26 August, 2005

Steven Wright named top relief pitcher

Steven Wright of the University of Hawaii anchored the Orleans Cardinals' bullpen all summer, and was rewarded with the Russ Ford Award as the Cape Cod Baseball League's best relief pitcher.

Wright, a sophomore from Moreno Valley, Calif., finished the regular season with a perfect 3-0 record and a microscopic 0.63 ERA after allowing only two runs in 28.2 innings. He averaged more than one strikeout per inning, fanning 41 batters.

Perhaps Wright's most important statistic was his 12 saves, helping Orleans win close games and stay ahead of the second-place Chatham A's, who were nipping at the Cardinals' heels most of the season.

He was on the mound for the final out at Eldredge Park for both the clinching game against Chatham in the divisional playoffs and the deciding game of the championship against the Bourne Braves.

This past spring, Wright went 5-3 with a 3.26 ERA and four saves for Hawaii.

Lincoln wins Robello 10th Player award

Brad Lincoln of the Bourne Braves received the Manny Robello 10th Player Award.

After being recruited to the 2005 Bourne Braves mainly as a pitcher, Lincoln's role quickly changed, as it was determined that a dual role would be far more advantageous on a club that was in desperate need of offense.

The Clute, Texas, native and University of Houston standout finished the campaign with a 3-1 record and a 1.32 ERA in nine games started with just 10 walks and 56 strikeouts.

At the plate, he hit .243 with six home runs and 25 RBIs.

Evan Longoria selected Pat Sorenti MVP

Although many Chatham Athletic players posted mind-boggling numbers this summer, Evan Longoria - a legitimate triple crown candidate for much of the year - was the player that stood out the most.

Thus, it is only fitting that he was the recipient of the Pat Sorenti Award for most valuable player.

Longoria (Long Beach State) led the Cape League in both home runs (8) and RBI (35), and finished with a .299 average after spending much of the season in the top five of this category, as well.

Longoria, a native of Downey, Calif., was chosen as the Coca Cola Player of the Week on twice this season, joining Chatham teammate Derrick Lutz as the only repeat winners.

During a six-game stretch between June 20 and 26, Longoria hit .440, with two home runs, five RBI, three doubles and a slugging percentage of over .800.

From July 11 to 17, Longoria notched three home runs and 11 RBI in 30 at-bats. His batting average for the week was .400, while his slugging percentage was .883.

Longoria anchored the middle of the powerful A's lineup, finishing third in the league in hits with 49, first with a .500 slugging percentage and tied for first with teammate Baron Frost in extra-base hits with 16.

In this year's all-star game in Hyannis, Longoria started at second base for the Eastern Division and batted cleanup, going 2-4.

Along with his prowess at the plate, Longoria proved versatile in the field. This summer, he logged 14 games at second base, eight at third and 15 at shortstop.