Galarraga takes fifth in AL ROY vote

Subject: Galarraga takes fifth in AL ROY vote Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:04 am

11/10/08 10:34 PM EST
Galarraga takes fifth in AL ROY vote
Tigers hurler recognized after strong debut campaign

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga, who emerged from Minor League obscurity to lead the team in victories after a mid-April callup, was rewarded Monday with a fifth-place finish in American League Rookie of the Year balloting.

While Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was a unanimous winner and White Sox infielder Alexei Ramirez received the bulk of the second-place votes, Galarraga actually received more third-place votes than any other candidate. Nine of the 28 voters from the Baseball Writers Association of America put Galarraga third on their ballot. However, Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and Royals infielder Mike Aviles beat him out with their share of second-place selections. Ellsbury and Aviles finished third and fourth, respectively.

Among the candidates that Galarraga beat out for a top-five spot were Twins rookies Denard Span and Nick Blackburn, Yankees fireballer Joba Chamberlain and A's relievers Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler.

Galarraga, acquired last February from the Rangers for Minor League outfielder Michael Hernandez, opened the season at Triple-A Toledo before earning his shot when a hyperextended right knee forced Dontrelle Willis onto the disabled list. From there, he became one of the most reliable starters the Tigers had and arguably the brightest story on a team that finished fifth in the AL Central.

"For him, outstanding," manager Jim Leyland summarized Galarraga's season near season's end. "For us, probably surprising. We didn't really expect that, to be honest with you, but he was outstanding."

While Galarraga won seven of his first nine decisions, the Tigers won 11 of his first 13 starts. He took a 12-4 record into late August before finishing with a 13-7 mark and 3.73 ERA. Among his highlights, he took a shutout bid into the ninth inning on May 28 against the Angels, and took a perfect game into the seventh inning in a July 23 win at Kansas City.

The victory total tied Galarraga for the Major League rookie lead with former Tigers prospect Jair Jurrjens, who also won 13 for Atlanta and finished third in National League Rookie of the Year balloting Monday. Galarraga's 126 strikeouts led all AL rookies and passed Justin Verlander's 124 strikeouts from 2006 to set a new standard for Tigers rookie right-handers.

Among all AL pitchers regardless of experience, Galarraga ranked second with a .226 opposing batting average and 7.66 hits allowed per nine innings, trailing only Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Subject: Re: Galarraga takes fifth in AL ROY vote Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:15 am

11/10/08 4:46 PM EST
Longoria, Soto are Rookies of the Year
Rays third baseman, Cubs catcher take home 2008 honors

By Tom Singer / MLB.com

Evan Longoria, the third baseman whose powerful bat keyed the Rays' remarkable turnaround season, and Cubs catcher Geovany Soto were named Monday the 2008 winners of their respective leagues' Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award.

Longoria was the unanimous American League selection of the 28 voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, for the 27 homers and 85 RBIs that followed his delayed addition to the Rays' lineup on April 12.

Longoria, also the only player named on all 28 ballots, and White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who drew 18 second-place votes and 59 total points, reigned over a deep influx of first-year players.

An unusually high number of 10 different rookies, half of them pitchers, attracted votes.

But none of them wowed voters like Longoria, the first unanimous AL winner since Nomar Garciaparra in 1997 (Albert Pujols took NL honors unanimously in 2001).

"This is so special. I appreciate every vote, and every writer who thought I was No. 1, " said Longoria, who spoke on a conference call from his California home and quickly set his sights on more.

"I know I had a great year, and if I can keep replicating it, I'll have a productive career," Longoria said. "But I know I have the ability to do a lot more. All I can do is prepare to the best of my ability. You can't control the results, only the preparation."

Soto was nearly as popular a choice in the NL, getting 31 of the 32 first-place votes after minding the critical defensive position for the Central Division champs while putting up 23 homers and 86 RBIs.

He was the only player named on each of the 32 ballots, his 31 firsts and one second resulting in a total of 158 points. Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto finished second with 76 points and was followed by Atlanta pitcher Jair Jurrjens (34).

"I feel very honored," said Soto, speaking from his homeland of Puerto Rico, calling the moment he learned he'd won the award "very emotional. It was a very good moment in my life.

"I worked really, really hard. And now I feel all the work paid off."

The Reds had the distinction of placing three young talents among the top five, with right-hander Edinson Volquez and outfielder Jay Bruce following Jurrjens.

Volquez's presence on that list is definitely unique: No longer a rookie, the pitcher was mistakenly placed on the ballot and received three votes for second, thus there was an obligation to include him in the final results.

