Philadelphia, Pa (My Sportsbook) - Led by the league's MVP Jhonny Peralta, the Buffalo Bisons posted the best record in the regular season before storming through the playoffs to win the Governor's Cup. In the first round of the playoffs, the Bisons beat the Durham Bulls in five games and went on to win the International League title in four games over the Richmond Braves. Richmond won its first-round playoff match up with the Columbus Clippers. Peralta was the first Bison to be named the IL's MVP since 1963 after finishing in the top-10 in several offensive categories. Meanwhile, Pawtucket led the league in attendance drawing 649,693 fans. For more information on the rest of the International League season, read the following team-by-team breakdown.

BUFFALO BISONS - Buffalo posted a league-best 83-61 record, including a 41-30 mark at home and a league-best 42 road victories. In the first round of the playoffs, the Bisons beat Durham in five games and went on to win the International League Governor's Cup in four games over the Richmond Braves. Buffalo was led by league MVP Jhonny Peralta and all-league designated hitter Ernie Young. Peralta was the first Bison to be named the IL's MVP since 1963. Peralta finished in the top-10 in several offensive categories with his 181 hits and 109 runs scored leading the league. Peralta's 44 doubles ranked second, .326 average was fourth, 61 extra-base hits sixth, 86 RBI seventh and .384 on-base percentage ranked 10th. As for Young, he finished second in the league in RBI with 100, tied for fourth in home runs with 27 and was 10th in slugging percentage with a .551 mark. Buffalo was the best hitting team in the league finishing with a combined .297 average, including a league-high 848 runs scored. The Bisons also blasted the second most home runs with 188 and ranked fourth in walks (465) and stolen bases (114). Buffalo needed the offense to overcome its league-worst 4.71 ERA.

CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS - Charlotte coupled below-average pitching and hitting to post an International League South Division-worst 68-74 record. The Knights were 11 1/2 games out of first place and went 33-39 on the road and 35-35 at home. Charlotte finished ninth in the league in hitting and pitching with a team average of .265 and an ERA of 4.56. Leading the Knights offense was Bryant Nelson. In 142 games, Nelson hit .288 with 37 doubles, four triples and 22 home runs. He finished the year with 83 RBI, 81 runs scored and 56 walks. Also showing promise in limited action were Andres Torres and Wilson Valdez. Torres hit .295 with 23 extra-base hits, 26 RBI and 23 stolen bases in just 87 games. In 70 games, Valdez had a .302 average, scored 37 runs, drove in 15 runs and stole 13 bases. On the mound, Josh Stewart had an 8-7 record with a respectable 3.93 ERA. In 25 games started, Stewart worked 148 2/3rd innings and struck out 82 and walked 44. In the bullpen, Kelly Wunsch went 1-0, saved two games and had a 2.93 ERA in 27 appearances. He gave up 21 hits and had a .216 batting average against.

COLUMBUS CLIPPERS - Columbus won the league's West Division with an 80-64 record and earned a spot in the playoffs. The Clippers drew Richmond in the first round of the Governor's Cup and were ousted in five games. Columbus finished third in team batting with a .277 average and team ERA with a combined mark of 4.20. To say Andy Phillips led the offense would be an under statement. Phillips finished third in the IL in slugging percentage (.569,) sixth in average (.318,) tied for sixth in home runs (26) and runs scored (83,) was seventh in on-base percentage (.388) and eighth in RBI (85). John Rodriguez also had a huge year hitting .296 with a .548 slugging percentage. Rodriguez roped 27 doubles, 10 triples and 16 home runs. He collected 68 RBI, 48 walks, 10 stolen bases and scored 78 runs. On the mound, Columbus was led by Alex Graman (11-6) and Brad Halsey (11-4). In 24 appearances, Graman posted a 3.37 ERA, allowed 115 hits in 131 innings and finished tied for the league- high with 129 Ks. Halsey was even more impressive posting a 2.63 ERA. He tied for a league-high three complete games and two shutouts. In 144 innings, Halsey allowed 128 hits, just eight home runs and struck out 109 while walking 37.

DURHAM BULLS - Using a combination of impressive pitching and hitting, Durham finished the season 77-67 and clinched the league's lone wild card spot in the playoffs. The Bulls took Buffalo, the eventual champion, to the limit before losing Game Five in the first round. While Durham had the best home record in the league, 47-26, the Bulls struggled on the road (30-41). Durham was led by Matt Diaz, who was selected as an IL all-star as well as a TSN All Minor League performer. The outfielder filled up the stat sheet hitting .332 with a league-leading 47 doubles. He cracked 21 home runs and drove in 93 runs, which tied for fourth best in the IL. His 287 total bases and .571 slugging percentage both ranked second in the league. Diaz also flashed some speed on the base paths stealing 15 bases. Also tabbed as an IL All Star was Jorge Cantu, who was selected as the utility player. The 22-year-old had a breakout season blasting a career-high 22 home runs and setting career marks with 33 doubles, 80 RBI and a .302 average. On the mound, Jason Standridge went 8-4 with two complete games and a 3.85 ERA in 20 games.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS - With a 66-78 record, the Indians finished third in the West Division - 14 games behind Columbus. Indianapolis tied for the worst road team with a 29-42 record and were also the league's worst hitting team with a .261 team average. The team also posted or tied for league-lows in hits (1233) and home runs (92). As for the pitching staff, the Indians finished 10th in ERA with a 4.59 mark. One highlight this season was the stellar play of right- hander Ben Hendrickson, who was named the IL's Most Valuable Pitcher. In 21 starts for the Tribe, Hendrickson collected 11 wins and posted a miniscule 2.02 ERA - the league's lowest mark since 1988. Hendrickson, 23 years old, struck out 93 and walked just 26 - nearly a 4-to-1 ratio. He was also selected to start the all-star game.

