Former Rochester Honker, Tony Kemp, earns Minor League Baseball Rawlings Gold Glove Award
(Rochester, Minn)—Former 2011 Rochester Honker, Tony Kemp, was just awarded a 2014 Minor League Rawlings Gold Glove Award as announced Monday by Minor League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods. The award is given for defensive excellence at their position from the 10 domestic-based full-season Minor Leagues. Each of the nine recipients will receive their own Rawlings Gold Glove Award, modeled after the iconic award given to Major League Baseball’s top defense players, during the 2015 season.
Kemp spent the second half of the 2014 season with the Corpus Christi Hooks (AA affiliate of the Houston Astros) after moving up from the Advanced-A Lancaster JetHawks. In 120 games between the two clubs, Kemp committed only seven errors in 524 total chances at second base for a .987 fielding percentage. He also led all minor leaguers in runs scored (121) and totaled 167 hits, tied for fifth in Minor League Basebll.
Kemp was a 2013 5th round draft out of Vanderbilt by the Houston Astros. He played outfield for the Rochester Honkers in 2011 where he hit .292 with 11 RBIs. He committed only one error in 35 games for a .987 fielding percentage.
"Congratulations to the nine outstanding Minor League Baseball players who deservedly won the 2014 Rawlings Gold Glove Award," said Mike Thompson, executive vice president and general manager of baseball for St. Louis-based Rawlings. "Minor League Baseball is and will always continue to be a great partner of Rawlings, and we knew the Rawlings Gold Glove Award would be a popular goal for many young players when we decided to rekindle this award platform in 2011."
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The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.rochesterhonkers.com.