Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League has announced that Dan Corbin, GM of the Waterloo Bucks, has been named the 2021 Northwoods League Executive of the Year. The award, which was decided by a vote of team officials at the League’s annual fall meetings last week in Rochester, MN is given annually to the League’s outstanding executive. In another vote, the Mankato MoonDogs were awarded the Organization of the Year award.
“Dan Corbin has been a staple in the League and is deserving of this award due to his loyalty and passion for the Bucks and the League,” said Northwoods League President/Commissioner Ryan Voz.
Corbin, the 2008 Northwoods League Executive of the Year, recently finished his 21st year in the NWL, 19th season in the Bucks front office, and 15th as General Manager of the team. Prior to taking the helm of the Bucks, Corbin worked as the team’s Assistant General Manager / Director of Media Relations from 2002-2005.
Of this award, Corbin said, “I am very appreciative for this honor and thankful to be surrounded by a great ownership group and staff. After a challenging season in 2020 due to Covid-19 and a 2021 season where some of those issues still lingered, this is a nice accolade for not just me, but the entire Waterloo Bucks organization. It’s great to be recognized by my peers in this manner and I look forward to continuing to work with our community partners who share our vision and our great fans who make Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium such a fun environment.”
During his time with the Bucks, Corbin has been a part of an NWL Championship, established the Bucks Baseball Hall of Fame, designed the current Bucks Internship Program, and coordinated a team logo change.
Active in the community, Dan is the Community Engagement Chair for the My Waterloo Days Planning Committee, sits on the Board of Directors of the Cedar Falls Lions Club as the Vice President of the Global Membership Team, a member of the Strictly Business Task Force for Grow Cedar Valley, and volunteers with UNI Athletics Communications.
The Mankato MoonDogs were honored as the Northwoods League Organization of the Year after a very successful season. The MoonDogs made the playoffs, hosted the 2021 Northwoods League All-Star Game and ended the season with a 54-24 overall record. Mankato ended the regular season ninth in attendance with 49,141 fans over 36 games for a 1,365 average.
“The MoonDogs organization was a leader on and off the field this year,” said Voz. “They did an excellent job in hosting the 2021 All-Star Game, qualified for the post-season and represented the entire League at a high level.
“The MoonDogs are beyond honored to have been chosen as the Northwoods League Organization of the Year,” said MoonDogs GM Tyler Kuch. “We were blessed with many memorable moments in 2021, including hosting the Northwoods League All-Star Game and Home Run Challenge, setting a team record for winning percentage, and an MVP-worthy season from our very own Matt Higgins. This squad was the most enthusiastic group of guys we’ve ever had, and it resulted in some great baseball in Mankato and a lot of fun off the field as well. Our goal has always been to make ISG Field the place to be during the summer, and I’m proud of this team and our staff for making it happen.”
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 28th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 270 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (LAD), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.