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IL1 Buffalo Bisons

Buffalo Bisons 3B Matt Hague Named 2015 International League Most Valuable Player

September 1, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


With one of the most productive offensive seasons in the Buffalo Bisons modern era, 3B MATT HAGUE was named International League Most Valuable Player today. Hague, who also was also named the IL's Post Season All-Star at third base, becomes the ninth Bisons player to be named IL MVP in the league's 132-year history.

The only other Bisons player to be named IL MVP in the team's modern era was SS Jhonny Peralta in 2004. Hague was given this honor after league-wide voting by managers, coaching staffs, front office personal and media.

Hague, who joined the Bisons late in 2014 after being claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays from Pittsburgh, is on pace to beat, if not shatter, some of the team's modern era offensive records. The veteran infielder also leads the International League in several categories, some by a wide margin.

In 129 games, Hague has hit .347 (172-495) with 32 doubles, 11 home runs, 88 RBI, a .425 on-base percentage and a .483 slugging percentage.

Hague's Batting Average -.347

Hague currently leads the International League with a .347 qualifying batting average that is 33 points better than any other hitter in the league. He is set to become the third Bisons player to take home a league batting title in team's modern era and first since OF Ben Francisco hit .318 to lead the IL in 2007.

Hague's .347 average would also beat OF Dave Clark's .340 average in 1987 as the best in the team's modern era. It's set to be the best qualifying average for a Bisons player since International League Hall of Famer Coaker Triplett led the IL with a .353 mark in 1948.

Hague's average has not dipped below the .330 mark since May 7 of this year and he has spent just eight days all season with an average under the .300 mark (all in April.). Hague has hit .324 or better in all five months of the season.

Hague's Hit Total -172

Hague leads the IL with 172 hits, or 24 more than the next closest player. Since the Bisons returned to the IL in 1998, the greatest gap between the first and second place players in the hits category in the league has been 14 (twice). Hague's 172 hits are also the most in the league since Jhonny Peralta set the Bisons modern era record with 181 hits in 2004. Hague has seven more games to reach Peralta's record.

Hague has had 54 multi-hit games this season, 18 more than the next closest Bisons player. He went hitless in three straight games only once all season despite playing in 129 of the team's 137 contests and went back-to-back games without a hit only four other times. Hague has the Bisons' longest hit streak of the season at 14 games, April 29 -May 13 (.333, 19-57) and extended his current hit streak to 11 games last night (.386, 17-44).

This will be the third time in five years Hague has led the International League in hits. He also paced the circuit in 2013 (153) and 2011 (165), both while playing for the Indianapolis Indians. The last Bisons player to lead the IL in hits was OF Jesus Feliciano with 154 hits in 2009.

Hague's On-Base Percentage -.425

Hague's .425 on-base percentage is 42 points higher than the next closest player in the International League. It would also smash the Bisons previous single-season on-base percentage record of .413 set by Clark in 1987 and matched by INF Torey Lovullo in 1998. Hague is set to become just the seventh player in the Bisons modern era to finish a season with a qualifying on-base percentage over the .400 mark.

Hague reached base in 37 consecutive games from June 9-July 20, the longest stretch in the International League this season. During that streak, he posted a .472 on-base percentage with 50 hits and 22 walks. He also reached base safely in 39 straight road contests, May 5-July 26, a streak that is 10 games longer than any other player in the league this year.

Hague ranks 3rd in the International League with 59 walks. He failed to reach base in consecutive games just once all season (May 26-27) and in only 11 of his 128 starts this year (he went 0-1 in a pinch hit appearance, April 26). He failed to reach base just seven times over the last four months of the season: twice in May, once in June, twice in July and twice in August.

International League Chart Topper

Along with average, hit total and on-base percentage, Hague leads the International League with 239 total bases, the highest total for a Bisons player since Peralta (274) and 1B/DH Ernie Young (243) in 2004. He also tops all IL hitters with 88 RBI, the best for a Buffalo hitter in a single season since 1B/DH Valentino Pascucci (91 RBI) and tied for the 7th-best total in the team's modern era.

Hague leads the IL with a .483 slugging pct., ranks 3rd in doubles (32) and 4th in runs scored (70).

Bisons' Most Valuable Player History

Hague is the ninth Buffalo Bisons Most Valuable Player in International League history -tied with Columbus for the second most for any one club in the 132-year history of the league (Rochester 12). Hague is also just the second Bisons league MVP in the team's modern era history (1985-on), joining Peralta who was named IL MVP in 2004.

Of the nine Bisons' Most Valuable Players, only centerfield Frank McGowan in 1936 had a higher batting average (.356) than Hague's current average of .347.

Buffalo Bisons Named International League Most Valuable Players

1936 CF Frank McGowan 139G, .356, 23HR, 111RBI

1938 LF Ollie Carnegie 142G, .330, 45HR, 136BRI

1941 P Freddie Hutchison 26-7, 2.44 ERA

1951 OF Archie Wilson 151G, .316, 28HR, 112 RBI

1957 SS Mike Baxes 154G, .303, 13HR, 76RBI

1959 1B Frank 'Pancho' Herrera 151G, .329, 37HR, 128RBI

1961 OF Ted Savage 149G, .325, 24HR, 65RBI

2004 SS Jhonny Peralta 138G, .326, 15HR, 86RBI

2015 3B Matt Hague 129G, .347, 11HR, 88RBI*

*still 7 games left in season

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International League Stories from September 1, 2015


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