Lawrie, Green win award as top Canadian hitters in minors

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie and Milwaukee Brewers infielder Taylor Green will share the Randy Echlin Memorial Award for the best Canadian hitter in the minor leagues this season.

Lawrie, from Langley, B.C., hit .353 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs at triple-A Las Vegas. Green, a native of Comox, B.C., batted .336 with 22 home runs and 91 RBIs with triple-A Nashville and double-A Huntsville.

The honour is awarded by CanadianBaseballNetwork.com.

After being promoted to the Blue Jays, Lawrie batted .293 with nine homers and 25 RBIs in 43 games. Green was also called up and hit .270 with one RBI in 20 games with the Brewers.

Mark Hardy of Campbell River, B.C., took the top pitcher honour. He went 11-10 with a 2.78 earned run average for class-A Fort Wayne in the San Diego Padres organization.

Hardy led all Canadians in wins, was second in innings behind Nick Bucci of Sarnia, Ont., and fourth in ERA behind Andrew Albers of North Battleford, Sask.

Independent honours went to infielder Matt Rogelstad of Port Moody, B.C., and right-hander John Mariotti of Woodbridge, Ont. Rogelstad hit .332 with two homers and 46 RBIs with the Edmonton Capitals while Mariotti was 11-1 with a 2.74 ERA for the Quebec Capitales.

A total of 121 Canadians played on minor league teams in 2011, while another 48 played for independent league teams.