Most Improved and Most Dedicated Players

Both of these awards are very subjective and in turn they get a wide range of different people voted for. This year each recieved votes for 5 different players and each came out with a tie.

For Most Improved some people look at year over year but others also look at from the start of the season to the end. This year Mike Dawson, Steve Girodat, Tom Girodat, Jimmy Roehm and Jason Westphal all revieved votes. Tying with the most votes though was Mike Dawson and Tom Girodat. Tom has won the award two other times, in 2005 and 2006. In 2008 though Tom saw more time behind the plate than in previous years and also set some career highs with the bat as well (doubles, triples and RBI). Mike Dawson won the award for the first time. Mike started the year just 6 months after ACL surgery and was very limited in what he could do on the field. Throughout the year he was able to get back in the field on defense and on the mound to help the team. Despite this Mike set a career high with 7 doubles and tied career highs in RBI and walks. He also threw his first complete game in 6 years. Past winners of this award include: Jerry DiGiovanni, Tom Girodat (twice) and Randy Nettles.

For the most Dedicated Player there was a three-way tie between Steve Girodat, Randy Nettles and Dave Reitman. Jimmy Roehm and Jon VanSon also recieved votes. With manager Mike Dawson not being at 100% of the games a lot of different guys stepped up to help. When Dawson wasn't there Reitman took the reins as acting manager with the help from the likes of Nettles and Girodat. Giordat played in a career high 33 games, missing just one game. Despite missing some games Nettles is always a team leader both on and off the field. Past winners of this award include: Bill Bode, Charles O'Loughlin, Jeremy Oxford, Dave Reitman and Randy Nettles.