Awards Time (Finally)

After a month-long celebration of our first Division V title, it's finally time to hand out season honors for your champion Herald-Whig Demons.

Once again, the voting committee is a committee of one - DOB. We'll do this much like we did last year.

Now, on to the show:

Least Valuable Player

Diamond Dave. If he got a new Demons jersey, he should give it back. We saw the guy once this year. He took up a roster spot for a more deserving player.

Hopefully, the Weamster takes a good, hard look at the roster and decides to get rid of some of the dead weight that never shows up. We have a title to defend next year and can't have any Demon wanna-bes populating the roster.

2006 Winner: Grape Ape

Play of the Year

Leave it up to the Cooler Boyz to make DOB into a hero.

Let's take the way back to July 12, shall we? That night, we had the first-ever pickoff in the history of Division V - no - in the history of Quincy Park District slow-pitch softball.

With two outs and a runner on first in the third inning at Wavering, one of the Cooler Boyz decided to float away from first base after one of his teammates had just whiffed at an offering by Grape Ape. Making like Yadier Molina, DOB noticed the transgression and fired a BB down to first base. The offending Cooler Boy was out by a mile and history was made.

You see, you can't steal in Division V play. The Cooler Boy had no reason to run since his teammate came as close to hitting the ball as the Weamster did to making a diving catch later in the game (or about 10 feet away).

The first base ump was stunned that he had to call someone out on such a play. He was even more shocked that he had to explain the play to the Cooler Boyz for the next inning and a half.

God bless the Cooler Boyz.

2006 Winner: Ed (the infamous self-inflicted wedgie)

Demons Rookie of the Year

Through the first half of the season, this award was Jim Dandy's to lose. Then he stopped showing up to games. Must have been the whole Cubs pennant race that distracted him from playing.

But the guy who was there from start to finish in his first season as a Demon was Jazzy Jeff. He proved his worth at the plate and on the mound, pitching a gem when Grape Ape was out and the Weamster was vacationing in Marblehead.

The only guy on the team without a Demons jersey. Jazzy certainly earned the right to one, which we should take away from some people who never showed this year. But I think the Fubu 07 shirt worked just fine. Bring it back in 08!!!!

2006 Winner: Shawny

Outing of the Year

He only pitched one inning, but DOB proved that he can do it all in the season finale against Uncle Bob's. He didn't give up a run and earned the win as the Demons broke open the champagne later that night in a celebration that won't soon be forgotten.

Yes, DOB was lobbing up meatballs to the plate and his defense (except for Marky Mark) bailed him out, but Oh, what an inning it was. DOB's firts ever inning pitched and he was fantastic.

2006 Winner: The Weamster (for his mastery of league champ Best Kept Lawns)

The Ed Sprague Memorial Bonehead Play of the Year

They were actually plays (and didn't really cost us since we won the game), but Kriss Kross morphed into Ed for one game against DT Tattoo. (I've also felt the need to name this award after the dearly departed Ed.)

Kriss Kross made a pair of terrible plays in the outfield, dropping two fly balls for an E-10 each time. Even the Weamster played better in the outfield than Kriss Kross that night. At least Kriss Kross had the foresight to pull himself out the game and drink for the rest of the game after the terrible meltdown.

"You got outplayed by your brother tonight," Shawny told Kriss Kross after the game.

That may be the quote of the year.

2006 Winner: The Weamster (for breaking his hand during a blowout loss to Snap-On Tools)

Most Improved Player

This one was an easy pick. He was part of the bottom of the order last season, but a steady season at the dish meant a steady move up the Demons' lineup for Nick the Quick.

He might not have the power, but he showed an uncanny ability to put the ball where the defense wasn't this year and was a key part of the Demons' championship run.

Nick the Quick also showed the ability to make any flyball into an adventure in the outfield, but he caught more than his missed.

2006 Winner: DOB

Most Valuable Player

Who else but Shawny should get this award? No one else on the team was intentionally walked with the bases loaded.

Early in the season, he hit bomb after bomb. As the weather heated up, his power numbers went down, but his production didn't. A perfect No. 4 hitter in Division V, Shawny won't have the inconvience of playing real baseball to retard his slow-pitch softball growth next season.

2006 Winner: Hitman Hart

Until next year, when we dominate Division V again (or even Division IV if the Nazis at the QPD move us up a level.)