2020 NLCS MVP: St. Louis v. El Paso
The 2020 Stroh's NLCS MVP Award goes to....
1B LARRY COLLINS, STL. Round of Applause!
In the 6 game series against El Paso Collins collected at least one hit in every game but the 6th. The MVP was won though in Game 4 when St. Louis pulled out a tough 11-10 victory and tied the series 2-2. Collins would go 2-2, 4 runs, 5 RBI, 3 BB, and 2 HRs to win the Player of the Game. Collins's 3 run HR in the bottom of the 7th propelled St. Louis from down 8-10 to up 11-10 which it would remain until the end. In total he posted a .368/.538/.737 line with 2 HR/5 RBI for the series.
2020 ALCS MVP: Los Angeles v. New York
The 2020 Stroh's ALCS MVP Award goes to....
SP DAVE "THE SCOT" BROWN, LA. Round of Applause!
LA's defeat of the other mega market team, NY, was led in part by SP Dave Brown who started Games 3 and 7. The series was not particularly great for any individual on either team and Brown, while very good, wins the MVP mostly by default. In Game 3 he pitched 6.1 IP and allowed 2 runs keeping LA in the game, tied 2-2. LA would later go on to lose the game 6-2 after NY's Ben Tomlinson hit a 9th inning Grand Slam. Brown really took home the MVP with his clutch Game 7 performance. Brown went 7.0 IP and gave up only 2 runs on 5 hits to help ensure that LA would win the game 3-2. He was awarded the Player of the Game and consequently the Stroh's MVP.
2020 NLDS MVP: El Paso v. Miami
The 2020 Stroh's NLDS MVP Award goes to....
SP RAUL CABRERA, ELP. Round of Applause.
Only one game in this 4-2 series victory for El Paso was decided by more than 2 runs, Game 6. The story of the series was close games with uncharacteristically low offensive output from Miami. El Paso's success was largely on the back of SP Raul Cabrera who started 2 games, won both games, and won 2 Player of the Games. In Game 2 Cabrera went 8 IP and only gave up 4 hits and 2 runs to secure a 3-2 victory over Miami. He took the mound again in a crucial Game 5 with the series tied 2-2, a true make or break game for each team. Cabrera again went 8 IP with only 2 ER before he handed the ball over to ace closer, Cisco Rodriguez. 2020 postseason was a real coup for the 26 year old Venezuelan who is only in his second year.
2020 NLDS MVP: St. Louis v. Atlanta
The 2020 Stroh's NLDS MVP Award goes to....
2B TONY FRENCH, STL. Round of Applause!
Perhaps some may be surprised that one of the three 1B sluggers that St. Louis plays did not win this award despite having success in the Atlanta series. Yet, St. Louis' real star was scoring machine Tony French who not only scored at least once in all 5 games but often had crucial tying runs. In addition to going 2-6 in Game 1, French hit a 2b in the top of the 9th to drive in a run and later be driven in to send the game to extra innings where St. Louis would win. Game 3 and French was on base for Larry Collins to tie the game up in the bottom of the 9th and send it into extra innings. Finally, in the clinching Game 5 French hit a 2 out triple in the bottom of the 9th. He would score and tie the game up on a Wild Pitch and St. Louis would go on to win it that inning. French showed a clutchness and mental toughness that only a Stroh's drinker could exhibit.
2020 ALDS MVP: New York v. Denver
The 2020 Stroh's ALDS MVP Award goes to....
2B JOAQUIN MANEGDEG, NY. Round of Applause!
Manegdeg is becoming a true NY icon and this playoff performance is helping cement that status. Manegdeg leads off for the Five Points and really set the tone starting Game 1. His 2-3 game with a double wasn't enough to top Denver though. Yet by Game 3 with the series tied 1-1, Manegdeg blew up by going 3-6 with a double, RBI, and a run, helping NY win 8-5. Denver would come back to tie the series and in a pivotal Game 5 Manegdeg went 5-6 in the leadoff spot! He would score 3 runs as well on his way to winning the Player of the Game. NY would topple Denver in the next game as well winning the series 4-2 and going off to face the other market titan, LA.
