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EL1 Chesapeake Baysox

Baysox Haul In The Hardware

August 28, 2008 - Eastern League (EL1)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release


(BOWIE, MD) - The Bowie Baysox, Class AA Affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, hauled in three postseason awards Thursday. Lou Montanez was named Eastern League Most Valuable Player, Brad Bergesen won Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and manager Brad Komminsk was named Eastern League Manager of the Year.

Montanez becomes the second player in Baysox history to be named Eastern League MVP. Even though he was promoted to the Orioles on August 5, Montanez has enough at-bats to qualify for the Eastern League batting title and leads the league in batting average (.335), homeruns (26), RBI (97), extra-base hits (63), runs scored (90) and slugging percentage (.601). He is the first Baysox player to win the Eastern League MVP since Calvin Pickering did it in 1998. Montanez capped his year in Bowie with a monster game in Altoona August 1, just a few days before getting the call from Baltimore. He collected five hits and drove in eight runs, both good enough to tie franchise records. Four of those hits made Montanez the first Baysox player to hit for the cycle since Mike Fontenot did it in 2003. If Montanez does not play for Bowie again this season, he would set the Baysox single season records for batting average and extra base hits, finish third in runs scored and RBI, tied for fourth in hits and homeruns, and tied for fifth in doubles (32). It will be Montanez's second MVP award, the four-time All-Star was named the Arizona League MVP in 2001. Montanez has also been named Eastern League Player of the Month for July, and was named Player of the Week for the weeks ending May 26 and August 4. Originally selected by the Cubs with the third overall pick in the 2000 draft, Montanez signed with the Orioles as a minor league free agent November 6, 2006.

Brad Bergesen began the year with the Frederick Keys, going 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four games. Bergesen becomes the second player in Baysox history to win Eastern League Pitcher of the Year, John Stephens won the award in 2001. Since being promoted to Bowie on April 21, Bergesen has been unstoppable. In 23 games, he has gone 15-5 with a 3.11 ERA. He won his first five decisions (4/25-5/22), was named to his second All-Star team this summer and rattled off another five-game winning streak in July and August (7/18-8/12). Bergesen started the 2008 Delta Dental Eastern League All-Star game and leads the Eastern League in wins (15) and WHIP (1.14) while only walking 26 batters in 142 innings and striking out 72. His 15 wins are the most by any player in Franchise history, the old record was 13 wins in a season , held by Rick Forney (1993), Jimmy Haynes (1993) and James Johnson (2006). Originally drafted by the Orioles in the fourth round of the 2004 First Year Player Draft, Bergesen was ranked as the Orioles #26 prospect by Baseball America going into the season.

Brad Komminsk brings home his second Eastern League Manager of the Year Award in his first year with the Baysox. Bowie's skipper also won the award back in 2002 as manager of the Akron Aeros. Komminsk's Aeros won the Southern Division in 2002 and 2003, as well as an Eastern League championship in 2003. After the 2003 season, USA Today Sports Weekly named Komminsk Minor League Manager of the Year. Komminsk has led this year's squad to a record of 82-55, good for first place in the Southern Division. The Baysox hold a 5.5 game lead over Akron with five games left to play. Komminsk has a lifetime managerial record of 553-425, a winning percentage of .563. As with most managers, Komminsk began his career on the diamond. The Atlanta Braves selected Komminsk with the fourth overall pick in the 1979 Amateur Entry Draft. Komminsk made his Major League debut for the Braves on August 14, 1983. He bounced between Atlanta and AAA Richmond until he was traded to the Brewers organization in 1987. In 1990, the Baltimore Orioles claimed him on waivers and Komminsk played in 46 games for the Orioles. Komminsk retired with a Major League batting average of .218 in 376 games, compiling 37 doubles, 5 triples, 23 homeruns, and 105 RBI across eight Major League seasons.

With a victory over the Mets in Binghamton Friday, August 15, the Baysox clinched a spot in the Eastern League playoffs for the first time since 1997. Their playoff drought is the longest in the Eastern League and the team has never won an Eastern League Championship. Playoff ticket strips are available on www.baysox.com. For $50, fans are guaranteed their lower reserved seats for all five potential playoff games. If the Baysox do not play five postseason games, the unused portion of the ticket strips will either be refunded or applied towards a 2009 season ticket package. Individual game playoff tickets will go on sale once the official playoff dates have been announced. Single-game tickets will be $14 for lower reserved seats, $11 for upper reserved and $9 for general admission tickets.

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