Here are North American League Baseball’s prestigious individual award winners for 2015.

League 1
Outstanding Batter Award: Dacey Rager (Nashville Firecats)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Marcos Delgadillo (Las Vegas Luck)
Reliever of the Year Award: Benny Alazardo (Luisville Beasts)
Newcomer of the Year: Sancho Malclonado (Nashville Firecats)
Manager of the Year: Kevin Fields (Brooklyn Knights)

Platinum Stick Award Winners
Catcher: Dacey Rager (Nashville Firecats)
First Baseman: Hsiao-lou Yeh (Brooklyn Knights)
Second Baseman: John Edwards (Nashville Firecats)
Third Baseman: Moray Williams (Las Vegas Luck)
Shortstop: Lariel Gómez (Brooklyn Knights)
Left Fielder: Ángel Santago (Brooklyn Knights)
Center Fielder: Hyung-jin Kim (Dayton Grizzlies)
Right Fielder: Maurílio Godim (Brooklyn Knights)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Te Li (Luisville Beasts)
Catcher: Alvino Flores (Brooklyn Knights)
First Baseman: Rogélio Cohera (Dunedin Otters)
Second Baseman: Emílio Pérez (Dayton Grizzlies)
Third Baseman: Alfredo Herrán (Nashville Firecats)
Shortstop: Lonnie Belford (Dayton Grizzlies)
Left Fielder: Leonard O’Marron (Luisville Beasts)
Center Fielder: Hamilton Look (Nashville Firecats)
Right Fielder: Juan Torres (Cornfield Axemen)

League 2
Outstanding Batter Award: Yuan Li (Key West Corals)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Ronaldo Mijangos (Key West Corals)
Reliever of the Year Award: Almandeto Trillio (Key West Corals)
Newcomer of the Year: John Patterson (Phoenix Rattlers)
Manager of the Year: Piero Snell (Key West Corals)

Platinum Stick Award Winners
Pitcher: Ronaldo Mijangos (Key West Corals)
Catcher: Morris Brown (Vancouver Wild)
First Baseman: Yuan Li (Key West Corals)
Second Baseman: Brian Bundy (Washington Allies)
Third Baseman: Adelmo Porcayo (Key West Corals)
Shortstop: Martin Swader (Key West Corals)
Left Fielder: Tony Rodarte (Richmond Slam)
Center Fielder: Ángel Jirnénez (Richmond Slam)
Right Fielder: Carlos Tejera (Richmond Slam)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Heath MacKissock (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Catcher: Shannan Breslin (Stade Maples)
First Baseman: Ming Lam (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Second Baseman: Jae-won So (Vancouver Wild)
Third Baseman: Adelmo Porcayo (Key West Corals)
Shortstop: Ramiro Socastro (Washington Allies)
Left Fielder: Dorian Chivers (Washington Allies)
Center Fielder: Roy Dabbs (Washington Allies)
Right Fielder: John Patterson (Phoenix Rattlers)

In sports, it is a treat when the two best teams play for the championship. That certainly was the case in the NALB 2015 World Championship Series. Two terrific teams with over 100 regular season wins played a very entertaining seven game series. Overall, the games were close and pitching dominated. Although the Brooklyn Knights outscored the Key West Corals 25 to 21, the Corals emerged victorious and claimed their second title in three seasons.

Key West’s bullpen had an outstanding reputation and it did not disappoint. Corals relievers pitched a lot of great innings in the series. In addition, the Corals got convincing wins out of starters Ronaldo Mijangos and Whitney Sanders. Finally, the power of the Corals hitters was a major factor in these seven games. The team hit an amazing 247 home runs in the regular season. They hit another ten homers in the World Championship Series.

The Brooklyn Knights had their chances but often failed to capitalize. Up three games to two, the Knights only had to win a single game at home to take the series. They fell a bit short.

Game 1: Key West 4, Brooklyn 1
Game 2: Brooklyn 6, Key West 4
Game 3: Brooklyn 5, Key West 1
Game 4: Key West 2, Brooklyn 1
Game 5: Brooklyn 5, Key West 0
Game 6: Key West 5, Brooklyn 4
Game 7: Key West 5, Brooklyn 3

Series MVP: 3B Adelmo Porcayo (Key West Corals)

Click the image for the NALB 2015 World Championship roster

For the third straight year, the NALB World Championship was decided by a seventh game. In fact, this was the fourth time in the last five years that the World Championship Series went the distance. An enthusiastic packed crowd was on hand in Brooklyn to cheer for starter Pofírio Portio and the Knights. There was a lot of pressure on Corals starter Mario Torralbo, pitching in front of a hostile crowd.

