Here are North American League Baseball’s prestigious individual award winners for 2009.

League 1
Outstanding Batter Award: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Bob Wiesner (Brooklyn Knights)
Newcomer of the Year: Brian Bundy (Dayton Grizzlies)
Manager of the Year: Kevin Fields (Brooklyn Knights)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Tyler Stivers (St. Rock Mudcats)
Catcher: Danny Clarkson (Luisville Beasts)
First Baseman: Lou Larose (Cornfield Axemen)
Second Baseman: Travis Wen (St. Rock Mudcats)
Third Baseman: Moray Williams (Las Vegas Luck)
Shortstop: Rube Wilson (Las Vegas Luck)
Left Fielder: Michael Duhon (Brooklyn Knights)
Center Fielder: Douglas Reyes (Las Vegas Luck)
Right Fielder: Gregory Carter (Dayton Grizzlies)

League 2
Outstanding Batter Award: Travis Araoz (Stade Maples)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Max Brown (Stade Maples)
Newcomer of the Year: Paul Cain (Key West Corals)
Manager of the Year: Piero Snell (Key West Corals)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Nerón Garza (Vancouver Wild)
Catcher: Dad Taylor (St. James Crusaders)
First Baseman: Travis Araoz (Stade Maples)
Second Baseman: Leslie Hubbard (Stade Maples)
Third Baseman: George Montgomery (Richmond Slam)
Shortstop: Keith Boris (Key West Corals)
Left Fielder: Tony Rodarte (Richmond Slam)
Center Fielder: José Hernández (Vancouver Wild)
Right Fielder: Zhu-Ian Xian (Washington Allies)

The Nashville Firecats defeated the Phoenix Rattlers in six games to claim the 2009 World Championship! For the second straight year, the playoff team with the fewest regular season wins bested all others.The Firecats possessed abundant power in their lineup. The Nashville franchise won its first title behind that power. Known affectionately as “Bashville” to NALB fans, the 2009 Firecats hit 245 home runs in the regular season, the second highest total in North American League Baseball. The Firecats got off to a good start with a 32-25 record in the first two months and never looked back. They played well at home (48-33) and eclipsed the Cornfield Axemen for the division title.

Nashville lost superstar second baseman, Pete Chavez, to a thumb injury on September 24. Despite a playoff roster without Chavez, the Firecats scored plenty of runs. In the League Series, they blasted 11 home runs against the Knights. In six World Championship Series games, they slammed 11 homers against the Rattlers.

Click the image for the NALB 2009 World Championship roster

2009 World Championship Series - Nashville Firecats (84-78) vs. Phoenix Rattlers (85-77)

Game 1: Nashville 5, Phoenix 2
Game 2: Nashville 12, Phoenix 5
Game 3: Nashville 9, Phoenix 2
Game 4: Phoenix 16, Nashville 3
Game 5: Phoenix 7, Nashville 3
Game 6: Nashville 8, Phoenix 5

The Firecats and Rattlers overcame the odds to play for the NALB World Championship. Both teams were down three games to one in their respective League Series before rallying to win. Although potent offensively, these two teams were among the league’s worst fielding clubs.

Game 1: Terrance Steinman (16-9, 2.72 ERA) vs. Rey Wilkins (17-9, 3.51 ERA). Both starters pitched six innings and gave up only two runs. Steinman helped his own cause by hitting a double and scoring a run. In the top of the seventh inning, Charles Difranco put the Firecats ahead with a two-run homer. The Firecats added another run in the eighth when Atlee Deleon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Nashville played a surprisingly strong defensive game and turned four double plays.

Game 2: Robert Givens (13-7, 5.78 ERA) vs. Cipri Henriquez (9-6, 3.53 ERA). The Firecats showed their muscle with a 17-hit assault on Rattlers’ pitching, led by Paul Lyons’ four hits. Gene Noke and Paul Lyons went deep. Nashvile’s Givens pitched into the seventh and gave up three runs, one of them unearned. With a 12-3 lead in the ninth, the Firecats gave up two more runs but it hardly mattered.

