the 2001 cardinals featured second baseman russ adams, the league's outstanding pro prospect who would become a first-round pick in the following year's mlb draft. in 2002, orleans was led by the league's outstanding pitcher award winner brian rogers, who posted a microscopic 0.40 era for the season, and all-star catcher ryan hanigan, an andover, massachusetts native who was named the league's outstanding new england player. the team finished atop the east division with an impressive 29-13-2 record, and prevailed over y-d in the playoff semi-finals, but was shut down by wareham in the title series.