Burgamy Named ABD Hitter Of The Year

From the Australian Baseball Digest

He gets better with age. SMP Images/Ben Southall

Winner:

Brian Burgamy,

164AB, 41R, 67H, 12HR, 34RBI, 20Ks, .409AVG

Switch-hitting 30-year-old Canberra Cavalry infielder Brian Burgamy has had a career year with the bat leading the League with an almost unheard of .409AVG.

A .400+ season is rare in any League and considering the number of high ranking pros pitching in the ABL this is quite an achievement. He also finished the season leading the League with an OBP of .510 ahead of Justin Huber on .466 and was 2nd to Brad Harman with a SLG .677 to Brad’s .709 and led the League in OPS with 1.187 and had only 20Ks in 164ABs.

He has been almost impossible to get out this month – since Jan 12th he has hit a monstrous .543 which includes 5HRs and 10RBIs. Talk about finishing strongly.

Roberto Agnotti in this article on Brian had this to say:-

Before being selected by the San Diego Padres in the ninth round of the 2002 draft, Wichita State-educated five-foot-ten Burgamy was awarded Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. After a successful run with the Padres Single-A affiliate Lake Elsinore Storm, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Double-A Phase of the Rule Five Draft. A career minor leaguer, he has played for ten seasons without breaking into the Bigs. Never caving in and determined to beat the odds of playing MLB, Burgamy had a Big League season in 2010 when he hit .307 with 15 home runs and 85 runs batted in for the Camden Riversharks and earned himself an Atlantic League All-Star appearance. Like a fine wine getting better with age, vintage Burgamy leads the Cavs.

Other hitters who deserve a mention at season’s end are Aces’ Brad Harman with his League Leading 15HRs ahead of team mate Elliot Biddle [13] who with his 42RBIs, led the League ahead of the likes of Perth’s Tim Kennelly [39] and Mitch Graham [37].

Despite these outstanding efforts we felt that we couldn’t go past a hitter who manages a .409AVG and who was up there with the others in HRs [12], RBIs [34] and led the League also in OBP [On Base Percentage] at .510 followed by Justin Huber [.466]. He also led the League in Runs, Hits and Walks. So its congratulations to Brian Burgamy as our Hitter of the Year.