Game 3: Simon Sanchez (5-8, 5.49 ERA) vs. Francisco Rodil (10-10, 4.22 ERA). Back home in Nashville, the Firecats felt comfortable with a 2-0 series lead and the designated hitter back in play. Rodil gave them a fine five innings, with seven strikeouts and only one run surrendered. Phoenix got on the board first but Nashville came right back with a five-run burst to take a 5-1 first inning lead. The home runs kept coming for the Firecats, as Paul Lyons and Clay Robson both hit balls out of the park.

Game 4: Rey Wilkins (17-9, 3.51 ERA) vs. Buddy Lake (12-15, 5.81 ERA). Winless after three games, the Rattlers were desperate for a win. Facing a hostile Nashville crowd, they turned to their game one starter, Rey Wilkins. With their backs to the wall, Phoenix needed a breakthrough game and they got one. Wilkins frustrated Nashville’s hitters while the Rattlers destroyed Firecats’ pitching. They scored six runs in the first, two runs in the second, and another two runs in the third. Despite leaving 14 men on base, the Rattlers scored 16 runs on 18 hits. Josh Martinez led the charge for Phoenix with three hits, including a three-run home run. The game was a disaster for the Firecats. They committed six errors, three of them by first baseman Paul Lyons. Phoenix’s decisive win came with a price, however. Their star shortstop, Steamboat Schultz, fractured a rib while sliding head-first into third base.

Game 5: Don Jordan (15-8, 3.31 ERA) vs. Terrance Steinman (16-9, 2.72 ERA). Nashville hoped to wrap up the series at home behind their staff ace. It was not to be, however. The Rattlers clung to a 1-0 lead after six innings. Nashville went to its bullpen in the sixth but things only got worse. Phoenix had several hits, including a triple by Josh Martinez, to highlight a three-run sixth inning. The Rattlers went up 5-0 when Chuck Yeabsley hit a solo home run to right field in the seventh inning. The Nashville crowd came alive in the bottom of the eighth when Paul Lyons delivered once again, this time with a three-run homer. Unfortunately for the Firecats, their hopes were dashed as the Rattlers scored twice in the ninth. Josh Martinez hit his second triple of the game to seal a 7-3 win and send the series back to Phoenix.

Game 6: Robert Givens (13-7, 5.78 ERA) vs. Cipri Henriquez (9-6, 3.53 ERA). The pitching duel was a rematch between the game two starters. Phoenix got a disappointing performance from Henriquez. Lasting only three innings, he gave up two runs in the first, one run in the second, and a run in the third. Nashville’s 4-0 lead came by way of home runs by Charles Difranco and Gene Noke. Givens faltered in the bottom of the fifth. He hit a batter, walked two, and gave up three hits. The energy in the stadium was electric as the Rattlers evened the score, 4-4. Gene Noke’s RBI double in the seventh had the potential to be the game winner. However, Wayne Flanagan scored on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the eighth. Neither team was able to win in regulation, so the game went into extra innings tied at five runs apiece. The Firecats won the game in the 11th inning. Just as they had throughout the playoffs, they used their power to deliver the win. Atlee Deleon hit a two-run homer and Charles Difranco hit a solo shot. Jack Smith closed out the 8-5 win to give the Firecats their first NALB World Championship!

2009 League 2 Series - Phoenix Rattlers (85-77) vs. Stade Maples (104-58)

Game 1: Stade 5, Phoenix 1
Game 2: Phoenix 4, Stade 2
Game 3: Stade 3, Phoenix 1
Game 4: Stade 9, Phoenix 8
Game 5: Phoenix 9, Stade 8
Game 6: Phoenix 8, Stade 2
Game 7: Phoenix 8, Stade 6

The Phoenix Rattlers and Stade Maples are rivals with some playoff history between them. This was the fourth time these two teams played for the League 2 Championship. The Rattlers won the first LCS meeting in 2003 while the Maples beat them in 2004 and 2006. In 2009, they played each other nine times during the regular season. Phoenix won the series, 5-4.