LOUISVILLE BATS - Louisville finished the season 67-77, 13 games behind Columbus in the West Division. The Bats went 35-37 at home and 32-40 on the road. Louisville finished seventh in team batting with a .267 average and sixth in pitching with a staff ERA of 4.38. Leading the offense were Jim Chamblee, Jermaine Clark and Stephen Smitherman. Chamblee hit .262 with a .428 slugging percentage. In 123 games, Chamblee scored 73 runs, had 23 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 63 RBI. Clark checked in with a .284 average with 15 doubles, five triples and 10 home runs. He scored 77 runs, had 52 RBI, drew 63 walks and stole 24 bases. Smitherman went 123-for-452 for a .272 average. He smacked 35 doubles, 10 dingers and had 52 RBI. On the hill, Louisville got a solid year from Brian Shackelford. In 59 appearances, Shackelford went 8-1 with a 3.58 ERA. He allowed 58 hits in 73 innings and had a .220 average against. Louisville also had the league's second-highest total attendance mark drawing 648,090 fans. Its 9,392 fans per opening was the league high.

NORFOLK TIDES - Finished third in the South Division with a 72-72 record. The Tides had a losing record at home (37-38), but went 35-34 on the road. Norfolk tied for the league's worst hitting squad with a collective .261 average. On the other hand, the Tides pitching staff combined for a 4.03 ERA - the second best mark in the IL. It was Victor Diaz who had the biggest year. He hit .292 with a .491 slugging percentage. In 141 games, Diaz scored 81 runs, had 31 doubles, 24 home runs and 94 RBI. Esix Snead also had a nice 79-game stint. He hit .268 with 10 doubles, two triples, 21 RBI, 42 runs scored, 35 walks and a league-best 40 stolen bases.

OTTAWA LYNX - Had the league's worst attendance with just 159,974 customers coming out to watch Lynx baseball this season. Ottawa's 66-78 record tied for worst in the North Division and featured a lousy 34-38 record at home. Ottawa's .265 team batting average was 10th best in the league while its 4.65 ERA ranked third worst. The Lynx staff issued a league-high 520 walks. Highlighting Ottawa's season was the play of Mike Fontenot, Chad Mottola, Eddy Garabito, Darwin Cubillan and Mark DiFelice. Fontenot hit .279 with a .420 slugging percentage. He poked 30 doubles, 10 triples, eight home runs, drew 48 walks and had 49 RBI. Garabito collected a .298 average, .420 slugging percentage, 38 extra-base hits, 37 RBI, 40 walks and 19 stolen bases. Mottola led the team with 22 home runs, 69 RBI and a .457 slugging percentage. On the mound, Cubillan appeared in 59 games, went 3-4 and recorded 24 saves. In 51 innings, he gave up 52 hits, struck out 53 and walked 17. DiFelice went 9-4 with an impressive 3.54 ERA in 36 games. In 89 innings, he surrendered 74 hits, struck out 70 and walked 27.

PAWTUCKET RED SOX - The PawSox finished second in the North Division with a 73-71 record, which featured a 37-35 mark at home and a 36-36 road record. Pawtucket's .264 team average was fourth-worst in the league, but the Sox led the IL in home runs (192,) walks (577) and strikeouts (1,222). Starring for the offense were all-league selections Earl Snyder, Kelly Shoppach and Adam Hyzdu. Snyder, who was also chosen to TSN's All Minor League squad, led the IL in home runs (36,) RBI (104) and total bases (300). He finished third with 43 doubles and tied for fourth with a .558 slugging percentage. His .273 batting average was more than respectable for someone with his power numbers. A native of San Jose, CA, Hyzdu hit a team-high .298 and led the IL with a .410 on-base percentage in large part due to his 83 walks. Hyzdu also blasted 29 home runs and scored 90 runs. Rounding out the Pawtucket all stars was Shoppach. In his first year in Triple-A, Shoppach socked a career-high 20 home runs in addition to 23 doubles and drove in 61 runs. He was also charged with just seven errors. Pawtucket led the league in attendance drawing 649,693 fans.

