Here are North American League Baseball’s prestigious individual award winners for 2013.

League 1
Outstanding Batter Award: Travis Araoz (Stade Maples)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Robert Givens (Nashville Firecats)
Newcomer of the Year: Jonathan Grandberry (Cornfield Axemen)
Manager of the Year: Raul Pieh (St. Rock Mudcats)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Ronaldo Mijangos (Brooklyn Knights)
Catcher: Ben Stamp (St. Rock Mudcats)
First Baseman: Jesús Pacheco (Las Vegas Luck)
Second Baseman: Flavio Marquez (Brooklyn Knights)
Third Baseman: Moray Williams (Las Vegas Luck)
Shortstop: Martin Swader (Dunedin Otters)
Left Fielder: Cipriano Delgudo (Nashville Firecats)
Center Fielder: Tad Burridge (Cornfield Axemen)
Right Fielder: Aleck Stella (Dayton Grizzlies)

League 2
Outstanding Batter Award: Tony Rodarte (Richmond Slam)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Cory Gregory (St. James Crusaders)
Newcomer of the Year: Romeo Usquiano (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Manager of the Year: Piero Snell (Key West Corals)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Junji Arakawa (St. James Crusaders)
Catcher: Morris Brown (Vancouver Wild)
Second Baseman: Edmundo Ovelha (Richmond Slam)
Third Baseman: Adelmo Porcayo (Key West Corals)
Shortstop: Larry Arcienaga (St. James Crusaders)
Left Fielder: Victorio Zavaca (Washington Allies)
Center Fielder: Romeo Usquiano (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Right Fielder: Juan Torres (Washington Allies)

North American League Baseball has gotten more competitive in recent years. Although the Brooklyn Knights have won a majority of the titles, other teams have entered into the mix. In 2013, the St. Rock Mudcats were the dominant team but they were conquered by the Nashville Firecats in the League 1 Series in six games. The Key West Corals faced the Richmond Slam in the League 2 Series for the second year in a row. This time, the Corals came out on top.

The 2013 NALB World Championship Series between the Nashville Firecats (90-72) and the Key West Corals (92-70) appeared to be a pretty even matchup on paper. The question was whether or not the Firecats’ superior offense would be enough to overcome the Corals’ superior defense. The Corals were the top team in both pitching and fielding, which presented a formidable challenge. When the Firecats went into Key West and took the first two games, it looked like they were well on their way to a second title. After four games, Nashville held a three to one lead and needed just one more win. The Corals showed amazing resilience, however. They won the final three games and took home the trophy. After playing second fiddle to the Stade Maples for many seasons, the Key West Corals can finally call themselves world champions.

The Corals had many standout players in the series, including pitcher William Constable who won two games and the series clincher. It was second baseman Carlos Galicia, however, who was “Mr. Reliable” in the postseason. After going 12 for 25 with 6 runs in the League 2 Series, Galicia went 14 for 29 and 7 runs in the World Championship Series. He was the MVP.

Game 1: Nashville 7, Key West 6
Game 2: Nashville 4, Key West 3
Game 3: Key West 10, Nashville 5
Game 4: Nashville 6, Key West 3
Game 5: Key West 10, Nashville 6
Game 6: Key West 7, Nashville 6
Game 7: Key West 4, Nashville 2

Click the image for the NALB 2013 World Championship roster

The 2013 NALB World Championship Series had been filled with drama. The Firecats and the Corals split the first six games to force a decisive game seven. The pitching duel was a good one with Nashville’s Fred Millard matched up against Key West’s William Constable.

A team had scored in the first inning of the previous six games. This game was no different. The Firecats jumped on Constable early. Jim Stoneman singled to start the game and then scored on a Dacey Rager double. Veteran lefty Fred Millard failed to hold Nashville’s lead for long. In the bottom of the first, Roy Dabbs and Adelmo Porcayo got on base and left fielder Alonso Martucci came to the plate. Martucci hit a ball to right field which just cleared the fence. The Corals led 3-1. Both starters settled in and pitched scoreless innings through the sixth. With two out In the seventh inning, Roy Dabbs batted in Alex Sestiaga for another Corals run. Millard left the game and turned things over to the Firecats bullpen. The score remained 4-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Corals and their fans could taste the franchise’s first championship. Almendeto Trujillo was called on to close out the game. He gave up a single to Pete Chavez but came back and struck out Sancho Alguirre. Then Raúl Mendoza singled and sent Chavez to third. A ground out by Smoky Wortman scored Pete Chavez. Representing the tying run, Mauro Chávez came to the plate. He went down looking on a 2-2 fastball.

