns and 5 RBI in 51 AB for Portsmouth a year ago.
-A rumor out of Newmarket sees the Mules trying to move OF Mario Decos. The 33 year old Decos hit .287 with 26 homeruns and 70 RBI. However, Newmarket wants to get prospect Sergio Hernandez into the lineup next season as a starter.