Baseball Ireland Award Winners

This page is dedicated to those players and teams who, through the years, have (extraordinarily enough) excelled on the Emerald Diamonds of Ireland.

*AWARDS FOR IRISH LEAGUE*
Since 2005, the annual individual Irish League awards given out have an Irish Flavour in an effort to pay homage to the great Irish players who played in the Major Leagues from years gone by. For example, instead of the traditional Cy Young Award being given to the League's Top Pitcher, recipients are presented with the 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award. See below the other award titles and a brief biography of the great men who deserve such recognition.

The 'Andy Leonard 'League MVP Award
Andy Leonard from Co Cavan, was indeed one of the nine "First Boys of Summer" and the only Irish-born player on the World Champion Cincinnati Red Stockings team of 1869 and the very first in professional baseball. He continued his feats and helped create and sustain the original Boston Red Stockings championship dynasty from 1872 through 1876 and again in 1878, competing all tolled in six world championships. (Yes, before the drought brought on by the "Curse of the Bambino", first Cincinnati, then Boston was the glory of 19th century baseball.)

He had the joint 2nd best career average for an Irish player of .299. He was said to be the finest left fielder of his generation. He took particular delight in returning in 1874 during an exhibition tour of the Red Stockings and the runner-up Philadelphia Athletics. In his diary and press clippings of that year, Andy and his life-long friend Harry Wright were the leading batsmen as the Yanks walloped the then reigning Marybone champions in London at their own game, cricket.

The 'Tommy Bond' Best Pitcher Award
Tommy Bond was born in Granard in Co Longford in 1856. He became the first triple crown pitcher when he led the National League with 40 wins, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.11 ERA for Boston in 1877.

The 2005 `Dirty' Jack Doyle Silver Slugger Award
Ireland native `Dirty' Jack Doyle is one of 20 major leaguers to have played 100 games at four different positions. Of all the Irish players he had the most career doubles (315), home runs (26), RBI (968) and highest slugging percentage (.385). He was 2nd behind Patsy Donovan in triples, runs, steals and average. He was also reputedly baseball's first pinch hitter, coming off the bench to single for the Giants in 1892. Doyle was born in Killorglin, Co Kerry.

The 2005 'Patsy Donovan' Batting Champion Award
Patsy Donovan was probably the most successful Irish-born major leaguer, having played the most games and boasted the best batting average. He was also responsible for bringing a certain Babe Ruth to the attention of the Red Sox. He starred with the Pirates for eight seasons, notching six consecutive .300 seasons and serving as player-manager in 1897 and 1899.

2012 - Irish League Champions Spartans
2012 - B League Champions Mariners
2012 - A League Pennant Winners Hurricanes
2012 - B League Pennant Winners Mariners
2012 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award (A) Andrei Apostaoie
2012 - Andy Leonard MVP Award (A) John Lerner
2012 - Silver Slugger Award (A) John Lerner
2012 - Batting Champion Award (A) John Lerner
2012 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award (B) Jack Farrell
2012 - Andy Leonard MVP Award (B) Jack Farrell and Danny Babcan
   
2011 - Irish League Champions Spartans
2011 - B League Champions Black Sox
2011 - A League Pennant Winners Hurricanes
2011 - B League Pennant Winners Hurricanes
2011 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award Cormac Eklof
2011 - Andy Leonard MVP Award Tom Kelley
2011 - Silver Slugger Award Jimmy Pita
2011 - Batting Champion Award Jimmy Pita
   
2010 - Irish League Champions Spartans
2010 - B League Champions Hurricanes
2010 - A League Pennant Winners Hurricanes
2010 - B League Pennant Winners Hurricanes
2010 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award Andrei Apostaoie
2010 - Andy Leonard MVP Award Jimmy Pita
2010 - Silver Slugger Award Carlos Fabian
2010 - Batting Champion Award Carlos Fabian
   
2009 - Irish League Champions Spartans
2009 - B League Champions Munster Warriors
2009 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award Cormac Eklof
2009 - Andy Leonard MVP Award Andy Martin
   
2008 - Irish League Champions Spartans
2008 - B League Champions Hurricanes
2008 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award Niall Rowen
2008 - Andy Leonard MVP Award Cristi
   
2007 - Irish League Champions Spartans
2007 - B League Champions Mariners
2007 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award Andrei Apostaoie
2007 - Andy Leonard MVP Award Andrei Apostaoie
   
2006 - Irish League Champions Spartans
2006 - B League Champions Black Sox
2006 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award Chaime Cuevas
2006 - Andy Leonard MVP Award Darran O'Connor
   
2005 - League Champions Hurricanes
2005 - League Trophy Winners Panthers
2005 - 'Dirty' Jack Doyle Silver Slugger Award Pat Nolan
2005 - Tommy Bond Best Pitcher Award Shawn Miskiman
2005 - Andy Leonard MVP Award Steve DiVito
2005 - Spring Invitational - Winners Mariners
   
2004 - League Champions Spartans
2004 - League Pennant Winners Hurricanes
2004 - League MVP Darragh Jones
2004 - League Batting Champion Amory Schwartz
2004 - League Cy Young Award Cormac Eklof
2004 - Silver Slugger Andy Martin
2004 - Dublin International Tournament Champs President's 9
2004 - Dublin International Tournament - MVP Enrique Garcia
2004 - Dublin International Tournament - Cy Young Award Mike Kindle
2004 - M&M Psycho Invitational - Champs Hurricanes
2004 - M&M Psycho Invitational - Runners Up Mariners
2004 - M&M Psycho Invitational - MVP Steve DeVito
2004 - M&M Psycho Invitational - Cy Young Award Cormac Eklof
   
2003 - League Champions Hurricanes
2003 - Cup Champions Spartans
2003 - League MVP Tom Kelley
2003 - League Batting Champion Hugh Cahill
2003 - League Cy Young Award Chaime Cuevas
2003 - League Gold Glove Pat Nolan
2003 - Silver Slugger Tom Kelley
2003 - Spring Blitz Winners Hurricanes
2003 - Spring Blitz MVP Steve DeVito
2003 - Spring Blitz Pitcher Cormac Eklof
   
2002 - League Champions Spartans
2002 - League MVP Jamie Cuevas
2002 - League Batting Champion Gordon Ireland
2002 - League Cy Young Award Eoin O'Connor
2002 - League Gold Glove Mick Manning
2002 - Spring Blitz Winners Spartans
2002 - Spring Blitz MVP Ultan MaGill
2002 - Spring Blitz Pitcher Patrick Baerner
2002 - Autumn Blitz Winners Northen Hurricanes
2002 - Autumn Blitz MVP Tom Kelley
   
2001 - League Champions Panthers
2001 - Spring Blitz Winners Hurricanes
2001 - Spring Blitz MVP John Dillon
2001 - End of Season Blitz Winners Hurricanes
2001 - End of Season Blitz MVP Tom Kelley
   
2000 - League Champions Spartans
2000 - End of Season Blitz Winners Hurricanes
2000 - End of Season Blitz MVP John Dillon
   
1999 - League Champions Spartans
1999 - League MVP Tom Kelley
1999 - League Cy Young Winner Greg Modaro
   
1998 - League Champions Panthers
1998 - League MVP Ken McCarthy
1998 - League Cy Young Winner Noel Mitchell
   
1997 - League Champions The Dukes

Spartans Champs 2011


Spartans 2010 Champions





Hurricanes
2003 Irish League Champions


Spartans
2002 Irish League Champions


Panthers
2001 Irish League Champions



SSK Europe
The European
Baseball Centre
Supporters of
Baseball Ireland and
the Irish National
Baseball Team