Best of 2007: Moment #8
Moment #8 - Alan Horne wins Pitcher of the Year
August 25, 2007
Trenton, NJ
The following is an excerpt from my August 30, 2007 article in the Hunterdon County Democrat…
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Two days before his start, Trenton Thunder pitcher Alan Horne was named to the Eastern League postseason All-Star team.
One day before his start, Alan Horne was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year.
During his start, Alan Horne showed why he deserved both of those honors.
With a chance to clinch the Northern Division title on the line, Horne spun six masterful innings in Trenton, holding the Binghamton Mets to one run on four hits, giving his team a chance to win a game they eventually lost in fourteen innings, 3-2.
However, with the team’s magic number at one before the start of the game, and with Portland losing their game to New Hampshire, the Thunder secured the division with eight games left to play in the regular season.
“The guys have been fantastic all year, they’ve played well,” said Thunder skipper Tony Franklin.
“I congratulated them and I thanked them, because they really came to work with a purpose every day.”
But where would they be without Horne?
In a year where the Thunder have used no fewer than 25 pitchers, Horne is one of just four to have stayed the entire season.
With a 12-4 record, a 2.91 ERA, and league leading strikeout total of 161, there seemed to be no other choice for Pitcher of the Year honors.
“I’m very excited about it, there are a lot of other very good pitchers in this league they could have given it to,” Horne said.
“I’m definitely proud to represent our team on the All-Star list, and now as Pitcher of the Year. It’s just awesome, I don’t really know what to say about it.”
Horne is only the second pitcher in Trenton Thunder history to win the award, with the much-maligned Carl Pavano being the first.
“Well, hopefully I’ll have a little better path down the road than that one,” joked Horne.
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With his breakout 2007 season behind him, Horne looks to 2008 with a chance to crack the big league roster at some point. It would appear as though he’ll start his season in the rotation at Triple-A Scranton.
Recapping the Top 20 so far…
#8 - Alan Horne wins Pitcher of the Year
#9 - Trenton finally beats Portland in the playoffs
#10 - Shelley Duncan’s impact with the Yankees
#11 - The emergence of Austin Jackson
#12 - Tony Franklin named Thunder manager
#13 - Matt DeSalvo’s MLB debut
#14 - Phil Hughes rehab appearance
#15 - Tyler Clippard’s MLB debut
#16 - Brett Smith’s no-hitter
#17 - Chase Wright’s MLB debut
#18 - Chase Wright’s opening night start
#19 - Paul Lo Duca and Endy Chavez rehab in Trenton
#20 - Jeff Karstens rehab appearance
Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com
Tags: Trenton Thunder, Alan Horne, Carl Pavano, Eastern League
