Beach Bums Top Frontier League Post-Season Awards
August 30, 2012 - Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release
TRAVERSE CITY, MI - The Traverse City Beach Bums have had their fantastic 2012 season rewarded as the Beach Bums were recognized seven times in the Frontier League post-season awards.
"The Beach Bums are honored to be represented in several postseason categories," said Traverse City manager, Gregg Langbehn. "Like we have said all along, when you surround yourself with good people, the right people and quality players, good things will come of it."
Topping the list of awards was Jose Vargas who earned the Morgan Burkhart Award as the Frontier League MVP. Vargas has put together a season that has rewritten the Beach Bums record books while putting himself on the precipice of some league history as well. The Traverse City third baseman is hitting .285 entering play on Thursday with 29 homers and 98 RBI. He is one homerun shy of becoming the fourth player in FL history to reach 30 in a single season and is two RBI away from tying the league record. If he achieves both marks, Vargas will be the first player in the 20-year history of the Frontier League to hit both 30 homers and drive in 100 runs in a single season.
"Jose is well deserving of the FL MVP. Without question he earned that award," said Langbehn.
Langbehn himself was one of the honorees as he received the Roger Hanners Award as the Frontier League Manager of the Year. The Beach Bums skipper has guided the team to a club record 62 wins, ranking fifth in a single season in Frontier League history. That win total will see Traverse City carry the top seed into the Frontier League playoffs, beginning on Wednesday.
The Beach Bums also earned the highest team honor in the Frontier League as Traverse City was voted Frontier League Organization of the Year.
"I am both delighted and grateful to have our Beach Bums organization so recognized," said Traverse City CFO/General Manager, Leslye Wuerfel. "Our staff is made up of very hard working, dedicated individuals from top to bottom, but we have a lot of fun as well. I hope our fans see that in the finished product both on and off the field."
In addition to having the best on-field record, the Beach Bums top the circuit in both overall attendance (160,581) and average attendance (3,491 per game). Traverse City also won the Organization of the Year award in 2006 and 2008.
Four players were named post-season all-stars at their respective positions. Chase Burch was selected as the post-season All-Star first baseman. Ryan Still was named the second baseman of the year; Vargas earned top honors at third base while Jeff Flagg was voted as one of the post-season All-Stars in the outfield.
"Burch, Still and Flagg all are deserving of being on the post-season All-Star team," Langbehn commented. "Their contributions have been significant to this squad."
Burch is seventh in the league in hitting with a .310 average while smacking 17 homers and is tied for fourth in the FL with 75 RBI. Still is sixth in the league in hitting with a .311 average with 104 walks, setting a league mark for bases on balls in the process. The Beach Bums second baseman has a .516 on-base percentage and is on target to become just the third player in league history to have a .500 OBP or higher with enough plate appearances to qualify for a batting title. Flagg has been one of the premier power threats on the season with 19 homers and 75 RBI.
"As a whole, we are proud and honored to receive these awards," Langbehn said. "It would not happen without the support, hard work and determination of every person associated with the Beach Bums and all of our families. These are all organizational awards."
Beach Bums playoff tickets are on sale now! Traverse City will have home games on Wednesday, September 5 and Thursday, September 6 with a game five of the division series coming up on September 10 (if necessary). Playoff tickets will cost $10 with general admission seating for all Beach Bums playoff games. Private tables will be $50 per game and suites at Wuerfel Park will be just $100 for up to 10 people. For tickets to all Beach Bums home games, regular season or playoffs, call 943-0100, visit tcbeachbums.com or stop by the Wuerfel Park ticket office.
Frontier League Stories from August 30, 2012
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- August 30 Joliet Slammers Game Notes - Joliet Slammers
- Freedom's Arrojo Voted to All-Frontier League Team - Florence Y'alls
- Boomers Chad Mozingo Name Frontier League All-Star - Schaumburg Boomers
- Guy Massaro Named Frontier League Groundskeeper of the Year - Joliet Slammers
- Beach Bums Top Frontier League Post-Season Awards - Traverse City Beach Bums
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