Stan Defehr (Bartlesville, OK) enjoys just beating the throw going 1st to 3rd on a base hit.....

A smiling Stan Defehr raced from first to third and just beat the throw.

By Jon Weisman

November is awards month in Major League Baseball, and it was no different at the Dodgers Adult Baseball Camp at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach.

Though they lost the Campers vs. Instructors game, 12-0, numerous campers merited awards at the recently concluded camp. Charlotte, North Carolina represented in a big way.

  • MVP – Matt Briggs (Charlotte, North Carolina)
  • Sr. MVP – Rick Blackwood (Charlotte, North Carolina)
  • Rookie of the Year – Gil Garcia (North Hollywood)
  • Gil Hodges (Best Hitter) – Briggs
  • Most Improved Camper – Bruce Berger (Silver Spring, Maryland)
  • Sonny Carter (Happiest/Friendliest) – Toby Warren (Auburn, Alabama)
  • Pee Wee Reese (Hustle) – Dave Gaichas (Palos Park, Illinois)
  • Bill Buhler (Heart/Play through Injury) – Rob Shell (Gastonia, North Carolina)
  • Gold Glove – Alberto Furlani (Gorizia, Italy)
  • Comeback Player (Outstanding Returnee) – Jim Secunda (Charlotte, North Carolina)
  • Don Drysdale (Best RHP) – Stan Defehr (Bartlesville, Oklahoma)
  • Sandy Koufax (Best LHP) – Bruce Flachs (Charlotte, North Carolina)
  • Roy Campanella (Catcher) – Bob Gregory (Bronxville, New York)
  • Popup Contest winners — 1) Ryan Smith (Nashville), 2) Tony Altman (Tustin and 3) Furlani
  • Hitting Contest winners — 1) Briggs, 2) Jamie Harris (Charlotte, North Carolina) and 3) Shell

And the Camp All-Star team:

  • Pitchers – John Owens (Waxhaw, North Carolina), Verdery Kerr (Charlotte, North Carolina)
  • Catcher – Jonathan Eve (Edmond, Oklahoma)
  • Third Base – Paul Raymond (Newport Beach)
  • Shortstop – Harris
  • Second Base – Jack Yeh (Los Angeles)
  • First Base – Jay Briggs (Whittier, CA)
  • Outfielders – Greg Simmons (Charlotte, North Carolina), Smith, Brad Emmanuel (Chicago), Joe Baldo (Yorba Linda)
  • DH – Kyung Moon Kim (South Korea)
  • Utility – Paul Galletti (San Pedro)

“I want to say thank you to Peter O’Malley and the entire Dodgertown crew for having this camp,” said Yeh, a returning camper. “It has meant so much to me. There are products, there are services, there are experiences in life. But, this is a relationship for me. So, thank you for bringing back this relationship.”

Said 1988 World Series hero Mickey Hatcher: “Back here in Vero Beach, Florida, now in Historic Dodgertown, especially with us old guys coming back and playing — we’re having a lot of fun here. It’s a great place to come. Hopefully, we can recruit more campers and continue to make this fantastic, bring back some of the legends and keep this thing going.”

A gallery of photos from the camp can be found here.