Category: Baseball Ireland Awards

Baseball Ireland Irish Baseball League Awards 2018

Baseball Ireland Logo [Ref: 3]

Award Winners

AwardWinner (Team)
A-League 
Andy Leonard MVPFrank Andrews (Spartans) /
Dan Sweatland (Mariners) /
Yuki Kubo (Spartans) (Shared)
Tommy Bond Best PitcherRobert Cavicchioni (Hurricanes)
Jack Doyle Silver SluggerYuki Kubo (Spartans)
Patsy Donovan Batting ChampionKelvin Almonte (Hurricanes)
A-League PennantDublin City Hurricanes
A-League ChampionshipDublin City Hurricanes
B-League 
Gus Hernandez MVPDarwin Sanchez (Buccaneers)
Bill Beglane Best PitcherDan Sykes (Mariners)
Jimmy Archer Silver SluggerDarwin Sanchez (Buccaneers) /
Ryan Wiebe (Giants) (Shared)
Fergy Malone Batting ChampionDarwin Sanchez (Buccaneers) /
Ryan Wiebe (Giants) (Shared)
B-League PennantGreystones Mariners
B-League ChampionshipDublin City Hurricanes
Baseball Ireland – Irish Baseball League Awards 2018 [Ref: 2]

About the Awards

The Awards are named after Irish-born players who have hit the big-time in Major League Baseball in the USA.

Andy Leonard MVP Award: Andy Leonard was one of the nine “First Boys of Summer” – the first Professional Baseball team – The Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869. He was the only Irish-born player on the team, having been born in Co. Cavan, during the Famine, and having left when he was two years old for America. He continued playing at a high level after the Red Stockings, being part of the Boston Red Stockings Championship Dynasty of 1872 to 1876 and again in 1878. Both the Cincinnati reds and Boston Red Sox claim the heritage of the Cincinnati Red stockings of 1869, with the owner moving the team to Boston, and a new Cincinnati team coming in its’ place.

He also returned to Ireland in 1874, to play for the Red Stockings on a Tour with the Philadelphia Athletics (now Oakland Athletics) and his diary shows delight at beating the Marylebone Cricket Champions in England at their own game, Cricket. He had the second best career average of an Irish player at .299.

Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award: Tommy Bond was born in Granard, Co. Longford in 1856. He became the first triple crown pitcher when he led the National League in 1877, with 40 Wins, 170 Strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA for Boston.

“Dirty” Jack Doyle Ssilver Slugger Award: Ireland-born Jack Doyle is one of only 20 Major League players to have played 100 games or more at four different positions. He had the most career doubles (315), home runs (26), Runs Batted In (RBI) (968) and highest batting percentage (.385) of all the Irish-born Major League Players.He was born in Killorglin, Co. Kerry.

Patsy Donovan Batting Champion: Patsy Donovan may well have been the most successful Irish-born Major League Player, having played the most games, and had the best batting average. He was also the man responsible for bringing the famous Babe Ruth to the attention of the Boston Red Sox. He was a star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 8 seasons, had 6 consecutive seasons with a batting average of .300 or above, and served as player-manager in 1897 and 1899.

References

Websites

[1] Baseball Ireland (2020) Award Winners [Internet] Available from: http://www.baseballireland.com/news.php?search_id=6 [Accessed 10 March 2020]

Social Media

Reference: [2]

[2] Baseball Ireland Facebook Page (2018) Post: October 25, 2018: “2018 Irish Baseball Adult League Award Winners” [Internet] https://www.facebook.com/baseballireland/posts/2125271084184344 [Accessed 17 September 2018]

Images

[3] Baseball Ireland (2017) Baseball Ireland Logo Car Sticker [Internet] http://www.baseballireland.com/images/carsticker.jpg [Accessed 1 May 2017]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Peter Kavanagh, Baseball Ireland & Peter Mullen, Dublin Black Sox

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 11 March 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.