Saskatchewan Baseball Association
1995 Player of the Year - Michael Bubnick
By Wade S. Walz (The Melville Advance)
Michael Bubnick is the Saskatchewan Baseball Association's (SBA) Player of the Year.
The 13-year-old Bubnick is an Esterhazy native who plays his minor baseball in Melville.
He was nominated for the award by the Melville Minor Sports Association (MMSA) based on his statistics for the 1995 season.
At the Provincial Championships, he had a batting average of .600 with three home runs - one was hit 450 feet. At the Western Canadian Championship his average was .688 with six home runs, and at the National Championships, he had an average of .743 with 3 home runs. He was also named an all-star centre fielder and was the top batter at the National Championships.
During the complete season, he made 110 appearances at the plate and hit 26 home runs for a batting average of .688.
Bubnick was no slouch on the mound either. He threw seven innings against Quebec at the Nationals, winning 3-2 -- they were the only runs he gave up in 11 innings during the tournament. At the Western Canadian Championships, he pitched seven innings against B.C. tied 4-4 and then went on to win 5-4 in a extra inning.
In his nomination letter, MMSA President Phil Lopinski said that it's very rare to see a first class athlete in the making.
"Michael's exceptional athletic ability displayed in his speed and co-ordination make him an extremely valuable team player. He is focused on the job at hand, whether he is pitching, hitting, playing centre field, or even stealing bases."
Bubnick was coached by Garnet Keller this past season and Keller says the 13-year-old is an asset to Melville's minor ball program.
"It speaks well for the local minor ball program to have him win this award. Some of his talent is natural but there's no question the minor ball program in Melville has helped him reach some of these goals. It's a privilege to coach a kid of his caliber."
Keller feels Bubnick definitely has the talent fo go places.
"This kid has all the tools to pursue baseball as a career."
Bubnick is the first Melville ball player to achieve the status of SBA Player of the Year.
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