Final score: Key West 4, Nashville 2

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Nashville    1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1   2  7  0
Key West     3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X   4  7  0

W: W. Constable
L: F. Millard
S: A. Trillio

The Corals were back home in Key West for game six. Down three games to two, they needed to win both remaining games to bring home the trophy. They were facing game three starter Robert Givens, Nashville’s most successful pitcher this season. Mario Torralbo was on the mound for Key West. He last pitched in game two and had a no decision in the Corals extra innings loss.

Looking to win its second championship, the Firecats got started right away. A two run home run by Dan Kelly put Nashville up 2-0 in the first inning. Adelmo Porcayo put the Corals on the board in the third with an RBI double. Givens was rocked in the fourth inning. Four hits led to a run and a 3-1 lead for Key West. Matthew Loy did the most damage, however. He smashed a three run homer to left field and the Corals were up 6-2. Both bullpens held until the seventh inning. The FIrecats showed signs of life with a pair of singles and a pair of doubles. It was a 6-5 game and the momentum had clearly shifted. The Corals responded with a run in the eighth when Dick Andrews took Luis Hesterfer deep to right-center field. Down by two, the Firecats did their best to mount a comeback in the ninth. Facing closer Thornton Peters, Pete Chavez led off with a triple. He scored on a groundout and then Sancho Alguirre singled to put the tying run on first base. Peters fanned the next two batters to seal the win and force a game seven.

Final score: Key West 7, Nashville 6

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Nashville    2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1   6 13  0
Key West     0 0 1 5 0 0 0 1 X   7 13  0

W: M. Torralbo
L: R. Givens
S: T. Peters

In game five, the Corals brought back their game one starter, Whitney Sanders. Up three games to one, the Firecats looked to win the championship in its final home game of the series. They named Terrence Steinman as the starter, who last pitched in game two.

Things got off to a rocky start for the Firecats. Steinman gave up a two run home run to Roy Dabbs in the first inning. A Matthew Loy RBI double added another run in the third. The Corals scored four more runs in the fourth and the outcome appeared to be all but certain. Dave Groot had the big hit of the inning with a bases clearing triple. Down 7-0, Nashville showed life in the fifth. Dan Kelly’s three run homer keyed a four run inning for the Firecats. Unfortunately for Nashville, they had few answers for Key West’s bats. Dave Groot went deep in the sixth to put the Corals up 8-4. Both teams scored a run in the seventh. They traded solo home runs in the eighth, first by Matthew Loy and then by Nashville’s Dacey Rager. Also of note, Martin Trujillo and Percy Martinez were ejected in the eighth inning for igniting a bench-clearing brawl. In a game with 32 hits, the Corals made more of their opportunities to win 10-6.

Final score: Key West 10, Nashville 6

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Key West     2 0 1 4 0 1 1 1 0  10 18  1
Nashville    0 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 0   6 14  2

W: W. Sanders
L: T. Steinman

After three games into the World Championship Series, the home team was still looking for a win. The Firecats hoped to break that streak in game four with starter Francisco Rodil (9-9, 4.24 ERA). The Corals started Edgardo Rivera (8-7, 4.01 ERA), their young sinkerball pitcher.

Adelmo Porcayo continued his display of power in the 2013 postseason with another home run in the top of the first. It was a three run shot, which quickly put the Firecats in a hole. Cipriano Delgudo pulled Nashville a run closer with an RBI double in the third inning. Dacey Rager tied the game with a two run single in the fourth. Rager put the Firecats ahead 5-3 in the sixth with a long ball into the right field seats. One more insurance run was added in the eighth when Pete Chavez batted in Dan Kelley. Thanks to three fielding errors by the Corals and some clutch hitting by the Firecats, the home crowd was treated to a 6-3 win.

