SIMBL GM AWARDS HISTORY

2024 SIMBL GM AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Texans' Aguilar First Unanimous MVP Selection Since 2008

Knoxville rookie Joe Hayes' (above) entered the SIMBL as a rookie this past season and impacted from the start.  The 22 year-old was voted the 2024 SL Rookie Of The Year and finished second in 2024 SL MVP voting.  Hayes hit .307 with 21 HR and 94 RBI with 79 SB.  Hayes finished 7th in the SIMBL in batting average, fourth in hits, first in triples, second in runs scored, second in stolen bases, fourth in extra base hits and sixth in total bases in a dazzling debut season for the Lumberkings.

2024 SIMBL GM Awards:
SIMBL GM Of The Year: Jamey Carter Rochester
UL Slugger Of The Year: Tony Aguilar Dallas
SL Slugger Of The Year: Joe Buchanan Rochester
UL Hurler Of The Year: Ryan Thomas Whitby
SL Hurler Of The Year: Oki Okada Chicago
UL Middle Reliever Of The Year: Larry Hamilton Toronto
SL Middle Reliever Of The Year: Ron Orr Chicago
UL Fireman Of The Year: Andrew Steele New York
SL Fireman Of The Year: Willie Roger DeMarco San Diego
UL Rookie Of The Year: Ash Wilson Bristol
SL Rookie Of The Year: Joe Hayes Knoxville

The 2024 SIMBL GM Awards have been voted on by all SIMBL GMs and announced.

Rochester GM Jamey Carter was voted by his SIMBL peers as the 2024 SIMBL GM Of The Year.  Carter wheeled and dealed some to improve his team to lead them into the postseason for the first time since the 2021 SIMBL season by coming back from a four-game deficit in the last two SIMs to win the SL East title.  It's the longtime Rochester GM Carter's first SIMBL GM Of The Year honors.

Carter edged Whitby GM John Callahan by one vote while New York GM Chris Gattuso finished third.

Whitby's Ryan Thomas was named UL Hurler Of The Year.  The 29 year-old went 20-5 with a 2.58 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP edging out Texas' Richard Dicks Jr. for the UL honors.  Thomas' teammate Brian Woods finished third.

Chicago's Oki Okada edged out Las Vegas' Alan Alexander Anderson by one vote for the SL Hurler Of The Year receiving eight first place votes to 'Triple A's' seven.  Okada, traded to the Hitmen from Bristol at last season's trade deadline, went 18-8 and led the SIMBL with a 2.18 ERA and 0.90 WHIP.  It's the second Hurler Of The Year Award in the past three seasons for the former third overall pick in the 2019 SIMBL Inaugural Draft.  Okada previously won the award for the Owls in 2022.  Deer Lake's Glenn Murphy finished third.

Dallas' Tony Aguilar won the UL Slugger Of The Year Award unanimously.  It was the first unanimous vote in SIMBL GM Awards voting since Daryl Ryles' won the 2008 SL Slugger Of The Year Award.  Aguilar had a well-publicized historic season by becoming only the second player in SIMBL history to hit 60 home runs in a season.  'Troop' also became baseball's first player to achieve a 60 HR/60 SB season.  Aguilar led Dallas to their third UL championship in the past four seasons by hitting .315 with 62 HR and 154 RBI with a 1.096 OPS.  His 62 HR are the second-highest amount in a season in the SIMBL's twenty-season history.  Aguilar's 154 RBI are the second-most in the SIMBL New File Era and ninth-most in league history.

Calgary teammates Carlos Molina and last season's UL SOTY Colt McAlister finished second and third in the voting.

Rochester's Joe Buchanan unexpectedly won the 2024 SL Slugger Of The Year Award.  The 25 year-old became only the fourth player in league history to achieve a 40 HR/40 SB season.  The Roosters center fielder hit .244 with 41 HR and 95 RBI.  Buchanan's .244 mark is the lowest batting average of a league MVP in league history.

Knoxville rookie Joe Hayes and Charlotte slugger Chance Bailey finished second and third in the voting.

Toronto's Larry Hamilton was voted the 2024 UL Middle Reliever Of The Year.  The 36 year-old threw 69.2 innings with a blistering 1.16 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.  Calgary's Luis Martinez finished second while his teammate and former two-time UL MROTY Bob Detty finished third in the voting.

