We shall now embark on our next section of the minor league record book- seasonal records. And I have to tell you, Brilliant Reader, that there have been some insane seasons turned in by Valley League alumni.

What I’ll do for these posts is lay out the 2006-2019 leaders, and then take a little bit more in-depth look at one of the seasons. Then the all-time leaders, and look at one of those seasons as well.

So let’s get started!

2006-2019
1 John Raynor New Market ’04 2007 110
2 Sherman Johnson Covington ’09-10 2014 107
3 John Raynor New Market ’04 2008 104
4 Jason Kipnis Covington ’06-07 2010 96
Tyler Bortnick Front Royal ’06 2011 96
6 Tyson Auer Luray ’05-06 2010 95
Collin Cowgill Covington ’05 2011 95
8 Mac Williamson Harrisonburg ’11 2013 94
9 Mike Mitchell Staunton ’06 2008 93
Joey Butler New Market ’06 2012 93

John Raynor, playing for Greensboro in the South Atlantic League in 2007, made it safely on base 225 times. He came around to score an amazing 110 times. Part of that was that there were four future major leaguers batting behind him that year- Chris Coghlan, Scott Cousins (himself a Valley Leaguer, by the way), Logan Morrison, and Chris Hatcher. Anyway, Raynor hit .333/.429/.519 in 445 at-bats, with 66 walks and 54 stolen bases. (You would expect the team to win something like 60% of its games, right? The team finished 71-69.)

All-Time
1 Gene Richards Harrisonburg 1975 148
2 Billy Sample Harrisonburg ’75 1978 141
3 Gary Jones Waynesboro ’82 1986 116
4 Gary Jones Waynesboro ’82 1984 111
5 John Raynor New Market ’04 2007 110
6 David Eckstein Harrisonburg 1999 109
7 Doug Dascenzo Front Royal 1986 107
Pat Watkins Staunton 1994 107
Sherman Johnson Covington ’09-10 2014 107
10 Gary Jones Waynesboro ’82 1983 105
11 Allen Battle Front Royal 1994 104
John Raynor New Market ’04 2008 104
13 Frank Menechino Harrisonburg ’92 1999 103
14 Gene Richards Harrisonburg 1976 102
Gary Jones Waynesboro ’82 1987 102
16 Sam Perlozzo New Market ’72 1975 99
David Eckstein Harrisonburg 1998 99
18 Frank Menechino Harrisonburg ’92 1997 98
Kevin Reese Winchester ’98 2004 98
20 Scott Jordan Winchester ’82 1987 97
Emil Brown Waynesboro ’94 1999 97
Joe Koshansky Staunton ’02-03 2005 97

As good as John Raynor was in 2007, Gene Richards was better in 1975, when he spent all year with High-A Reno in the California League. (Reno is now a Triple-A franchise.) Richards hit .381/.499/.551 in 501 at-bats, with 116 walks and a ridiculous 85 stolen bases. He scored 148 times after reaching base 314 times. 314!! By the way, Sam Perlozzo was on that team with Richards- Perlozzo was voted into the Valley League Hall of Fame in 2017.

John Raynor
Richards