09/18/2006 9:36 AM - Kansas City, KS—Over 150 pitchers took the mound in the Northern League in 2006, but just one is the league’s Pitcher of the Year. The Kansas City T-Bones are thrilled to announce that righthander Jonathan Krysa, who led the Northern League in wins in 2006, has been named the Northern League’s Pitcher of the Year, the league announced Friday.

Krysa, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was selected as the league’s pitcher of the year after a season in which he went 13-5 with a 3.74 ERA. Krysa, 28, enjoyed a campaign in which he was selected as the league’s Rawlings Pitcher of the Month for June, when he was a perfect 5-0 with a 2.21 ERA; he capped his season by winning five of six August decisions while posting a 3.25 ERA. Krysa was also selected to start for the East Division in the league’s All-Star Game, held at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The fourth-year T-Bone, who led the Northern League in strikeouts in 2005, was second in the circuit in whiffs (129), innings pitched (161.1) and fifth in games started (23).

Krysa, who started the opening game at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on June 6, 2003, was 8-1 with a 3.47 ERA at home this season. That’s even more impressive when the dimensions of the ballpark are factored into the equation; in terms of home runs, CommunityAmerica Ballpark was the most friendly hitter’s park in the league, with 3.15 HRs per 100 at-bats. Further, Krysa lost only once in June and July, with a streak of seven consecutive wins snapped with a July 31 loss to Joliet.

The Kansas City T-Bones are members of the Northern League, the nation’s oldest and most accomplished independent league. In 2006, the T-Bones averaged 5,852 fans per game, which is 134% of CommunityAmerica Ballpark’s listed capacity – the highest percentage of attendance to capacity in all of baseball. For season ticket information, call the T-Bones at (913)328-BALL (2255) or visit www.tbonesbaseball.com.