2017 OCWA Awards

It's been over a month since we crowned our 2017 Champion S.W.A.G., and now, we're going to give out some more (virtual) hardware. Here goes:

Playoff MVP: Chris Roeder

All you had to do was watch Roeder in the playoffs to see he was a level or two above everyone else. The man slugged 29 HR on the day to lead his team to another title.

Rookie of the Year: Jimmy Cole

Jimmy Cole is not a wiffleball rookie, but he's never played in the OCWA before. All he did was put up 70 HR in 3 tournaments, as well as pitching every inning his Eskimo Bros played.

Fielder of the Year: Ryan Bush

When Ryan is in the field he gets a ton of chances, and he made the most of them this year. He finished with a .983 fielding percentage, making 171 putouts with only 3 errors. That length helps.

Manager of the Year: Regis Pollard

This was our closest vote, with our top 3 contenders all deserving. This one goes to Regis, as Gaffney became a nice player for them when they finally settled on their roster. Good decisions equal awards.

Most Improved Player: Jordan Benzing

Benzing had a rough year in 2016, but followed it up with a very respectable 14 HR and 57 RBI to go along with a .489 average. He upped his power, which the Dawgs needed desperately.

Comeback Player of the Year: Ben Brown

Ben Brown played a lot this year, and while he didn't put up in-his-prime numbers, he had a respectable year. Also, always good to see The Conductor show up to the field.

Silver Sluggers: Chris Roeder, Ryan Bush, Jimmy Cole

These three guys combined for 279 HR and 591 RBI. If they made a team, they would've outscored every other team by 232 runs. These three have insane power and may have this award locked up for a long time.

Best Pitcher: Regis Pollard

This was a rough year for pitching, as bats quickly caught on and Field 2 gave up a few short bombs. Regis stayed pretty steady, leading the league in innings (127), ERA (4.88), and strikeouts (54).

Most Valuable Player: Chris Roeder

Chris Roeder put up video game numbers this year. 109 HR, 246 RBI, and a .698 average. It seems like everything he hits leaves the park as evidenced by a regular season game where he hit 10 HR. Not to mention he led S.W.A.G. to a title.