Chicago's Ron Orr, who alternated between middle reliever and closer before a trade from Bristol at mid-season, was voted the 2024 SL Middle Reliever Of The Year.  Orr appeared in 82 games throwing 77.2 innings with a miniscule 0.93 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.  Asheville's Angelino Castro and Chicago's Jimmy Kenney finished second and third in the voting.

New York's Andrew Steele was voted the 2024 UL Fireman Of The Year.  The 36 year-old veteran Enforcers closer dominated this season hurling 69.0 innings with an 0.91 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 40 saves.  Dallas' Juan Rivera finished second and Cleveland's Jake Jackson finished third in the voting.

San Diego's Willie Roger DeMarco was voted the 2024 SL Fireman Of The Year.  The 25 year-old left hander threw 79.1 innings with an 0.91 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and led the SIMBL with 49 saves. It was DeMarco's third season in his five-season career as full-time closer with 48 or more saves.  The SL's winner the past two seasons, Asheville's Dez Jordan, finished second while Rochester's Alex Martin finished third in the voting.

Bristol first baseman Ash Wilson was voted 2024 UL Rookie Of The Year becoming the third straight Owls freshman to win the award.  Wilson hit .324 with 26 HR and 84 RBI in his first SIMBL season. Dallas' Vince Crocker and Whitby's Keith Patterson finished second and third in the voting.

Knoxville's Joe Hayes capped a phenomenal rookie campaign being voted 2024 SL Rookie Of The Year.  The former 2020 first round draft pick of Calgary was obtained in the big 2021 trade that sent superstar SP Vinny Corleone to the Clippers and has panned out very well for the Lumberkings.  Hayes was an immediate impact player in the league hitting .307 with 21 HR, 94 RBI and 79 SB in his rookie season and also finished second in the 2024 SL MVP voting.

Sacramento's Joe Gibbs and Hollywood's Ju-Won Shi finished second and third in the balloting.

Voting was outstanding again as 23/24 SIMBL GMs placed their ballots.

The annual naming of the 2024 All-SIMBL Team is forthcoming next as the 2025 SIMBL off-season is underway.

'WOLVES GM NORRIS TALKS ABOUT 2024 SIMBL CHAMPIONSHIP RUN

San Diego GM Already Planning Moves Ahead As Defending SIMBL Champions; SIMBL CS MVP Mack On Trading Block

SP Evander Thomas (above) is one of the key players in place for a possible long San Diego run as a perennial contender.  The 22 year-old rookie and former 12th overall draft pick in the 2019 SIMBL Draft by Rochester was untouchable in the Warewolves' run to their tenth SIMBL championship.  Thomas started four games in the 2024 postseason going 4-0 with a 2.12 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.  San Diego had to win a one-game playoff against Chicago to even make the 2024 SIMBL postseason then went on to defeat top-seeded Las Vegas, Hollywood and Dallas for the 2024 SIMBL championship.

By Kevin Norris
San Diego Warewolves GM
SIMBL Contributor

San Diego Warewolves GM Kevin Norris held a press conference shortly after winning the 2024 SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship Series with a six-game series win over GM Robert Don's Dallas Texans.  It was Norris' first SIMBL title and the tenth in the 'Wolves franchise history.

"We are proud to be a part of the SIMBL History as 10-time SIMBL champions. This was a tough regular season. A lot of our quality players didn’t perform as expected, and I had a tough time getting the best out of my players through the 162 game regular season.  The last SIM before the playoffs we made some adjustments and took some chances knowing full well at this point in the season trailing by two games it was all or nothing. The players reacted well to these changes and responded by going 5-2 in the last sim,and putting us in a position of a three way tie for the last playoff spot. I admit we had some luck to get into the playoffs. We played what was one of the most intense games I have been in going 14 innings on route to beating the Chicago Hitmen of GM John Bowden.  We knew we had to make the playoffs, this would have been drastic if we hadn’t after investing in some high priced free agents at the beginning of the season. Our goals were to make the playoffs and it was not an option this season. Hats off to the Chicago Hitmen team that played well and almost ended our playoff shot.

A few guys stepped it up in the playoffs, and were the key reasons for this team winning the SIMBL championship. SP Gui had a monster of a season winning 18 games and continued to play well throughout the playoffs. Our playoff MVP DeShaun Mack hit 10 home runs, drove in 23 runs and turned it around for us in these playoffs, after only hitting 20 all season.

