Northern League Announces Relief Pitcher of the Year and Top Defensive Player
September 5, 2009 - Northern League (NL) News Release
Gary SouthShore RailCats pitcher Andy Shipman was named Northern League Relief Pitcher of the Year, and Schaumburg Flyers shortstop Travis Brown was selected as the top Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by select league personnel and players.
Shipman, who was acquired by the RailCats on June 3rd after beginning the 2009 season with the Kansas City T-Bones, went 4-3 with a 1.85 ERA appearing in 36 games for the RailCats. On the year, the right-hander led the league with 42 Rolaids Relief Points (saves times 3, plus relief wins times 2, minus relief losses times two) and had a league-best 14 saves. After a slow start with the T-Bones, he still finished with a 4-4 record and 3.45 ERA overall. Shipman was third in the league in appearances (41) and led the league in games finished (35).
Shipman was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox as a non- drafted free agent in 2003 following his junior year at the University of Missouri (Columbia, MO). He played parts of two seasons for the Red Sox organization prior to getting traded to the Chicago Cubs in July of 2004. Pitching three seasons for the Cubs organization making it as high as Class AAA in 2006, he then played in the Oakland Athletics farm system in '07 and '08. He first joined the Northern League in August of 2008.
Brown, who played 90 games at shortstop for the Schaumburg Flyers, was voted the 2009 Northern League Top Defensive Player of the Year. He committed only 10 errors over 412 total chances (.976) on the year and had only two errors over the final 34 games of the season.
The 5-11, 180-pounder, helped pace the Flyers to the third-best fielding percentage in the league (.972) in 2009. Brown's individual fielding percentage was the highest for a Schaumburg shortstop since Geoff McCallum led the league in 2005.
Brown, a six-year veteran of the Baltimore Orioles farm system, signed with the Flyers on April 9, 2009. He was originally drafted by the Orioles in the 27th round of the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft out of Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, KY).
The selection process for all of the league's end-of-the-year awards consisted of each club receiving nine ballots which were distributed to any/all of the following qualified voters: Field Manager, Pitching Coach, Hitting Coach, Veteran and LS-5 Players, Club President and/or Vice-President, General Manager, Assistant General Manager, Media Director, and Radio Announcers.
Northern League Stories from September 5, 2009
- T-Bones Force Game Five in 2-1 Thriller - Kansas City Monarchs
- RedHawks Force Game Five - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- T-Bones Squeak Past RailCats 2-1, Force Game Five Sunday - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Northern League Announces Relief Pitcher of the Year and Top Defensive Player - NL
- RailCats' Shipman named Relief Pitcher of the Year - Gary SouthShore Railcats
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