Tourists Holcomb Named SAL MVP
August 26, 2008 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release
Asheville third baseman Darin Holcomb was named the South Atlantic League's Most Valuable Player for the 2008 season while Tourists skipper Joe Mikulik was tabbed the Class A circuit's Manager of the Year in the year-end honors announced on Tuesday by league president Eric Krupa.
Holcomb was named the third baseman on the 2008 All-Star team in addition to receiving MVP recognition. Joining Holcomb on the annual squad are Asheville teammates Everth Cabrera at second base, outfielder Michael Mitchell and right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin. The Tourists had the most representatives on the team with five, followed by the West Virginia Power, which had three players in utility infielder Steffan Wilson, utility outfielder Caleb Gindl and designated hitter Eric Fryer.
The Colorado Rockies' 12th-round draft pick in 2007 out of Gonzaga University, Holcomb has been one of the league's premier offensive producers throughout the current campaign. In addition to providing steady defense, Holcomb served as a catalyst for Asheville's first-half championship in the Southern Division. He enters the Tourists' final homestand of the regular season ranking first in the league in doubles (44), second in hits (153) and on-base percentage (.394), third in RBIs (93), fourth in extra-base hits (57) and runs (86) and sixth with a .314 batting average.
Cabrera, a native of Nicaragua who signed with the Rockies in 2004, leads the minor leagues with 71 stolen bases. He also owns a .281 batting average with 128 hits and 76 runs scored while manning the middle infield for Asheville throughout the 2008 season. Mitchell, a 25th-round draft choice in 2007 out of the University of Virginia, is second in the South Atlantic League with 53 steals and is tied for first with 88 runs scored. Chacin, a Venezuelan who was promoted to Advanced Class A Modesto in June, posted a 10-1 record and a 1.86 ERA with Asheville.
Currently in his ninth campaign at the Asheville dugout helm, Mikulik receives SAL Manager of the Year recognition for the second straight season. He managed in the league's All-Star Game for the fourth time earlier this season in June, and owns the Tourists' franchise record for managerial victories, which currently stands at 642.
The league also announced that Rome outfielder Jason Heyward was tabbed the SAL's most outstanding major league prospect, while Madison Bumgarner, a native of Caldwell County, was selected as the loop's most outstanding pitcher. Bumgarner was the 10th overall pick in the 2007 draft by the San Francisco Giants; Heyward, a native of the Atlanta area, was selected by the Braves with the 14th overall choice in the same draft.
The Tourists return to McCormick Field on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. to open a three-game series against the Greenville Drive. Asheville will then conclude the regular season with a three-game Labor Day weekend set against the Augusta GreenJackets. Playoff tickets are also available at the McCormick Field ticket office. For more information, contact the Tourists at (828) 258-0428.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 26, 2008
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- Power Sweep SAL POTW Honors - Charleston Dirty Birds
- 2008 SAL All-Star Team Announced - SAL1
- Tourists Holcomb Named SAL MVP - Asheville Tourists
- 2008 SAL All-Star Team Announced; Bumgarner named Most Outstanding Pitcher - SAL1
- Greensboro's Tuesday Double-Header Cancelled - Greensboro Grasshoppers
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