at the annual league awards banquet recently. First baseman Jason Martin was honored with the League MVP trophy. Since 2007, four Athletics have earned the league MVP award. Martin hit .397 and smacked 7 homers.  

Lefthander Chris Smith was voted the League Pitcher of the Year—the 3rd Athletic to win the award since 2008. Smith was 6-0 with a 1.54 ERA in 36 innings.

Meanwhile, Martin and Smith along with teammates John Marcella, Justin Meagher, Jim Shook and Al Barbato earned spots on the league All Star team and received plaques for their achievement. The A’s were also presented the Championship Trophy at the end of the evening. Albany roared back from a 2-games-to-none deficit in the League Championship Series to win the 5-game series 3-2 over the Blue Slate Bluehawks.  Shook was the playoff MVP for the second time in his career.

The championship marked the 5th title in the last 6 years and was the first time a team came from a 2-0 deficit in the Championship Series to win the league crown since the 1980 Oppenheim Post. With 35 wins, it was the 6th consecutive year Albany has won at least 32 games.

At the banquet, former Athletics utility player John Venditte (1998, 2001-2004) became the first player under Coach Altieri to be inducted into the Twilight League Hall of Fame. Venditte, who played for three teams in the ATL, asked Coach Altieri to make the induction speech. Venditte was a 4-time All Star, 2-time batting champion, and won the 2002 State Tournament MVP when he played second base for the A’s.

Overall, Justin Harris led the team with a .386 batting average following by Marcella at .368. Smith led the staff in wins with 7 followed by Shook with 6 then Ryan White and Casey Walsh at 5 each. For the 4th time in 5 years the A’s reached the championship game of the North Atlantic Regionals, this year falling to the Long Island Storm in the title rematch from 2010 when Albany won and advanced to the World Series.