Alright, last award, the big one: M. V. P.
Now, before I get into this, I want to preface it with something. I love stats. I really do. I like looking them up and examining them.
It used to be RBIs and Wins. Nowadays I'm working on learning newer ones that better explore and explain the game. I'm working on learning different kinds of Sabermetrics, figuring them out. I know I'm late to the game, but I'm getting there. I really like WAR.
All that being said, I'm going to work away from the stat books for this one.
And why not, it's all meaningless opinion anyway.
On a pretty mediocre 2010 Dodger team, there were still a few standouts. Kershaw, as well as Kuroda and Billingsley were a great three man pitching rotation. Hong-Chih Kuo had one of the best seasons for a reliever in recent memory. Rafael Furcal, when healthy, was an excellent addition on offense and defense.
All these men would be worthy picks for MVP of this team, but I really got to go with my gut (ugh) on this one.
So, the winner is...
Jamey Carroll.
Maybe you agree. Maybe you don't. (Carroll's WAR was 2.4 this year, 6th on the team in case you were wondering) But here's where I'm coming from.
When Carroll was signed this previous offseason, I was pretty blasé about it. Then, we added Ronnie Belliard, and I started wondering what the point of having both players on the roster would be. I wasn't really comfortable with the whole setup, and frankly, I was thinking: "We have Belliard, why do we need Carroll?"
Either way, the season began. In the first month, Carroll made sporadic appearances, coming in for defense, starting here and there at 2nd base or shortstop. Then Furcal got hurt.
Next thing you know, Carroll was starting everyday at shortstop. Then Furcal came back. And Carroll slipped back into the spot starter role. He made starts at shortstop, 2nd, and 3rd base this time. This utility role continued until early August, when Furcal was hurt again.
And Carroll stepped right back into the shortstop role. Then September rolls around. Furcal is back. Some kids are up. Carroll goes back into the utility/spot starter role.
I know I went on too long with that, but the point I'm making is, Carroll filled a lot of roles this year (including playing a little left field) and he never complained. He just did his job and he did it well. He filled in when he was needed, or he sat on the bench when he wasn't. And over this whole time, he still posted a .379 OBP, good for first on the team (minimum 300 plate appearances).
And look how David Eckstein trembles beneath him.
So, for being that guy, Jamey Carroll is your "J's Dodger Blog 2010 MVP"
Big awards time, the tension is palpable...
The nominees are:
Hiroki Kuroda - The old guy showed he still had some stuff left in the old guy tank. Kuroda made 31 starts in 2010, posting a 3.31 ERA in 196.1 innings. He struck out 159 batters while walking just 48. He had 21 quality starts, including one where he carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the Phillies.
Chad Billingsley - I suppose Billingsley might have been a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year except I don't really feel like his 2009 was that bad. Either way, his 2010 was good stuff. 31 starts, 3.57 ERA over 191.2 innings. He struck out 171 to just 69 walks, had 18 quality starts, and pitched the second complete game shutout of his career.
Clayton Kershaw - The 22 year old pitched 204.1 innings, posting a 2.91 ERA over that span. He struck out 212 batters, had 23 quality starts, and picked up the first complete game shutout of his career.
And the winner is...
Everyone!
Alright, not everyone, but before I announce the winner, I want to give all three nominees props. Looking back at the stats, I was surprised by how good our top three pitchers were this season. I mean, just solid work from all three men. So, really, props to all three, but there can only be one winner, and that person is...
Clayton Kershaw for the second year in a row.
He had the 12th best ERA in all of baseball and was 7th in strikeouts per nine innings. And striking out 200+ batters in a season is flatout impressive.
For all that, he's the winner of the "J's Dodger Blog 2010 Cy Young" award.
I'm doing some more consolidating of the offseason awards I hand out.
Today, I'm cutting out the Gold Glove, mainly because fielding is hard to judge and checking out the UZR leaderboards on the Dodgers, I'm seeing Reed Johnson at number one, which seems acceptable except for how small the sample size is. Then, at number two, you have Casey Blake, which greatly surprised me.
So, I guess Casey Blake gets the Gold Glove award, but again, hard to judge.
Ok then. Rookie of the Year, another award with not a whole bunch of viable candidates.
Six players made their debuts this year: Carlos Monasterios, Russ Mitchell, Jon Link, John Lindsey, Kenley Jansen, and John Ely.
Russ Mitchell came up in September and didn't get a whole lot of experience. Jon Link got just 8.2 innings worth of work in.
You have to give John Lindsey an honorable mention for finally making it to the show but the poor guy got just twelve at-bats before breaking his hand. At least he got a base hit.
I give credit to Monasterios for jumping from the low minors and sticking the whole year on a major league roster. He had a couple of good moments, and was admirable for his ability to work out of the bullpen and make spot starts on short notice.
Unfortunately, not all of his 88.1 innings were of the highest quality. For example, he posted a 2.20 ERA in 28.2 innings in April and May, which was great. Then he posted a 5.43 ERA from June until the end of the season, which was not as great. Overall, he finished the season with a 4.38 ERA, which is pretty good for a guy who hadn't even sniffed the minors before this year.
That leaves us with our last two candidates: Ely and Jansen. This is actually pretty tough for me.
Jansen was fantastic. 0.67 ERA in 27 innings. 41 strikeouts to just 15 walks.
On the other hand, because Ely struggled through his last nine appearances (8.18 ERA in 44 IP) and raised his overall ERA on the season to 5.49, it makes it easy to forget that he was great through his first nine. After getting called up, Ely posted a 3.38 ERA in 56 innings through nine games, striking out 41 to 13 walks.
So, again, tough decision.
But I got to give it to Ely.
Taking nothing away from Jansen, because I thoroughly enjoyed watching him pitch this year and I think he's got a very bright future, but, at least for me, his 27 innings pitched can't trump the fact that John Ely was fourth on the list of Games Started for pitchers this year or that Ely racked up nine quality starts in his rookie campaign.
There's a lot of value in that, and as such, John Ely wins the "J's Dodger Blog 2010 Rookie of the Year" award.
Alright, I'm gonna jump into these awards with the Reliever of the Year. Historically (all of two years), I've started with Comeback Player of the Year.
This year though, not a whole lot to go on. If it means anything, Jay Gibbons. And he had all of 80 plate appearances this season, so, there you go.
...and provided Jeter-esque Gold Glove defense in left.
On the other hand, whatever the opposite of Comeback Player of the Year is, there were a handful of candidates for that.
Anyway, let's talk Reliever of the Year.
It's Hong-Chih Kuo.
Yeah, I'm not screwing around.
Well, I mean, I started this blog post with the intent of naming a bunch of candidates and their qualifications but, uh, looking at the stats and refreshing my memory of this season I realized what a miserable bullpen we had this year.
Kuo was pretty much the one bright spot. 60 innings of 1.20 ERA baseball.
So, for that, he wins the "J's Dodger Blog 2010 Reliever of the Year."
So, it's come to this. The final award. MVP.
This is a tough one, let's take a look at the options.
The nominees are:
Randy Wolf
-A nominee for the "J's Dodger Blog Cy Young Award," even though Randy didn't win, one could arguably say he meant more to the team. He delivered quality start after quality start down the stretch for the Dodgers, and there is a lot of value in that.
Matt Kemp
-Gold Glove? Check. Silver Slugger? Check. 26 homeruns and 101 RBIs? Yeah. 34 stolen bases, too? Uh-huh. A breakout season for Matt Kemp as he slowly becomes a top tier player in this league. He's got five tools, and he uses them all. If this season is just a sign of things to come, Kemp is going to have a monster career.
Clayton Kershaw
-He did win the "J's Dodger Blog Cy Young Award." Have I mentioned yet that he's 21 and very good?
Andre Ethier
-A Silver Slugger, too? Yeah. Andre Ethier notched 31 homeruns and drove in 106 RBIs this season. I think most people felt Ethier could be a good player, but I don't know how many people thought Ethier was a 30-100 guy. He not only met expectations, he passed them easily. Oh, and by the way, when the playoffs came around, Ethier only got better: a .355 average, three homers, six RBIs, and a 1.235 OPS.
...and the winner is...
Andre Ethier.
This was a close call for me. Kemp was so good this year, but I can't deny what Ethier did. On top of how good his numbers were, you have to also factor in his six walk off hits.
Six walk off hits... including four homeruns. That, my friends, is a clutch performer.
Ethier was the team leader in homeruns, doubles, RBIs, walks, and walk off hits.
And for all that, Andre Ethier is your "J's Dodger Blog 2009 MVP."
Alright, moving on to the heavy hitters of the awards. First up: Cy Young. There are three big candidates for this, let's jump in.
The nominees are:
Randy Wolf
-When Randy Wolf is healthy, he can be one of the most effective pitchers in the game. Wolf set new career highs with 34 starts and 214.1 innings worth of pitching this year. And he posted a 3.23 ERA over that span (in his career: second only to his 3.20 ERA in 2002). Maybe Wolf wasn't always lights out, but he was consistent. And over a long season, that means a lot. In fact, in only one start this year did Wolf not go a full 5.0 innings. And in 29 of his 34 starts, Wolf went 6.0 or more innings. All in all, a pretty good year for Wolf.