The first inning started disastrously for the Corals. Torralbo retired the first batter and then left the game with an arm injury. Key West’s bullpen is a strength of the team but there were many innings left to pitch. Berto Sarzoza replaced Torralbo and he finished the first three innings. He made a couple of costly mistakes in the second inning when he walked Alexis Schmidt and then gave up a home run to Ángel Santago. The Corals batters helped him out the next inning, however. Cipriano Delgudo led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, Yuan Li homered to give Key West a 3-2 lead. Miguel Catarino was the next reliever for the Corals. He was superb, just as he was in game six. This time he pitched 3⅔ shutout innings. With the score still 3-2 heading into the eighth, the Knights chances were fading. Brooklyn sent Ken Hannah to the mound to keep it close. Hannah retired the first two batters and then gave up back to back home runs to Adelmo Porcayo and Alonso Martucci. Once again, Almandeto Trillio came in to close out the game for the Corals in the ninth. The Knights needed three runs to tie, which was a very tall order against Trillio. With two outs, Hsiao-lou Yeh hit a solo homer but it was too little, too late. The Key West Corals won the game and the series. They are the NALB 2015 World Champions!

Final score: Key West 5, Brooklyn 3

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

W: B. Sarzosa
L: P. Portio
S: A. Trillio

The Brooklyn Knights were one win away from another World Championship. Playing at home, they had José Arisa starting against Jesús Martínez. This was the same pitching matchup that was featured in game two, which Brooklyn won 6-4.

A Lariel Goméz triple highlighted the first inning. Goméz scored the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly by Hsiao-lou Yeh. The Corals quickly tied the game in the second inning. With Adelmo Porcayo on first base, Martin Swader hit a double to even the score. The Corals bats were active again in the third inning. Matthew Loy singled and Yuan Li doubled. The Knights intentionally walked Porcayo to load the bases with one out. Alonso Martucci hit a double over the head of left fielder Ángel Santago to drive in two runs. The Corals took a 3-1 lead. Key West’s lead didn’t last long, however. In the bottom of the third, Yeh hit a two run home run to tie the game 3-3. An RBI single by Romeo Usquiano put the Knights up one in the fourth. Things unraveled for Arisa and the Knights in the fifth, however. Four singles led to two more runs by the Corals. That is where the score would stand, 5-4. The Corals mighty trio of Tim Sanders, Thornton Peters, and Almandeto Trillio pitched scoreless seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, respectively, to close out the win.

Final score: Key West 5, Brooklyn 4

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

W: M. Catarino
L: J. Arisa
S: A. Trillio

The 2015 World Championship Series has been quite entertaining. Knotted at two games apiece, it has featured fine pitching with flashes of home run power. Game five is typically a pivotal game in a seven game series. This was a rematch of the two excellent pitchers who started game one, Tony Tamayo and Ronaldo Mijangos.

The game was another low scoring affair. This time, however, Tamayo got the better of Mijangos. Hoping to spark more scoring, the Knights were aggressive running the bases. Unfortunately, Romeo Usquiano attempted three steals and was thrown out in all three attempts. Both starters pitched six innings but Tamayo did not surrender a run. The Knights scored in the second inning when Alberto Pescador tripled to right field. Ángel Santago added another run in the fourth with a solo home run. Alvino Flores scored the Knights third and final run of the game in the fifth off of a sacrifice fly by Lariel Gómez. Brooklyn’s bullpen took care of the last three innings and sealed the 3-0 shutout win. The series moves back to Brooklyn for game six with the Knights one win away from another championship.

Final score: Brooklyn 3, Key West 0

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

W: T. Tamayo
L: R. Mijangos
S: B. Clark

Down two games to one, this was a critical home game for the Key West Corals. The start fell to Whitney Sanders (10-10, 3.92 ERA), who won his last playoff outing for the Corals. The Knights had Aaron Patterson (11-7, 4.26 ERA) on the mound. Patterson saved Brooklyn from elimination in the League 1 Series when he pitched a gem against the Nashville Firecats.

