SB Nation Awards: Rookie of the Year

by Jesse on Nov 4, 2008 11:30 AM EST Comment 11 comments

In case you missed it, here are yesterday's results for Manager of the Year.

National League	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Geovany Soto	18	1	-	93
Joey Votto	-	10	8	38
Jair Jurrjens	1	6	6	29
Edinson Volquez	-	1	-	3
Jay Bruce	-	1	-	3
Ian Stewart	-	-	2	4
John Bowker	-	-	1	1
Johnny Cueto	-	-	1	1
Blake DeWitt	-	-	1	1

American League	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Evan Longoria	15	1	-	78
Mike Aviles	1	5	4	24
Alexei Ramirez	1	2	3	14
Armando Galarraga	-	3	3	12
Joba Chamberlain	-	3	1	10
Jacoby Ellsbury	-	1	2	5
Brad Ziegler	-	1	1	4
David Murphy	-	1	-	3
Denard Span	-	-	2	2
Chris Davis	-	-	1	1

I'm surprised by a few names on this list, particularly David Murphy and Jacoby Ellsbury, but in the grand scheme of things the guys who deserved it made their way to the top. My votes went Longoria-Aviles-Span, and while I'm sure my Span vote will mystify people just as much as the Murphy/Ellsbury votes, I think that good defense, a .387 OBP and a 125 OPS+ more than justifies my ballot.

Speaking of ballots, I encourage all of you who are old enough to get out and vote today. Exercize your right as an American citizen and make a choice.

Up tomorrow: Cy Young

0 recs | Comment 11 comments

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Comments

My vote

would be Longoria – Ramirez – Galarraga.

by SethSpeaks on Nov 4, 2008 3:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The AL had a lot of good choices this year,

and I think a lot of them are represented in the results somewhere. I didn’t vote for Ramirez or Galarraga, but both of them had solid years. So did a couple of other guys I didn’t hear much of this year—Chris Davis and Brad Ziegler.

by Jesse on Nov 4, 2008 6:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

…Aviles over Ramirez is a joke. You don’t give anything to a position player who started 101 games.

by Johnny Safron on Nov 4, 2008 11:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think Ramirez...

doesn’t get nearly enough credit.

In my view, if he lost to Longoria, it’s barely. He was a stud for the White Sox this year and they would not have been a playoff team without him.

I’m still livid that the Twins didn’t sign him this offseason, as I advocated. A $2 M risk is nothing, especially for a young, talented guy that can play both SS and CF, which were clearly 2 positions the Twins needed to address this offseason.

by DJSkillz on Nov 4, 2008 4:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ramirez

did have a good year, and I seriously considered him. But in comparing him to Span specifically, he doesn’t use his speed too well and, while he didn’t strike out often, seemed allergic to taking a walk. He’s aggressive and has a little pop, and he can develop into a solid offensive force I think, but Span’s year was a bit more impressive to me. But then again I’m biased.

by Jesse on Nov 4, 2008 6:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

>>In my view, if he lost to Longoria, it’s barely.

It’s hard to separate the two. Ramirez and Longoria are head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. None of the rest are even close to warranting a first- or second-place vote.

by Johnny Safron on Nov 4, 2008 11:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My votes

…. were exactly the same as Jesse’s. Maybe not surprisingly, we appear to have been the only two votes for Span.

by Jon Marthaler on Nov 4, 2008 5:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Great minds think alike.

by Jesse on Nov 4, 2008 6:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My vote

Longoria—Gallaraga—Span

I like Avilles, but he was forth on my list.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Nov 4, 2008 7:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Gallaraga was good this year.

I didn’t have to go that far, but I think I’d probably have placed him fifth or sixth on my list, with Ramirez being fourth. I think it just goes to show how deep this year’s AL ROY candidates are.

by Jesse on Nov 4, 2008 7:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs