Here are North American League Baseball’s prestigious individual award winners for 2017.

League 1
Outstanding Batter Award: Manuel Montaya (Luisville Beasts)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Tony Tamayo (Brooklyn Knights)
Reliever of the Year Award: Joe Farrell (St. Rock Mudcats)
Newcomer of the Year: Erasmo Glade (Dayton Grizzlies)
Manager of the Year: Kevin Fields (Brooklyn Knights)

Platinum Stick Award Winners
Catcher: Luís Ellanos (Dayton Grizzlies)
First Baseman: Mabon Beniniger (Dunedin Otters)
Second Baseman: John Edwards (Nashville Firecats)
Third Baseman: Jason Raynor (Dayton Grizzlies)
Shortstop: Lariel Gómez (Brooklyn Knights)
Left Fielder: Yvon Chouinard (Luisville Beasts)
Center Fielder: Oscar Barrientes (St. Rock Mudcats)
Right Fielder: Leonard O’Marron (Luisville Beasts)
Designated Hitter: Manuel Montaya (Luisville Beasts)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Rey Alvarado (Dayton Grizzlies)
Catcher: Luís Ellanos (Cornfield Axemen)
First Baseman: Mabon Beniniger (Dunedin Otters)
Second Baseman: Jae-won So (Dayton Grizzlies)
Third Baseman: Moray Williams (Las Vegas Luck)
Shortstop: Morgan Kittle (Cornfield Axemen)
Left Fielder: Miguel Gaytán (St. Rock Mudcats)
Center Fielder: Romeo Usquiano (Brooklyn Knights)
Right Fielder: Juan Torres (Cornfield Axemen)

League 2
Outstanding Batter Award: Hsiao-lou Yuan (Vancouver Wild)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Heath MacKissock (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Reliever of the Year Award: Almandeto Trillio (Key West Corals)
Newcomer of the Year: Chi-ju Fong (Key West Corals)
Manager of the Year: Piero Snell (Key West Corals)

Platinum Stick Award Winners
Pitcher: Markus Wright (Phoenix Rattlers)
Catcher: Matthew Loy (Key West Corals)
First Baseman: Sancho Alguirre (Phoenix Rattlers)
Second Baseman: Fortunado Guedaz (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Third Baseman: Hsiao-lou Yuan (Vancouver Wild)
Shortstop: Lou Woodman (Stade Maples)
Left Fielder: Ángel Santago (Vancouver Wild)
Center Fielder: Carlos Tejera (Richmond Slam)
Right Fielder: Aramis Jáquez (Richmond Slam)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Logan MacImmey (St. James Crusaders)
Catcher: Morris Brown (Vancouver Wild)
First Baseman: Sancho Alguirre (Phoenix Rattlers)
Second Baseman: Ramiro Socastro (Washington Allies)
Third Baseman: Jesús Pacheco (Richmond Slam)
Shortstop: Carlos Cardenas (St. James Crusaders)
Left Fielder: Dorian Chivers (Washington Allies)
Center Fielder: Gilberto Malgoso (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Right Fielder: John Patterson (Phoenix Rattlers)

The 2017 NALB World Championship Series (WCS) was billed as David vs. Goliath. The Vancouver Wild were familiar with their role as David. The 2008 Vancouver Wild were giant killers when they won a mere 80 games in the regular season yet defeated the Brooklyn Knights to win the title. This season, the Wild were a low scoring team. They relied on winning low scoring games and a reliable closer in Matt Genge. This formula served them well in the League 2 Series. Vancouver won in six games and only allowed 13 runs.

After winning WCS game one by a score of 3-1, the Wild ran out of magic. Despite being competitive in every game except the game four blowout, they fell to the Brooklyn Knights in four straight games. The Knights were just about better in every phase of the game: hitting, fielding, and particularly bullpen pitching. Brooklyn won its 13th championship. This was also the first back-to-back champions since the Knights won consecutive titles 2010 through 2012.