2008 NL Rookie of the Year Voting
Player, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Geovany Soto, CHC	31	1	-	158
Joey Votto, CIN	1	21	8	76
Jair Jurrjens, ATL	-	6	16	34
Edinson Volquez, CIN*	-	3	-	9
Jay Bruce, CIN	-	-	7	7
Kosuke Fukudome, CHC	-	1	1	4
* Volquez received votes despite being ineligible as a rookie.

Longoria, the first Rookie of the Year in Tampa Bay's 11-season history, also became the first third baseman to earn the award in the AL since his current Tampa Bay teammate Eric Hinske -- who played that position for Toronto in earning honors in 2002.

Ironically, Longoria identified Hinske and Cliff Floyd as the two veteran teammates on whose advice he depended while making the challenging transition to the Majors.

"I tried not to show it, but I was in awe most of the time," said Longoria, who cracked the Rays' lineup 22 months after having been the team's No. 1 pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. "I knew staying in the big leagues is a lot harder than getting there, and I constantly talked to Cliff and Hinske about handling certain situations."

Soto is the first Cub honored with the award since pitcher Kerry Wood in 1998, and the first catcher in the NL since the Dodgers' Mike Piazza in 1993.

"I had a huge responsibility with the pitchers," Soto conceded. "Day in and day out, I just prepared the best I could. It was a rollercoaster all season, and everything just happened for the best."

The rookie award caps off a remarkable year for the 25-year-old Puerto Rican native, four months after he'd been elected by fans as the first rookie catcher to start in an All-Star Game.

Soto's power numbers were 47-year highs for Cubs rookies. Billy Williams hit 25 homers and drove in 86 runs while also earning NL Rookie of the Year honors in 1961.

Soto gave heartfelt props to teammate Henry Blanco, thanking the veteran catcher for being "in my corner, like a big brother."

"I owe him a lot of my success," Soto said. "It was huge having him on my side."

2008 AL Rookie of the Year Voting
Player, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Evan Longoria, TB	28	-	-	140
Alexei Ramirez, CWS	-	18	5	59
Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS	-	7	5	26
Mike Aviles, KC	-	2	3	9
Armando Galarraga, DET	-	-	9	9
Joey Devine, OAK	-	1	-	3
Denard Span, MIN	-	-	3	3
Nick Blackburn, MIN	-	-	1	1
Joba Chamberlain, NYY	-	-	1	1
Brad Ziegler, OAK	-	-	1	1

There were premature ends to the storybook seasons of the first set of Rookies of the Year to play in the postseason since 2001, when Pujols and Ichiro Suzuki appeared with the Cardinals and Mariners, respectively.

Longoria's Rays dropped the World Series in five games to the Phillies, while Soto's Cubs couldn't survive a Division Series meeting with the Dodgers.

"I want to get a ring. That's why you go to Spring Training, to ultimately win it all," said Soto, not short of further motivation. "I want to work harder, to have a better season and help my team win again, then go deeper into October."

Longoria's aspirations are more basic following his second full professional season during which he played 129 games (including the first seven in Triple-A), but missed 30 others with a fractured right wrist after being hit by a pitch in early August.

"My No. 1 goal is to get myself ready and healthy for 162 games next year," Longoria said. "I want to play every day. If I do that, I know everything else will fall in place."

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Subject: Re: Galarraga takes fifth in AL ROY vote Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:24 am