Stade’s pitching ace, Max Brown, hurt his shoulder in the last week of September. He was unavailable for the first two games of the LCS. Also unavailable was the Maples’ first baseman, Travis Araoz. In the final game of the regular season Araoz strained an oblique. He was expected to miss a week.

Simon Sanchez (5-8, 5.49 ERA) was named the game one starter for the Rattlers. Pitching for the Maples was Martin Claunch (12-7, 4.61 ERA). The scoring started in the fourth inning when Stade’s Shayne Kimpel hit a solo home run. The Maples added two more runs to build a 3-0 lead. Phoenix got on the board with a run in the top of the eighth but Stade answered with two more runs in the bottom of the eighth for a 5-1 win.

The Rattlers started hard throwing Rey Wilkins (17-9, 3.51 ERA) in game two. Rookie Iván Urías (3-1, 1.85 ERA) got the start for the Maples. Wilkins got the better of his young opponent. The Rattlers struck in the second, with a two-run homer by veteran second baseman Wayne Flanagan. The Maples strung together some singles in the third to even the score. Stade score a run off of Urías in the fourth and another run in the sixth. The Maples bullpen preserved the 4-2 win.

As the series moved to Phoenix, Max Brown (19-5, 2.81 ERA) was healthy enough to start game three for the Maples. Don Jordan (15-8, 3.31 ERA) had the difficult task of pitching against him. Both starters pitched well, but Max Brown was a cut above. In seven innings, Brown gave up only one run. That run came in the seventh inning, when Stade had already built a 3-0 lead. The Maples gave the ball to Earle Seaman in the eighth and Rob Muncy pitched the ninth to close out the 3-1 win.

After some great pitching efforts, the hitters got the upper hand in game four. The Maples’ Luis Hesterfer (17-8, 4.45 ERA) and the Rattlers’ Cipri Henriquez (9-6, 3.53 ERA) were helpless to stop the offensive onslaught. Henriquez gave up four runs and lasted only two innings. The Rattlers’ bullpen was equally ineffective. Hesterfer faired a bit better. He had a 7-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning. The bottom of the seventh was big for the Rattlers. The inning was highlighted by an Anthony Staley triple and a three-run home run by Steamboat Schultz. Schultz’s second homer of the game tied the score 7-7. Both teams scored again and it was 8-8 as the game headed into extra innings. Closer Rob Muncy scored the go-ahead run in the tenth inning with a sac fly. He stayed on to complete the save in the bottom of the tenth.

Game five was another slugfest. The pitching matchup was Martin Claunch vs. Rey Wilkins. Claunch was pitching a no-hit shutout through 2.2 innings when he left the game with a sore elbow. That was a turning point in the game. In the fourth inning, the Maples got out to a 3-0 lead behind home runs by Leslie Hubbard and Topper Blefary. The Rattlers responded in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own. The game was tied after five innings, when Dan Kelly homered for Phoenix. The runs kept coming and Stade carried an 8-4 lead into the ninth. Brian Hanson was unable to hold that lead, however. After a couple of walks and an error, the Rattlers were still losing 8-5 and down to their last out. Cleanup hitter Steamboat Schultz came up to bat. The crowd went crazy after he won the game with a walk-off grand slam.

Back in Stade for game six, the Maples only needed one win to take the League 2 Series. The team felt very confident with Max Brown on the mound. The Rattlers had their game one starter, Simon Sanchez. Pitching on short rest, Brown struggled early. He was pulled in the third inning after giving up five runs. In contrast, Sanchez pitched a strong seven innings. Phoenix had plenty of offense thanks to home runs by Outlaw and Schultz, as the Rattlers cruised to an 8-2 win.

