Atlantic League Announces 2025 Postseason Awards
AtL Atlantic League

Atlantic League Announces 2025 Postseason Awards

Published on October 6, 2025 under Atlantic League (AtL) News Release


(New York) - The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball today announced its 2025 postseason administrative awards.

Joe Klein Executive of the Year

(Presented to the person who has made outstanding contributions to the club/league through continued operating excellence)

Gastonia Ghost Peppers General Manager Brady Salisbury

Salisbury is in his second year as General Manager of the Ghost Peppers and has helped lead the team to back-to-back playoff appearances, including a league championship series appearance in 2024. After a slow start to the 2025 season, the Ghost Peppers were the hottest team in the second half of the season, winning the South Division title and earning a playoff spot. From 2021-2023, Salisbury served as assistant GM of the Gastonia Honey Hunters

Ken Shepard Award for Promotional Excellence

(The club that demonstrates extraordinary promotional impact throughout the entire ALPB season)

Lancaster Stormers

For the second consecutive year, the Lancaster Stormers have been honored with the Ken Shepard Award for Promotional Excellence. Lancaster excelled in both their full season activities as well as single game promotions. The full promotional schedule allowed the Stormers to average over 4,000 fans per game for the third consecutive season.

From the Silver Stormers package on Tuesdays through the Friday concert series to Penn Medicine fireworks on Saturdays and Family Fun Days on Sundays, the Stormers had something for every day of the week. In addition, the Stormers continued to welcome all elements of the Lancaster community from school spirit nights to Hispanic Heritage Night to senior nights and Pennsylvania Dutch Night. There was a night to honor the centennial of Lancaster's brief history hosting Negro League Baseball. Lebanon County Weekend was again a huge success both on and off the field. here were nights to honor Philadelphia, local restaurants and, yes, even princesses. There were bobblehead giveaways, performances by Mutts Gone Nuts and Tyler's Amazing Balancing Act. The Stormers also had mid-season celebrations mirroring both Christmas and Halloween.

Promotion of the Year

(Team event of unique impact; an original or imaginative recreation of an event likely to be imitated)

Lexington Legends

Lexington's Bourbon Barrels Night partnered with a local distillery for jersey sponsorship and a specialty bourbon release, raising over $5,000 for The Dream Factory through the jersey auction while reaching fans in 30+ states with merchandise sales. The Legends also reinvigorated their partnership with Makers Mark with a co-branded Makers Mark baseball giveaway.

Mascot of the Year

(The club character with exceptional value to the team, its community and/or fan marketing efforts)

Peppy, Gastonia Ghost Peppers

"Peppy" received the league's top mascot honor in his first season since being introduced in early 2025. Peppy is a large, red ghost pepper who wears enormous shoes. The spiciest mascot in baseball quickly drew local and national attention on social media upon his introduction. Peppy stands out in any crowd and fans flock to him at games for photos. Despite his unique look, Peppy is very kind at heart, and is a perfect representative of the Ghost Peppers.

Ballpark of the Year

(The ALPB venue exemplifying the values of customer service, cleanliness, and overall hospitality and ambience)

Meritus Park, Hagerstown Flying Boxcars

Meritus Park, the home of the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, is the ALPB Ballpark of the Year for a second consecutive year. Meritus Park continues to operate at a high standard, improving upon its stellar inaugural year, and sets a model standard for minor league baseball. Additions to the park in 2025 included a grab and go concessions station, a Hagerstown Baseball Hall of Fame and a tribute to Hall of Famer Willie Mays. Meritus Park is utilized year-round, and continues to add key events to the offseason schedule. This includes the first-ever DiamondFest, presented by the Brick Tavern of Hagerstown, slated to bring a winter festival to Downtown Hagerstown in November and December of 2025. Other events hosted this year include collegiate games, charity events and youth baseball tournaments.

Ray Cipperly Grounds Operations Excellence

(Club groundskeeper and crew which consistently provides a superior playing surface and game operations environment)

York Revolution

The 2025 season marks the third time that Chris Carbaugh and the York Revolution have won the Ray Cipperly Award. Carbaugh has served as the Director of Grounds and Field Operations for York since 2019. Carbaugh and his operations crew managed the replacement of the Revolution's natural turf surface for the 2024 season. In addition to Revolution baseball, WellSpan Park's field is the home of Penn State York baseball, and hosts over 100 high school and youth games played on its surface each year. Carbaugh's high standards create the top playing surface in the league while consistently featuring special logo and cut-in treatments to mark holidays and Revolution special events.

Outstanding Community Service Award

(Team that consistently cultivates goodwill throughout its community)

Charleston Dirty Birds

The Charleston Dirty Birds have received the Outstanding Community Service Award for their participation at many events in the Charleston community throughout the year. The team has donated over $179,000 back into the community including $136,500 to local little leagues. The Dirty Bird staff and team mascot, Dusty, have spent 277 hours giving back to the community through volunteering and being present at local nonprofit events. The Dirty Birds players combined for 234 hours of community service including visiting schools, little leagues, and local museums/attractions.

Outstanding Clubhouse Service Award

(Club that consistently meets and exceeds league clubhouse and umpire dressing room guidelines for cleanliness, and service)

Long Island Ducks

The Ducks clubhouse staff is led by Clubhouse Manager Emil Coccaro, who recently completed his 20th year with the team. The lifelong Levittown resident has overseen the clubhouse operations of two Atlantic League All-Star Games, eight Atlantic League Championship Series and numerous additional events held at Fairfield Properties Ballpark during his time with the team. Emil was joined by Assistant Clubhouse Managers Harrison Finnerty and Stephen Levin along with several game day staff members.

"It is such an incredible honor to be chosen as the Outstanding Clubhouse Service Award recipient for the second straight season," said Coccaro. "I am so proud of the entire clubhouse staff for their hard work and for taking so much pride in what we do here to make all of this possible."

Player Transfer Award

(Awarded to the club with the most player contract transfers, a key objective of the ALPB)

High Point Rockers

The Atlantic League transferred 45 player contracts to Major League Baseball affiliates and international professional leagues, including teams in Mexico, Korea and Taiwan. High Point led all clubs with 10 player contract transfers in 2025. During their six years in the Atlantic League, High Point has had 49 player contracts purchased and seven players have reached the Major Leagues after spending time with the Rockers.

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