Cast your vote to determine this year’s winner
(Central Islip, N.Y., Sept. 1, 2014) – The Long Island Ducks and Delmonte-Smelson Jewelers have teamed up once again to present the 2014 Delmonte-Smelson/Long Island Ducks MVP Award. Fans can vote from now through Friday, September 19 for the Duck they believe should be this year’s Most Valuable Player.
To cast your ballot for this year’s MVP award, please CLICK HERE and select who you think the winner should be. The player with the most fan votes will receive a commemorative gift from Delmonte-Smelson Jewelers and be presented with his award prior to the Ducks game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Sunday, September 21, which is Pepsi Fan Appreciation Day.
The following are this year’s nominees (stats through August 31):
Outfielder Adam Bailey: Bailey, in his second season with the Flock, has been an outstanding contributor all over the field. At the plate, he is ninth in the Atlantic League with a .304 batting average, tied for second in the league in home runs with 18 and tied for third in the league in RBI with 81. Bailey is also fifth in the league in slugging percentage at .507 and has compiled 22 doubles and four triples. Defensively, the 26-year-old has committed just three errors all season and has six outfield assists. Bailey’s efforts this season earned him a spot in the Atlantic League All-Star Game in Sugar Land, Texas.
Pitcher Bobby Blevins: Blevins has been one of the most consistent starters in the Ducks rotation. The third-year Duck ranks second in the Atlantic League in innings pitched (164.1) and complete games (3) and sits third in ERA (2.85) and games started (23). The right-hander has a 9-3 record in 2014 with 99 strikeouts and just 25 walks. Entering September, Blevins has tossed 11 consecutive quality starts and has not lost a game since June 29 against York.
Pitcher John Brownell: Brownell, who won the 2013 Delmonte-Smelson/Long Island Ducks MVP Award, has put together another strong campaign for the Ducks. The right-hander leads the Atlantic League in innings pitched (173.2), complete games (5) and games started (25). In addition, he ranks second in the league in wins (12) and strikeouts (117). Brownell has compiled a 12-8 record with a 3.73 ERA and has held opponents to a .258 batting average.
Outfielder/Hitting Coach Lew Ford: Ford has been Long Island’s most consistent offensive producer in 2014. The franchise leader in batting average ranks second in the Atlantic League with a .343 batting average and leads the league in games played (120), hits (161) and doubles (36). The former big leaguer sits second in the league in runs (89) and on-base percentage (.414), third in RBI (81), total bases (241) and slugging percentage (.514), and fourth in extra-base hits (51) and at-bats (469). Defensively, he has not committed an error all season long. Ford was named the league’s Player of the Month for May after he led all Atlantic League regulars in batting average (.402), hits (47), total bases (75) and on-base percentage (.470). He was also chosen to play in the Atlantic League All-Star Game.
Pitcher Shaun Garceau: Garceau has put together a strong season in 2014, his first full year with the Ducks. The right-hander is tied for the league-lead in wins with 13 (Chris Schwinden, Lancaster) and has lost just three times. In addition, his 23 starts are tied for third-most in the Atlantic League, and his 142.2 innings pitched are good for fifth-most in the league. Garceau was named the league’s Pitcher of the Month in June after he won all five of his starts and posting a 2.60 ERA. The 2013 Atlantic League champion was also selected to play in this year’s Atlantic League All-Star Game in Sugar Land, Texas.
Pitcher Jared Lansford: Lansford, in his first season as a starter with the Ducks, has been superb on the mound. The righty has an 8-4 record with a 3.01 ERA, which is good for fourth in the Atlantic League, over 22 starts. His two complete games are tied for third-most in the league, and his 109 strikeouts rank third in the league. Lansford was named the league’s Pitcher of the Month in July after leading all Atlantic League starters with a 1.88 ERA. He has won each of his past four starts entering the month of September.
Outfielder Fehlandt Lentini: Lentini has been a steady force in the Ducks lineup this season. The outfielder leads the Atlantic League in at-bats this season with 509 and ranks second in hits with 159 and stolen bases with 44. In fact, Lentini has yet to be caught stealing on any of his attempts this year. He also sits third in the league in games played (117), runs (86) and doubles (32), fourth in batting average (.312) and fifth in total bases (215). The all-time Independent baseball stolen base leader put together a pair of 21-game hitting streaks this season as well, the longest hitting streaks by a Duck in 2014.
Pitcher Brett Lorin: Lorin has been one of the strongest arms in the Ducks bullpen all season long. The righty leads all active Ducks pitchers with a 2.02 ERA and ranks second on the team in games pitched with 44 (Eric Niesen, 51). In 44.1 innings of work, the first-year Duck has struck out 31 batters while walking only 15, and he has held opponents to a .251 batting average.
Infielder Dan Lyons: Lyons, who is currently in his fourth season with the Ducks, has once again been a steady force at the plate and in the field. Primarily batting in the ninth spot of the order, he has totaled a .258 batting average with three home runs, 35 RBI, 85 hits, 14 doubles and a team-leading six triples in 101 games. He has also displayed his great speed once again, swiping all 12 bases he has attempted to steal. Defensively, Lyons has continued to show great range at shortstop and continues to be one of the best defensive infielders in the Atlantic League.
Infielder Cody Puckett: Puckett has impressed at the plate in his first season with the Ducks. The second baseman is batting .287 on the year and ranks second on the team in games played (118), third in hits (141) and RBI (68) and fourth in runs (58). Puckett put together a 29-game on-base streak from May 6 to June 6, the longest on-base streak by a Duck this season. In addition, he was recently named the Atlantic League’s Player of the Week for the week of August 18-24 after he compiled a .484 batting average (15 hits in 31 at-bats), drove in nine runs and earned four multi-hit games.
The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. For further information, call (631) 940-DUCK or visit www.liducks.com.
###