Fresno Grizzlies Receive 2015 Championship Rings, Replica Ring Giveaway April 30
March 22, 2016 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release
Fresno Grizzlies Receive 2015 Championship Rings
(Fresno Grizzlies)
FRESNO, Calif. - It's as if Drake and Future were predicting what would happen last evening (March 21), and what's to come for Fresno Grizzlies fans on Saturday, April 30, when they wrote Really Big Rings last year. The headline and lyric above explains it pretty well.
Last night at the Houston Astros spring training complex in Kissimmee, Florida, the 2015 Fresno Grizzlies received their Triple-A National Championship rings at a special banquet. (See attached photos.)
The event served as one more celebration of a group of players that compiled a Grizzlies-record 84 regular season victories, and delivered the city's first Pacific Coast League Championship, only to make it a National Championship two days later, on September 22, 2015 with a 7-0 victory over Columbus of the International League.
Ring ceremonies are something the Houston Astros and their minor league affiliates have gotten quite good at organizing, considering Houston's domestic minor league affiliates have more wins (1,682), a higher winning percentage (.550) and as many league titles (six) as any MLB organization since 2012. The Astros' half-dozen minor league championships since 2012 ties the Arizona Diamondbacks for the most in baseball.
Among numerous individual honorees for the Grizzlies in 2015 were Matt Duffy (PCL Most Valuable Player), Tony Kemp (PCL Postseason Most Valuable Player) and Carlos Correa (American League Rookie of the Year after playing in Fresno). Tyler White was voted the top offensive player in all of Minor League Baseball, splitting the season between Fresno and Double-A Corpus Christi. Pitcher Dan Straily led the PCL in strikeouts. Duffy, en route to Fresno's first MVP award since Calvin Murray in 1999, racked up 104 RBI, the fourth most overall in all minor league levels combined. As a club, the Grizzlies led the PCL in on base percentage (.357), runs (804) and stolen bases (157). Late in the summer, the Grizzlies established themselves as clear title favorites by winning 19 of 20 games between August 1 and August 21, with separate winning streaks of eight and 12 games.
In 2016, the Grizzlies will celebrate the incredible 2015 season one final time, with a National Championship replica ring giveaway on Saturday, April 30 when the Grizz host El Paso. The first 10,000 fans to Chukchansi Park will receive a ring of their own, modeled after the real thing. (See attached photos.) In a special random drawing, 15 lucky fans through the gates will win an AUTHENTIC championship ring, the same as the players and coaching staff received.
"The replica ring giveaway is a chance to share our good fortune of winning a championship with our fans; last year's title was not only for our players and coaches because of their hard work, but also for Fresno and the Central Valley. The fan support we receive is always at a championship level," said Fresno Grizzlies General Manager Derek Franks. "I hope fans coming to the game on April 30 appreciate this small piece of Grizzlies history, and I'm really psyched for the 15 fans who will go home with an authentic ring."
Images from this story
 Fresno Grizzlies 2015 Championship Ring |
 Fresno Grizzlies 2015 Championship Ring in Box |
 Fresno Grizzlies 2015 Championship Ring (Front) |
 Fresno Grizzlies Receive 2015 Championship Rings |
Pacific Coast League Stories from March 22, 2016
- Fresno Famous on to Round 2 - Fresno Grizzlies
- Fresno Grizzlies Receive 2015 Championship Rings, Replica Ring Giveaway April 30 - Fresno Grizzlies
- Angels-Bees Exhibition Game Canceled - Salt Lake Bees
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