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Donato Guardamagni
LHP - LOS
21-5 - 2.14 ERA - 256 K - 0.88 WHIP
1st Place - Donato Guardamagni (65) - LOS
2nd Place - Gil O'Moore (39) - MAI
3rd Place - Akira Abe (24) - IND
3rd Place - Akira Abe (24) - IND
Others Receiving Votes:
- Denver 'Otter' Brode - DAL
- Gervasio Areas - MIS
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- Gervasio Areas - MIS
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If you took an anonymous poll of the GMs in the BLB and asked the question "Who has the nastiest stuff in the BLB?" the name you would most likely find at or near the top of every list would be Donato Guardamagni. At 6'6" and questionably listed at 229 pounds, the Costa Rican lefty is as intimidating off the bump as he is on it. In 1987, Guardamagni posted the league's only 20 win season by going 21-5 for the Javalinas. With a DL best 2.14 ERA, the 30 year old finished just two strikeouts away from the league's first Pitching Triple Crown.
Currently 3rd on the BLB's all-time Strikeout list with 2187, most experts agree that this young man will someday retire in the top spot and set the number for all the young hurlers to chase.
Filling out the ballots for the DL Pale Ale was pretty simple this season. For most it wasn't a matter of who to list, just the order. 20 of the 22 ballots contained the same three players, with 21 out of 22 listing Guardamagni in the top spot.
Finishing second based on rounding up 17 of the possible 2nd place votes was Maine's Gil O'Moore. O'Moore went 17-8 and lead the DL in strikeouts setting his career high with 258 punchouts. He was dominating at time posting 3 complete games shutouts in his league high 33 starts. Guide's GM Andrew Stevens wasn't going to let their first ever 1st Round pick get away either. Right after the All-Star Break, they locked the 27 year old up for 5 more years and just north of $82,000,000.
Bringing in 3rd place honors was the only man that actually has to look down at Guardamagni. Indy's Akira Abe was the rock solid foundation that the Clowns built their Championship run around. In his 32 starts, Abe posted an outstanding 24 Quality Starts (75%). While his record with the Clowns is only 26-25 since coming over from Pittsburgh in that '85 blockbuster, it's the consistancy that Abe gives that rotation that makes him arguably the most important player in the clubhouse.
The only 1st place vote that did not go to Guardamagni went the young Denver 'Otter' Brode. Brode was looking like a potential runaway for this award early in the season before a torn elbow in July ended his season and will keep him out until June of '88.
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