2013 BoS Award Winners & Recap

Beltre had a mammoth 2013 BoS Season, is he ready to do an encore?

Today I sent off our season's first Commissioner File (C-File) to the league. It is Opening Day for our league, the Boys of Summer APBA Baseball League (BoS). Our first season used players from the 2012 MLB Season, making it our 2013 BoS Season.

It dawned on me that I have not got around on the Boys of Summer blog site about the player awards & etc, so a quick recap is needed.

The season ended with the South Shore Fighting Imps defeating the Portland Microbrewers in the World Series, 4-1. We had our 2014 Annual BoS Draft take place on November 1st, which contained MLB players making their 2013 MLB debuts, free agents, and newly added free agents by being released by their prior BoS teams.

The top pick went to my Traverse City Panthers, we ended up drafting Yasiel Puig. At one point, last season, I debated (if I got first choice) in drafting Jose Fernandez or Puig. Could you imagine a rotation with Yu Darvish, Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez, Julio Teheran & Corey Kluber?! But my senses kicked in, I realized I need some outfield studs, plus some much-needed offense -- who more exciting than Puig? He now teams up with a strong outfield in Giancarlo Stanton & Hunter Pence (acquired last season from Boston). I added some depth to my outfield to go along with Alejandro De Aza & Jarrod Dyson in sleeper Scott Van Slyke and surprise Tampa Bay Rays youngster Kevin Kiermaier.

The second overall pick would end up being Fernandez, who would be drafted by the Holland Hitchhikers.

The 2013 BoS Award Winners were led by Adrian Beltre, he took home the most hardware during the off-season. He won the 2013 N.L. Most Valuable Player Award, along with the N.L. Batting Title (.349 BA), A Gold Glove and Silver Slugger at his respective position, while helping his team, the Urbana Locomotives, to a N.L. best record of 104-58. The Locomotives also featured award winners N.L. Cy Young Award - David Price & N.L. Manager of the Year - Thomas Nelshoppen (from The APBA Blog). The N.L. Fireman of the Year went to Portland's Glen Perkins.

Adrian Gonzalez: Buffalo's other stud.

The big awards in the American League were led by the Buffalo Yankees' Miguel Cabrera, who fell short of a triple crown. Cabrera lost the batting title & RBI race during the last two weeks of the regular season. Cabrera won the league's MVP honors, plus received a Gold Glove & Silver Slugger at this position (3B). His teammate first baseman Adrian Gonzalez would be runner-up to the league MVP, eclipsing Cabrera for the league-lead with a .319 batting average. Gonzalez also won a Gold Glove. The A.L. Cy Young  went to Ryan Vogelsong (Fairgrove Tigers) edging the Carolina Eagles' Justin Verlander by five votes. The World Champion South Shore Fighting Imps got two major award winners in A.L. Manager of the Year - Bill Gillam and Fireman of the Year - Fernando Rodney.

To check out, who all won Gold Gloves & Silver Sluggers, check them out below.

2013 BoS Gold Glove Award Winners

AMERICAN LEAGUE

C - Yadier Molina (Washington)

1B - Adrian Gonzalez (Buffalo)

2B - Brandon Phillips (Washington)

3B - Miguel Cabrera (Buffalo)

SS - J.J. Hardy (South Shore)

LF - Andre Ethier (Fairgrove)

CF - Adam Jones (Fairgrove)

RF - Jay Bruce (Buffalo)

P - Matt Cain (Carolina)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

C - Buster Posey (Hannibal)

1B - Freddie Freeman (Portland)

2B - Aaron Hill (Urbana)

3B - Adrian Beltre (Urbana)

SS - Yunel Escobar (King Road)

LF - Curtis Granderson (King Road)

CF - Andrew McCutchen (Sacramento)

RF - Justin Upton (Hannibal)

P - Clayton Kershaw (King Road)

2013 BoS Silver Slugger Award Winners

AMERICAN LEAGUE

C - Joe Mauer (South Shore)

1B - Adam LaRoche (Boston)

2B - Robinson Cano (Bronx)

3B - Miguel Cabrera (Buffalo)

SS - Elvis Andrus (Fairgrove)

LF - Melky Cabrera (South Shore)

CF - Shin-Soo Choo (South Shore)

RF - Carlos Beltran (Washington)

DH - Matt Holliday (South Shore)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

C - Buster Posey (Hannibal)

1B - Edwin Encarnacion (Sacramento)

2B - Aaron Hill (Urbana)

SS - Erick Aybar (Sacramento)

3B - Adrian Beltre (Urbana)

LF - Ryan Braun (Sacramento)

CF - Mike Trout (Portland)

RF - Josh Hamilton (King Road)

DH - Josh Willingham (Seattle)


2013 BoS Sultan of Swat Award

1B - Edwin Encarnacion (Sacramento) - 50 HR's

2013 BoS Batting Titles

A.L. - Adrian Gonzalez (Buffalo) - .319

N.L. - Adrian Beltre - .349

Once again, thanks to the great guys who joined my league, which I like to say is "our" league, by helping make this league a fun to league to participate in, and the fact that you do enjoy it makes everything so worth it! This league would be nothing without you.

