The Louisville Bats named RHP Jon Adkins and 1B Kevin Barker the Mary E. Barney co-MVP’s for the 2008 season. Adkins and Barker’s veteran leadership led the Bats to a franchise-best 88 wins and the International League West Division Title. Louisville is set to begin the first round of the
Governors’ Cup playoffs today versus the Durham Bulls, Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, and winners of the IL South.
An International League All-Star, Adkins went 1-4 with a 3.48 ERA in a team-high 57 appearances. The Bats’closer led the IL with 30 saves which is the second most in a single season in franchise history. Mike Perez recorded a Louisville record 31 saves in 1990.
One of two players (Mike Stefanski) to wear all three Louisville uniforms (Redbirds ’98, RiverBats ’99 and Bats ’08), Barker led the team with 21 home runs, 77 RBI and 73 runs scored. Barker is three home runs shy of tying the franchise HR mark (Brandon Larson, 70) and he is the career leader in RBI (257) and extra-base hits (150). He is also tied for first (with Larson) with six career multi homer games, is fourth with 220 runs scored and is 12 hits shy of tying for sixth place (365).
The Louisville Bats MVP Award is named after long time Redbirds, RiverBats and Bats employee Mary Barney, who retired after the 2006 season. During her time with the organization, Mary received two prestigious awards recognizing her dedication to baseball: The George M. Trautman Award for Outstanding Service and The Rawlings Woman in Baseball Executive of the Year. Mary was the first woman to win the George Trautman Award which was presented to her at baseball’s annual winter meetings in Louisville in 1992.
