After winning the triple pitching crown this year, César Valdez felt he had the Pitcher of the Year award in his pockets, he did not expect to be distinguished as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
In a circuit in which Hanser Alberto was fired as the only three scientist (.321), Valdez emerged victorious in a competition that had many arms with microscopic effectiveness to become only the fourth monticulista in the history of Dominican baseball to obtain the triple crown of the pitching, a feat that unites him to Guayubín Olivo (with Licey 1951), Pete Burnside (Chosen 1956-57) and JR Richard (Stars 1974-75) as the only ones to achieve it.
“I really did not expect these awards and they represent a great blessing from God to have achieved it,” said Valdez, 36, whose performance in recent years has enshrined him among the best exponents of Dominican baseball pitching.
“I also want to thank my family, my wife and children, who have always given me their moral support in good times and bad, and of course I cannot leave my colleagues with the Licey behind, without their presence on the ground behind me. I would not have reached these records, ”he said after participating in an interview via zoom organized by his Licey team.
Although he reached the triple crown, and exercised great dominance after his 5-1 mark, 1.58 ERA and 46 fans, the native of Santo Domingo does not stop highlighting that the quality that prevails on the circuit, on offense and pitching. “The League is still very difficult, you have to use yourself thoroughly to maintain effectiveness,” highlights the pitcher, of whose eight starts he only had one that was not of quality.
For Valdez, his main success lies in trying to put out the batters at any place, maintaining my great control in the areas in which I understand I hurt opponents, ”said the two-time winner today.
After receiving the merits, he will now focus on the playoffs and the effort he will make for the Licey to reach their coveted 23rd crown.
For this, he stated bluntly. “If I have health, I will go as far as the team goes, that is the ultimate goal, to reach the scepter,” he added.
Regarding the dominance he has exercised against the Eagles, he said that when he goes out on the mound he always does battle no matter what team he has in front of him. “I have nothing personal against the Aguilas players, there I have made good friends, with whom I talk through the networks and I also do it before the games,” said the right, after his conversation with Ildefonso Ureña, communications director of the Licey .
After reaching the Most Valuable award, he joined Guayubín Olivo (1951), Carlos Julio Pérez (1977-78), Ken Howell (1984-85) and Marcos Mateo (2014-15) as the only pitchers to do so.
Valdez has just added two other achievements to his career that for a while he enters the brilliant club in Dominican baseball.
Uceta and Urueta awarded
While Edwin Uceta, starter of the Eastern Stars, took the award to the Rookie and Luis Urueta, of the Gigantes del Cibao, was elected as Manager of the Year. Uceta also outpaced the other candidates for the Rookie of the Year distinction.
Uceta obtained 73 votes, while Christopher Morel and Wendolyn Bautista, patrolman and pitcher, respectively, of the Eagles and Elehuris Montero, infielder of the Stars, obtained 4 votes each.
The Colombian Urueta, who led the Giants to win the regular series, was elected Manager of the Year by receiving 46 votes and thus surpassing José Offerman, of the Tigres, who won 35 votes and Fernando Tatis II, of the Stars, which ended with 15.
Urueta received the distinction for the second consecutive season.
The distinction was made in the Baseball Star of the Week program, the official award of the Dominican Baseball League.
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