The Stade Maples had blown a 3-1 series lead and were facing elimination. Game seven featured a pitching showdown between Don Jordan and Luis Hesterfer. The Rattlers didn’t wait long to grab the momentum. In the first inning, Peaches Treacey hit a three-run homer and Wayne Flanagan tripled. Phoenix was quickly out in front, 4-0. The Maples didn’t panic. They scored two runs of their own in the first inning. With Marc Giel pitching in the top of the fourth, the Rattlers added three more runs. Another Phoenix run made in 8-2 in the top of the fifth. Ted Rambo narrowed the score to 8-3 with a 379 foot home run in the bottom of the fifth. The crowd came alive in the bottom of the seventh. A walk, a pair of doubles, and a pair of singles brought Stade to within three runs. That was as close as they would get. The Rattlers defeated the Maples 8-6.

After missing three playoff games due to injury, Maples’ superstar Travis Araoz had only one hit in ten at bats.

The Phoenix Rattlers won the League 2 Series. They will make their first World Championship Series appearance since 2003. Steamboat Schultz hit .333 with 4 HR and 10 RBI. He was the League 2 Series MVP.

2009 League 1 Series - Nashville Firecats (84-78) vs. Brooklyn Knights (121-41)

Game 1: Brooklyn 1, Nashville 0
Game 2: Nashville 5, Brooklyn 2
Game 3: Brooklyn 13, Nashville 5
Game 4: Brooklyn 5, Nashville 4
Game 5: Nashville 10, Brooklyn 5
Game 6: Nashville 6, Brooklyn 2
Game 7: Nashville 3, Brooklyn 0

The Nashville Firecats were making their first playoff appearance since 2000, the league’s inaugural year. In contrast, the Brooklyn Knights were playing for the League 1 championship for the tenth straight season. Home runs were plentiful in 2009. Many long shots were expected in this series, as it featured the NALB’s top two home run hitting teams. The Knights had the edge in head-to-head meetings, winning 20 out of 29 games against the Firecats.

In the opening game, two left-handers put on a pitching clinic. The Firecats’ Robert Givens (13-7, 5.78) battled against the Knights’ Tracy Corkhill (13-8, 2.82 ERA). Givens baffled most Brooklyn hitters on his way to a four-hit complete game. His one mistake came in the third inning, when he surrendered a home run to Hooks Goetz. Corkhill pitched into the seventh and the Brooklyn bullpen did the rest. The Knights won the opener 1-0. Perhaps the biggest news to come out of game one was the injury to Brooklyn’s star closer, Bernard Gastelu. He pitched the ninth inning but hurt his shoulder on the final play of the game. He is expected to miss the rest of the series.

Nashville had their ace, Terrance Steinman (16-9, 2.72 ERA), on the mound for game two. A leading candidate for the Outstanding Pitchers Award, Steinman led the NALB in ERA. Facing Steinman was the NALB’s only 20 game winner, right-hander Bob Wiesner (21-4, 3.81 ERA). The Firecats got a couple of hits and scored quickly in the first inning. The Knights took the lead back in the bottom of the first, thanks to Hooks Goetz’s two-run homer. Nashville struck hard in the sixth with a pair of two-runs home runs by Charles Difranco and Cipriano Delgudo. Gail Hernandez and Verdo Mlicki came on in relief to close out the 5-4 win for the Firecats.

The Firecats were excited to play game three in front of their fans in Nashville. Unfortunately, their first home playoff game in nine years was a disaster. Nashville starter Francisco Rodil (10-10, 4.22 ERA) was anything but sharp. He gave up three hits, five walks, and seven runs and was unable to finish the first inning. The shell-shocked Nashville crowd got back into the game when their team scored two runs in the bottom of the first. After that, the Knights’ young starter José Arisa (17-2, 3.18 ERA), settled in. Brooklyn’s Dan Kelley silenced the crowd in the second inning when he hit a Peanuts Levering fastball into the centerfield bleachers. The Knights had a comfortable 10-2 lead. Cipriano Delgudo generated some excitement with his fourth inning solo homer. However, Hooks Goetz erased any hopes of a Nashville comeback with his two-run blast in the fifth inning. Goetz’s homer in his third consecutive game helped expand the lead to 13-3. After the home run, Kevin Dees plunked Kid Detherage. Detherage was not happy at all. He stormed the mound and threw a punch at Dees. This ignited a benches-clearing brawl. Dees and Detherage were both ejected. The Firecats showed some life in the ninth, but it was too little, too late. A Clay Robson solo home run and an Alfredo Herrán double made the final score 13-5.