Final score: Nashville 6, Key West 3

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Key West     3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   3  4  3
Nashville    0 0 1 2 0 2 0 1 X   6  9  1

W: F. Rodil
L: A. Hulsey
S: G. Hernandez

The series moved to Nashville for game three. Pitchers William Constable (10-9, 4.12 ERA) and Robert Givens (17-6, 3.36 ERA) started for the Corals and Firecats, respectively.

The Corals quieted the Nashville crowd early when Adelmo Porcayo hit a three run home run in the first inning. Firecats fans had something to cheer for next inning, however. Consecutive singles by Cipriano Delgudo, Raúl Mendoza, and Smoky Wortman led to two runs. In the fourth back to back doubles by Alex Sestiaga and Roy Dabbs put the Corals up 4-2. Once again, the Firecats responded. Center fielder Jim Stoneman delivered an RBI single to pull his team within a run. Robert Givens had trouble stopping Key West’s hitters, however. In the sixth, the Corals came up with four straight hits and extended their lead to 6-3. Verdo Mlicki was pitching in relief when the Corals blew the game open in the eighth. With one run already in that inning, Martin Trujillo blasted a 442 foot three run homer. A 10-3 deficit was too much for the Firecats to overcome. They managed two runs in the ninth off of Almandeto Trillio but still fell five runs short.


Final score: Key West 10, Nashville 5

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Key West     3 0 0 1 0 2 0 4 0  10 14  1
Nashville    0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 2   5 10  0

W: W. Constable
L: R. Givens
S: T. Peters

Game two featured a pitching matchup between Nashville’s Terrence Steinman (14-8, 4.98 ERA) and Key West’s Mario Torralbo (12-8, 2.67 ERA). Torralbo was one of League 2’s best pitchers. He led the league in ERA and was second in strikeouts.

The Corals hoped to even the series at a game apiece. They struck quickly with singles by Galicia, Porcayo, and Loy in the first inning to score the game’s first run. Catcher Dacey Rager slugged a home run for the Firecats in the third inning to tie the game. From there, the pitchers took over. Torralbo lasted into the sixth inning and Steinman pitched seven strong innings. Both bullpens held through nine and the game went into extra innings tied 1-1. The Corals sent closer Thornton Peters out to pitch the tenth inning. After giving up a single and an intentional walk, Peters threw a 1-1 fastball to Alfredo Herrán. Herrán responded by smashing it over the left field wall. After pitching the ninth inning for the Firecats, closer Gail Hernandez stayed on to pitch the tenth as well. Hernandez hit Matthew Loy with a pitch and then gave up a two run homer to Martin Trujillo. After almost blowing a 4-1 lead, Hernandez settled down and retired the next three batters with infield ground outs.

Final score: Nashville 4, Key West 3

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10   R  H  E
Nashville    0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  3   4  9  0
Key West     1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2   3  7  1

W: G. Hernandez
L: T. Peters

The Nashville Firecats (90-72) face the Key West Corals (92-70) for the NALB 2013 World Championship. The Firecats were world champions in 2009. This is the Corals first trip to the World Championship Series.

The Firecats opened the series with Fred Millard (12-6, 3.26 ERA) on the mound. With a career record of 203-64, Millard has the highest winning percentage of any starter in NALB history. The Corals sent Whitney Sanders (15-8, 3.06 ERA) to the mound as their game one starter.

The raucous Key West crowd seemed to energize the Corals. They scored a run in the first inning off of a Martin Trujillo sac fly and another run in the second inning when Carlos Galicia singled up the middle. In the top of the fourth, Pete Chavez hit a sacrifice fly to score the Firecats first run. In the bottom of the fifth, Alonso Martucci thrilled the crowd with the first home run of the series. It was a line drive into the right field stands that put Key West up 3-1. Nashville came right back in the next inning. A walk and two singles plus an error by Corals shortstop Keith Boris gave the Firecats two runs to tie the game. The Firecats kept the momentum in the seventh, scoring three more runs. The inning was capped by a two run double by John Edwards. Facing pitcher Steve Towell in the eighth, the Corals pulled within one run when catcher Matthew Loy hit a two run homer to left field. In the ninth, a double by Pete Chavez gave Nashville a much needed insurance run. Hits by Alex Sestiaga and Dick Andrews in the ninth gave the Corals some hope. Sestiaga scored but his team fell a run short.

