Black, Thompson earn top league honors
Black leads the Carolina League with a .319 batting average. The Carmel, Ind., native also sits in second place in runs batted in with 83 and fifth in home runs with 17. In a CL-high 125 games, Black paces all hitters with 154 hits, 81 runs scored and 237 total bases.
A 14th-round pick in 2009 by Chicago, Black becomes the second straight Dash slugger to pick up the Carolina League's top offensive honor. Ian Gac hit .279 with 33 homers and 93 RBI en route to the MVP award in 2011.
Thompson took home the third Manager of the Year honor in the Dash's four-year history in his debut season as Winston-Salem's boss. Joe McEwing, who is currently the White Sox third-base coach, also accomplished the feat in 2009 and 2010, his two seasons in the Carolina League.
In Winston-Salem history, Black becomes the 10th hitter to win the MVP award and the seventh since 1990. Including Thompson, nine skippers have been named Manager of the Year while leading Winston-Salem.
Black and Thompson have been integral parts of Winston-Salem's rise to the top record in the Carolina League and the second-best record among full-season minor league teams. Entering Thursday's action, the Dash boast an 83-50-1 mark. The squad is on pace for 86 victories, which would be tied for the second-highest win total since Winston-Salem joined the Carolina League as a charter member in 1945.
League managers, general managers and media members voted on these awards along with the year-end All-Star team, which featured five Dash players.
The Dash conclude their regular season home slate with games Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. against Lynchburg at BB&T Ballpark. Call (336) 714-2287, log on to wsdash.com or visit the Dash's box office outside BB&T Ballpark from noon to 5 p.m. daily to secure your seats.