With the Cape Cod playoffs in full swing, the league has announced its 2010 postseason award winners.
The Cotuit Kettleers and Y-D Red Sox advanced to the CCBL Championship Series with wins in the divisional round. The Kettleers opened the series with a 3-0 win on Wednesday and look to win the title in two straight at Lowell Park on Thursday.
From CCBL Releases (unless otherwise noted):
League MVP Kolten Wong (Alex Gagne/Orleans Firebirds)
by Tyler Maland, Orleans Firebirds
Orleans Firebirds s econd baseman Kolten Wong (Hawai’i) was awarded the Cape League Most Valuable Player trophy Saturday night at Eldredge Park. Wong is back home in Hawai’i because of a thumb injury, but his host mom and Firebirds General Manager Sue Horton accepted the award on his behalf. The following is the transcript of the narrative read before the award was presented.
“This player travelled further than any other player in the league to play here, and turned down an invitation from Team USA in order to prove his ability in the nation’s number one collegiate league. And he did just that, posting a .341 batting average, with six doubles, three home runs, and 11 runs batted in.
After a spectacular high school career in which he hit over .500 for four straight years, and posted a .660 average as a senior, he was selected in the 16th round of the Amateur Entry Draft by the Minnesota Twins in 2008. But he elected to attend college in his hometown, and in two varsity seasons, compiled batting averages of .341 and .357, belted 18 home runs, and drove in 92 runs in just over 100 college games. He also stole 30 bases.
He played for Team USA last summer, but decided to forego that experience this year to show what he could do with a wood bat against some of the nation’s best top college pitchers. The results speak for themselves.
He has set his sights on a career in professional baseball, and is expected to be a high draft choice following his junior season next spring. Ladies and gentlemen, let us recognize and applaud the 2010 Cape league Most Valuable Player, Orleans Firebirds second baseman Kolten Wong.“
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Scott Pickler, Manager of the Year. Commissioner Paul Galop, President Judy Scarafile and Deputy Commissioner Sol Yas participated in the pre-game ceremony. (SportsPix)
SOUTH YARMOUTH – For the second straight season and the third time in his Cape League career, Scott Pickler has been named the Mike Curran Manager of the Year.
Pickler led the Yarmouth – Dennis Red Sox to the league’s best record and the East Division championship for the second consecutive year. The division title is the fifth for Y-D under his direction.
Pickler has guided the Red Sox to league championships in 2004, 2006 and 2007. The Cape is not the only place he wins; he has also captured four titles at Cypress (Calif.) Community College. The veteran coach is known as a talent developer, and more than 80 of his players have been selected in the MLB draft.
“Winning Manager of the Year is because I have (assistant coaches) Taylor (Cameron), Larry (Mahoney), Adam (Petke) and Dez (Chris Podeszwa),” said Pickler, who became the first field manager to capture the award in back-to-back seasons and only the third to win the award three times.
Don Reed won in 1989 with Yarmouth-Dennis and then received the honor again in 1991 and 1993 while wearing a Wareham uniform.
The Manager of the Year award is named after Mike Curran, a former assistant sports editor of the Cape Cod Times. Curran started as a Cape League scorer and publicist in the early 1970s and was president from 1976-1977. He is partially responsible for creating a nationwide recruiting system to bring college players to the Cape and give the league national prominence.
Pickler has been honored three times in the last four seasons. He has been head coach at Cypress Community College for 24 years and Y-D field manager since 1997.
“Pick” led the Red Sox to a 27-17 record, finishing one point ahead of Brewster for the best record to gain home field advantage throughout the postseason.
“It has nothing to do with me,” he said. “It’s having the right kids who play hard all year long and having great assistant coaches.”
Pickler gives credit for his team’s success to his players and coaches. He says even though he gets the award, it really belongs to the members of his team. He won’t even take credit for bringing his team closer together. According to Pick, that happened with a sixth run ninth-inning against Wareham just weeks before the season ended.
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Matt Watson was selected as the Top New England Pro Prospect award. He was congratulated by Commissioner Paul Galop, President Judy Scarafile and Deputy Commissioner Sol Yas in pre game ceremonies at Red Wilson Field. (SportsPix)
SOUTH YARMOUTH — For the second straight year, the John Claffey New England Top Prospect Award belongs to a Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox player.
Matt Watson was selected as the Top New England Pro Prospect award. He was congratulated by Commissioner Paul Galop, President Judy Scarafile and Deputy Commissioner Sol Yas in pre game ceremonies at Red Wilson Field.
SportsPix 2010
This year, the honor went to Matt Watson (Boston College) of Portland, Maine. Primarily a catcher, he also spent time at first base, designated hitter and in the outfield. The award was won last year by Watson’s BC teammate, Mickey Wiswall.
“It’s surprising,” said Watson after his name was called before the Red Sox first playoff game against Harwich. “I thought it would go to (Y-D teammate) John Leonard (Boston College). He put up great numbers this season and is a Massachusetts guy.”
Watson is heading into his sophomore season at BC.
“He’s just a great kid,” field manager Scott Pickler said. “Early in the year he had to catch. When Beau Taylor (Central Florida) went down, he had to catch eight games in a row and we won six of them.”
Watson was behind the plate for more than a week because of Taylor’s injury and the absence of Ben McMahan (Florida), who was still playing in the College World Series.
“He was banged up, he had ice packs all over his knees and shoulders,” Pickler said.
Watson played 40 games for the Red Sox in the regular season, batting .239. He picked up his power numbers toward the end of the year, finishing with four home runs and 21 RBI. His best game came on July 25 at Hyannis, when he hit two homers and drove in six runs.
“It’s awesome. I mean it’s a real honor,” he said. “I’m very thankful for everything from coach Pickler to the whole Y-D organization.”
Watson is the third Y-D player to be named the top New England pro prospect. In addition to Wiswall, Frank Curreri won the award in 2004. Watson joins Wiswall and Chatham’s Chris Lambert (2003) as winners from BC.
The award is named after John Claffey, who was a Wareham official for the Cape League. The presentation is made to a New England-born player who attends a New England college.
MORE AWARDS
Curly Clement Umpire Award: Michael Sadowski, CBUA
Manny Robello 10th Player Award: Clint Moore, Harwich Mariners
Sportsmanship Award: Joe Panik, Y-D Red Sox
