CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Merrifield Wins Minker Award

Published on August 29, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


Wilmington, DE - Wilmington Blue Rocks alumnus Whit Merrifield was named the 2012 Matt Minker Community Service Award winner by the Carolina League office on Wednesday. Each Carolina League club was eligible to nominate one player for consideration of the honor that represents the values of Wilmington's late former owner.

After being a key community figure in 2011, Merrifield was the community leader for 2012. He spent numerous hours volunteering in the Wilmington area, including meeting patients at the A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, visited local restaurants, taught youngsters at Blue Rocks baseball camps and clinics, signed autographs and more.

Merrifield was selected by the Royals in the ninth round of the 2010 June draft out of the University of South Carolina. The Advance, NC native spent all of 2011 with the Blue Rocks and spent the first four months of the 2012 with Wilmington prior to his promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on August 7. During his tenure on the Riverfront, Merrifield played in 227 games, hitting .260 with 13 home runs and 72 RBIs. Merrifield was named a Carolina League All-Star in 2011.

Merrifield follows in the footsteps of two other Wilmington alumni that received the distinction. In 2008, current big leaguer Everett Teaford took the inaugural honor. Last season, Tim Melville brought the hardware back to Wilmington for his spirited efforts in the greater Wilmington area.

Named in honor of the late Blue Rocks team president, the Minker Award is awarded to the Carolina League player who does the best job of serving his club's community during each season.

Matt Minker passed away in November of 2007 after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 60. Minker was integral in the inception of the modern Blue Rocks. He was involved in the ownership of the team since the franchise came to Wilmington in 1993 and his construction company built Frawley Stadium, in five months. He became president of the club in 1995. During his 13 years representing Wilmington on the CL's Board of Directors, he served the league as an officer, a member of the executive committee and as league representative on the Minor League Baseball Board of Trustees.

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Carolina League Stories from August 29, 2012


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