Schimpf, Meacham Honored by Blue Jays
MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Toronto Blue Jays have honored two Fisher Cats for outstanding 2015 seasons. The parent club of the Fisher Cats named infielder Ryan Schimpf the team's R. Howard Webster Award winner while manager Bobby Meacham was lauded for his efforts in developing his players at the Double-A level.
Schimpf took home MVP honors for the Fisher Cats despite playing in just 76 of a possible 140 games thanks to multiple stints in Triple-A Buffalo. He hit .271 with 20 home runs, which tied for the Eastern League lead. He added 20 doubles, 56 RBI, and 42 walks. He also ranked third in the league in slugging (.581) and OPS (.959) while compiling just 258 at-bats.
The seventh-year pro from Louisiana State University added his name to the record books on July 3 when he belted two home runs in Portland to become the franchise's all-time home run king. In parts of four seasons with New Hampshire, Schimpf has belted 66 home runs in a mere 285 games.
Meacham completed his second season with the Fisher Cats - his third with the Blue Jays organization - by winning the Bobby Mattick Award for excellence in player development. The Blue Jays said the following about Meacham in their announcement of the award:
In his 2nd season as manager of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Santa Ana, California native has proven invaluable to many Blue Jays farmhands. Following a six year playing career as the New York Yankees shortstop, Meacham has developed his skills as a premier field manager and infield instructor in a coaching career that began in 1991. Since joining the Blue Jays in 2013 he has a major impact on such players as Dalton Pompey, Jon Berti, Andy Burns, Derrick Chung and Roemon Fields. His experience, teaching ability and overall dedication is emblematic of what the Mattick award stands for, making Bobby a deserving winner.
Meacham guided the Fisher Cats to a 69-71 record and won his 500th career game as a manager in April.