Loons' Gordon named MVP, top prospect

Dodgers prospect Dee Gordon was named Prospect of the Year and Most Valuable Player as the Midwest League revealed its 2009 postseason All-Stars on Tuesday.

Gordon and fellow Great Lakes Loons teammate Kyle Russell were selected as co-MVPs after each received seven votes from the 14 league managers.

Fort Wayne's Doug Dascenzo and Peoria's Marty Pevey were honored as Managers of the Year.

The 21-year-old Gordon, the son of Major League veteran reliever Tom Gordon, ranks fourth in the league with a .306 average and leads the circuit with 69 stolen bases. The Seminole Community College product, selected as the All-Star roster's shortstop, has three homers, 32 RBIs and a league-leading 155 hits in 123 games for the Class A Loons through Monday.

Gordon, the Dodgers' fourth-round pick in 2008, was named Midwest Player of the Week twice this season (May 4 and June 22).

Russell, a 6-foot-5 University of Texas product, leads the league with 25 home runs and 89 RBIs in 121 games with Great Lakes. The 23-year-old was the Dodgers' third-round pick in the 2008 Draft and was named a Pioneer League Postseason All-Star last summer after plating 46 runs in 61 games for Ogden.

Russell, one of three outfielders selected to the team, leads the league in slugging percentage (.548), ranks third with 34 doubles, seventh in walks (62) and second in OPS (.914).

A third Dodgers prospect, Tony Delmonico, joined Gordon and Russell on the team at catcher. The former sixth-rounder is batting .285 with 43 RBIs for Great Lakes.

Pevey saw three of his starters make the team as well -- outfielders Kyler Burke and Josh Harrison and first baseman Rebel Ridling.

Cedar Rapids had two players selected (second baseman Alexia Amarista, left-handed pitcher Andrew Taylor) as did West Michigan (designated hitter Billy Nowlin, left-handed pitcher Casey Crosby).

Gordon's dual honor is nothing new -- Beloit's Ben Revere also claimed both Prospect of the Year and MVP honors in the 2008 postseason voting.

2009 Midwest League Postseason All-Star Team
Infielders			Pitchers/Outfielders
POS.	PLAYER NAME	TEAM	POS.	PLAYER NAME	TEAM
C	Tony Delmonico	Great Lakes	OF	Kyle Russell	Great Lakes
1B	Rebel Ridling	Peoria	OF	Kyler Burke	Peoria
2B	Alexi Amarista	Cedar Rapids	OF	Josh Harrison	Peoria
3B	Josh Vitters	Peoria	RHSP	Kenny Smalley	Kane County
SS	Dee Gordon	Great Lakes	LHSP	Casey Crosby	West Michigan
DH	Billy Nowlin	West Michigan	RHRP	Brad Bach	Fort Wayne
			LHRP	Andrew Taylor	Cedar Rapids
MVP: Dee Gordon, Kyle Russell
Prospect of the Year: Dee Gordon
Managers of the Year: Doug Dascenzo (Fort Wayne), Marty Pevey (Peoria)