FRONTIER LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 2022 AWARDS
The Frontier League announces its awards for the 2022 Season. This season's awards are headlined by Tri-City's infielder, Brantley Bell, who was named the Most Valuable Player. Quebec Capitales starting pitcher Miguel Cienfuegos has won the Pitcher of the Year Award. The Jason Simontacchi Award for Rookie of the Year goes to Washington Wild Thing's Kobe Foster. The Washington Wild Things have been selected the Organization of the Year. Charles Demers of the Quebec Capitales has been awarded the Bob Wolfe Executive of the Year award.
The Morgan Burkhart Most Valuable Player Award goes to Brantley Bell of the Tri-City ValleyCats. Bell is in his first season with the Frontier League. Before coming to Tri-City, he pleayed in the Cinncinati Reds minor league system . Where his best season was in 2021. Where he had 47 hits, one homerun and 17 RBI. Bell was also voted as an All-Star at the 2022 All-Star Game.
Quebec Capitales pitcher Miguel Cienfuegos has won the Brian Tollberg Award as the League's Most Valuable Pitcher. This is Cienfuegos second season with the Frontier League as well as his second season with the Capitales. In 2021, he had a 9-6 record with a 3.78 ERA, with 80 strikeouts and only 25 walks. Cienfuegos was also selected to the 2022 Frontier League All-Star team.
Kobe Foster of the Washington Wild Things has won the Jason Simontacchi Rookie of the Year Award. Foster has an 8-1 record this season for Washington. He has 51 strikeouts and has only allowed 7 earned runs and 15 walks with a 1.00 ERA. Before coming to the Frontier League, he attended Tennessee Wesleyan University for three years where his best season came in 2022 where he had a 13-1 record, a 1.42 ERA with 139 strikeouts.
Washington Wild Things Tom Vaeth wins the Roger Hanners Award for Manager of the Year. He led the Wild Things to a 58-34 record and a Frontier League Western Division Title. This is Vaeth's first Manager of the Year honor, in only his second year managing the Wild Things.
The Fran Riordan Citizenship Award goes to Kenny Williams of the Ottawa Titans. Martin Boyce, General manager of the Ottawa Titans, nominated Williams. Boyce states in his letter, "Kenny Williams immediately established himself as the backbone of the expansion Ottawa Titans. Kenny volunteered for numerous community events and coordinated two camps for over 200 kids at Ottawa Stadium. There is no one that can match Kenny's desire to be around the game of baseball and do whatever it takes to empower those around him to love the game as much as he does." The Fran Riordan Award is named for the Frontier League Hall of Famer that is the current Manager of the Oakland A's AAA team in Las Vegas.
The Frontier League's Organization of the Year Award goes to the Washington Wild Things as voted by other organizations throughout the League. The Wild Things became the fastest team to win 1000 wins in Frontier League history. This is Washinton's fourth Organization of the Year award with the others being 2002, 2004, and 2005. They joined the League in 2002. 2022 is their 20th Season and recently hosted the 2022 All Star Game.
Charles Demers, General Manager of the Quebec Capitales, receives his first Bob Wolfe Executive of the Year Award. The Capitales currently lead the East Division. Demers is completing his third season as the Capitales G.M.
Here is a full List of the Award Winners for this season:
Most Valuable Player (Morgan Burkhart Award) –Brantley Bell, Tri-City ValleyCats
Pitcher of the Year (Brian Tollberg Award) – Miguel Cienfuegos, Quebec Capitales
Rookie of the Year (Jason Simontacchi Award) – Kobe Foster, Washington Wild Things
Citizen of the Year (Fran Riordan Award) – Kenny Williams, Ottawa Titans
Manager of the Year (Roger Hanners Award) – Tom Vaeth, Washington Wild Things
Coach of the Year (Darren Bush Award) – Robert Carson, Quebec Capitales
1B – Dalton Combs, New Jersey
2B – Brantley Bell, Tri-City
3B – Brylie Ware, Joliet
SS – Nick Ward, Washington
C – Jeffry Parra, Quebec
OF – Josh Rehwaldt, New Jersey
OF – David Vinsky, New York
OF – L.P. Pelletier, Troi-Rivières
DH – Denis Phipps- Tri-City
SP – Miguel Cienfuegos, Quebec
RP -Logan Sawyer, Evansville
Organization of the Year – Washington Wild Things
Executive of the Year (Bob Wolfe Award) – Charles Demers, Quebec Capitales
Athletic Trainer of the Year –Mandy Flaig, Evansville Otters
Broadcaster of the Year (Robert Ford Award) – Tim Calderwood, Schaumburg Boomers
Clubbie of the Year (Sam Hartsfield Award) – Cameron Ellison, Evansville Otters
Writer of the Year – Carl Tardiff- Le Soleil – Quebec
Umpire of the Year – Mike O'Leary
Field of the Year - Wintrust Field
The Frontier League of Professional Baseball is an official Partner League of Major League Baseball and the largest of its kind in professional baseball. The Frontier League features 16 teams and has moved over 1,000 players to MLB (Major League Baseball) Teams in its 29-year history. Please visit www.frontierleague.com.
