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It's been quite a while since the last article in the Cobb Times Herald, I guess we were just waiting for a big moment, and the Omaha Sluggers winning their 7th World Series crown seems to fit the bill. The Sluggers rolled through the playoffs sweeping their first two series and losing only 1 in the World Series to compile an 11-1 playoff record. Their pitching was fantastic throughout the playoffs, and Jade Stetter was perfect closing games going 8 for 8 in save opportunities with a 0.00 ERA. Their offense was pretty solid as well, with several players contributing good postseasons. As mentioned, this is the 7th Cobb title for the Omaha Sluggers. After winning 5 titles from Seasons 7-13, the well dried up for a bit, as they needed to go through a rebuilding phase. It's finally paid off, as they have won 2 out of the last 3 titles. If anyone knows the formula for putting together a championship club, it's yanks21, who not only has 7 World Series championships here, but a staggering 25 total, one of the best in Hardball Dynasty history!
In addition to the World Series trophy, some other hardware was handed out, here's a recap of the winners:
Most Valuable Player
American League - Don Nation, Baltimore - .339 AVG 51 HR 147 RBI
After an impressive rookie campaign that won him Rookie of the Year honors, Nation exploded on to the scene in his 2nd season to take the MVP award. The former #9 overall draft pick pounded the ball this season, winning the AL Triple Crown, as led the league in batting average, home runs, RBI, and also Hits, Slugging and OPS. He definitely looks to be primed to contend for MVP for seasons to come. He also won a Silver Slugger award this season.
National League - Stephen Hubbard, Charleston -.331 AVG 53 HR 143 RBI
Hubbard won a close race for the NL MVP, however with his numbers you can't really dispute him winning. This is Hubbard's 2nd MVP win, he also won in Season 24. Although his last three seasons were good, he stepped it back up to an MVP caliber lever this season leading the NL in Home Runs and RBI, and finishing 4th in batting average. He also won a Silver Slugger award this season. At only 27, a third MVP title isn't out of the question.
Cy Young Award
American League - Doug Dreifort, Kansas City - 23-5 3.02 ERA 157 K
At age 34, Driefort, who was a rock all season in the World Series runner-up Kansas City rotation, took home his first Cy Young Award. His 23 wins led the league, and he also made the All-Star team. The winner by a wide margin, Dreifort had a truly impressive season in capturing the AL's top pitching honors.
National League - Oswaldo Veras, Omaha - 23-3 1.72 ERA 191 K
Veras was a runaway winner of the NL Cy Young Award, posting a microscopic ERA, the third lowest all-time in Cobb, and an extremely low WHIP, while tossing 7 complete games and 3 shutouts for the World Series Champions. He won the first three Pitcher of the Week awards, and easily made the All Star team. At age 26, this could be the first of many Cy Young Awards for Veras, who was simply dominant this season.
Well, that wraps up Season 28, and the first blog post in ages! We hope to have more content next season. Don't forget to renew your team for a quick rollover into Season 29. See you next season!