The BoS World Series: Game 5

Top of the 4th, a lead-off double by Allen Craig. David Wright strikes out, while Matt Holliday draws a walk. Runners on 1st & 2nd, with one out -- Erik Kratz hits a RBI double, Holliday will have to hold third. J.J. Hardy draws a walk, as the Portland crowd is nervous. Matt Harrison to face Ben Zobrist, with bases loaded, Zobrist grounds it into a fielder's choice at second, run scores -- It's now only a 4-3 sliver of a lead for Portland.

Portland has had some lost chances on insurance runs early, and let South Shore back into this ballgame.

Holliday watches his blast off Harrison in the 5th.

Top of the 5th, back-to-back double by Melky Cabrera and Allen Craig ties the game up, at 4-4. South Shore not done -- Matt Holliday sends one deep,  hitting his second HR of the series, a two-run blast giving the Imps a 6-4 lead now. This crowd has been silenced, and are in a state of shock.

During the top of the 6th, South Shore would tack on a few more runs with a RBI single by Joey Votto, plus a two-run double by David Wright. Matt Harrison was taken out of the game after five innings, allowing 9 hits & 7 runs, while walking 4 Imps. 8 runs by South Shore during a three-inning span, has made it's imprint on this game.

Bottom of the 6th, Doug Fister would load up the bases for Portland, one out. Pinch-hitter Alfonso Soriano would pop up, while Austin Jackson hits a liner down the first base line... which is snagged by Joey Votto, showing some leather! The Microbrewers come up flat in a golden opportunity.

Allen Craig collects hit #4 with a solo shot in the top of the 9th, to make it 10-4. During the bottom half, the South Shore Imps send in Darren O'Day instead of their usual closer Fernando Rodney. The Imps were one out away from running onto the field, when David Ortiz hits a double. Playoff hero Freddie Freeman would score him in with a double of his own. 10-5, two outs with a man on second, it's O'Day versus Jason Kipnis. O'Day delivers, two strikes now on Kipnis. Kipnis steps out, back in the box, the pitch, swings, and comes up empty! The South Shore Fighting Imps are the World Champions of the BoS! Congrats to Bill Gillam and his amazing ball club, from day one it seemed they ran the table, made the deals that brought in Joey Votto and Allen Craig. They always had a answer for their division rivals, the Boston Bravos when that team was on fire, the Imps knocked them back down, or went on a winning streak of their own.

SOUTH SHORE 10, PORTLAND 5

Doug Fister was not as sharp as in Game 1, but his offense helped him collect his 2nd win of the series; he allowed 8 hits, 4 runs & 3 walks in 7 innings -- he had a series ERA of 2.25 in 16 innings.

Matt Holliday walks away with World Series MVP honors, batting .444, 2 HR's, 5 RBI -- plus 8 hits, 4 runs & drawing two walks. Holliday had a series OPS of 1.333 (.500 OBP + .833 Sligging).

The 2013 BoS World Series: Game 4

The Portland Microbrewers will attempt to pull off the impossible... well, almost the impossible -- It has happened once in Major League Baseball history, coming back from a 3-0 series deficit. Do they have what it takes to overcome South Shore's terrific pitching this series? The fans in Portland are packing into the stadium, from all the excitement here, you would think it's the other way around in this one.

Game 4 - Tom Milone - S.S. (18-8, 3.16 ERA) vs Hisashi Iwakuma (9-7, 4.18 ERA).

Scoreless ballgame until the bottom of the 3rd, after a Marco Scutaro single, Mike Trout followed with a two-run homer to give Portland a 2-0 lead.

The best was yet to come for the Microbrewers who have been aching for some offense. Bottom of the 4th, Russell Martin hits a two-run HR after Alfonso Soriano reached first on a single. This was only the beginning -- Austin Jackson hits a double, and is scored in by a Marco Scutaro single. Mike Trout collects his 3rd hit of the game already on a infield single. After giving up a wild pitch, South Shore's Tom Milone offers up a three-run cookie to David Ortiz. Freddie Freeman gets himself a single, just before South Shore's manager pulls Milone out early in this one. Milone gives up 8 run on 12 hits, in 3 1/3 innings -- ouch!

Mike Trout was all smiles in his Game 4 performance.

Top of the 5th, down 8-0, the Imps' Matt Holliday hits a solo HR off of Hisashi Iwakuma to put South Shore on the scoreboard. Shortly after, Iwakuma walks off the mound in pain, word came after the game that he was done for the season. Alfredo Simon comes in to relieve Iwakuma; Simon pitches 2.2 innings of scoreless relief -- while Luis Avilan and Glen Perkins also do a good job keeping the Fighting Imps from adding more to the score.

Mike Trout would collect 4 hits in Game 4, along with his HR & 2 RBI; while David Ortiz finished 2-for-3, with 3 RBI & BB. The top four hitters in the Brewers' batting order, collected 11 total hits -- the team finished with 16 hits, as their offense finally woke up. Their 16 hits was more than their 13 hits combined from the first three games of the series.

The South Shore Fighting Imps had a hard time in this game, as they only managed four hits & a run, while leaving five runners on base -- while the Portland Microbrewers avoid a sweep, and will take it one game at a time.

PORTLAND 10, SOUTH SHORE 1

South Shore leads the series, 3-1.