Clayton Kershaw
-30 starts, 185 Ks, and a 2.79 ERA is a nice line of stats. When you consider that those numbers were put up by a 21 year old kid in his first real full season, they look so much better. The future is bright for Kershaw.
Jonathan Broxton
-He's the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Reliever of the Year." Isn't that good enough?!
...and the winner is...
Clayton Kershaw.
Randy Wolf had a career year, and I want to take nothing away from him, but just check some of the stats Clayton Kershaw has:
8th in all of baseball in ERA. 7th in all of baseball in strikeouts per 9 innings. 2nd in all of baseball in fewest homeruns per 9 innings. 1st in all of baseball in fewest hits per 9 innings.
Not to mention his ERA at home this year was 1.83.
I mean, this kid is good.
And he's 21.
Here's to the bright future. Clayton Kershaw is the winner of "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Cy Young Award."
Like the Gold Glove award, this one is pretty easy.
There were six players who made their major league debuts this season: Ronald Belisario, Brent Leach, Travis Schlichting, Xavier Paul, Mitch Jones, and Jamie Hoffmann.
Paul, Jones, and Hoffman had 14, 13, and 22 at-bats, respectively. Which means they were pretty insignificant during the season.
And talking about insignificant this season: Schlichting pitched 2.2 innings in 2 games this season.
Which leaves us with Brent Leach and Ronald Belisario.
Leach did have a pretty effective month and a half with the team during the season. Unfortunately, he was with the team for three months.
Meanwhile, Belisario appeared in 69 games and posted a 2.04 ERA. He was even a nominee for the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Reliever of the Year" award. I mean, come on. This one was a run-away.
So, congratulations to Ronald Belisario, the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Rookie of the Year."
Ok, well, I was going to award the Gold Glove today. And I was going to award it to Matt Kemp for the second year in a row. I was going to do this because I felt he was good enough last year to be the team's Gold Glove and I think he's only improved since then.
And then I was going to talk about how Kemp's defense is underrated. And complain he doesn't get enough accolades for it. Yadda yadda...
Well, lookie here. I guess I don't need to do that.
Matt Kemp snagged the first Gold Glove of his career. Congratulations also to Orlando Hudson for getting his 4th Gold Glove.
So, my award was negated by the real one, but in any case, Matt Kemp is your "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Gold Glove" winner.
Award season continues at J's Dodger Blog, as we move on to Reliever of the Year. There are four big candidates for this prestigious award.
And the nominees are:
George Sherrill
-Ok, granted, Sherrill only pitched in 27.2 innings for the Dodgers. But what a fantastic 27.2 innings those were. A 0.65 ERA! That's two runs. Two runs spread out over thirty games, while holding opponents to a .192 BAA. He also picked up 11 Holds over that span, putting him fourth on the team behind only Hong-Chih Kuo, Troncoso, and Belisario.
Jonathan Broxton
-The big man in his first full season as the Dodgers' closer wasn't bad. He picked up 36 saves over the course of the season, but more impressive are some of his other numbers. Just look at this stuff: 2.61 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a .165 BAA. Plus: 114 strikeouts in 76.0 innings. Broxton's 114 strikeouts was good for fourth place on the entire team, and he did it in less than half the innings the starters did it in. That's just impressive.
Ramon Troncoso
-Where'd this guy come from?! He debuted in 2008 and posted a 4.26 ERA over 38 innings. It was unimpressive to say the least. Then, suddenly, this year, Troncoso appears in 73 games, pitching 82.2 innings, and posting a 2.72 ERA over that span. That, my friends, is a nice turn around.
Ronald Belisario
-Remember when I asked where Troncoso came from? Remember how I pointed out that he seemingly appeared from nowhere, the depths of mediocrity to become one of our best relievers this season? (I just wrote those things, you better have not forgotten by now.) Anyway, Ronald Belisario looks at Troncoso's surprising rise, and scoffs. MSTI wrote a pretty good piece summarizing the main question people had coming into the season: who the hell is Ronald Belisario?! He's had a sketchy baseball past to say the least, and his career stats weren't promising, so, it really is quite odd that Belisario posted a 2.04 ERA in 69 games for us this season. I mean, come on, those are some pretty great stats for a guy who almost literally came from nowhere.
...and the winner is...
Jonathan Broxton.
