Carolina League announces 2019 off-the-field awards
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2019) - Following another incredibly successful season on and off the field, the Carolina League has announced its honorees for several off-the-field awards:Calvin Falwell Executive of the Year: Myrtle Beach's Ryan MooreFemale Executive of the Year: Myrtle Beach's Kristin CallJohn H. Johnson President's Award Nominee: Winston-Salem
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2019) - Following another incredibly successful season on and off the field, the Carolina League has announced its honorees for several off-the-field awards:
Calvin Falwell Executive of the Year: Myrtle Beach's Ryan Moore
Female Executive of the Year: Myrtle Beach's Kristin Call
John H. Johnson President's Award Nominee: Winston-Salem Dash
Larry MacPhail Award Nominee: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award Nominee: Fayetteville Woodpeckers
Matt Minker Community Service Award: Frederick Keys
Moore, the Pelicans' General Manager, first joined the Pelicans in 2008 as a Ticket Sales Representative. In 2015, Ryan rejoined the Myrtle Beach Pelicans as the Vice President of Business Operations before being promoted to General Manager. The Connecticut native is involved with Habitat for Humanity and currently serves on their board. He is also an alum of Leadership Grand Strand 37. A 2006 graduate of Elon University, Moore earned a degree in Sports Management.
Call, the Pelicans' Assistant General Manager, has been with the Pelicans for six seasons and in Minor League Baseball for 15 seasons. This marks her third Female Executive of the Year award and her second with Myrtle Beach (2015). She also claimed the honor in the South Atlantic League while with the West Virginia Power in 2012. Originally from Barboursville, W.Va., Call attended West Virginia State University, where she excelled as a Communications major and a volleyball player.
The team-related awards are also nominations for the MiLB-wide awards, which will be announced at the Baseball Winter Meetings in December. The John H. Johnson President's Award, Minor League Baseball's top award, is presented annually to honor the complete baseball franchise -- based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of the baseball industry. The Winston-Salem Dash earned this nomination after leading the Carolina League in overall attendance for the third consecutive season.
In addition to Moore and Call's awards, the Pelicans also claimed the Carolina League's nomination for the Larry MacPhail Award, which honors the top promotional efforts in Minor League Baseball. Not only do the Pelicans offer some incredible promotional events like this year's "Pelicans Derby Eve Race" prior to the Kentucky Derby, but they implement outstanding weekly promotions each day of the week.
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers collected the nomination for the Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award in their first season in the CL. The Patriot Award is presented to a team in Minor League Baseball for outstanding support of the United States Armed Forces and veterans, both at the ballpark and in the community. The Woodpeckers put together several great events to support the Armed Forces, including Black Ops Night on May 4, Military Appreciation Night on June 14 and a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on September 11.
The Frederick Keys claimed the Matt Minker Community Service Award, which goes to the Carolina League team that best demonstrates an outstanding, ongoing commitment to charitable service, support, and leadership within its community. The award is named after the Wilmington Blue Rocks' founder Matt Minker, who owned the club until his death in 2007. The Keys execute a number of community service initiatives, including "Frederick Keys Care" and the Joel A. Stephens Memorial Fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick.
"I am proud of all the teams and individuals honored this season," Carolina League President Geoff Lassiter said. "Our 10 teams continuously push each other to improve, both on and off the field, and it is great to showcase this hard work through our yearly awards."
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