Mario Montalbano, Francico Ruil, Adrian Bryant and Julian Winfield all contributed, and not to forget Evander Thomas who was outstanding in all of his starts. We have high hopes for this kid next season and beyond. To all the teams we played against throughout the season and the playoffs, we have the up most respect for, especially the veteran managers that have been a part of the SIMBL for so many seasons.  

Now to get to business about next season. We will be on a slow road to rebuilding. We need to do budget cuts and bring our salary cap down. Mack is on the trading block. With top prospect David Jackson ready to go and step in as a regular day starter and Bryant still signed on for a few more seasons rather cheap, it only makes sense to see what we could get for DeShaun on the open trade market. This is not something that we want to do but we feel Mack has some good value going into next season. We should still be competitive even with the budget cuts that will need to be made.

To all SIMBL managers, I wish you good luck for the upcoming 2025 season."

SAN DIEGO WINS 10TH SIMBL CHAMPIONSHIP

'Big Three' Of Winfield, Mack & Montalbano Lead 'Wolves Past Texans In Six Games For 2024 SIMBL Title

2024 SIMBL CS MVP DeShaun Mack celebrates with San Diego fans after leading the Warewolves to the 2024 SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship over Dallas in six games.  Mack was a terror in the wildcard postseason run of the 'Wolves hitting .366 with 10 HR and 23 RBI.

Another one of San Diego GM Kevin Norris' key acquisitions this past season,RF  Francisco Ruil, celebrates hitting a three-run blast to put away Game Six of the 2024 SIMBL CS and give the Warewolves their tenth SIMBL championship in the SIMBL's twenty seasons of play.

2024 SIMBL CS GAME FOUR:

DALLAS 9 SAN DIEGO 6 (14 INNINGS)
Series Tied 2-2
WP: Richardo Ruiz (1-0) LP: Kelly Wright (0-2)
HR: San Diego: DeShaun Mack (9) Adrian Bryant (5) Dallas: Jorge Ramirez (4)
Player Of The Game: Jorge Ramirez SS Dallas
4 for 6 2 R BB 2B HR 4 RBI

SS Jorge Ramirez's 3-run shot off of San Diego's Emerson Schmidt gives Dallas the victory in San Diego in the longest game in SIMBL CS history to tie the series.

2024 SIMBL CS GAME FIVE:

SAN DIEGO 7 DALLAS 6 (11 INNINGS WALK-OFF)
San Diego Leads Series 3-2
WP: Willie Roger DeMarco (2-0) LP: Eldon Grant (0-1)
HR: San Diego: Francisco Ruil (1) Dallas: Paul Rose (2) Vaughn Perry (1)
Player Of The Game: Vaughn Perry 1B Dallas
3 for 5 R HR 4 RBI

2024 SIMBL CS GAME SIX:

SAN DIEGO 10 DALLAS 3
San Diego Wins Series 4-2
WP: Evander Thomas (4-0) LP: Rory Gallagher (1-1)
HR: San Diego: DeShaun Mack (10) Francisco Ruil (2) Adrian Bryant (6) Dallas: Mark Haney (1)
Player Of The Game: Francisco Ruil RF San Diego
3 for 4 2 R BB HR 3 RBI

Full writeup on the SIMBL Front Page to follow.

2024 SIMBL CS GAMES 4-6 NEWS:

Friday, November 1st, 2024

Bristol Owls: The owner took $16,648,739 in cash as profit for this year.

Toronto Rush: The owner took $5,502,450 in cash as profit for this year.

Bend Bandits: The owner took $197,581 in cash as profit for this year.

Seattle Seawolves: The owner took $16,589,593 in cash as profit for this year.

Rochester Roosters: The owner took $15,888,537 in cash as profit for this year.

Chicago Hitmen: The owner took $35,256,788 in cash as profit for this year.

Knoxville Lumberkings: The owner took $4,259,898 in cash as profit for this year.

Hollywood Stars: The owner took $43,389,601 in cash as profit for this year.

Sacramento Giants: The owner took $12,139,056 in cash as profit for this year.

Saturday, October 26th, 2024

San Diego Warewolves: 1B David Jackson honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL AAA AAA ML Slugger Of The Year Award.

Chicago Hitmen: RF Shane King honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL AAA AAA FL Slugger Of The Year Award.

