Southern League Announces 2006 Year-End Award Winners
Published on September 7, 2006 under Southern League (SL1) News Release
TRAINER OF THE YEAR
RYUJI ARAKI - CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS
The Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs is pleased to announce that Chattanooga Lookouts' trainer Ryuji Araki has been named the 2006 Southern League Athletic Trainer of the Year as selected by his peers and announced by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. A five-year veteran as an athletic trainer, Araki has spent the last two seasons with the Lookouts. Previously, he was the athletic trainer with the GCL Reds (2002), the Billings Mustangs (2003) and the Potomac Cannons (2004). The Tokyo, Japan native graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Master's Degree in Athletic Training in 2002. He currently resides in Sarasota, FL during the offseason.
GROUNDSKEEPER OF THE YEAR
ED ATTALLA - JACKSONVILLE SUNS
The Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs is pleased to announce that Jacksonville Suns' Director of Field Operations Ed Attalla has been named the Groundskeeper of the Year for the fourth consecutive year as voted upon by the league's field managers and umpires. Attalla is in his fourth year with the Suns and has won the award in each of his years with the organization. He was also named the Double-A Field Turf Manager of the Year in 2003, his first with the Suns. Prior to joining the Jacksonville organization, Attalla gained field turf management experience with the Delmarva Shorebirds, the Bowie Baysox and the Baltimore Orioles. He has also worked in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Attalla resides in Jacksonville, FL with his wife and two children.
BEST VISITING CLUBHOUSE ATTENDANT
MATT GALLANT - MONTGOMERY BISCUITS
The Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs is pleased to announce that Montgomery Biscuits' visiting clubhouse attendant Matt Gallant has been named the Visiting Clubhouse Attendant of the Year as voted upon by the league's field managers and umpires. A four-year veteran as a visiting clubhouse attendant, Gallant has spent the last two seasons with the Biscuits. Previously, he was the visiting clubhouse attendant with the Princeton Devil Rays from 2003-2004. Gallant got his start in baseball with Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts, serving as the head baseball coach and equipment manager from 1999-2002. The Bedford, MA native graduated from Bridgewater State College in 1999 with a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education and a minor in Recreation.
Southern League Stories from September 7, 2006
- Biscuits take Game One from Suns, 4-3 - Montgomery Biscuits
- Four-run seventh inning leads Biscuits to game one victory - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Stars Shut Out Lookouts in Game One - Huntsville Stars
- Mudcats' Sanchez No-Hits Arizona - Carolina Mudcats
- Tocco, Gallant win Southern League awards - Montgomery Biscuits
- Jim Tocco named Southern League Radio Broadcaster of the Year - SL1
- Southern League Announces 2006 Year-End Award Winners - SL1
- Doug Segrest named Southern League Sportswriter of the Year - SL1
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