MWL1 South Bend Cubs

South Bend Cubs Sweep Midwest League Honors

August 23, 2016 - Midwest League (MWL1)
South Bend Cubs News Release


South Bend Cubs Sweep Midwest League Honors
South Bend Cubs Sweep Midwest League Honors
(South Bend Cubs, Credit: Rikk Carlson)

(L-R) Eloy Jimenez & Preston Morrison (Rikk Carlson) SOUTH BEND, Ind. - South Bend Cubs Outfielder Eloy Jimenez has been named the 2016 Midwest League Most Valuable Player and Prospect of the Year. Jimenez was also named to the Midwest League Post-Season Team with former teammate and current Myrtle Beach starting pitcher Preston Morrison. Manager Jimmy Gonzalez has been named Manager of the Year.

The 19-year old outfielder is currently hitting .337 through 106 games with 12 home runs and 77 runs batted in. In addition to the post-season awards, earlier this year, Jimenez was the Midwest League All-Star MVP after hitting a three run homer to tie the game for the Eastern Division team in the top of the 9th inning.

"Oh man, I feel excited and happy," said Eloy Jimenez. "It's tough to explain right now. I feel so happy to win this award for my team."

"I think it's an honor for South Bend to win the Prospect of the Year award two years in a row as a Cubs affiliate. But to win both awards is a tremendous honor for Eloy. That's not an easy thing to do," said Manager Jimmy Gonzalez.

The Chicago Cubs signed the number one international prospect in August of 2013.

For Gonzalez, this is his first managerial award in just his third season as a manager.

"It's a great honor and humbling to be named Manager of the Year," said Gonzalez. "This team, these players and coaches gave me this award. I'm not doing this alone. If I didn't have that collective, I would not have received this award."

Former South Bend right-handed pitcher Preston Morrison went 9-4 with a 2.24 ERA and struck out 85 batters in his 17 appearances with the Cubs. Currently, the Waxhaw, North Carolina native is 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA with the Pelicans.

The Midwest League Post-Season Awards were voted on by the League's sixteen field managers.

About the South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs are a Class A minor league team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs. Over the past 28 seasons, the team has won five Midwest League titles, most recently in 2005, and has captured 12 division titles. In 2015 the team was named Ballpark Digest's Team of the Year and received the John H. Johnson President's Award. The team is owned and operated by Swing-Batter-Swing, LLC whose sole shareholder is Andrew T. Berlin of Chicago, Ill. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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South Bend Cubs Sweep Midwest League Honors
South Bend Cubs Sweep Midwest League Honors
(Rikk Carlson)		   



Midwest League Stories from August 23, 2016


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