Sherrill was good, but didn't make enough impact over the full season. Belisario and Troncoso were both surprisingly excellent, but both suffered from fatigue late in the season, and saw their stats start to slide.
That's not to say Broxton didn't have his own struggles as well, but darn if I can't ignore how good his numbers are. 114 strikeouts?! A 0.96 WHIP?! Those numbers ain't right!
Unfortunately for Broxton, most people choose to ignore how great he was this year and focus on the blown saves. And yes, a closer's job is to get saves, but I think Broxton suffers for people's selective memories.
I mean, Broxton did pick up two big saves this postseason, but in the end, all people will remember is the one blown one.
Ultimately, that is part of being a closer. You are the easiest person to blame because your failures are so memorable and take place with you positioned on center stage.
That's why, I propose this to all Dodger fans, or baseball fans in general. Don't make any decisions on the team after a blown save. Those blown saves are the hardest to take, and you are often so emotionally charged after the game that your opinions and views are skewed. Take a couple of deep breaths, wait a couple days, then revisit it.
...that's why I'm rewarding Broxton with this award. Because if you step back from the emotion of the blown save and just look at Broxton's numbers, you realize how very good he was this year.
So, for all that, Jonathan Broxton is the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Reliever of the Year."
How about that? As I noted on my Twitter feed last night:
Who'd have thought the Yankees could win it all? All it took was team chemistry, a little bit of magic, and a half billion dollar payroll.
Anything is possible!!! Congratulations to the Yankees, but don't do it again. Seriously. I'll go right back to hating you. We just had a more common enemy this time in the Phillies.
Anyway. Enough with all that business. Let's get down to everybody's favorite part of the year: Award Season!
Today's award: The J's Dodger Blog Comeback Player of the Year!
And the nominees are:
Guillermo Mota
-Mota not only revived himself from his 2008 season, he revived his dying career mid-way through the 2009 season. Mota finished the year with a 3.44 ERA which seems a small miracle now. If you had told me on May 17th that Mota would not only finish the season with the team, but that he would do it with a sub-3.50 ERA, I'd have slapped you for outright lying to me. Of course, right about now you'd be getting a call from me, apologizing for the slapping, but with a careful reminder that at the time, you sounded crazy, and that really, you were lucky I didn't try burning you at the stake for your words.
Why would I go through all this trouble? Because on May 17th, Guillermo Mota, who hadn't pitched in a week coming off an outing where he surrendered three runs in 2.0 IP against the Giants, came in to a 10-0 game in Florida. Clayton Kershaw had put up a masterful seven innings before giving up a leadoff double in the 8th. Mota allowed that runner to score, and got out of the inning, which would have been forgivable enough had the Dodgers not scored two runs in the top of the 9th and given Mota a cushy 12-1 lead. Mota got two quick outs, then almost as quickly, he loaded the bases. He followed that up by throwing a fat pitch to Cody Ross, which he promptly deposited over the center field wall. Mota was pulled from the game so Will Ohman could come in and get one out on one pitch. And Mota left that game with a 9.00 ERA.
It really seemed like he was cooked. That 9.00 ERA was through 15 innings pitched, mind you. But then Brad Ausmus stepped up and saved his career, at least temporarily. Ausmus noted Mota was not hiding the ball as well as he used to, therefore making it oh, so easy for the Cody Ross'es of the world to feast on him. A couple tweaks later, and Mota surrenders just two runs from May 17th all the way until the end of July (35.1 innings pitched). His ERA, for a little while, was in the high 2.00's. God, I sure hope Mota bought Ausmus something nice for that one.
Vicente Padilla
-When it was made news in the Rangers clubhouse that Vicente Padilla was let go, reports say a small celebration took place. The clubhouse in Texas had turned on Padilla. He was a hot head who threw at opposing team's players too often and didn't have good enough stats to back him up (4.92 ERA in 18 starts).
Flashforward. Padilla is picked up by the Dodgers. He had just gone 4-0 in 7 starts and had a 3.20 ERA during the regular season. But now, surprisingly, Padilla had made it onto the NLDS roster. Not as a long relief arm out of the pen, but as the Game 3 starter! Padilla goes seven shutout innings in St. Louis to clinch the series. Dodger fans are shocked. This has turned out surprisingly well. How does Padilla build on that? He pitches 7.1 innings of one run ball against Philadelphia in the NLCS, starting and keeping us in the only game we would win that series. Yes, the (seemingly inevitable) meltdown that took place in Game 6 really put a damper on the "Vicente Padilla: Playoffs MVP" parade that was building up, but nevertheless, you got to give it to a guy who was tossed out of Texas. He showed up in L.A. and played ball.