Getting his first ever playoff start in game four was the Knights’ Ralph Kerfoot (13-8, 3.61 ERA). Kerfoot had been acquired in a July trade with the Dunedin Otters. The Firecats decided to go with their game one starter, Robert Givens, once again. The Firecats’ catcher, Gene Noke, started the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning. In the top of the third, Brooklyn took a 2-1 lead after back to back homers by Dick Moran and Ted Pollet. The Knights added a run in the fourth inning, and two more runs in the fifth. Nashville cut the lead to 5-3 with a solo homer by Atlee Deleon and Gene Noke’s second dinger of the game. The Firecats’ first baseman, Paul Lyons, got into the action in the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo shot of his own. With Gastelu out, Ron Deluna and Carl Hatton pitched the ninth inning. They sealed the Knights’ 5-4 win.

Down three games to one, the Firecats were in a precarious position. Nashville needed to win all three remaining games to take the series. In game five, they pinned their hopes on Terrance Steinman. The Knights decided to start lefty veteran Fred Millard. Both teams were without one of their players. The league suspended Kevin Dees and Kid Detherage for brawling in game three. Brooklyn’s offense wasted no time to get hot. They started the game with five consecutive hits and scored three runs. The Firecats didn’t panic. Cleanup hitter Paul Lyons hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning. The score was tied 3-3 in the second inning by a double from Nashville’s leadoff hitter, Ricky Agganis. Two innings later, Agganis was at it again. He batted in another run to put the Firecats on top 4-3. A sac fly by the Knights tied the game in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, DH Ford Mckelvey gave the Firecats the lead once more. As Nashville led 5-4, rain started to fall in the sixth inning. The rain didn’t bother the hometown hitters as Nashville scored two more runs in the seventh. They also scored three runs in an eights inning interrupted by a 22 minute rain delay. Ted Pollet hit a solo homer in the ninth, but that barely cut into the large deficit. Nashville won, 10-5.

Game 5 was the final game in Cornfield. It featured a rematch of the Game 1 starters, Gastelu vs. Bedford. Gary Mccreery opened the game with a leadoff home run. Hooks Goetz blasted a 3-run homer in the top of the third to expand Brooklyn’s lead to 4-0. The Axemen came right back and tied the score, 4-4. In the sixth inning, Michael Duhon hit a 2-run home run, giving the lead back to Brooklyn. Cornfield struck again with a Fletcher home run and several more hits. After six innings, Cornfield led 8-6. Brooklyn scored three runs in the eighth and had the lead once again. The Knights sent closer Jeff Ramirez in for two inning save. He worked the Knights out of a jam by getting a strike out and a double play. Ramirez blew the save in the ninth when he gave up a solo home run to John Edwards. In extra innings, the game was decided in the 11th inning when John Edwards singled off of Fred Millard. The Axemen pulled out a 10-9 win.

The series returned to Brooklyn, with the Knights leading three games to two. Brooklyn liked their chances with a mound matchup of Buddy Lake (12-15, 5.81 ERA) vs. Tracy Corkhill. In the top of the second inning, Paul Lyons homered to give his team a 1-0 lead. It was the third straight game that Lyons went deep. Michael Duhon scored off of a Dan Kelley single to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Atlee Deleon batted in a run and it was 2-1 Nashville after three innings. The fourth inning was a disaster for the Knights. One of the league’s best fielding teams, Brooklyn uncharacteristically committed three errors in the inning, which led to three Firecats’ runs. In the fifth, Nashville added another run to make it 6-1. The Knights scored a run in the bottom of the fifth but they continued to strand runners on base. With 12 runners left on base for the game, they could not cut into Nashville’s lead. 6-2 was the final score.

