The Sea Dogs will hand out their annual end of the season awards prior to tomorrow afternoon’s regular-season finale against New Haven.

While I’m sure the Hadlock Field faithful will do a fine job choosing the various winners, here are this scribes personal choices for some serious and some not-so-serious accolades.

Most Valuable Player: Kevin Youkilis

Youkilis’ value to the Sea Dogs can be measured by the team’s (13-21) record since he was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. The offense has been non-existent at times without its catalyst, who got on base almost half the time (a minor-league baseball best .487 on-base percentage) while hitting .327. Youkilis was on base in 92 of the 94 games he played for Portland.

Pitcher of the Year: Tim Kester

The 31-year-old right-hander is 10-9 with a 3.83 earned run average heading into today’s start. He could easily have 14 or 15 wins with more offensive support early in the season. Kester, who was brought in to eat up innings by the pitching-short Red Sox, has done that and more. He has been at or near the top of the league leaders in innings pitched and strikeouts for most of the season. Don’t be surprised if Kester joins Pawtucket for the playoffs if the Sea Dogs miss the postseason.

Most Improved Player Award: Jorge De La Rosa

The left-hander went from not being able to get anybody out at the Double-A level (a combined 5.73 ERA in two previous brief stints) to being one of the most consistent starters in the league. De La Rosa, 22, went 6-3 with a 2.80 ERA and allowed just one run in his final 22 innings before being promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on July 21.

Best Relief Pitcher Award: Anastacio Martinez

Martinez was 3-1 with 14 saves and a 2.25 ERA before ending up in Pawtucket by way of Pittsburgh and Altoona.

Mr. Clutch Award: Tony Schrager

Schrager was hitting .309 with runners in scoring position and .346 with runners in scoring position and two outs heading into the weekend.

If I’m Breathing, I’m Playing Award: John Nathans

With the Sea Dogs down to nine position players due to a plethora of injuries, Nathans caught the second game of a July doubleheader with a partially dislocated shoulder and went 2-for-3. He later told manager Ron Johnson that he could play the next day if Johnson needed him. Nathans was instead put on the disabled list and recently had season-ending surgery.

You Don’t Want To Hit It Anywhere Near Me Award: Jeremy Owens

Owens has been a pure pleasure to watch patrolling center field at Hadlock Field. With countless jaw-dropping catches, Owens has certainly lived up to being tagged the best defensive outfielder in the Red Sox’s system by Baseball America.

Too Bad He Wasn’t Here All Year Award: Sean McGowan

The 6-foot-6, 240-pound first baseman has hit .317 with six homers and 39 RBIs in 77 games since joining the Sea Dogs on June 17.

Don’t Shut Off Your Tape Recorder Award: Ron Johnson

Depressed? Just spend about 30 seconds talking to the Sea Dogs’ manager and you’ll forget all your problems. His colorful, off-the-cuff quotes have spiced up many a dull game story.

Thank God One Is In Pawtucket Award: Schrager and Trace Coquillette

When the infielders, who look like they were separated at birth, first joined the Sea Dogs in April the easiest way to tell them apart was to wait for them to walk by and read the number on the back of their jerseys. Coquillette was promoted to Triple A.

Best Bat Toss Award: Schrager

When the infielder grounded out in New Britain, his bat ended up in the Rock Cats’ dugout.

Best Reaction To A Bat Toss Award: Stu Cliburn

Incensed because a number of opponents’ bats had been made their way into the New Britain dugout during a previous series, the Rock Cats’ pitching coach picked up Schrager’s bat and broke it over his knee.

We Hardly Knew Ya Award: Blake Blasi

Blasi played in four games for the Sea Dogs, all on the road, before being sent back to Class-A Sarasota.

A record-setting night

Here’s a wrap-up of the various records set by the Sea Dogs during their 14-run third inning Friday night.

The Dogs set Eastern League marks for runs (14), hits (14), extra-base hits (7) total bases (28) and batters (19) in an inning.

They also set team marks for consecutive batters to reach base (12) and hits in a game (22).

The 17 total runs, nine extra-base hits and 38 total bases all were season highs and the second most in franchise history. The team regular-season records for runs (19), extra-base hits (10) and total bases (44) were set on May 24, 1997 in a 19-5 victory over New Britain.

Portland also scored 19 runs and had 22 hits in a 19-1 victory over New Haven in the 1995 playoffs.

More awards

Former Pawtucket pitcher Bronson Arroyo has been named the International League’s Pitcher of the Year.

Arroyo, who was called up by the Red Sox on Aug. 22, went 12-6 for the PawSox and tossed a perfect game on Aug. 12.

In addition, PawSox skipper Buddy Bailey was tabbed as Manager of the Year.

Please come

The Ravens have come up with a unique way of trying to fill the seats at Yale Field during the postseason -they are giving away all the tickets for free.

A Manhattan ad agency donated its time and made a series of television spots making light of the team’s plight while promoting the free ducats.

Despite being free of charge, as of a few days ago, the Ravens had given away just 3,500 tickets for the first two games of the Northern Division championship series which begins Wednesday.

Around the minors

Former Sea Dog Ross Gload hit for the cycle Wednesday night, going 4-for-5 for the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Gload, who played in Portland in 2000, singled in the first inning, homered in the second, doubled in the fifth and tripled in the sixth….Former Red Sox prospect Justin Duchscherer has won 11 straight games for Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats. Duchscherer (14-2), who was traded by the Red Sox to Texas in 2001 for catcher Doug Mirabelli, has been mentioned as a position candidate to replace Mark Mulder in the A’s rotation. He was recently named the Pacific Coast League’s Pitcher of the Year.

Bill Foley is assistant sports editor. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]