Final score: Nashville 7, Key West 6

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Nashville    0 0 0 1 0 2 3 0 1   7  9  0
Key West     1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 1   6 14  1

W: J. Endicott
L: W. Sanders
S: G. Hernandez

2013 League 2 Series - Richmond Slam (92-70) vs. Key West Corals (92-70)

Game 1: Key West 4, Richmond 3
Game 2: Key West 3, Richmond 1
Game 3: Key West 24, Richmond 5
Game 4: Richmond 7, Key West 6
Game 5: Key West 4, Richmond 2

The League 2 Series was a rematch from last year. The Richmond Slam won their division for the fourth straight season. Their success has been due to a powerful offense. The Slam outscored all other teams in League 2 with 920 runs. Tony Rodarte was the first player in NALB history to hit 60 home runs and he won a Triple Crown. Unlike last year’s team, however, Richmond’s pitching was much improved. Unfortunately, Richmond’s is arguably the NALB’s worst fielding team. Finally out of the shadow of the Stade Maples, the Key West Corals are in the playoffs for the second straight year. In 2013, the Corals won with defense. They were the league’s best pitching team and the league’s best fielding team. Offensively, they regressed from 2012. Key West scored 764 runs, well behind the 900 runs they scored last year.

The opener was in Key West. The Slam started Katamor Eizan (10-11, 3.95 ERA) and the Corals started Whitney Sanders (15-8, 3.06 ERA). In the bottom of the second inning, the Corals scored first on a solo home run by 3B Adelmo Porcayo. An RBI double by Héctor De Echeverría in the fourth tied the game. The Slam pulled ahead 2-1 in the seventh thanks to a pinch hit single by Hilly King. Dong-u Sop pitched the eighth inning for the Slam. The Corals retook the lead by scoring two runs. First came a solo homer by leadoff 2B Carlos Galicia. The next run was courtesy of a Porcayo double. Closer Thornton “Bingo” Peters blew the save in the ninth for the Corals. Chick Veras scored for the Slam off of a Rodarte single to tie the game. The Key West crowd was elated when Galicia came through in the bottom of the ninth with a game winning single. The Corals defeated the Slam 4 to 3.

In game two, the Corals sent Mario Torralbo (12-8, 2.67 ERA) to the mound. The Slam named Gutierre Jiménez (10-7, 4.32 ERA) as their starter. For the second straight game, Adelmo Porcayo opened the scoring with a solo home run. The Corals had a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Keith Boris and Roy Dabbs contributed hits in the fifth to build Key West’s lead to 2-0. In the seventh, CF Carlos Tejera hit a homer for Richmond and the score was 2-1. Key West came right back in the bottom half of the inning with a run of its own. It was Boris and Dabbs getting the hits again. Torralbo went seven innings and the Corals bullpen did the rest. Key West secured a 3-1 win.

The series shifted to Richmond for game three. Hap Bedford (10-11, 5.10 ERA), a 217 career game winner, got the start for the Slam. William Constable (10-9, 4.12 ERA) pitched for the Corals. The game was a disaster for Richmond from the very beginning. Key West battered Hap Bedford with a hitting barrage. Right fields Tulio Morrles hit a grand slam and catcher Matthew Loy hit a two run homer. When it was all over, the Corals were up 9-0 after their first at bats. After three innings, it was 12-0 Corals and the game was clearly over. A two run dinger by Tony Rodarte gave Richmond fans a glimmer of hope. The Corals continued to deliver a humiliating lesson, however, adding two runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth. Key West kept pouring on runs, scoring in every inning but the second and fourth. Richmond burned nine pitchers on way to a devastating 24-5 loss.