The Brooklyn Knights faced an all too familiar game seven. They lost the 2008 World Championship to the Vancouver Wild in a game seven played at home. They hoped to avoid a similar fate here. The pitching matchup for this do-or-die game was Francisco Rodil vs. Bob Wiesner. In the second inning, the Brooklyn fans looked concerned after Cirpriano Delgudo hit a two-run blast, his third homer of the series. Wiesner appeared unfazed, however. He continued to strike out Nashville hitters and put zeros up on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, the Knights offense continued to put up zeroes as well. Brooklyn was getting men on base but Rodil kept pitching out of jams. Wiesner went as long as he could but left in the eighth after giving up a double to Alfredo Herrán. Nevertheless, it was an impressive performance as Wiesner struck out 11. With Rigo Hurtado on in relief, Herrán scored. Verdo Mlicki saved the game in the ninth for a 3-0 shutout win. It was only the third time the Knights were shutout this season. All three were at the hands of the Firecats. As they had in game six, the Knights stranded 12 base-runners.

For the first time in NALB history, the Brooklyn Knights will not play in the World Championship Series. The Nashville Firecats earned their first playoff series victory and are on their way to the WCS. The League 1 Series MVP was Cipriano Delgudo. He was 8 for 17 (.471) with three HR and 7 RBI.

For the first time in NALB history, four teams finished with 100 or more wins. Joining the Brooklyn Knights (121-41) and Stade Maples (104-58) were the St. Rock Mudcats (101-61) and Key West Corals (100-62). Surprisingly, the Cornfield Axemen had a very disappointing season. After three straight 100+ win seasons and four straight division titles, the Axemen had a 76-86 record. The defending champions, the Vancouver Wild, also turned in a disappointing year. After beating the Brooklyn Knights for the World Championship, the Wild went 71-91, only good enough for third place in their division.

The Brooklyn Knights clinched their division on 9/10 and the Nashville Firecats clinched on 9/19. In League 2, the Phoenix Rattlers clinched on 9/16, while the Stade Maples had to wait until 9/27 to wrap up their seventh consecutive division title.

The League Series match-ups:
Nashville Firecats (84-78) vs. Brooklyn Knights (121-41)
Phoenix Rattlers (85-77) vs. Stade Maples (104-58)

Despite finishing the season on the DL after an injury in early September, Oscar Barrientes won the League 1 batting title with a .368 average. The center fielder for the St. Rock Mudcats played in 126 games and finished the season with 183 hits, including 38 doubles, 5 triples, and 36 home runs. In League 2, Travis Araoz was the first ever NALB Triple Crown winner. In this historic season, Araoz won the batting title with a .373 batting average, topped League 2 in homers with 52, and took home the RBI crown with 134.

Playoff injury report:
The Firecats will be without Pete Chavez, their star second baseman, throughout the playoffs. Chavez sprained his thumb on 9/24. For the second year in a row, Brooklyn’s Dave Hambright will be unable to pitch in the playoffs. The Knights’ top two shortstops, Yale Burns and Carlos Cardenas, are also on the disabled list. The Phoenix Rattlers have a number of injured players: SP Joe Lehr, SP Markus Wright, C Terry Hankinson, LF Chuck Yeabsley, and CF Al Walsh. If the Rattlers make it to the World Championship Series, Yeabsley should be ready to play. SP Ted Kutina, LF Ariel Cadore, and 3B Ivan Cahill are on the DL for the Maples. Despite minor injuries, Stade put Max Brown and Travis Araoz on their playoff roster. Both are expected to miss a few games but still play in the League 2 Series.