RICHMOND BRAVES - Richmond finished the regular season 79-62, won the South Division title and qualified for the playoffs. In the postseason, Richmond beat Columbus in five games before losing to Buffalo in five games in the Governor's Cup Championship. Richmond led the IL in pitching with a team ERA of 3.70 and finished second in team batting average with a .280 mark. The Braves pitching staff gave up a league-low 94 home runs. Leading the Braves were league all-stars Pete Orr and Matt Whiteside. A second baseman, Orr starred in his first year at Triple-A posting a career-high .320 average (fifth best in IL.) He also poked 10 triples (tied for 2nd) and scored a team- high 69 runs. On the mound, Whiteside put together arguably the best season of any IL reliever. He posted a league-leading 38 saves with a 3.23 ERA. In 64 innings, he surrendered 56 hits and finished with a .235 average against. Pitchers Mike Romano and Chuck Smith also had solid years for Richmond. Romano went 13-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 40 appearances, including 16 starts. Smith posted a 9-4 record with a 3.72 ERA in 29 appearances, including 24 starts. Smith had a .233 average against and racked up 129 Ks to 47 walks in 142 2/3rd innings. It would be an injustice to ignore Ryan Langerhans, who hit .298 with a .518 slugging percentage and a .397 on-base percentage. He scored 103 runs, hit 34 doubles, 20 home runs, drove in 72 runs and drew 70 walks.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS - Rochester tied with Pawtucket for second place in the league's North Division with a 73-71 record. The Red Wings went 38-34 at home and 35-37 on the road. With a .273 team average, Rochester ranked fifth in the league while the Red Wings 4.25 ERA also ranked fifth. Individually, no players were more outstanding for Rochester than outfielder Jason Kubel, who was selected as the IL's Rookie of the Year, and first baseman Justin Morneau, who was named to the all-league team. The 5-11, 180-pound Kubel wasn't promoted to Rochester until May 21st, but he led the league with a .343 average while collecting 71 runs, 28 doubles, 16 home runs, 71 RBI, 34 walks and 16 stolen bases. Kubel was called up to the Minnesota Twins on August 31st. As for Morneau, he was called to the Twin Cities earlier in the summer, but still qualified as the IL's best first baseman. In 72 games, Morneau hit .306 with 23 doubles, 22 home runs and 63 RBI.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE - Posted a 69-73 record, which was good enough for fourth place in the North Division, but finished the season on a disappointing 1-9 slide. The Red Barons went 35-36 at home and 34-37 on the road. Scranton finished seventh in team pitching with a 4.39 ERA and sixth in hitting with a .272 team average. Leading the Red Barons offense was Pablo Ozuna. In 126 games, Ozuna hit .307 with a .415 slugging percentage, 27 doubles and six home runs. He had 76 RBI, scored 77 runs, stole 31 bases, drew 22 walks and struck out just 43 times. Scranton also received solid bullpen work from Dan Giese and Spike Lundberg. In 54 appearances, Giese went 12-5 with three saves and posted a 2.81 ERA. In 83 1/3rd innings he allowed 63 hits - a .211 average against. In 44 appearances for Lundberg, he went 6-3 with three saves and a 3.26 ERA.

SYRACUSE SKYCHIEFS - Finished the season tied with Ottawa for the worst record in the North Division with a 66-78 mark - 17 games out of first place. Syracuse, which was 36-37 at home and 30-41 on the road, did finish on a high note winning seven-of-its-last 10 games. Syracuse's pitching staff posted the league's second-worst ERA at 4.66 and gave up the third most home runs (163.) The SkyChiefs finished with a .266 team batting average, which was the league's eighth-best mark. In 73 games, Julius Matos posted a promising .293 average with 18 doubles and seven home runs. He had 42 RBI, scored 49 runs and drew 15 walks to just 20 Ks. Glenn Williams led the team in power numbers poking a team-high 23 home runs, driving in 79 runs and posting a .495 slugging percentage. Williams hit .264, scored 65 runs, had 23 doubles and four triples. In the bullpen, Talley Haines went 4-2 with a 3.87 ERA in 44 appearances. He worked 79 innings, gave up 80 hits and struck out 53 while issuing 15 walks.

TOLEDO MUD HENS - Toledo went 65-78 this season, which was the worst record in the league and the lowest win total. The Mud Hens were a respectable 36-36 at home, but were awful on the road posting a 29-42 record. Toledo also finished the season losing eight-of-10. As a team, the Mud Hens collected a .263 batting average (third worst in the league) and had a 4.64 ERA (fourth worst.) Individually, Andy Barkett hit .283 with 29 doubles and 19 home runs for a .496 slugging percentage. He had 66 RBI, scored 59 runs and drew 38 walks. In 86 games, Joe Vitiello hit .328 with a .536 slugging percentage. He collected 19 doubles, 16 home runs, 70 RBI and scored 52 runs. On the mound, Andy Van Hekken posted a 9-7 record with a 4.96 ERA in 27 starts.