Sports stats



TL1 Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Lough, Swaggerty Named Naturals Player, Pitcher of the Year

September 10, 2009 - Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


Naturals outfielder David Lough was named by the Kansas City Royals as their 2009 Player of the Year, the Royals announced Thursday. Southpaw reliever Ben Swaggerty was named as the Naturals' 2009 Pitcher of the Year.

Lough, the 23-year old resident of Clinton, OH, began 2009 with Class-A Advanced Wilmington, where he batted .320 with five home runs and 30 RBI in 65 games. His success led to a promotion to Double-A, where he batted .331 with nine home runs and 31 RBI in 61 games for the Naturals. His tremendous athletic ability and defensive skill has been on display regularly at Arvest Ballpark as he swiped 13 bases and started games at all three outfield spots in the second half of the 2009 season. An eleventh round selection in the 2007 draft from Mercyhurst (PA) College, Lough hit safely in his final 11 regular season games as he helped the Naturals earn a spot in the 2009 Texas League Playoffs.

Like Lough, Swaggerty, the 27-year old Bristol, TN resident, started the season with the Blue Rocks, going 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA and two saves in 16 appearances. The southpaw was promoted to Double-A in June and finished the season with a 4-1 record, a 4.33 ERA and one save in 26 outings as he became one of Manager Brian Poldberg's most trusted left-handed relievers. Swaggerty was a non-drafted free-agent signed in 2007.

Former Naturals' slugger Cory Aldridge was named as Omaha's Player of the Year. The 30-year old resident of Abilene, TX batted .316 while leading the O-Royals with 22 home runs and 71 RBI in 98 games. Aldridge paced the Triple-A Pacific Coast League with 11 home runs in August. The veteran batted .348 with 22 RBI during the month. The month of August appears to be Aldridge's favorite in which to hit, as he batted .284 with seven homers and 24 RBI in August of 2008, playing a key role in helping the Naturals get to the 2008 postseason.

These three players, along with the 13 other award winners from the Kansas City Royals' minor league system are expected to be at Kauffman Stadium for Royals' Futures' Night on Friday, Sept. 25th, where they will take part in a Q&A and autograph session at Gate A from 5:15 until 6:15 as well as be honored in an on-field presentation prior to the Royals game against the Minnesota Twins.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. The Naturals have a toll-free ticket hotline (1-877-444-2637) for fans to purchase Naturals tickets. Our website, nwanaturals.com offers fans the opportunity to purchase tickets online and avoid lines at the ticket windows by printing their tickets at home or at the office.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics



Texas League Stories from September 10, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Northwest Arkansas Naturals Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central