Sea Dogs Announce 2012 Team Awards
The 2012 award winners are:
Most Valuable Player: Bryce Brentz
Pitcher of the Year: Chris Hernandez
10th Player Award: Jeremy Kehrt
Citizen of the Year: Matt Spring
Most Valuable Player- Bryce Brentz 122 G, .296 AVG, 30 2B, 17 HR, 76 RBI
Brentz, 23, appeared in a team high 122 games for the Sea Dogs hitting .296 (135-for-456) with 17 home runs and 76 RBI this season. He led the team in average (.296), hits (135), doubles (30), and RBI (76) while ranking second on the team with 17 home runs. The Tennessee native would become the first Portland Sea Dog to ever record two five-hit games; both came in his Eastern League Player of the Month campaign in May. He garnered Eastern League Player of the Week honors twice (May 28-June 3 and August 20-26) and was selected to participate in the Eastern League All-Star Game in July. The Red Sox fifth ranked prospect by Baseball America earned a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket on August 30th. Last season, Brentz was selected as the Red Sox Co-Offensive Minor League Player of the Year. Brentz was the Red Sox second pick (sandwich pick between the first and second rounds, 36th overall) in the 2010 First-Year Player.
Pitcher of the Year: Chris Hernandez 18 GS, 4-8, 3.13 ERA, 103.2 IP, 60 SO
Chris Hernandez was the most consistent solid pitcher for the Sea Dogs throughout the season. He posted a 4-8 record with a team best ERA of 3.13 in 18 starts for the Sea Dogs this season. The 23 year-old was selected to participate in the Eastern League All-Star game and earned a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket on July 20th. At the time of his promotion, Hernandez ranked in the top ten in the league in ERA. The Miami, Florida native turned-in five quality starts for the Sea Dogs. Hernandez was the victim of low run support throughout the season, getting an average of only 3.1 runs per game. Hernandez threw over 103 innings and fanned 60 batters with the Sea Dogs. He was selected by the Red Sox in the seventh round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
10th Player of the Year: Jeremy Kehrt 25 G, 14 GS, 8-3 4.15, 108.1 IP, 66 SO
Jeremy Kehrt, 26, accepted any role needed to help the team and excelled. He appeared in 25 games for the Sea Dogs; 14 as a starter and 11 out of the bullpen. He produced a team high eight wins in notching an 8-3 record with a 4.15 ERA. As a reliever he posted a 2-0 record, while as a member of the Sea Dogs starting rotation he compiled a 6-3 record with a 3.58 ERA. Kehrt was a big reason why the Sea Dogs had such a successful run after the All-Star break as he went a perfect 6-0 with a 2.70 ERA after the break. Even more impressive was that Portland won eight consecutive games in which Kehrt started from July 13- August 21 in which he only gave up 10 earned runs in 42.1 innings. Kehrt did not just go above and beyond in Portland, he also made two appearances (one start) for Triple-A Pawtucket and two starts for Single-A Salem. The Plainfield, Indiana resident was selected by the Red Sox in the 47th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. This is the second consecutive year that Kehrt received an end of the season honor from the Portland Sea Dogs. In 2011, he was named the Citizen of the Year by fans.
Citizen of the Year: Matt Spring 60 G, .197 AVG, 7 HR, 22 RBI
Matt Spring dedicated much of the 2012 season to community involvement. Spring made numerous appearances at school's to talk about the importance of education, he shared his love for the game teaching children baseball skills at several baseball clinics, made visits to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, and he was a mainstay at the Sea Dogs autograph table. The 27 year-old also served as the unofficial spokesman for the Sea Dogs' Strike Out Inhalant's Program; a six team New England effort to bring awareness to the serious problem of inhalant abuse in a unique program designed to educate parents, school officials, and individuals in the community about the often-overlooked dangers. Spring spoke to six organizations totaling over 500 children about the dangers of inhalants. Additionally, Spring volunteered his time to personally call and thank Sea Dogs' Season Ticket Holders throughout the season. Spring has been honored for exemplary community work is the past. In 2008, he won the second annual Erik Walker Community Award. That award honors a Tampa Bay Rays' minor leaguer who portrays excellent sportsmanship on the field and a strong dedication to the community off of it. Spring was signed by the Red Sox in March of 2011 as a Minor League free agent.
Individual tickets for the 2013 season will go on sale at the Hadlock Field Ticket Office at 9:00 AM on Saturday, November 3rd. Season tickets are currently available.