Game four was a classic pitchers’ duel. There were only five hits between both teams. The Corals had but two hits but they were both home runs. Adelmo Porcayo hit the first homer in the second inning and Marvin Hearn added the second one in the fifth inning. Things looked secure for the Corals when superstar closer Almandeto Trillio (5-4, 48 SV, 1.73 ERA) came in to pitch the ninth with a 2-0 lead. The Knights made it interesting, however. After striking out the first two batters, Trillio walked Hsiao-lou Yeh and gave up a single to Ángel Santago. Yeh scored when second baseman Marvin Hearn committed an error, his second of the game. Flavio Marquez drew a walk to load the bases. Brooklyn’s comeback ended when Carlos Cardenas grounded out to the shortstop. The World Championship Series is now tied at two games apiece.

Final score: Key West 2, Brooklyn 1

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

W: W. Sanders
L: A. Patterson
S: A. Trillio

After a travel day, the series moved to Key West for game three. Pitching for the Knights was Porfírio ‘Spooky’ Portio (16-2, 3.62 ERA). For the Corals, the starter was Mario Torralbo (11-6, 3.45 ERA).

Brooklyn’s third baseman, Alberto Pescador got the Knights on the scoreboard first with a two-run home run in the second inning. Portio was pitching a shutout when he left in the third inning with shoulder pain. Darius Luxton, the Knights number five starter in their rotation, came on in relief. Luxton got more help from his offense when Hsiao-lou Yeh hit a two-run homer in the fifth. The Knights scored again in the sixth inning off of an Ángel Santago double. Luxton pitched extremely well and left in the seventh inning with a 5-0 lead. Júlio Guillén relived Luxton and gave up the Corals one and only run, a Marvin Hearn RBI single. The Brooklyn Knights take a 2-1 series lead thanks to solid play from their hitters and pitchers.

Final score: Brooklyn 5, Key West 1

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Brooklyn     0 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 0   5 12  0
Key West     0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0   1  8  0

W: D. Luxton
L: M. Torralbo

The Corals and Knights played the second game of the 2015 World Championship Series in Brooklyn. The Knights looked to Jose Arisa (18-6, 4.13 ERA) to help even the series. The Corals started Jesús Martínez(15-7, 3.46 ERA) and looked forward to the possibility of returning home up two games to none.

For the second straight game, there was scoring in the first inning. This time, however, it was the Brooklyn Knights’ turn. Blas Ramos led off with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch. The Corals’ power was on display again in game two. Right fielder Cipriano Delgudo hit a two run homer in the second to put Key West ahead. Adelmo Porcayo hit another home run in the third and the Corals had a 3-1 lead. Martínez couldn’t find the strike zone in the fourth inning. He gave up three walks, two singles, and hit a batter. It ended up a three run inning as Brooklyn took back its lead. With Miguel Catarino pitching for the Corals in the sixth, the Knights strung together a series of singles to score two more runs. Key West got its third homer of the game in the seventh when Matthew Loy hit an inside the park home run. The Brooklyn bullpen closed out the game with Kiyomizu in the eighth and Clark in the ninth. The only downside for the Knights was an injury to star right fielder Maurílio Godim. He strained an oblique muscle while making an amazing sliding catch. The injury will keep him out for the rest of the series.

Final score: Brooklyn 6, Key West 4

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

W: J. Arisa
L: J. Martínez
S: B. Clark

The NALB 2015 World Championship Series features two powerhouse teams—the Key West Corals (106-56) and the Brooklyn Knights (115-47). The last time two NALB teams with over 100 wins played for the championship was 2009 when the Knights faced the Stade Maples.

Pitching for Key West in the opener was Ronaldo ‘Groove Thing’ Mijangos (21-7, 2.72 ERA). Mijangos started his major league career with the Corals in 2004. After six seasons in Key West, he signed as a free agent with the Knights. His four seasons in Brooklyn produced a 56-30 record. He returned to the Corals in 2015 and delivered another terrific season. The Knights starter in game one was Tony Tamayo (18-7, 3.59 ERA), a 25 year old righty with a 98 mph fastball and a devastating curveball. Tamayo led the NALB in strikeouts this season with 273, a personal best.

Both teams are known for good hitting and power hitting in particular. The Corals put that power to good use in the opener. An infield single by Ricardo Gonzaléz started the game. He scored on a Yuan Li double. Next, third baseman Adelmo Porcayo blasted a shot to left field, which traveled over 470 feet. Key West had a quick 3-0 lead. The Knights scratched out a run in the fifth inning thanks in part to an error by Porcayo. They could manage no more scoring against Corals pitching, however. Catcher Matthew Loy hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to provide extra insurance for the formidable Corals bullpen. Key West had won the first game on the road. One point of note was Tony Tamayo’s amazing 13 strikeout performance, which set a new NALB playoff record.

