SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Smokies' Fox Named Topps Player of the Month

Published on September 2, 2008 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Smokies infielder Jake Fox was named Tuesday as the Topps Player of the Month for August, as selected by the field managers of the Southern League. The monthly award is presented by the Topps Company of New York, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, to the top performer in each of Minor League Baseball's 10 full-season leagues.

August was a banner month for Fox. He led the Southern League during the final full month of the regular season with 10 home runs and 73 total bases. He ranked second in the league with 25 RBIs and fourth with a .362 average, hitting safely in 24 of the 28 games he played in. Fox would finish off the month with a nine-game hitting streak, doing everything he could to put the Smokies in contention for the second half North division crown.

The Topps award is the icing on a 2008 campaign that saw Fox finish third in all of Minor League Baseball with 72 extra-base hits and tied for fourth with 281 total bases. Much of this damage was inflicted on the Southern League, as Fox led the league with a .976 OPS and a .580 slugging percentage. He finished two home runs back (27 to 25) of league-leader Michael Wilson (West Tenn) in the league home run race, even though he played in 14 less games.

Fox was named the Southern League's "Hitter of the Week" back in June (week ending June 22) and just last Thursday to the Southern League Postseason All-Star Team. Fox could clean up within the Chicago Cubs minor league system as well; he led all Cubs' minor leaguers in 2008 with 31 home runs and 105 RBIs.

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Southern League Stories from September 2, 2008


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