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Big JP takes MVP
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Posted on Oct 07 2005
Last of four parts
After patiently waiting while the Major, Junior, and Senior Leaguers received their awards from the organizers of the Saipan Little League Baseball Association, the Big Leaguers finally got their due led by the well-rounded hardballer J.P. Sablan.
Sablan earned top honors as one of the league’s swiftest swingers by taking the doubles crown with six two-baggers, and later proved that he could dominate with his arms as he took the pitching title with a miniscule 1.89 earned run average.
The hurler allowed nine runs off of 41 hits through 31 1/3 innings over an eight game stretch in which he finished 5-1 to take the pitching plumb. Even more outstanding was that Sablan’s ERA was less than half of his closest competitor, John Tudela (3.94).
While Tudela missed out on his laurels for throwing, he more than made up for it with his bat as he led the league with a .568 batting average after connecting in 21 of his 37 at bats.
Tudela’s hitting was so impressive that league organizers named him the regular season’s most valuable player, while Sablan took the same honors with the Comets in the championship.
The dynamic duo weren’t the only players with hot bats in the league, as perennial all-star Tyrone Omar led the league with 26 runs scored for the Ol’Aces and was the only player to hit two homerun in the season.
B.J. Nicolas was a close second in the batting race with a .550 average, but his consistent hitting drove in the most scores for the Comets, as the slugger hammered home 18 runs batted in.
While Nicolas had a knack for knock, Jordan Suel had the need for speed, as the teen from Tanapag led all comers with four triples.
The Comets’ good fortune continued as their healthy stable of players earned them the double whammy as pennant winners and playoff champions, while the Ol’Aces settled for runner-up in each, but the Aces got the last hurrah by winning the coveted Sportsmanship award.
