2012 EWL Rookie of the Year Ivan Maldonado
Ivan, who was a late addition to the Fish Sticks roster just days before the regular season started, was voted the 2012 EWL Rookie of the Year and is the first winner of the award. Ivan edged out several solid candidates after receiving considerably more first and second place votes (combined) than any other player.
Ivan quickly established himself as the leadoff hitter for the Fish Sticks and thrived in the role, winning the EWL batting title in his first season in the league. He hit .611, setting a new single season record for batting average. He hit 11 points better than the second best hitter, and nearly .50 points better than the third best hitter. Despite playing only 14 games, he finished in the top 5 in runs, singles, doubles, triples, and slugging percentage. His speed to first was unrivaled in the league, and he became the toughest out in the EWL. His presence at the top of the order sparked the Fish Sticks to the greatest offensive stretch in league history, when they scored 99 runs in 6 games, averaging over 16 runs per game. He had four games with 7 or more hits and he is tied for the single-game record for hits and runs. His 5 HR in one game is an EWL record that has never been matched.
Evan, of the Ham Slams, finished second in the voting. He was a legitimate MVP contender throughout the season until early July when he fell off the map and missed the rest of the regular season. He was on pace to contend for the batting title, was one of the best power threats in the league, and was also one of the league’s top fielders, making spectacular catches on a regular basis.
Mark and Anthony finished third and fourth in rookie of the year voting and each had great rookie seasons. Mark hit 23 homeruns (third behind only his brother Brad and Morrison), was one of the league’s most dangerous hitters, and played as hard as anyone in the EWL. Anthony may be the fastest player in the history of the EWL, was a threat to extend a hit into a triple every time he put the ball in play, and had incredible range in the field with the ability to track down balls that should have been well out of his range. Both made great contributions to their team and the league.
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