Ashland Red Sox: News

  The Ashland Red Sox 2011 Award Winners! 

 

2011 Most Valuable Player: Sean Mespelli 

For the second season in a row, a rookie took home the team's top recognition, with Sean Mespelli following up Derek Luccini's monster campaign with one of his own!  While Dan Tessier and a few others received votes, this one was never in doubt with Mespelli's line of .449 BA, .673 SLG PCT, 1.116 OPS, and single season team record 18 RBI.  Better yet was the delight of learning that he can actually log some hours behind the plate.

2011 Cy Saraceno Award: Dan Tessier

In perhaps the hot stove season's biggest upset, sophomore southpaw Dan Tessier got the nod over his co-ace and award namesake, Steve Saraceno.  In his second year on the hill, he set a personal best with 55 innings, a 4-4 record, and 4.28 ERA. His 44K's combined with last season's 46, gives him an even 100 in his young career, a ratio of just over one per inning in his 98.33 innings.     

2011 Gold Glove Award: Steve Triveri

Yet another solid season, both offensively and defensively, added this one to the mantle for Steve Triveri.  The sure-handed first sacker, whose infield is most grateful for his vacuum like tendencies, edged out Chris Cronin and Jim Gavagan.

2011 Rookie of the Year: Sean Mespelli

Despite solid seasons by the entire rookie class, including Hayami Arakawa, Mike Belanger, Ed Testa, and Gerry Wilson, Mespelli brought this home in a landslide for his monster first year. See MVP credentials above.  

2011 10th Player Award: Mike Belanger

Rookie Mike Belanger took this one home in a closely contested race for his solid rookie campaign that included a .333 BA, .472 SLG PCT, and a double digit steal season in the offing, for sure.  He edged out other top vote getters, rookie Gerry Wilson and "not so rookie" Steve Saraceno.

2011 Iron Man Award: Chris Cronin

For the second year running, coach Cronin took this one home for his yeoman like work behind the dish.  It was also one of the veteran backstop's best seasons on the side of the dish.  He compiled a .302 BA, .500 OBP, his usual 17 BB's, and a personal best 13 RBI. Other notables included fellow award winners, Tessier and Triveri, with but one excused absence each.

Congratulations to all of the award winners! 

A grand ceremony is planned for opening day!

Framingham, MA~ After pushing the 2010 MWABL champion Orioles to a third and deciding game in their first round playoff series, the Ashland Red Sox succumbed to the defensive woes that have made for an up and down season.  In the opening round doubleheader on 9/11, the Ashland nine played nearly flawless defensive baseball behind the strong pitching efforts of co-aces Dan Tessier and Steve Saraceno.

Tessier nearly shut down the potent Orioles offense for a 3-1 win in the opener for his best outing of the season, and perhaps of his young career.  Saraceno, kept the Sox in the game coming up big in 6 of his 7 innings, with the 6th inning proving to be undoing in the 7-4 loss.  Both aces pitched complete games in the 7 inning contests.

It was Tessier who took the hill in the third and deciding 9 inning contest on 9/25, but on this day, a repeat of the previous week's victory was not to be.  Despite a few early walks and defensive miscues, Tessier and the Sox were only down 2-0 heading into the 5th.  It was the fateful lapses of the 5th and 6th innings that would put the game out of reach, while on the other side of the diamond, Orioles hurler Eric Cormier was cruising, not allowing a run until the 7th.

The Orioles will now advance to the ALDS to face the Sudbury Tigers, while the Sox will plan their offseason defensive drills, and once again dream of spring.

Baseball's Greatest Moments from Steve Saraceno on Vimeo.