Final score: Key West 4, Brooklyn 1

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

W: R. Mijangos
L: T. Tamayo
S: A. Trillio

2015 League 2 Series - St. James Crusaders (83-79) vs. Key West Corals (106-56)

Game 1: Key West 12, St. James 4
Game 2: St. James 3, Key West 3
Game 3: Key West 4, St. James 0
Game 4: St. James 7, Key West 1
Game 5: St. James 2, Key West 1
Game 6: Key West 6, St. James 1
Game 7: Key West 6, St. James 5

There was increased fan interest in St. James this season as the Crusaders reached the playoffs for the first time in thirteen seasons. A lot of the credit goes to rookie manager Paddy Willis. If the Crusaders were a bit of a surprise in 2015, no one was surprised with the success of the Key West Corals. Led by legendary manager Piero Snell, the Corals had League 2’s best pitching staff and best offense. They were a powerhouse team, which won 106 games.

The Crusaders Cory Gregory (13-9, 3.66 ERA) got the first postseason start of his career. The Corals felt confident at home with the league’s best pitcher, Ronaldo ‘Groove Thing’ Mijangos (21-7, 2.72 ERA), on the mound. The Corals flexed their muscles with five home runs, including two by third baseman Adelmo Porcayo. Key West looked nearly unstoppable as they cruised to a 12-4 win in game one.

In game two, the Crusaders started Anastasio Urbáez (10-14, 4.29 ERA) against the Corals Whitney Sanders (10-10, 3.92 ERA). The Corals put up two runs in the first inning before the pitchers settled in. The Crusaders tied the game in the eighth. Catcher MacMorris Holter hit a solo home run in the ninth as St. James evened the series with a 3-2 victory.

Crusaders fans looked to give their team a lift as the series shifted to St. James. Key West started the reliable Mario Torralbo (11-6, 3.45 ERA) while St. James started Wen Xiong (16-11, 3.25 ERA). Game three was very well pitched on both sides. Xiong pitched eight innings and gave up two runs. Torralbo was a bit better, however. He lasted seven innings but gave up only two hits and no walks while striking out nine. The Corals prevailed 4-0.

Not wanting to waste opportunities at home, the Crusaders looked to rebound in game four. Jesús Martínez (15-7, 3.46 ERA) was named the starter for the Corals. The Crusaders opted for Cory Gregory to start his second game of the series. Thanks to ten hits and nine walks plus solid pitching, St. James easily cruised to a 7-1 win.

Game five was the last game in St. James and the Crusaders made it count. Mijangos vs. Urbáez was a great pitching duel. Each pitcher surrendered only a single run and the game went into extra innings. In the bottom of the 13th inning, second baseman Brett Scheer singled home the winning run. Crusaders 2, Corals 1.

In Key West, there was a nervous energy in the stadium for game six. The fans knew their beloved Corals were one loss away from ending a magical season that produced 106 regular season wins. Thankfully for them, their team had no such jitters. Whitney Sanders out-pitched Wen Xiong as Key West convincingly defeated St. James 6-1. The Corals had 14 hits and 3 home runs to go along with excellent pitching.

With everything on the line in game seven, the Crusaders started Cory Gregory for the third time. The Corals went with proven veteran Mario Torralbo as their starting pitcher. An error by center fielder José Hernández cost the Crusaders in the first inning. It contributed to a three run inning for the Corals. The Crusaders came back, however, tying the game 4-4 in the top of the sixth. The Corals quickly took the lead back in the bottom half of the sixth. An error by Crusaders shortstop helped the Corals put two more runs on the board. Down 6-4 in the ninth inning, St. James staged a comeback. They pulled within a run and had a baserunner on third with no outs. Key West’s star closer, Almandeto Trillio, struck out three batters in a row to seal the 6-5 win. The Corals won the series, four games to three.

For his fine play, even in a losing effort, St. James third baseman Hsiao-lou Yuan was given the series Most Valuable Player Award. He hit .406, scored 4 runs and batted in 4 to win the honor.

