Malloy, Painter Earn Year-End Awards, Jimenez Named FSL Pitcher of Week
September 21, 2022 – Florida State League (FSL) – Clearwater Threshers News Release
The Philadelphia Phillies announced Tuesday that Clearwater Threshers manager Marty Malloy was selected as the 2022 recipient of the John Vukovich Award and right-hander Andrew Painter was named a 2022 Paul Owens Award winner. In addition, Clearwater righty Estibenzon Jimenez was also named Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the final week of the regular season, September 5-11.
In his second stint as Clearwater manager in 2022, Malloy took over at the helm of the club midseason in 2021 after previously managing the Threshers in 2019. He has worked with top Phillies prospects such as Painter, Mick Abel, Johan Rojas and Hao Yu Lee over the past several seasons.
Per an official Phillies release, Preston Mattingly, the Phillies player director of player development said “Marty exemplifies the best characteristics and qualities of this award’s namesake. “His tireless work ethic has put our players and organization in a better place and we couldn’t be more proud of him.”
A former infielder, Malloy played 12 seasons in the Braves, Reds, Tigers, Marlins, Dodgers and Cardinals systems from 1992-2003. He appeared in 35 total major league games, split between Atlanta in 1998 and Florida in 2002. Following his playing career, he coached at the amateur level for Trenton High School and the Gatorball Baseball Academy, both in Florida, before joining the Houston Astros’ player development staff in 2013. He spent four years (2013-16) with Houston’s rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate: three as manager and one as hitting coach. He was also spent one season as the organization’s Florida Instructional League coordinator.
The 2022 John Vukovich Award will be presented on the field on Thursday, Sept. 22, prior to the 7:15 p.m. game against the Atlanta Braves. The award was established in 2007 to honor Vukovich, the longest-tenured coach in Phillies history (17 seasons) and one of the most respected persons to ever wear a Phillies uniform.
“I didn’t know John, but I’ve been told by so many what type of person he was, so to be the recipient of an award bearing his name is an incredible honor,” Threshers manager Malloy said. “While I’m grateful to be recognized with this award, I am also extremely proud of what it means for the coaches and players I have worked with, because for all the time I put in, they put in just as much.”
In addition to Malloy’s honors, former Threshers’ right-hander Andrew Painter, and 13th overall selection of the Phillies in the 2021 MLB Draft, was recognized as the 2022 Paul Owens Award winner.
Painter, at just 19 years old, went 6-2 with a 1.56 ERA (18 ER, 103.2 IP) and 0.89 WHIP in 22 combined starts this season with Clearwater (9), high-A Jersey Shore (8) and double-A Reading (5). He recorded 155 strikeouts to 25 walks (6.20 SO/BB ratio) and held opponents to a .181 batting average (67-371) while allowing just five home runs to the 401 batters he faced. Painter, who leads all Phillies minor league pitchers in strikeouts this year, averaged 13.46 strikeouts per 9.0 innings and had a 38.7 percent strikeout rate compared to a 6.2 percent walk rate.
In his first several starts with the Threshers, Painter led the FSL in ERA (0.00), strikeouts (30), WHIP (0.58) and batting average against (.100). In a start against Tampa on April 23, the 6-foot-7 righty fanned 13 straight hitters and found himself in only one three-ball count.
Per an official Phillies release, Mattingly added “Andrew has had a special year all around. From the moment he reported to camp, he showed the type of competitor he is and how hard he works. He carried that throughout the season. Obviously, we are proud of Andrew’s numbers, which speak for themselves, but we are also proud of the way he has matured as a person.”
Instituted in 1986, the award is named for the late Paul Owens, who spent 48 years in the Phillies organization as a scout, farm director, general manager, manager and senior advisor. The players will also receive their awards on the field on Sept. 22, prior to the Phillies’ game against the Braves.
Finally, right-hander Estibenzon Jimenez was named FSL Pitcher of the Week during the final week of the regular season. Jimenez, a 20-year old righty from Venezuela, finished the 2022 season 2-2 with a 2.44 ERA and an impressive WHIP of only 1.04.
In a September 6 contest against the Bradenton Marauders, Jimenez allowed just one hit in five innings with one walk and eight strikeouts. Overall in his professional career, the right-hander holds an 8-2 record with a 2.01 ERA and has struck out 90 hitters in 89 innings of work.
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