Sea Dogs Announce 2013 Team Awards

Portland, Maine- The Portland Sea Dogs, Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, presented their annual team awards for the 2013 season prior to Monday's final game of the season. The team awards are voted on by the fans and are presented by Irving Oil and Creative Awards. The team awards are handed out in four different categories: Most Valuable Player, Pitcher of the Year, 10th Player Award and Citizen of the Year.

 

Christian Vazquez was selected as the MVP and Anthony Ranaudo as the Pitcher of the Year. Matt Spring earned the10^th Player Award and Pete Ruiz was selected as the Citizen of the Year.

 

Most Valuable Player- Christian Vazquez                                 96 G, .289 AVG, 19 2B, 5 HR, 48 RBI

Christian Vazquez has excelled both offensively and defensively for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2013. In 95 games with the Sea Dogs, he has compiled a .289 (99-for 342) average with 19 doubles, five home runs and 48 RBI. The 23-year old leads the team with a .289 average and is tied for eighth in the league in hitting. He leads all Eastern League catchers in throwing out runners at 47% (47-of-101). Baseball America rates him as the "Best Defensive Catcher" in the Red Sox organization and the #19 prospect. Vazquez was the starting catcher for the Eastern Division in the 2013 Eastern League All-Star Game in New Britain, Connecticut. Since the All-Star Game, Vazquez has been on a tear hitting at a .347 clip (50-for-144). The Puerto Rico native was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the June 2008 draft. Vazquez was added to the Red Sox 40-man roster on November 20, 2011. On September 1^st, Vazquez was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket.

 

Pitcher of the Year: Anthony Ranaudo                                   19 GS, 8-4, 2.95 ERA, 109.2 IP, 106 SO

The 2013 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year went 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 19 games for the Sea Dogs. He opened the season notching a 6-1 record with a 1.48 ERA (9 ER/54.2 IP) in his first 10 starts. The 23- year old earned a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket on August 2^nd. At the time of his call-up, Ranaudo was leading the Eastern League in WHIP (1.09) and batting average against (.204). He also ranked third in ERA (2.95), tied for seventh in wins (8) and tied for eighth in strikeouts (106). On June 13^th, he tied a Sea Dogs franchise record by striking out a career-high 13 batters in a 2-0 win over Erie. Ranaudo was selected as the right-handed pitcher on the recently announced 2013 Year-End Eastern League All-Star squad. The 6'7", 230 lb. hurler was also tabbed as the starting pitcher for the Eastern Division in the 2013 Eastern League All-Star Game and participated in the prestigious MLB All-Star Futures Game at Citi Field in New York. The Jackson, New Jersey native entered the 2013 season ranked as the #6 pitching prospect in the Red Sox system and the 14th overall according to Baseball America. Ranaudo was the Red Sox third pick (sandwich pick between the first and second rounds, 39^th overall) in the June 2010 draft out of Louisiana State University.

 

10^th Player of the Year: Matt Spring                                        52 G, .222 AVG, 12 2B, 10 HR, 34 RBI

Matt Spring provided timely hitting, served as a catcher, first baseman, and DH, and was a leader in the Sea Dogs clubhouse. He hit .222 with 12 doubles, 10 home runs, 34 RBI, and .716 slugging percentage in 52 games for the Sea Dogs this season. Four of his 10 home runs have been game winners, including a dramatic walk-off grand slam against the Binghamton Mets on May 18^th at Hadlock Field. Spring finished the game with a career-high 6 RBI in the. The 28-year old also produced a game-winning 3-run double on May 21^st against New Hampshire. Spring was rewarded for his efforts with a spot on the Eastern League All-Star team, his first All-Star selection in his 10-year minor leaguer career. The Columbus, Georgia resident was honored as the Sea Dogs Citizen of the Year in 2012. He was signed by the Boston Red Sox as a minor league free agent on March 13, 2011.

 

Citizen of the Year: Pete Ruiz                                                                  

Pete Ruiz dedicated much of the 2013 season to community involvement. In the spring, he made frequent appearances at schools to talk about the importance of education, saying no to drugs and alcohol, and discussing life as a professional athlete. Throughout the course of the summer, Ruiz volunteered his time teaching children the fundamentals of baseball at several free clinics offered at Hadlock Field. He made visits to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, and he was a mainstay at the Sea Dogs autograph table. Additionally, Ruiz volunteered his time to personally call and thank Sea Dogs Season Ticket Holders throughout the season. In 30 games this season with the Sea Dogs, the 26-year old has produced a 3-3 record with a 5.23 ERA. The Santa Barbara, California resident was selected by the Red Sox in the 10^th round of the June 2008 draft.

 

The Sea Dogs will open the 2014 season on Thursday, April 3^rd in Reading, Pennsylvania. The home opener is set for Thursday, April 10^th at 6:00 PM against the New Britain Rock Cats. Individual tickets for the 2014 season will go on sale at 9:00 AM on Saturday, November 2^nd.