Rookie of the Year winners

American League
Year	Player	Team
2008	Evan Longoria	Tampa Bay
2007	Dustin Pedroia	Boston
2006	Justin Verlander	Detroit
2005	Huston Street	Oakland
2004	Bobby Crosby	Oakland
2003	Angel Berroa	Kansas City
2002	Eric Hinske	Toronto
2001	Ichiro Suzuki	Seattle
2000	Kazuhiro Sasaki	Seattle
1999	Carlos Beltran	Kansas City
1998	Ben Grieve	Oakland
1997	Nomar Garciaparra	Boston
1996	Derek Jeter	New York
1995	Marty Cordova	Minnesota
1994	Bob Hamelin	Kansas City
1993	Tim Salmon	California
1992	Pat Listach	Milwaukee
1991	Chuck Knoblauch	Minnesota
1990	Sandy Alomar, Jr.	Cleveland
1989	Gregg Olson	Baltimore
1988	Walt Weiss	Oakland
1987	Mark McGwire	Oakland
1986	Jose Canseco	Oakland
1985	Ozzie Guillen	Chicago
1984	Alvin Davis	Seattle
1983	Ron Kittle	Chicago
1982	Cal Ripken, Jr.	Baltimore
1981	Dave Righetti	New York
1980	Joe Charboneau	Cleveland
1979	John Castino Alfredo Griffin	Minnesota Toronto
1978	Lou Whitaker	Detroit
1977	Eddie Murray	Baltimore
1976	Mark Fidrych	Detroit
1975	Fred Lynn	Boston
1974	Mike Hargrove	Texas
1973	Al Bumbry	Baltimore
1972	Carlton Fisk	Boston
1971	Chris Chambliss	Cleveland
1970	Thurman Munson	New York
1969	Lou Piniella	Kansas City
1968	Stan Bahnsen	New York
1967	Rod Carew	Minnesota
1966	Tommie Agee	Chicago
1965	Curt Blefary	Baltimore
1964	Tony Oliva	Minnesota
1963	Gary Peters	Chicago
1962	Tom Tresh	New York
1961	Don Schwall	Boston
1960	Ron Hansen	Baltimore
1959	Bob Allison	Washington
1958	Albie Pearson	Washington
1957	Tony Kubek	New York
1956	Luis Aparicio	Chicago
1955	Herb Score	Cleveland
1954	Bob Grim	New York
1953	Harvey Kuenn	Detroit
1952	Harry Byrd	Philadelphia A's
1951	Gil McDougald	New York
1950	Walt Dropo	Boston
1949	Roy Sievers	St. Louis Browns

National League
Year	Player	Team
2008	Geovany Soto	Chicago
2007	Ryan Braun	Milwaukee
2006	Hanley Ramirez	Florida
2005	Ryan Howard	Philadelphia
2004	Jason Bay	Pittsburgh
2003	Dontrelle Willis	Florida
2002	Jason Jennings	Colorado
2001	Albert Pujols	St. Louis
2000	Rafael Furcal	Atlanta
1999	Scott Williamson	Cincinnati
1998	Kerry Wood	Chicago
1997	Scott Rolen	Philadelphia
1996	Todd Hollandsworth	Los Angeles
1995	Hideo Nomo	Los Angeles
1994	Raul Mondesi	Los Angeles
1993	Mike Piazza	Los Angeles
1992	Eric Karros	Los Angeles
1991	Jeff Bagwell	Houston
1990	Dave Justice	Atlanta
1989	Jerome Walton	Chicago
1988	Chris Sabo	Cincinnati
1987	Benito Santiago	San Diego
1986	Todd Worrell	St. Louis
1985	Vince Coleman	St. Louis
1984	Dwight Gooden	New York
1983	Darryl Strawberry	New York
1982	Steve Sax	Los Angeles
1981	Fernando Valenzuela	Los Angeles
1980	Steve Howe	Los Angeles
1979	Rick Sutcliffe	Los Angeles
1978	Bob Horner	Atlanta
1977	Andre Dawson	Montreal
1976	Butch Metzger Pat Zachry	San Diego Cincinnati
1975	John Montefusco	San Francisco
1974	Bake McBride	St. Louis
1973	Gary Matthews	San Francisco
1972	Jon Matlack	New York
1971	Earl Williams	Atlanta
1970	Carl Morton	Montreal
1969	Ted Sizemore	Los Angeles
1968	Johnny Bench	Cincinnati
1967	Tom Seaver	New York
1966	Tommy Helms	Cincinnati
1965	Jim Lefebvre	Los Angeles
1964	Richie Allen	Philadelphia
1963	Pete Rose	Cincinnati
1962	Ken Hubbs	Chicago
1961	Billy Williams	Chicago
1960	Frank Howard	Los Angeles
1959	Willie McCovey	San Francisco
1958	Orlando Cepeda	San Francisco
1957	Jack Sanford	Philadelphia
1956	Frank Robinson	Cincinnati
1955	Bill Virdon	St. Louis
1954	Wally Moon	St. Louis
1953	Jim Gilliam	Brooklyn
1952	Joe Black	Brooklyn
1951	Willie Mays	New York Giants
1950	Sam Jethroe	Boston
1949	Don Newcombe	Brooklyn

One award for both leagues
Year	Player	Team
1948	Alvin Dark	Boston (NL)
1947	Jackie Robinson	Brooklyn (NL)

Subject: Re: Galarraga takes fifth in AL ROY vote Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:13 am

Sign Gala for life!
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Galarraga takes fifth in AL ROY vote Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:56 pm

Subject: Re: Galarraga takes fifth in AL ROY vote Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:21 pm

Go get em