26 August, 2005

Burriss and Meyers share MVP honors

In what is the most prestigious individual award of the Cape Cod Baseball League's postseason, speedy infielder Emmanuel Burriss and pitcher Brad Meyers of Orleans shared Sports Ticker/ESPN Playoff MVP. 

Both players were instrumental in not only helping the Cardinals win the championship, but played a tremendous role in Orleans' success during the regular season. 

Burriss (Kent State), a Washington, D.C., native and starter for the East Division all-stars, was one of the top leadoff hitters in the Cape League, which he continued in the postseason. 

Arguably the fastest player in the league, Burriss led all players with seven runs scored in the playoffs, hit .304 and drove in three runs. 

His biggest play came in the first game of the finals against Bourne. With the game scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, Orleans had the bases loaded with one out, but a foul popup near the Cardinals' dugout appeared to have the Braves one step closer to getting out of the jam. 

However, a heads-up play by Burriss to tag up caught everyone off guard, and he scored from third to end the game in dramatic fashion. In the deciding third game of the series, which Orleans won 13-1, Burriss went 4-6, reached base five times, scored three runs and stole a base. 

Meyers was the winning pitcher in the final contest against Bourne. The 6-foot, 6-inch 195-pound right-hander from Loyola Marymount, a Yorba Linda, Calif., native, pitched 6 1/3 innings, striking out three and only allowing one run. 

Meyers ended the playoffs with 12 2/3 innings pitched and only one run allowed, good for a sparkling 0.71 ERA. 

Championship trophies on display on Main Street 

The Orleans Cardinals' 2005 Cape Cod Baseball League championship trophy is on display, along with the Cardinals' 2003 championship trophy, in the window of the Baseball Shop on Main Street in Orleans.