2020 ALDS MVP: Los Angeles v. Washington
The 2020 Stroh's ALDS MVP Award goes to....
CF CAL BAKER, LA. Round of Applause!
The Stroh's MVP, Cal Baker, had a total of 3 hits in this Mountain West matchup. He had a line of .176/.364/.529, 2 HR, 6 RBI. Many fans who might just peruse the summary statistics are probably shocked that Baker was able to claim the MVP. However, two of his three hits were likely the most important of the series. In Game 2, with Washington up 1-0 in the series, Baker drilled a Johnny Evans fastball 427 feet for a 2-run HR in the top of the 1st. LA would never relinquish the lead and win 3-1. Finally, in Game 5 Baker hit a Grand Slam in the bottom of the 8th to propel LA to an 8-6 win and to seal the deal in the series 4-1. Baker's momentous HRs were the highlights of an otherwise pretty bleak and unexciting series. Stay thirsty for Stroh's, Cal!
2020 NL King Cobra Wildcard MVP: Miami v. San Francisco
It's CF Jesse Wood of Miami. In Game 1 against San Francisco, Wood hit a walk off HR in the bottom of the 9th when the score was tied. In Game 2, with 2 outs in the 8th and Miami trailing 1-0, Wood hit game tying home run that forced extra innings, and then in the 11th, he doubled in the game winning run. You rarely get as clear-cut of an MVP as Wood.
2020 AL King Cobra Wildcard MVP: Los Angeles v. Omaha
The honor goes to CF John Hicks of Los Angeles. In the Game 1 14-3 trouncing of Omaha, Hicks went 2-5 with 1 HR and 4 RBI. In the narrow 1-0 win in Game 2, Hicks followed that performance up by going 2-4 and scoring the sole run of the game. Hicks is among the lesser names on the Gargoyles team, but produced huge in this round.
2019 World Series MVP: Washington v. San Francisco
The 2019 Stroh's World Series MVP Award goes to....
DH BILL ANDERSON, WAS. Round of Applause!
Coming off his ALCS Stroh's Award Bill Anderson again brought the pain. His cumulative numbers during the 4-1 series victory were tops among Admirals with a .389/.476/.833, 2 HR/5 RBI line. However, Anderson also proved his clutch gene is strong and true. In Game 2 in the top of the 8th Washington had a slim 2-1 lead, that is until Bill Anderson crushed a 2 run HR to crush the hopes of SeaWolves all over San Francisco. Anderson also maintained a high level of consistency, contributing in some way in every game but the final victory. At only 25 years old Anderson's postseason totals in 2018 and 2019 are already notable. Here's a can of Stroh's to your future, good sir!
2019 NLCS MVP: San Francisco v. St. Louis
The 2019 Stroh's NLCS MVP Award goes to....
LF ROOSEVELT PRESTON, SF. Round of Applause.
How many Stroh's Award winners bat .188 during a series and are platoon players? Well Preston can now raise his hand. Despite this poor aggregate showing Preston was Mr. Clutch when it counted during the series. Roosevelt Preston was directly responsible for driving in two game winning runs in San Francisco's defeat of St. Louis 4-3 in the NLCS. In Game 1 Preston came up in the bottom of the 10th with a runner on 2nd and 1 out and singled off of feared Antonio Gonzalez to win the game! Preston put up 0-fers in Games 3, 4, and 5 and wasn't even played in Game 2. Yet when Everett Blake found himself in the bottom of the 11th in Game 6 he pulled the cleanup hitter Butch Wilkerson in favor of Preston. Preston nonchalantly responded with a walk off HR. Despite not playing Preston in Game 7, SF was able to bring home the victory somehow.