Tigers are Topps in Minor Leagues

Toledo Mud Hens slugger Mike Hessman on Tuesday was named one of the winners of the George M. Trautman Awards, given annually by the Topps Company to players of the year in Minor League Baseball's 16 affiliated leagues.

As a result of deadlocked voting in two leagues, there are 18 recipients, including two players apiece from the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Devil Rays organizations.

Hessman was of the Tigers farmhands honored after leading the Interntional League with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs. The other was outfielder Gorkys Hernandez of the West Michigan Whitecaps, who was cited in the Midwest League after swiping 54 bases and scoring 84 runs. Hernandez was traded Monday to the Atlanta Braves organization.

The Pacific Coast League award went to Geovany Soto of the Iowa Cubs, who led all catchers with a .353 batting average, 26 homers and 109 RBIs.

2007 Topps Minor League Players of the Year League IL PCL EAS SOU   TEX CAL CAR FSL MWL SAL NYP NWL   APP PIO GCL AZL Player Mike Hessman Geovany Soto Jordan Brown Evan Longoria Christopher Mason Chase Headley Bubba Bell Mitch Einertson Josh Kreuzer Gorkys Hernandez John Raynor Dylan Owen Matthew Downs Luis Durango Ozzie Lewis Clint Robinson Alfredo Silverio Anthony Norman Club Toledo Iowa Akron Montgomery Montgomery San Antonio Lancaster Salem Dunedin W. Michigan Greensboro Brooklyn Salem-Keizer Eugene Elizabethton Idaho Falls Dodgers Angels MLB Team DET CUB CLE TB TB SD BOS HOU TOR DET FLA NYM SF SD MIN KC LAD LAA

Montgomery Biscuits teammates Evan Longoria and Chris Mason (Devil Rays) shared the award in the Double-A Southern League. Longoria batted .307 with a .403 on-base percentage, 21 dingers and 76 RBIs while scoring 78 runs. Mason, a 23-year-old right-hander, went 15-4 with a 2.57 ERA during his breakout season with the two-time Southern League champions.

The other winners at the Double-A level were San Antonio Missions third baseman Chase Headley (Padres), who led the Texas League in batting (.330) and on-base percentage (.437), and Akron Aeros first baseman Jordan Brown (Indians), the Eastern League batting champion.

California League winner Bubba Bell (Red Sox) batted .370 in 76 games for the Lancaster JetHawks. Also winning at the Class A Advanced level were Mitch Einertson (Astros) of the Salem Avalanche in the Carolina League and Josh Kreuzer (Blue Jays) of the Dunedin Blue Jays in the Florida State League.

Trautman Award winner John Raynor of the Greensboro Grasshoppers led the South Atlantic League in runs scored (110) and stolen bases (54) while finishing in the top three in batting (.333) and on-base percentage (.429).

New York-Penn League recipient Dylan Owen (Mets) joined Mason as the only pitchers to be cited after going 9-1 with a 1.49 ERA with the Brooklyn Cyclones.

The other short-season honorees were Salem-Keizer Volcanoes infielder Matt Downs (Giants) and Eugene Emeralds outfielder Luis Durango (Padres), who were named co-Players of the Year in the Northwest League.

In the Rookie League ranks, Elizabethton Twins outfielder Ozzie Lewis (Twins) batted .323 with nine homers and 50 RBIs in the Appalachian League, while Idaho Falls Chukars first baseman Clint Robinson (Royals) hit .336 with 15 long balls and 66 RBIs in the Pioneer League. In the Gulf Coast League, Alfredo Silverio (Dodgers) led all Minor Leaguers with a .373 batting average and Anthony Norman (Angels) wasn't far behind with a .362 mark in the Arizona League.