winner, the Charleston-WV Alley Cats, with whom the Crawdads did battle with all season long. The three-game series wasn't much of a battle, as the Crawdads swept the Alley Cats, and moved on to face the Capital City Bombers in the finals. Capital City, who led the league in total regular season wins with 89, entered the finals fresh off of a first-round sweep of Charleston-SC, with the league title in their cross hairs. However, Hickory proved that they were the class of the league, and swept the Bombers in three games to earn their second league title in team history. The Crawdads title run was led by All-Star slugger Jon Benick, who was arguably the finest player in the league. The league MVP was given to Augusta outfielder Brandon Moss, who led the league with a .339 batting average, and finished in the top five in numerous categories. After an outstanding 2004 campaign, All-Star outfielder Delmon Young of the Charleston-SC Riverdogs earned the league's Most Outstanding Major League Prospect award. Chuck James of the Rome Braves was named the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher.

ASHEVILLE TOURISTS - The Tourists weren't much of a threat in the Southern Division, and that can be credited to some less than stellar pitching. The pitching staff in Asheville combined for an ERA of 4.76, which was third-worst in the league. Of their starting pitchers, Larry Robles had the lowest ERA at 3.54, and posted a 7-3 record. The pitching woes of the Tourists didn't shake the confidence of their lineup, as the team saw many fine performances in 2004. Led by Ian Stewart, the Tourists scored the second most runs in the Sally, and also hit the second most home runs. Stewart, who was selected as the third baseman on the annual South Atlantic League All-Star Team, gave pitchers nightmares throughout the 2004 campaign. He finished sixth in the league in hitting (.316), second in hits (161), fourth in OBP (.398), first in slugging (.594) and in extra-base hits (70), second in homers (30), tied for fifth in runs scored (92), and tied for fourth in RBI (101). To say Stewart had one of the best all-around seasons in minor league baseball would be quite accurate. Not too far behind, Jordan Czarniecki put together quite a season of his own. Czarniecki finished just behind Stewart for seventh in the league with a .315 average. He finished the year third in OBP (.400), and ninth in slugging (.522).

AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS - A lot can be said about a ballplayer that earned the league MVP on a team that finished the season under .500. Brandon Moss is that ballplayer. On a team that finished with a total record (first and second half) of 66-73, Moss, to use an old cliche, brought his lunch pail to work day in and day out. Despite being called up to Sarasota on August 9th, Moss remained at or near the top of quite a few league categories at season's end. Chosen as an outfielder on the South Atlantic All-Star Team, Moss led the league with a .339 average. His 147 hits were the sixth-most in the Sally. Moss also finished second in OBP (.402), and tied for fourth with 101 RBI. Jarrett Gardner had a fine season on the hill. Gardner finished fourth in the league with a 2.51 ERA. He also won a league-high 13 games, going 13-5. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Kyle Jackson lost a league-high 13 contests.

CAPITAL CITY BOMBERS - After winning the Southern Division in the first half of the season with a 44-26 mark, the Bombers went 45-21 to take the second half as well, rolling into the playoffs winners of eight of their final ten. The Bombers then swept Charleston-SC in two games, before being swept by Hickory in the championship. With a league-high 88 wins, Bombers manager Jack Lind earned All-Star honors by being named manager. The Bombers kept true to their name in 2004, crushing a league-high 166 home runs. They also led the league in runs, with 853, nearly 100 more than the second highest total. Ryan Harvey was chosen as the designated hitter on the All-Star squad, as he had a solid all-around season. Harvey hit .325, which was fourth in the league, along with ten homers, 69 RBI, and 88 runs scored. Jamar Hill finished fifth in the league with 26 home runs, and led the Bombers with 89 RBI. Blake Whealy added 100 runs scored, which was the second highest total in the league. Although he didn't garner any post-season recognition, Ian Bladergroen had a fantastic season. Bladergroen's .342 average would've led the league, if it weren't for a lack of plate appearances due to an injury. Tanner Osberg was the lone pitcher with double-digit wins, going 11-8. Yusmeiro Petit had a solid year, going 9-2 in 15 starts with a 2.39 ERA. Petit led the team with a 122 strikeouts in just 83 innings.

CHARLESTON-SC RIVERDOGS - After a 40-29 first half campaign, the RiverDogs went 36-34 to close out the regular season, and earned a postseason bid. Unfortunately, they managed to score just a run in the playoffs, and were swept by Capital City in two games. Delmon Young, who was one of the most productive hitters in the minors, led the RiverDogs attack. Young finished the year as the league leader in RBI, with 116, and hits, with 153. He also finished fifth in the league with a .322 average, third in the league in runs scored (95) and sixth in home runs (25). Young's outstanding numbers earned him loads of recognition, as he was named the league's Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. He also headlines the 2004 South Atlantic League All-Star team, for which he was chosen as an outfielder. Colt Simmons was also chosen as one of two catchers for the All-Star squad. Simmons hit .290, drove in 33 runs, and stole 18 bases in 341 at-bats. Pitcher Josh Kranawetter went 6-2 with a fabulous 1.79 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts).