The division leads lengthened a bit in August, but there are still some good races heading into September. The narrowest lead belongs to the Stade Maples. The Maples edged to a one game lead over the Key West Corals.

The Brooklyn Knights had their best month of the season, posting a 23-5 record. At the other end of the spectrum were the Dunedin Otters. Owner Roberto Estalilla had enough of the team’s lackluster play. On August 16, he fired manager Filiberto Escalantes and general manager Jorge Medina. Escalantes came to the Otters after previously managing the Luisville Beasts. Under Escalantes, Dunedin posted a league worst 51-111 record in 2008. With a 33-88 start in 2009, the Otters decided it was time for a change. Miguel Vipal took over as the Dunedin skipper. The Otters played much better under Vipal, finishing August with a 7-7 record, including six wins in their last eight games.

August 2009 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)
Pitcher of the Month: Hap Bedford (Cornfield Axemen)
Rookie of the Month: Raúl Mendoza (Luisville Beasts)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Shayne Kimpel (Stade Maples)
Pitcher of the Month: Lewis Mcgrew (Washington Allies)
Rookie of the Month: Merkin Sartuche (St. James Crusaders)

For the most part, the top teams continued to play well and hold on to their division leads. The Key West Corals, however, cooled off a bit in July and allowed the Stade Maples to catch them in a tie for first place. A major blow to the Corals was the loss of starting pitcher Gan Tung (9-4, 3.13 ERA). Suffering from inflammation in his right shoulder, he will miss the rest of the season.

There is typically a flurry of trade activity before the July 31 trading deadline. This season, no team was more active than the Brooklyn Knights. The Knights initiated the following trades:

1. On July 11, the Knights traded 18-year-old minor league shortstop Luís Fentes, 20-year-old minor league left fielder Manny Quirino and 27-year-old minor league second baseman Neill Zimmerman to the St. Rock Mudcats, getting 19-year-old minor league first baseman Toshiharu Fujii, 19-year-old minor league reliever Adney Buntain, 18-year-old minor league catcher Andrew Strain, 19-year-old minor league starting pitcher Dave Shropshire and 19-year-old minor league second baseman Yoshinori Higashi in return.
2. On July 28, the Knights traded 23-year-old minor league first baseman Dave von Hallberg to the Dunedin Otters, getting 26-year-old starting pitcher Ralph Kerfoot, 24-year-old minor league reliever Ozell Williams, 20-year-old minor league first baseman Ulucan Gilmore, 19-year-old minor league reliever Pat Ward and 25-year-old minor league reliever Kevin Dumont in return.
3. On July 31, the Knights traded 27-year-old minor league first baseman Young Latimore, 19-year-old minor league catcher Juan Orrego, 25-year-old minor league reliever Javier Asencano, 28-year-old minor league reliever Brian Stuart and 25-year-old minor league reliever Keith O'Rourke to the Phoenix Rattlers, getting 19-year-old minor league starting pitcher Porfírio Portio in return.
4. On July 31, Brooklyn worked a second deal with Phoenix, just before the deadline. The Knights traded 24-year-old minor league reliever Toshiharu Yoshida, 24-year-old minor league reliever Cary Foust, 24-year-old minor league reliever Jacob Ffolkes, 27-year-old minor league second baseman Modesto O'Shee, 27-year-old minor league first baseman Kartik Norman, 26-year-old minor league catcher Bill McRaith, 22-year-old minor league reliever Raúl Hernández and 26-year-old minor league third baseman Scrappy Guizar to the Phoenix Rattlers, getting 21-year-old minor league first baseman Hsiao-lou Yeh and 25-year-old minor league starting pitcher Bob MacGowan in return.

July 2009 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)
Pitcher of the Month: Bob Wiesner (Brooklyn Knights)
Rookie of the Month: Cipriano Delgudo (Nashville Firecats)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Travis Araoz (Stade Maples)
Pitcher of the Month: Ronaldo Mijangos (Key West Corals)
Rookie of the Month: Paul Cain (Key West Corals)