LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the April winners of the Dodger Pride Awards. The Dodger Pride Awards were created in 2008 by General Manager Ned Colletti, and are given on a monthly basis to the players at each level of the club’s minor league system who play the game with a hustling, smart, aggressive style. The players and staff on each respective club vote for the awards.
The winners for April are as follows:
Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Pitcher – LHP DANA EVELAND tied for the Pacific Coast League lead with three April wins, going 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA (10 ER/23.1 IP) in four starts. Eveland threw the third complete game of his career (one in the Majors, two as a minor leaguer) in a 7.0-inning game as a part of a doubleheader on April 20 at Iowa (Cubs), striking out eight and allowing three runs over 6.0 innings. The 27-year-old was a non-roster invitee for the Dodgers at Spring Training and appeared in the big leagues last season with the Pirates and Blue Jays.
Player – OF TRAYVON ROBINSON hit .342 in 20 April games, including batting .385 (25-for-65) with four home runs and 19 RBI during a 16-game hitting streak from April 12-30. Overall, Robinson is batting .320 (8-for-25) with runners in scoring position and is hitting .375 (15-for-40) with runners on base in his first season playing at the Triple-A level. The 23-year-old returned to Los Angeles on April 15 for the Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson Day panel discussion at his alma mater, Crenshaw High School, and spoke to students about Jackie’s impact and legacy.
Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
Pitcher – RHP JAVY GUERRA allowed just one run in 10.0 April innings (0.90 ERA) and went 2-for-2 in save opportunities in nine relief appearances. Overall, the 25-year-old is limiting opposing hitters to a .116 batting average (5-for-49), including a .069 mark against right-handed hitters (2-for-29). Guerra has not allowed a hit over his last 4.2 innings and is currently riding a 9.0 scoreless innings streak dating to April 22.
Player – OF SCOTT VAN SLYKE ranked among the April Southern League leaders with a .353 batting average (4th), 16 extra-base hits (1st), 10 doubles (1st), four home runs (T-7th), 20 RBI (4th) and a .735 slugging percentage (2nd) in 20 games. The 24-year-old earned a selection as the Southern League’s Hitter of the Week after batting .519 (14-for-27) with seven doubles, one triple, three homers and 12 RBI in seven games from April 18-24. Overall, the son of former Major Leaguer Andy Van Slyke ranks third in the Southern League with a .358 batting average and is second with 24 RBI in 24 games.
Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Pitcher – RHP STEVEN AMES is tied for the California League lead with eight saves and has posted a 1.35 ERA with a .188 opponents’ batting average in 13 games this season. Overall, Ames is averaging 16.2 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (24 SO/13.1 IP) with just two walks this season for the first-place Quakes. In April, the 23-year-old reliever was successful in seven of eight save opportunities and posted a 1.64 ERA (2 ER/11.0 IP) in 11 games.
Player – INF TONY DELMONICO takes a 10-game hitting streak into tonight’s game for Rancho Cucamonga and currently ranks among the California League leaders in batting average (.383, 5th) and on-base percentage (.485, 3rd). The 24-year-old has proven to be a clutch hitter in 2011, batting .500 (13-for-26) with runners in scoring position and hitting .386 (17-for-44) with runners on base. The Dodgers’ 2008 sixth-round selection out of Florida State University opened the season by batting .406 (26-for-64) with eight doubles, two homers and 14 RBI in 18 April games.
Single-A Great Lakes Loons
Pitcher – RHP SHAWN TOLLESON is tied for the Midwest League lead with eight saves and has yet to allow an earned run (one unearned) this season in 9.2 innings over 10 appearances. The 23-year-old has limited opposing hitters to a .121 batting average (4-for-33) and has struck out 22 of 37 total batters faced. A 30th-round selection in the 2010 draft out of Baylor, Tolleson was named to the Rookie-level Pioneer League All-Star team last season after posting a 0.63 ERA and leading the league with 17 saves.
Player – OF JONATHAN GARCIA is tied for the Midwest League home run lead with seven homers in his first 25 games with the Loons. The 20-year-old was named Midwest League Player of the Week for the period of April 7-17 and batted .274 with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 22 games in the season’s first month. The 19-year-old is in his third professional season after being selected in the eighth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Puerto Rico.
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