The Buffalo Bisons honored their 2012 Season Award Winners as part of Fan Appreciation Night on Tuesday evening at Coca Cola Field. Players received their awards in a special pre-game ceremony in what has become an annual tradition for the Herd on their final home game of the season.
OF Fred Lewis
Most Valuable Player
Lewis has been a force at the top of the Bisons lineup after being signed as a free agent on April 25. In 104 games, the outfielder has hit a team-best .290 (117-403) with 11 home runs and 39RBI. He also leads the Bisons with 75 runs scored, 25 doubles, 7 triples, 43 extra-base hits, a .469 slugging percentage, a .843 OPS and 24 stolen bases. Lewis is second on the club with his .374 on-base percentage and 117 base hits.
Lewis ranks the International League’s Top 10 in triples (T3rd), runs scored (T3rd) stolen bases (5th), on-base percentage (T6th), OPS (7th) and slugging percentage (10th).
Lewis was the sparkplug that got the Bisons’ offense going all season. The veteran hit .384 (53-138) with 18 extra-base hits and a .448 on-base percentage when leading off an inning. He homered to lead off the game on August 26(2) against Rochester. He also homered in back-to-back games on three separate occasions, May 25-26, July 12-13 (3 total home runs) and August 7-8. He homered twice on June 24 at Durham and July 13 at Pawtucket and was named International League Batter-of-the-Week for the period of July 12-16. With his great speed, Lewis stole 24 bases in 32 attempts. He swiped three bags on June 4 in Toledo.
RHP Matt Harvey
Most Valuable Pitcher
Matt Harvey had an All-Star campaign before moving on to New York in late July for his major league debut. In 20 starts with the Bisons, the 23-year old righty was 7-5 with a 3.68ERA and 112 strikeouts in only 110.0 innings of work. Despite not pitching with the Bisons in a month, he still ranks second on the Bisons and 10th in the IL with his 112 strikeouts.
Harvey struck out 10 batters on three different occasions, including a season-high 11 punchouts in six innings of work in a victory on May 18 vs. Gwinnett. In 13 of his 20 starts with the Bisons, the Mets’ #2 prospect by Baseball America fanned at least five batters.
Harvey’s season took off starting on April 20 when he struck out 10 in a victory in Syracuse. He then went 5-0 with a 3.12ERA in a seven-game stretch, April 20 – May 24. On the season, the righty allowed more than four runs in just two of his 20 starts. The Bisons were 12-8 in games he started.
Harvey also hit .267 (4-15) with a home run and four RBI at the plate. He hit a two-run home run on April 25 in a victory at Lehigh Valley.
Harvey represented the Bisons at the 2012 Triple-A All-Star Game at Coca-Cola Field on July 11. He tossed two shutout innings and was named the IL’s Top Star of the game.
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Other award winners included Comeback Player of the Year Elvin Ramirez, with Inspirational and Community Awards going to Jeff Stevens, Garrett Olson, Matt Tuiasosopo and Justin Hampson.