Down three games to none, things looked very bleak for the Slam. Joe Lehr (14-7, 4.98 ERA) took the mound for Richmond against Key West’s Whitney Sanders in game four. Richmond’s poor fielding surfaced in the second inning. A throwing error by Lehr led to a Corals run. A pair of homers by De Echeverría and Tejera put the Slam up 2-1 in the bottom of the second. Hot hitting Adelmo Porcayo hit a two run monster blast to left field in the top of the third and the Corals led again. Richmond came right back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. The score remained 4-4 until Galicia delivered an RBI single for the Corals in the sixth. A Martin Trujillo sacrifice fly in the seventh added another run. Key West was up 6-4. The game winning hit came in the bottom of the seventh. De Echeverría went deep off of High Rossiter. His three run homer was the decisive hit in Richmond’s 7-6 victory.

The Corals hoped to put the Slam away in game five. Their starter was Edgardo Rivera (8-7, 4.01 ERA), a 24 year old sinkerball pitcher. Katamor Eizan had his second start of the series for the Slam. Fresh off of a win, Richmond kept its momentum when John Orie homered in the second. The 1-0 lead remained until the bottom of the fifth when Héctor De Echeverría batted in Chick Veras for Richmond’s second run. Eizan’s shutout was busted up in the seventh. Tulio Morrles hit a two run home run to tie the game. The Corals went ahead for good in the top of the eighth. Trujillo batted in two more. Key West won 4-2 and will play in its first World Championship Series.

Adelmo Porcayo was the League 2 Series MVP. He hit .364 with 4 HR and 8 RBI.

2013 League 1 Series - Nashville Firecats (90-72) vs. St. Rock Mudcats (110-52)

Game 1: Nashville 6, St. Rock 2
Game 2: Nashville 4, St. Rock 1
Game 3: St. Rock 17, Nashville 0
Game 4: Nashville 8, St. Rock 3
Game 5: St. Rock 10, Nashville 8
Game 6: Nashville 5, St. Rock 0

For the first time in NALB history, the Brooklyn Knights failed to make the playoffs. Instead, the St. Rock Mudcats emerged as the league’s best team with 110 wins. Facing the Mudcats in the League 1 Series was the Nashville Firecats. No strangers to the postseason, the 2009 NALB champion Firecats won their division for the third straight year. This was a clash of the two best offenses in League 1. The Mudcats scored 1004 runs and the Firecats scored 900 runs during the regular season.

Game one opened in St. Rock with hard throwing Noriaki Momotami (14-4, 3.60 ERA) on the mound for the Mudcats. Momotami led the NALB in strikeouts with 249. The Firecats started Chilean left hander Francisco “Icon” Rodil (9-9, 4.24 ERA). The visiting team struck first when 3B Pete Chavez hit a three run homer. Nashville added another run in the fifth inning courtesy of a solo home run by RF Dan Kelly. Also that inning, St. Rock’s Marvin Marini sprained his thumb in a collision while covering second base. That was a big blow to the Mudcats as Marini hit a career high 37 home runs this season. He would miss the rest of the series. In the top of the sixth, 1B Raúl Mendoza homered and put the Firecats up 5-0. A couple of hits by the Mudcats in the bottom half of the inning made the score 5-1. The NALB’s most dangerous hitter, Travis Araoz, went deep in the eighth. St. Rock was down 5-2. Facing reliever Rob Muncy, Nashville added an insurance run in the ninth to seal the win at 6-2.

Game two featured a great pitching matchup. The Mudcats had its 27 year old star, Tyler Stivers (17-10, 3.86 ERA), while the Firecats had 37 year old Fred Millard (12-6, 3.26 ERA). Millard is a career 200+ game winner. This season, he looked as good as he has in years. Expectations of a pitching duel were momentarily dashed when John Edwards hit a two run home run off of Stivers in the first inning. In the bottom of the third, consecutive singles by Anthony Staley, Miguel Gaytán, and Osacr Barrientes scored the Mudcats first run of the game. The next inning put another run on the board for Nashville, however. Pete Chavez’s hot bat delivered a solo homer to extend the lead to 3-1. John Edwards tripled and scored in the eighth. The Firecats bullpen held on for a 4-1 win.

