Ryan Goins Named Fisher Cats MVP

Shortstop Ryan Goins turned in arguably the best season of his career in 2012, and the Toronto Blue Jays took notice.  The Blue Jays named Goins the Fisher Cats' R. Howard Webster Award winner as the team's Most Valuable Player.
 
Goins was a staple in the line-up for manager Sal Fasano nearly every day in the 2012 campaign.  The Texan appeared in a team-best 136 games, leading the Eastern League with 158 hits and 546 at-bats.  Goins tied a franchise record with his hit total, the most ever by a left-handed hitter.  He also set a single-month record with 41 hits during May.
 
On the year, he batted .289 with seven home runs and 61 RBI.  He led the club with 33 doubles and four triples, and ranked second in runs batten in.  He also finished atop the entire league with 19 sacrifice bunts.
 
Just as impressively, Goins played spectacular defense, regularly making diving plays to his left and right.  His most impressive feats in the field, however, saw him gun down multiple runners at home plate on well-executed relay throws from the shallow outfield.
 
An Eastern League All-Star, Goins will participate in the 2012 Arizona Fall League.
 
Joining Goins as a 2012 Webster winner was his Fisher Cats shortstop predecessor Adeiny Hechavarria, who is in the big leagues after a dominating stint with Triple-A Las Vegas.  One-time Fisher Cats reliever Danny Barnes took home the MVP honors for Dunedin (Advanced A) while starter Justin Nicolino earned the distinction for Class A Lansing.  Righties Javier Avendano of Vancouver (Short Season A) and Alberto Tirado of the rookie-level Gulf Coast League joined shortstops Christian Lopes (Bluefield, Advanced Rookie) and Ronald Segovia (Dominican Summer League) as the short-season winners.