TSN's Minor League Awards

Sporting News, The, Dec 20, 1999

Player of the Year

Rick Ankiel, Class AA Arkansas and Class AAA Memphis

Rick Ankiel, 20, is the Cardinals' future ace and has evoked images of lefthanded greats such as Sandy Koufax and Steve Carlton. Those comparisons may seem to raise expectations ridiculously high, but anything less than a career similar to Ron Guidry's--which included a 170-91 record, a 3.29 career ERA and the 1978 A.L. Cy Young Award--would be disappointing.

Ankiel opened the season at Arkansas and treated Class AA hitters like high school kids. He went 6-0 with an 0.91 ERA in eight starts for the Travelers, allowing 25 hits and 16 walks and striking out 75 in 49 1/3 innings.

His success at Class AA gamed him a promotion to Class AAA Memphis, where he was 7-3 with 118 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings. Though he didn't have enough innings to rank among the Pacific Coast League official leaders, his 3.16 ERA was one of the best in the league.

For his combined performance at Class AA and AAA, Ankiel is THE SPORTING NEWS Minor League Player of the Year.

Ankiel offered a glimpse of his potential when he was called up to St. Louis In August, posting a 3.27 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 33 innings. He's likely to start next season in the big-league rotation, but he won't have to be the rotation's leader quite yet; that responsibility goes to newcomers Pat Hentgen and Darryl Kile. But that doesn't mean Ankiel won't be the team's No. 1 starter by the end of the season--that's a definite possibility. --Mark Bonavita

Manager of the Year

DeMarlo Hale, Class AA Trenton

Boston lost a great prospect this offseason, and he wasn't a player. Class AA manager DeMarlo Hale could have stayed in the Red Sox organization, but he turned down Boston's offer to manage the Trenton Thunder for a fourth season. He has since signed With the Texas organization, where he'll be the manager for Class AAA Oklahoma of the Pacific Coast League.

"My three years with Trenton allowed to me to grow personally and professionally, and I will always be grateful for that opportunity," Hale says. "It came down to an opportunity at a higher level."

Hale led Trenton to a 92-50 record and the Eastern League's regular-season tide. His success came despite an average group of prospects and losing a host of players to Class AAA. The team had only one pitcher with double-digit wins, and its best player was in his fifth season at Class AA.

As a result, Hale is THE SPORTING NEWS Minor League Manager of the Year.

Hale also was named the Eastern League's manager of the year, the second such honor he has earned in his seven-year career; he was named the Midwest League's top manager in 1995. --M.B.

Executive of the Year

Ben Mondor, Class AAA Pawtucket

Twenty-two years ago, Ben Mondor sat among 346 fans in old McCoy Stadium and watched his team win the International League pennant. It was his first season as the PawSox owner, and his team had the league's best record, but it also finished last in I.L. attendance with a total of 70,344.

This year's team was 76-68 and attracted a franchise-best 596,624 fans. Attendance has improved in most seasons in the Mondor era, a trend that was highlighted this season with the opening of the completely renovated McCoy Stadium.

Mondor is twice credited with saving baseball in Rhode Island--once when he bought the team and again before the 1999 season, as he spearheaded and helped finance the $16 million renovation and expansion of 57-year-old McCoy Stadium.

For all of his work, Mondor is THE SPORTING NEWS Minor League Executive of the Year.

Mondor, who has mined ticket prices just three times since his first season, is adored by PawSox fans. He also makes sure parking is free and concessions are cheaper than the typical fast food joint.

"These are old mill towns, and people are on hard times," Mondor says. "We want to give people the very best baseball in the world, in the best circumstances, with the best of prices." --M.B.

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