Game 1: Vancouver 3, Brooklyn 1
Game 2: Brooklyn 4, Vancouver 2
Game 3: Brooklyn 7, Vancouver 5
Game 4: Brooklyn 8, Vancouver 0
Game 5: Brooklyn 2, Vancouver 0

Series MVP: 2B Haden Leventon (Brooklyn Knights)


Click the image for the NALB 2017 World Championship roster

After last night’s one-sided 8-0 defeat, the Vancouver Wild had one more game at home to turn things around. Down three games to one, The Wild needed a win to send the World Championship Series back to Brooklyn. They were up against the Knights strikeout king, Tony Tamayo (12-12, 2.94 ERA). Vancouver had their game one starter on the mound,
Ernesto Estero (10-10, 3.19 ERA). The Wild won the opener 3-1 and another pitching duel was expected for game five.

Fans hoping for great pitching were not disappointed. Both starters were outstanding. Estero lasted 6 innings and only gave up a single run. Tamayo was even better. He pitched a 3-hit gem across 8 innings, while striking out 10. A Pescador double in the second inning scored the game’s first run. The Knights added an unearned run off of closer Matt Genge in the ninth inning. That was the third error of the game for the Wild, which matched their hit total. Ken Hannah closed out the ninth to wrap up the World Championship for the Brooklyn Knights.

Final score: Brooklyn 2, Vancouver 0

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

W: T. Tamayo
L: E. Estero
S: K. Hannah

The weather in Vancouver was a bit nasty for game 4. The temperature was 52 degrees at the start of the game with winds gusting to 20 mph. It started raining in the fourth inning. By the fifth inning, the rain was heavy enough to warrant a rain delay, which lasted 60 minutes.

The starting pitchers were Brooklyn’s Aaron Patterson (11-6, 3.49 ERA) and Vancouver’s Nicholás Sanalria (2-6, 3.78 ERA). After a scoreless first inning, the rest of the game belonged to the Knights. Brooklyn was aided by an error from Wild first baseman Luís Oliuares, which contributed to four runs in the third inning. After three innings, Brooklyn had a comfortable 5-0 lead. In the seventh inning, the Wild committed another error. This time, it was center fielder Ed Gillum’s miscue that led to another Brooklyn run. The Knights erased any hopes for a Wild comeback in the ninth inning when Maurílio Godim hit a two-run homer.

Final score: Brooklyn 8, Vancouver 0

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

W: A. Patterson
L: N. Sanalria

The World Championship Series moved to Vancouver for game 3. The Knights started 30 year old right-hander José Arisa (9-6, 3.54 ERA) and the Wild started 31 year old veteran George Manzo (10-9, 4.16 ERA). Both of these pitchers feature splitters in their pitching arsenals and get a lot of ground balls.

The Knights put a couple of runs on the board in the second inning thanks to consecutive hits by Pescador, Conley, and Leventon. The Wild were unshaken, however. Showing plenty of confidence in front of a supportive home crowd, they scored three runs in the third. Ed Gillum led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run. Marc Keefe scored when Arisa was called for a balk and Darwin Soto drove in Ángel Santago to give Vancouver a 3-2 lead. There was more excitement in the sixth inning as Brooklyn retook the lead. First, Dan Conley scored on an RBI triple by Leventon. Arisa was pulled for pinch hitter Hooks Goetz, who delivered a sac fly to score the runner from third base. The Knights had regained the lead at 4-3. The lead didn’t last long. With Bernard Gastelu on the mound in the bottom of the sixth, Soto led off with a triple. Hideaki Araki followed with a single to tie the game. A Chris Cluff double and Ed Gillum single added another run to make it 5-4 Vancouver. The Knights tied the game again in the seventh with an RBI double from Lariel Gómez. Romeo Usquiano put the Knights ahead for good in the ninth with a solo homer. Pescador drew a bases loaded walk to give Brooklyn an insurance run. Ken Hannah came on to save the game.

It was the 3-hit performance of shortstop Lariel Gómez that led the way for the Brooklyn Knights. Gómez was 3 for 3 with a double, 2 singles, a walk, and was hit by a pitch for the Knights, who now lead the best-of-7 series, 2 games to 1. There were a couple of injuries in the game. Vancouver’s shortstop, Phil Murray, was injured in a collision at second base. Brooklyn’s reliever Bernard Gastelu strained a hamstring while pitching. Both players will be out for the remainder of the WCS.

Final score: Brooklyn 7, Vancouver 5

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Brooklyn     0 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 2   7 11  0
Vancouver    0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 0   5 10  0

W: A. Mobley
L: V. West
S: K. Hannah