Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

8/30/2010 at 2:44pm

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Former Northwest Arkansas Naturals third baseman Mike Moustakas has been named the Texas League Player of the Year for the 2010 season and Naturals’ skipper Brian Poldberg was honored as the league’s Manager of the Year.  Both awards were announced Monday by Texas League President Tom Kayser.

The voting process for the awards included the circuit’s managers, beat writers, broadcasters, and league personnel.

Moustakas was with the Naturals from April 22^nd to July 17^th when he was promoted to Triple-A Omaha. He began the season sidelined with an oblique injury he suffered in Spring Training but began his season with a bang by hitting home runs in his first two at-bats. That turned out to be a foreshadowing of what was to come, as he hit 21 home runs and drove in 76 runs as the Naturals won the North Division first half crown. Before being promoted, Moustakas led the league in batting average (.347), slugging percentage (.687), and his RBI total still ranks as the fifth most in the Texas League. 

The 21-year old Northridge, CA resident also was selected to represent the Royals in the All-Star Futures Game, brought home several weekly awards, was Texas League Player of the Month in May, and was named to the mid-season and post-season Texas League All-Star teams. So far in 44 games with Omaha, Moustakas, ranked prior to the season as the Royals’ fourth-best prospect by Baseball America, is hitting .286 with 10 home runs, and 32 RBI.

Poldberg, Naturals affable skipper, takes home Manager of the Year, having guided the Naturals to a franchise record 80 wins with eight games remaining in the regular season.  He has stewarded a much-heralded club which saw 12 players make this season’s Texas League’s mid-season All-Star team.  He has led the Naturals to a 42-20 at Arvest Ballpark this season, one of the best home marks in all of minor league baseball, while the 80 wins give the Naturals a better record than all but a handful of teams across all of minor league baseball.

The Carter Lake, IA resident is in his third season at the helm of the Naturals and in his 22^nd season as a coach or manager in the Kansas City Royals’ system. He has amassed a 232-190 (.550) record with the club so far, making the playoffs all three seasons.  The 232 victories, which include playoff wins, give him more than any current manager in the league. 

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

Tagged: Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Kansas City Royals, Mike Moustakas, Texas Leage