Results tagged ‘ MVP ’
Why The Dash Are Thankful
Thanksgiving week is here, and the Dash wish you and yours a tremendous holiday weekend. We are thankful for so much, so we wanted to share some of these things with you, our loyal readers.
The Dash are thankful for…
- all 305,515 fans who visited BB&T Ballpark for the 2012 season.
- an All-Star season, capped by a 9-1 victory in the Midsummer Classic.
- having the MVP (Dan Black) and the Manager of the Year (Tommy Thompson) in Winston-Salem.
- the decimal .630. It was the Dash’s 2012 winning percentage, good for the best in full-season minor league baseball.
- large windows in the control room so that they can see T-Rock bust a move to “Tricky” and “Call Me Maybe.”
- Brady Shoemaker’s first-half dominance.
- Kevan Smith’s playoff prowess.
- having the opportunity to see highly-touted prospects Jackie Bradley, Dylan Bundy, Billy Hamilton and George Springer, among others, play at BB&T Ballpark.
- the potential of the 2013 squad, with players like Courtney Hawkins, Erik Johnson, Scott Snodgress and Keenyn Walker candidates to begin the season in the Triad.
- the fact that things like Bolt, Lemonheads, ZOOperstars mean something to folks in Winston-Salem.
- a beautiful ballpark that features family-friendly entertainment all summer long.
- the 2013 season, which is just 136 days away.
Have a tremendous Thanksgiving, and thank you so much for reading this blog all season long. Enjoy your turkey.
- Brian
Dash Top 10: #6 – Dash Dominate Postseason Awards
Dan Black and the Dash were well-represented on the year-end All-Star roster (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
This is the fifth installment of the “Dash Top 10,” where we rehash the top 10 moments from the Dash’s historic 2012 season. Stay tuned to the Dash Board Blog for the rest of the series over the next few days.
Previous Top 10 Moments:
#10: Second-half clinch
#9: Hankerd’s walk-off
#8: 10-game win streak
#7: 5-run 9th sinks Salem
Moment #6 (August 30): Dan Black and Tommy Thompson take home top league honors, while five Dash swingers earn year-end All-Star spots.
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This is the only Top 10 moment that did not take place on the field, but it probably embodies the Dash’s 2012 success better than any other moment this season.
On an otherwise typical Thursday morning, the Carolina League made an announcement that simply confirmed what everyone already knew: Winston-Salem was the circuit’s signature team this season.
First baseman Dan Black earned the CL’s Most Valuable Player award, and skipper Tommy Thompson took home the Manager of the Year honor. Black also joined four other Winston whackers on the year-end All-Star squad.
Carlos Sanchez was the All-Star second baseman, while Michael Earley, Brady Shoemaker and Trayce Thompson all made the squad as outfielders.
These five men, along with the other 52 who donned the Dash purple this season, helped Winston-Salem reach new heights in 2012. Winston posted the franchise’s second-best record since joining the CL 67 years ago. The Dash churned out a league-leading 21 double-digit run outputs. They led the Carolina League in almost every relevant offensive statistic, too.
Sure, a plethora of dangerous hitters helped the Dash to the Mills Cup Finals, but Tommy Thompson’s managing was critical, too. Tommy seemingly pushed the right button all the time, and his attitude rubbed off on every player in the dugout.
The Dash dominated the Carolina League, so it is no surprise they had the strongest presence when the league office announced these postseason awards. It was an incredible season for these six men and the Dash as a whole.
We will present the Dash’s fifth-best moment from the 2012 campaign tomorrow, and it involved some celebration. Have a good Friday night.
- Brian
Black, Thompson Added To Prestigious List
Dan Black blasted his way to the CL’s MVP award (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash)
Winston-Salem has had the top record in the Carolina League locked up for almost a week, so it should be no surprise that the Dash dominated the year-end awards, as you can see on wsdash.com.
The Dash also took home two of the top three honors on the circuit. First baseman Dan Black earned the Carolina League Most Valuable Player award, while skipper Tommy Thompson is the Manager of the Year.
Now, the duo joins these prestigious lists:
MVP winners in Winston-Salem history:
1951 – Ray Jablonski
1960 – Ed Olivares
1966 – Robbie Snow
1990 – Gary Scott
1991 – Pete Castellano
1993 – Bubba Smith
1998 – Joe Crede
2005 – Leo Daigle
2011 – Ian Gac
2012 – Dan Black
Manager of the Year winners in Winston-Salem history:
1960 – George Kissell
1964 – Bill Slack
1976 – Tony Torchia
1979 – Bill Slack
1986 – Jim Essian
1998 – Chris Cron
2009 – Joe McEwing
2010 – Joe McEwing
2012 – Tommy Thompson
Here are a few trends based on those lists: Winston has had the Manager of the Year in three of its four years as the Dash, and the franchise has won the MVP honor seven times since 1990.
Congrats to Dan and Tommy for their well-deserved awards.
- Brian