2015 League 1 Series - Nashville Firecats (90-72) vs. Brooklyn Knights (115-47)

Game 1: Nashville 9, Brooklyn 6
Game 2: Nashville 11, Brooklyn 8
Game 3: Nashville 5, Brooklyn 4
Game 4: Brooklyn 9, Nashville 1
Game 5: Brooklyn 5, Nashville 3
Game 6: Brooklyn 9, Nashville 2
Game 7: Brooklyn 5, Nashville 4

After failing to make the playoffs in 2014, the Firecats replaced manager Tom Jennings with Tim Mordaunt. For the last five years, Mordaunt managed the St. James Crusaders. Prior to that, he spent four seasons in Quebeck with the Sky Chiefs. He had never led a team to a division title until this year. The defending World Champion Brooklyn Knights won another division title decisively. After notching 105 wins in 2014, the Knights improved on that with 115 wins this season. This series was a matchup of the top two scoring teams in League 1.

Game one kicked off the series in Brooklyn. The Firecats started Terrence Steinman (12-11, 4.98 ERA) while the Knights had the league’s top strikeout pitcher on the mound, Tony Tamayo (18-7, 3.59 ERA). Hits were plentiful and the game went into extra innings tied at six runs apiece. John Edwards had a game-changing at-bat for Nashville in the 11th inning with two out. Edwards hit a 2-1 fastball from Bris Clark for a go-ahead single. Nashville went on to win 9-6.

The Firecats looked to build a 2-0 series lead behind starter Steve Towell (15-10, 3.77 ERA). The Knights hoped to get their first series win with José Arisa (18-6, 4.13 ERA). It was a hitter’s game early on and both starting pitchers were gone before the fourth inning ended. After three innings, Brooklyn led 8-5. The hometown fans’ hopes were dashed in the seventh inning. Nashville’s batters pounded out hit after hit, which led to six runs. The Firecats prevailed 11-8.

The Knights desperately needed a win in game three. Porfírio Portio (16-2, 3.62 ERA) got the road start while veteran Neil Synder (14-7, 4.06 ERA) had the advantage of pitching at home in Nashville. It was an exciting game. The Firecats tied in 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth. Nashville won the game in the bottom of the 12th inning. With one out and Ken Hannah on the mound for Brooklyn, center fielder José Rubiales hit a dramatic solo home run, bringing Firecats fans to their feet.

Down 3-0 in the series, Brooklyn had to win four in a row to prevail. Young starter Aaron Patterson (11-7, 4.26 ERA) was under a lot of pressure to pitch well. Nashville tried to close out the series with Terrence Steinman getting his second start. The Knights delivered a standout performance. They scored four runs in the first and another four runs in the second. Patterson was terrific. He pitched into the seventh inning and struck out eight batters while allowing only one run. Knights first baseman Hsiao-lou Yeh was named player of the game in the 9-1 win after he was 3-3 with a grand slam, 2 singles, and 2 walks, while scoring 2 times and driving in 4.

Although the Firecats had a 3-1 series lead, they didn’t appear loose. With game five being their last chance to clinch at home, they felt the pressure not to lose and send the series back to Brooklyn. The pitching matchup was Tamayo vs. Towell. The game was tied 1-1 going into the fifth inning. That is when the Knights struck for four runs. Alexis Schmidt aided the Brooklyn cause with a 3-run home run and the Knights finished the inning up 5-1. The Firecats scored a couple of runs in the seventh but ended up falling 5-3.

Game six moved back to Brooklyn with Nashville leading three games to two. Chris Nelson (7-3, 3.77 ERA) got his first start of the series for the Firecats. José Arisa took the mound for the Knights for the second time. The Brooklyn Knights looked like a team that won 115 games in the regular season. Up 4-2, they added five more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Brooklyn designated hitter Alexis Schmidt was named player of the game in the win after he was 3 for 4 with a double and 2 singles. He scored 3 times.

Game seven meant it was winner take all. The starters were the same as in game three—Synder vs. Portio. The Knights came out aggressively to begin the game. They scored three runs in the first inning and added another run in the second. Brooklyn fans may have hoped for a blowout but it was not to be. The Firecats tied the game in the top of the third with four runs of their own. The score was 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth when Knights first baseman Hsiao-lou Yeh led off the inning with a walk off home run to win the game and the series.

The Most Valuable Player Award went to Brooklyn first baseman Hsiao-lou Yeh. He batted .393 in the series, collecting 9 RBIs and scoring 7 runs.