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The year in review
League
We had another successful league season in 2017 winning promotion for the 2nd successive year. We probably over-achieved slightly in the 1st half of the season, then international call ups, injuries and holidays all combined to slow us down in the 2nd half but over the season as a whole 2nd place was a deserved reward for lots of hard work by the whole team.
Mike was the team Home Run Champion with 9 four-baggers closely followed by Dan with 7, JD was the only other male Home Run hitter with 3 whilst Annie and Alyssa claimed one each for the women. Male OBP leaders were Dan, Dave and Sully whilst TK, Jackie and Emma were the female top 3. Over the team as a whole the female OBP was a very respectable 482 and the male OBP a possibly slightly below par 630.
Our male MVP was Dan who was the team's best fielder and also our best batter. TK was the female MVP, hitting for a high average and good in the infield. Jackie was a great addition to the squad, hitting with power and providing another great option in the infield, putting in some great performances at 1st in the second half of the season.
Mike was central to the success of the team, putting in lots of hard work both on and off the pitch. He hit with real power, provided lots of options in both infield and outfield and in the last game of the season he showed that he's now a viable option at pitcher. Annie played with a dodgy shoulder all season, postponing her operation so she could complete the year. Emma also played several games with a hand injury, despite that she looked good in field and hit over 500 for the season.
Sandra kicked on this year, hitting the ball hard and being reliable in both infield and outfield. Caroline also started to threaten with the bat and looked promising in the outfield (as well as being the team's best scorer). Jen had a promising 1st year and was hitting the ball hard by the end of the season.
JD and Sully both had other commitments that restricted their playing time, but they were both effective when they did get onto the pitch. Alyssa also missed a lot of games but when she did play she hit the ball very hard and was really good in the outfield.
Tony batted lead-off and was a willing utility man in the field. Rob and Steve were the twin pillars of the outfield, working hard all year with almost identical batting stats. Dave was the team's main pitcher and also got on base at a decent pace. Guest Steve Beddows provided invaluable pitching cover when Dave was injured.
Tournaments
We played in five tournaments in 2017 and had a successful time. We started by having a winning record at Firstball, losing a tight semi final to the Bobcats. At Sefton we over-achieved by reaching the plate final. At North West Series 2 we won the whole bowl of wax taking home the Gold Cup. We had another winning record at the Manchester tournament before recording a 5&1 record and taking the silver cup at the 3rd North West Series tournament.
End of Season Awards 2017
| Batting Champion (Male): | Dan |
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Batting Champion (Female): | TK |
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| Players' Player (Male): | Michael |
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Players' Player (Female): | Sandra |
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| Captain's Player (Male): | Dan |
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Captain's Player (Female): | Caroline |
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| Home Run Champion (Male): | Mike |
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| Home Run Champions (Female): | Alyssa and Annie |
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