After losing the first two games at home in St. Rock, the Mudcats viewed game three as a must win. St. Rock pinned its hopes on Canadian Vincent Cadieux (17-5, 3.38 ERA). The Firecats felt confident at home with their ace, Robert Givens (17-6, 3.36 ERA), on the mound. Unfortunately for Nashville, the change of venue seemed to invigorate the Mudcats. Travis Wen’s double in the second inning put St. Rock on top 1-0. They would not look back. As with last game, consecutive hits by Staley Gaytán, and Barrientes led to more runs in the third inning. The score remained 3-0 until the top of the sixth when the Mudcats blew the game wide open. It was a five run inning highlighted by Gaytán’s three run homer. St. Rock matched the feat in the next inning by scoring five additional runs. This time, the big hit was a grand slam by Oscar Barrientes. Already up 13-0 in the ninth, the Mudcats once again showed why they led the league with 254 home runs this season. Gary Cooper capped a four run inning by hitting a three run blast into the right field seats. St. Rock destroyed Nashville 17-0.

After suffering a 17-0 drubbing in the previous game, Nashville looked to Terrence Steinman (14-8, 4.98 ERA) to get things back on track in game four. Mudcats manager Raul Pieh opted to go with game one starter Momotami on short rest. That decision did not work out well. Things began well for St. Rock when the Mudcats scored two quick runs in the second inning. John Edwards cut the lead in half with a solo bomb in the bottom of the inning, however. Catcher Ben Stamp added another run for the Mudcats with an RBI single in the top of the third. Once again, John Edwards answered. He hit another solo homer in the fourth and Nashville was only down 3-2. The sixth inning put the Firecats ahead for good. Four hits, two bases on balls, and a wild pitch led to four runs for Nashville. Pete Chavez took Rob Muncy deep in the seventh to cement the 8-3 win with another two runs.

Down three games to one, the Mudcats could not afford another loss. The starting pitchers for game five were Tyler Stivers and Francisco Rodil. St. Rock’s bats came alive once again. The Mudcats put three runs on the board in the top of the second inning. Nashville’s John Edwards continued his fine series in the bottom of the second. He nailed a Stivers fastball over the left field wall to score Nashville’s first run. The Mudcats strung together some hits in the third and extended their lead to 5-1. The Firecats kept it close in the fourth when five straight singles scored two runs. With Luis Hesterfer on in relief for Rodil in the top of the fifth, Travis Wen hit a two run home run and the Mudcats were solidly ahead 7-3. Gaytán’s solo homer in the sixth made it 8-3. Just when the game appeared out of reach for the Firecats, they struck back. In the bottom of the sixth, a grand slam made it a one run deficit for Nashville. Who else? It was John Edwards again. The Mudcats looked like a team that refused to lose, however. Gaytán and Barrientes came up with hits in the seventh and St. Rock was on top 10-7. The Firecats scored a run in the bottom of the seventh but they fell a bit short. The Mudcats forced a game six back in St. Rock thanks to a 10-8 win.

In game six, 37 year old Jose Smith (14-8, 5.32 ERA) got the first playoff start of his career. He struggled at times this season but was an effective winner thanks to solid run support by St. Rock’s hitters. The Firecats hoped their ace, Robert Givens, would finish off the Mudcats in his second start of the League 1 Series. Nashville got just what it wanted and more out its pitchers. Givens pitched masterfully. He held the league’s top offense to only four hits in six innings. The Firecats bullpen gave up but one hit in the final three innings. Nashville put St. Rock on its heels by scoring three runs in the second inning. Pete Chavez put the Firecats up 4-0 with his solo home run in the third. Dan Kelley and Dacey Rager contributed hits in the fourth inning leading to another Nashville run. Percy Martinez, Casey Gayford, and Steve Towell came out of the bullpen to complete the Firecats 5-0 shutout of the Mudcats. The Firecats are heading to the World Championship Series for the second time in franchise history.

John Edwards was the League 1 Series MVP. He hit .320 with 5 HR and 9 RBI.