CHARLESTON-WV ALLEY CATS - The Alley Cats had a very solid 2004 campaign, taking the Northern Division in the first half. They continued their winning ways in the second half, winning 43 contests. although their performance in the playoffs was disappointing, as the Alley Cats were swept in the first round by eventual league champion Hickory. Headlined by pitcher Thomas Mastny, the Alley Cats had three representatives named to the All-Star team. Along with Mastny, catcher Robinson Diaz and Coach Charles Poe were named to the squad, with Diaz tied with Colt Simmons of Charleston-SC, and Poe tied with Hickory's Matt Winters. Mastny was outstanding on the hill, posting a 10-3 record, with an ERA of 2.17. He finished third in the league with 143 strikeouts in 149 innings. Mastny's arm spear-headed an Alley Cat pitching staff that finished first in the league with a 3.54 ERA. Daniel Core joined Mastny as a ten-game winner, going 10-8 with an ERA of 3.32 ERA.

COLUMBUS CATFISH - The Catfish went 69-69 in a 2004 campaign that started out better than it ended. After posting a .543 winning percentage in the first half of the season, the Catfish went just 31-37 to end the year. Chin-lung Hu earned post season honors by being named as the league's best shortstop, thanks to a solid year at the plate and some crafty glove work. Luis Jimenez led the team with 25 home runs and 75 RBI. Pitcher Chuck Tiffany, who went 5-2 with a 3.70 ERA, finished fourth in the league with 141 strikeouts, while Jose Diaz posted 14 saves, seventh in the league. Perhaps the most disappointing news for the Catfish came from the ticket gates. Only 51,352 fans came out to see their home team, which is nearly 50,000 less than the second lowest total.

DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS - The Shorebirds also posted a 69-69 record in 2004, despite finishing third in the league with a 3.95 team ERA. That being said, there really was only one pitcher who had a season that stands out. Zach Dixon and Christopher Britton each led the team with nine wins, as both went 9-4, however Dixon had better numbers. Dixon finished fifth in the league with a 2.54 ERA. Freddy Deza finished eighth in the league with a 3.31 ERA, but had a record of 8-11. Nick Markakis had the finest all-around season of any Shorebirds' batter. Markakis hit .299, including 11 home runs, and led the team with 64 RBI. Ryan Bear and Ryan Blake added 17 home runs apiece

GREENSBORO BATS - Thanks to the league's worst team ERA, the Bats managed to win just 50 games, the second lowest total in the league. The fact that they had the second worst team average (.243) didn't help matters much. Angel Molina put up some strong numbers, but was skipped over for the end of season All-Star spot at catcher. Molina hit .284, and led the Bats with 18 home runs and 79 RBI. Adam Bostick posted a league-best 163 strikeouts, but managed to only win two games, going 2-8. Looking to rebound from a unfulfilling 2004 season, Greensboro will enter the 2005 with a new identity. The team recently announced they will now be known as the "Grasshoppers".

HAGERSTOWN SUNS - To put it mildly, the Suns, as a team, would like to forget about 2004. They won just 49 games, the lowest total in the league. The Suns really struggled to the finish, closing out the season losers of 25 of their final 34 contests. Joe Bateman was the lone bright spot on a pitching staff that combined for an ERA of 4.80. Bateman won seven games out of the bullpen, and had a strong 2.14 ERA. He also struck out 80 in 71.1 innings, and held opponents to a .190 batting average. Jesse Floyd led the team with 125 strikeouts, but posted a 4-8 record with a 4.60 ERA. Nate Schierholtz had a nice season, hitting .298 with 15 homers and 54 RBI. Travis Ishikawa also hit 15 homers and knocked in 54.

HICKORY CRAWDADS - The Crawdads earned a playoff bid on the heels of a 46-24 second half, then proceeded to blow through the best the South Atlantic League had to offer, sweeping Charleston-WV (2-0) and Capital City (3-0) en route to their second Sally championship since joining the league in 1993. The Crawdads were led offensively by All-Star first baseman Jon Benick. Arguably the finest player in the South Atlantic League, Benick's numbers speak for themselves. Benick led the league with 32 home runs and was also first with a .594 slugging percentage. He finished third in the league with 160 hits and a .328 average, and was his 104 RBI were tied for second best. Adam Boeve wasn't far behind Benick with an outstanding season of his own. Boeve hit .290, with 28 home runs, 93 RBI, and 93 runs scored. He tied for third in the league in homers, finished seventh in RBI, and fourth in runs scored. The Crawdads attack also received a boost from Javier Guzman and Nyjer Morgan. Guzman finished tenth in the league with a .306 average, and chipped in 63 RBI, 75 runs, and 31 stolen bases. Morgan led the league with 55 stolen bases and scored 83 runs. As a team, the Crawdads led the league with a .276 average. Hickory also received some fine pitching performances during their title run. Thomas Gorzelanny posted a 7-2 record with a 2.23 in 15 starts. Josh Shortslef (11-5) and Wardell Starling (11-8) tied for second in the league in wins. Closer Chris Hernandez was second in the Sally with 24 saves, as he went 1-2 with a dominant 1.93 ERA. With all the success the Crawdads had, it wasn't a shocker when Matt Winters was named as one of two coaches on the post-season All-Star team.

KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS - Kannapolis was a middle of the road team in the South Atlantic League. The nearly had identical first half (35-35) and second half (34-35) records, and finished in fifth place in the Northern Division. One thing the Intimidators had that gave them the chance to win on any giving day was solid pitching. They finished second in the league with 3.92 team ERA, and led the league with a combined 44 saves. Ehren Wasserman led all closers in the South Atlantic League with 30 saves. Ryan Rodriguez and Daniel Haigwood led the team with ten wins apiece, and each cracked the century mark in strikeouts. Brandon McCarthy finished tied for second in the league with three complete games. Leo Daigle led the offense with a solid, well-balanced 2004 campaign. Daigle hit .292 with 18 home runs and 90 RBI. Chris Young's 24 homers placed him eighth in the league. He also finished third in the league with 60 extra-base hits.

LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS - Led by All-Star outfielder Ryan Goleski, the Captains finished the season with a winning record, at 73-66. Goleski finished in the top ten in a variety of categories, including home runs and RBI. He hit .298, including 28 bombs, which tied for third in the league, and drove in 104 RBI, which tied for second in the league. Kevin Kouzmanoff also had an All-Star season at the plate. His .330 average was second to only league MVP Brandon Moss of Augusta (.339). Kouzmanoff added 56 extra-base hits, including 16 homers, and drove in 87 runs. On the mound, Sean Smith went 7-2 in 13 starts, while Jim Ed Warden had a record of 5-1 and picked up 13 saves in 32 appearances. The Captains had a successful year as far as fan support, as they drew 406,096 fans in 2004, which was the second highest total in the league.

LAKEWOOD BLUECLAWS - After a promising 39-30 first half mark, the BlueClaws faltered down the stretch, wrapping up the second half of the season with a 31-36 mark. The roller coaster season didn't affect the BlueClaws at the ticket window, as they led the league with a total attendance mark of 440,521. Starting pitcher Nate Cabrera went 6-4 in 23 starts, and finished sixth in the league with a 2.82 ERA. Erick Arteaga chewed up innings for the BlueClaws, and finished with 159 total innings, which was third in the league. Michael Bourn, Randy Ruiz and Jake Blalock accounted for the most production in the Blueclaw lineup. Bourne hit .315 (ninth in the league), finished seventh with 91 runs scored, and led the league with 58 stolen bases. Ruiz led the team with 17 homers and 91 RBI, followed by Blalock right behind with 16 homers and 90 RBI. Javon Moran added 41 stolen bases, the fifth highest total in the league.

LEXINGTON LEGENDS - Lexington struggled in the first half and finished ten games under .500, however the Legends bounced back to go 37-32 in the second half, missing a playoff birth by 3.5 games. Joshua Muecke had a solid 9-1 record and picked up two saves in 37 appearances, including eight starts. Matt Albers enjoyed an 8-3 campaign, with a 3.31 ERA, and finished tied for fifth in the league with 140 strikeouts. Derick Grigsby finished just behind with 139 K's. Slugger Beau Hearod was named to the All-Star team as a designated hitter with a 25 homer season. Ervin Alcantara led the Legends with 83 RBI. Josh Anderson posted some awesome numbers in a short stint with the Legends. Anderson hit .326 and stole 48 bases in just 73 games before being promoted to Salem (Carolina League), and ultimately Round Rock (Texas League).

ROME BRAVES - Rome needed to win the second half to earn a postseason bid, but 40 wins weren't enough, and their year ended with a total record of 70-70. The Braves were led by All-Star second baseman Martin Prado, and by the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher, Chuck James. Prado combined a .315 average with some nice glove work in the field to earn the All-Star nod. Matt Esquivel and Carlos Guzman also put up some solid numbers. Esquivel hit .285 with 16 homers and 64 RBI, while Guzman added 13 long balls and 52 RBI. James' numbers on the hill show why he was chosen as the best pitcher in the league. He went 10-5 and finished second in the league with a 2.24 ERA. He also finished second in the league with 156 strikeouts, and held opponents to a .185 batting average. Jacob Stevens wasn't much of a drop off from James, as he finished third in the league with a 2.27 ERA. He struck out 140.

SAVANNAH SAND GNATS - In what was basically a disappointing season, the Sand Gnats had a couple of players put together some rather nice numbers. Despite a 58-80 campaign, infielder Kory Casto, and pitchers Brett Reid and Clint Everts were solid. Casto hit .286 with 16 home runs and 88 RBI. Josh Whitesell tied Casto for the team high in homers. Reid came out of the bullpen, and was stingy with earned runs. Although his record was just 5-4, his ERA was awesome at 1.98. Reid also collected 15 saves. As for Everts, in 17 starts, he went 7-3 with a 2.49 ERA.