2014 STERLING AWARD WINNERS – AND THEN SOME - by Tom Brennan
The Mets had a wonderful group of Sterling
Award Winners for 2014, in which the Mets laud what they consider to be the top
overall pitcher and position player in the system and the top player at each
level.
An august list that includes the following 10
stout and stalwart lads:
Sterling Player of the Year – 2B Dilson
Herrera (awesome)
Sterling Pitcher of the Year – LHP Steven Matz (come to Citi now)
Sterling Pitcher of the Year – LHP Steven Matz (come to Citi now)
Triple-A:
IF Matt Reynolds (wow, what a leap
forward)
Double-A: C Kevin Plawecki (contact hitting machine in shin guards)
Advanced Single-A: OF Brandon Nimmo (97 runs in 127 games)
A: LHP Dario Alvarez and RHP Akeel Morris (million Ks, no runs)
Short-season Single-A: RHP Marcos Molina (led league in everything)
Rookie – Appalachian League: OF Vicente Lupo (late power surge)
Rookie – Gulf Coast League: OF John Mora (all around quality)
Double-A: C Kevin Plawecki (contact hitting machine in shin guards)
Advanced Single-A: OF Brandon Nimmo (97 runs in 127 games)
A: LHP Dario Alvarez and RHP Akeel Morris (million Ks, no runs)
Short-season Single-A: RHP Marcos Molina (led league in everything)
Rookie – Appalachian League: OF Vicente Lupo (late power surge)
Rookie – Gulf Coast League: OF John Mora (all around quality)
My first reaction? CONGRATULATIONS!
My second reaction? Not Enough Awards. COME
ON!!
·
Why
not a Michael Conforto, who did great in an abbreviated short season (sure he
could have signed sooner and played longer, but let’s not quibble)?
·
Why
not a LJ Mazzilli, who across 2 leagues hit an impressive .301 with 79 runs
scored and 79 RBIs, along with 44 extra base hits?
·
Why
not a Martirez Arias (6-0, 1.11 ERA, 60 Ks I 57 innings)?
·
Why
not a Corey Oswalt (6-2, 2.26, 1.03 WHIP)?
·
Or a
Brad Wieck (25 2/3 relief innings, 1.40 ERA, 39 Ks)?
·
Or
maybe the spectacular but slightly flawed Jack Leathersich with his 93 Ks in 54
innings, a feat any pitcher on the Mets would have had a hard time achieving if
they pitched in the minors like Jack did, who had so many balls MISSING BATS…and
POUNDING CATCHER’S LEATHER? You want an award, Jackie Boy? Strike EVERYONE out next time.
In some years, the excellent performers
would be few and far between, and it would be hard to pick 9 or 10 regular winners.
But I think there should be an added
category added, called Special Mention Awards, and guys like these should get
them. Because they deserve them. All six of them. And it would have been an easy lift to get
the honorable mentions up to 10. Adding
a few more studs like Noah Syndergaard who, pitching in, say, the International League instead of PCL
hitters’ heaven, would likely have put up spectacular numbers.
OK, I’ll stop. I’ve regained my composure. I took a deep breath and I’m calm again.
But COME ON…let’s give these guys some
recognition too. Spectacular jobs, one
and all. STERLING, in my books.
Anyone out there agree?
1 comment:
I am just writing a future post in which I point out that the addition of you on this site has added a level of expertise about the short season teams that has never been seen before in the Mets world of media.
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