BASEBALL: IN THE SPOTLIGHT: ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RACE: Deep freshman class

Myriad rookie award candidates after Willis, Matsui

Thomas Stinson - Staff

Sunday, August 24, 2003

 

On the surface, the election is locked down tighter than a Teamster local boss' kid running for social chairman.

 

Florida's Dontrelle Willis gets rookie of the year in the National League. The Yankees' Hideki Matsui wins in the American League. Motion to adjourn?

 

Look a little deeper, however, and 2003 has presented the majors with a wave of new talent --- some of it expected, much of it delivered over the transom --- which will be felt throughout the decade. And if Willis and Hideki get the hardware come this winter, there remains enough first-year talent left over to award some worthy kid out of every division. One man's ballot:

 

> NL East: The Mets' gamble on letting Edgardo Alfonzo go has been rewarded by third baseman Ty Wigginton, who leads all NL rookies with 63 RBIs. But his 20-year-old teammate, shortstop Jose Reyes (18 extra-base hits, 12 steals in his first 60 games), exceeded early hopes. Florida's Miguel Cabrera, a year out of Class A, had three games to prepare for the shift from shortstop to outfield and has played well enough to merit a return to the infield if Mike Lowell doesn't hang around this winter. Nominee: Reyes.

 

> NL Central: Kids are virtually carrying Houston, where left-hander Jeriome Robertson's 11 wins were tied with Willis' for most by a first-year player. Reliever Brad Lidge is 4-3 with 22 holds, working behind closer Billy Wagner. After nine years and three organizations, Scott Podsednik got a chance in Milwaukee only because new GM Doug Melvin remembered him as Texas farmhand. Podsednik was hitting .306 while ranking fifth in the league in steals (25) and reached base in 47 straight games during one streak. Bo Hart owned St. Louis after replacing injured Fernando Vina, although a .228 August has cooled him down. Nominee: Robertson.

 

> NL West: Arizona is another club over-relying on first-year players, none of them better than right-hander Brandon Webb, whose 2.50 ERA is the lowest by a rookie in either league. Underrated righty Jerome Williams (5-3, 3.52) has been lost in San Francisco's shuffle, although the Giants have won eight of his past 10 starts. Nominee: Webb.

 

> AL East: Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli (.300, 63 RBIs, 21 steals) wins this award most years and is Exhibit A why rookie eligibility status should be rethought. Matsui, seven years older and a three-time MVP in Japan, blew him away (15 homers, 90 RBIs). Toronto's most reliable reliever has become Aquilino Lopez, a Rule 5 pick from Seattle (58 strikeouts in 57 innings). Nominee: Baldelli.

 

> AL Central: Kansas City shortstop Angel Berroa has settled in to hit .317 since May 6 and has just four errors in his past 69 games. Don't laugh so hard at Detroit's Jeromy Bonderman's record (6-16). He's had the worst run-support in the majors. On a roster crammed with rookies, Cleveland's Jody Gerut has been a cut above (second on the club at .277 and 14 homers) as well as the Tribe's best defensive outfielder. Nominee: Berroa.

 

> AL West: Anaheim World Series hero Francisco Rodriguez, after a tough first month, is limiting batters to a .177 average. Seattle reliever Rafael Soriano, a converted outfielder, has a 1.22 ERA and was the reason the Mariners could afford to trade Jeff Nelson. Georgia Tech's Mark Teixeira (19 homers, 61 RBIs) finishes a distant third behind Matsui and Baldelli but projects to have a more productive career. Nominee: Teixeira.

 

Article

Podsenick, Harden, Bo Hart, The leadoff hitter for the angels....just to name a few.

I dont think Harden Will win it. Hasnt done well in his last few starts

 

They Mentioned Hart, Posidenk..

Take a look at Brandon Webb's numbers compared to Dontrelle's. Webb has better stats across the board. The only category he doesn't lead in is won-loss, which has more to do with run support than anything else.

Seems like Dontrelle mania is fading as he is fading. The more deserving player is clearly Webb and I hope he wins it if he continues at this pace.

Webb got Injured in todays Game. Is Day To Day but is having a MRI in the next day or 2.

Al Central nominee: Berroa? What happenned to MacDougal? He was an All-Star!

MacDougal- 11.12 ERA since the all-star break, not counting the run or two he gave up today

 

Oh, and there is no question Webb should get the ROY over Willis, unless Willis plays pretty much flawlessly from here on in.