Friday, October 25th, 2024

Boston Revolution: SP Joe Blackwell honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL AAA AAA ML Hurler Of The Year Award.

Chicago Hitmen: SP Dan Anderson honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL AAA AAA FL Hurler Of The Year Award.

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024

Chicago Hitmen: LF Mike Norris honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL A A SL Slugger Of The Year Award.

San Diego Warewolves: 1B Cooper Hawkes honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL A A FL Slugger Of The Year Award.

Monday, October 21st, 2024

Asheville Smokies: SP José López honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL A A SL Hurler Of The Year Award.

Whitby Battalion: SP Miguel De Los Santos honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL A A FL Hurler Of The Year Award.

Friday, October 18th, 2024

Knoxville Lumberkings: CF Gerald Stewart honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL RL RL CL Slugger Of The Year Award.

Las Vegas Hustlers: 1B Andrew Green honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL RL RL HL Slugger Of The Year Award.

Thursday, October 17th, 2024

Chicago Hitmen: SP David Tomlinson honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL RL RL CL Hurler Of The Year Award.

Hollywood Stars: SP Pat Gary honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL RL RL HL Hurler Of The Year Award.

Westbury Cannons: RF Ryan Moore honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL AA AA FL Slugger Of The Year Award.

Hollywood Stars: 1B Robby Brooks honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL AA AA KL Slugger Of The Year Award.

Wednesday, October 16th, 2024

Toronto Rush: SP Raúl Valdés honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL AA AA FL Hurler Of The Year Award.

Chicago Hitmen: SP Julius Lyons honored: Wins the 2024 SIMBL AA AA KL Hurler Of The Year Award.

2024 SIMBL CS GAMES 4-6 MAJOR TRANSACTIONS:

Friday, November 1st, 2024

Deer Lake Direwolves: MR Pete Samuels retires.

Toronto Rush: SP Blair Moran retires.

Charlotte Landsharks: 3B Troy Peck retires.

Hawaii Pineapples: LF Clint Proctor (AAA Reno) retires.

Deer Lake Direwolves: MR Ron Baker retires.

Boston Revolution: CL Miguel Rivera retires.

Chicago Hitmen: RF Anthony LaBelle (R Boise) retires.

SIMBL POSTSEASON HISTORY

'WOLVES UP 2-1 ON TEXANS IN 2024 SIMBL CS

Stars DeShaun Mack & Julian Winfield Lead San Diego Offense To Series Lead

Veteran San Diego first baseman Adrian Bryant (above right) crosses home plate after hitting one of the Warewolves' three dingers in a 14-1 Game Three rout of Dallas.  The 'Wolves lead the Texans two games to one in the 2024 SIMBL CS.

The San Diego Warewolves of GM Kevin Norris have taken a 2-1 series lead on GM Robert Don's Dallas Texans in the 2024 SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship Series.

San Diego DH DeShaun Mack and CF Julian Winfield have been instrumental in the 'Wolves lead.  Mack has hit three big home runs in the first three games while Winfield has also sizzled.

The 'Wolves won Game One 7-1 in Dallas while the Texans stormed back in Game Two to even the series at 1-1 with a 8-6 home win.

After a travel day, San Diego blitzed the Texans in Game Three 14-1 as Winfield went 3 for 4 with two doubles and a three run home run for 5 RBI in the rout.

Dallas looks for the first SIMBL championship in franchise history in their third trip to the title series.  San Diego looks for their tenth SIMBL title in their 12th trip to the SIMBL CS.

2024 SIMBL CS Games 4-6 will be upon both exports received and announced.  If a Game Seven is needed then we will have a special export and SIM for the final deciding game.

Good luck to both Robert and Kevin on the series conclusion.

2024 SIMBL CS GAME ONE:

SAN DIEGO 7 DALLAS 1
San Diego Leads Series 1-0
WP: Evander Thomas (3-0) LP: Rolland Lefebvre (2-2)
HR: San Diego: DeShaun Mack (6) Julian Winfield (3) Dallas: Jorge Ramirez (2)
Player Of The Game: DeShaun Mack DH San Diego
3 for 5 1 R HR 4 RBI

2024 SIMBL CS GAME TWO:

DALLAS 8 SAN DIEGO 6
Series Tied 1-1
WP: Ross Brooks (3-1) LP: Vincente Lopez (1-1) SV: Juan Rivera (5)
HR: San Diego: DeShaun Mack (7) Dallas: Jorge Ramirez (3)
Player Of The Game: Jon Mitchell 3B Dallas
4 for 4 2 R 2B 2 RBI

2024 SIMBL CS GAME THREE:

SAN DIEGO 14 DALLAS 1
San Diego Leads Series 2-1
WP: Santiago Gonzalez (1-2) LP: Anthony Green (0-1)
HR: San Diego: DeShaun Mack (8) Julian Winfield (4) Adrian Bryant (4) Dallas: Vince Crocker (3)
Player Of The Game: Julian Winfield CF San Diego
3 for 4 2 R 2 2B HR 5 RBI

2024 SIMBL CS GAMES 1-3 MAJOR TRANSACTIONS:

Sunday, October 27th, 2024

Rochester Roosters: Signed CF Pepe Lopez to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $650,000.

Rochester Roosters: Signed RF Jimmy Reed to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $7,500,000.

Rochester Roosters: Signed 3B Scott Nelson to a 5-year contract extension worth a total of $12,680,000.

Rochester Roosters: Signed 1B Kirk Franklin to a 4-year contract extension worth a total of $28,000,000.

Saturday, October 26th, 2024

Boston Revolution: Signed MR Jack Robinson to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $400,000.

Friday, October 25th, 2024

oston Revolution: Signed 3B Pancho Medina to a 4-year contract extension worth a total of $24,000,000.

SIMBL POSTSEASON HISTORY

IT'S WILDCARDS DALLAS VS. SAN DIEGO IN 20TH ANNUAL SIMBL COVETED CUP CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Hollywood's SIMBL Batting Champion Shi Leaves Tying Run On Second Base In Bottom Of The Ninth In Thrilling 2024 SLCS Game Seven

San Diego Warewolves teammates celebrate the 2024 SL Championship with a bit of bubbly after defeating division rival Hollywood 3-1 in a thrilling Game Seven of the 2024 SLCS.   San Diego had to play a one-game playoff defeating Chicago to advance to the playoffs and now will face UL champion Dallas in the 2024 SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship Series.  The 'Wolves make their unprecedented 12th trip to the title series and will be looking for their 10th SIMBL championship overall.

It's the first time in the SIMBL's twenty seasons of history that two wildcards will meet in the SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship Series befitting of a wild and crazy season in the SIMBL's 20th season of play.

San Diego GM Kevin Norris' Warewolves held off the SL West division rival Hollywood Stars of GM Rodney Baylor 3-1 in Game Seven of the 2024 SLCS to advance to their first SIMBL CS since the 2021 season.

Trailing 3-0 going into the bottom of the ninth inning at home in front of 44,094 in the Hollywood Bowl, the two-time defending SL West champions scored a run on Jamal Wilson's single and then had runners on second and third on a wild pitch by San Diego's Carlos Perez with the SIMBL's 2024 batting champion Ju-Won Shi at the plate.

Shi, who hit .335 this past season to lead the SIMBL, grounded out to end the threat and send the 'Wolves to the SIMBL Championship Series against Dallas in thrilling style.  It will be a rematch of the 2021 SIMBL CS when San Diego defeated wildcard Dallas in six games.

Dallas previously defeated GM Jonathan Fitzgerald's Cleveland Brownies in the 2024 ULCS four games to two.

The 'Wolves appear in the SIMBL CS for a record twelfth time and are looking for their 10th SIMBL championship in 20 SIMBL seasons.  The UL champion Dallas Texans of GM Robert Don make their third trip to the SIMBL CS in the past four seasons and third overall in franchise history and seek their first SIMBL title.

2024 SIMBL LCS MVPs will be announced by the league shortly.

2024 SIMBL CS Games 1-3 will be run Saturday February 9, 2013.

Good luck to both Kevin and Robert on their quest for the ever-elusive SIMBL Coveted Cup.

2024 SLCS GAME SEVEN:

SAN DIEGO 3 HOLLYWOOD 1
San Diego Wins Series 4-3
WP: Guang Gui (2-1) LP: Gustave Sequin (2-2) SV: Carlos Perez (2)
HR: San Diego: Julian Winfield (2)
Player Of The Game: Guang Gui SP San Diego
7.1 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 3 K