Jeff Weaver
-You want to talk about bad career prospects? At this time, last season, Weaver had just finished a stint with the Cleveland Indians' AAA team in Buffalo. He had a 6.07 ERA. This, mind you, came after spending the first half of the season with Milwaukee's AAA team in Nashville, where he posted a 6.22 ERA. Most people with numbers like that might have called it quits. Not Jeff Weaver. Nope, Weaver decided he'd still have a go at it and caught on with his former team the Dodgers.
Where he went on to post 3.65 ERA in 28 games (79 IP). Weaver was our long man out of the pen and an occasional spot starter this year, and he was fairly successful in both roles.
He even had some nice high points during the season. On June 20th, he started opposite his younger brother Jered in Anaheim and came out victorious.
And even though he only made on postseason appearance, he pitched a good 1.1 innings against the Cardinals and came away with a win for his efforts. Not bad.
...And the J's Dodger Blog Comeback Player of the Year is...
Jeff Weaver.
There's a lot to be said for Mota's and Padilla's comebacks ...and I said a lot of it. They were nice stories, but let's be honest, coming into this season, both pitchers probably felt pretty secure with the idea they would have a home on a major league team. (Plus, as far as this award goes, Padilla shot himself in the foot when he shot himself in the foot.)
Jeff Weaver didn't. How could he? How can you put up such God-awful numbers in AAA and expect to even be pitching in AAA the next season. Weaver was looking like a prime candidate for a quiet and early retirement.
But he proved all the doubters who still cared about his career wrong. He really did have a nice season. Can he repeat on his success? I don't know, but I do think he's done enough to earn himself a spot on next year's roster in the same role.
So, for reviving a career that flat-lined for an entire year in AAA, Jeff Weaver is the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Comeback Player of the Year."
Ok, the other awards are out of the way, it's time for the big one. The Dodger MVP. Here are your nominees:
Andre Ethier
-For a man who's starting job was in question coming into the season, and who had difficulty getting consistent playing time until halfway through the season, he finished the year with some fantastic numbers. .305 average, 20 homeruns, 77 RBIs, not too mention some solid defensive play. Plus, he was hot when it counted, down the stretch.
Derek Lowe
-I already laid out Lowe's stats in the Cy Young award post, and noted there as well, the Derek Lowe might have a better shot at the MVP award... and I wasn't lying. For all the interest around Manny during the last couple months of the season, Derek Lowe was quietly the anchor of the pitching staff. He wasn't as sexy to talk about, but almost as important.
Manny Ramírez
-Manny had a great year, in the span of two months. In just 53 games for the Dodgers, Manny batted .396, had 17 homeruns, and drove in 53 RBIs. He was vital in the Dodgers' drive toward the playoffs. I could talk on and on about how good he was with the bat, but anyone who watched the Dodgers the last two months of the season knows how important Manny was to this team.
Chad Billingsley
-Again, his stats were presented in the Cy Young post, and on top of those good stats, he was the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Cy Young Winner." Big plus.
James Loney
-Loney, despite having a somewhat slow year (at least for what many were hoping for from Loney) still managed to bat .289 with 13 homeruns and lead the Dodgers with 90 RBIs. Sure, it seems like a somewhat quiet 90 RBIs, but 90 RBIs is nothing to scoff at. Impressive for a kid in just his 3rd season with not a lot of power.
...and the 2008 Dodger MVP is...
Manny Ramírez.
Yes, Derek Lowe was fantastic down the stretch. Andre Ethier and Chad Billingsley had excellent breakout years. James Loney led the team with RBIs.
But let's face facts. In 2008, there wasn't one player who meant more to the team than Manny. He gave the team the much needed spark when they were just average around the trade deadline. He single handedly won games with his bat. Most of all, he made the players around him better, and he pushed us to the playoffs. There was no real competition.
Without a doubt, Manny Ramírez is the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 MVP."
The nominees for the 2008 Dodger Cy Young Award are:
Derek Lowe
-After a mediocre start (an above 4.00 ERA for most of June), Derek Lowe really kicked it into high gear. In his last 10 starts, he went 6-1 with a complete game and a 1.27 ERA. He finished the season 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA in 34 starts.
Chad Billingsley
-Excellent throughout the year, Billingsley really blossomed into the player Dodger fans have been hoping to see. He went 16-10 with a 3.14 and 201 strikeouts and he collected the first complete game shutout of his career. His ERA was good for 7th in the league, his 16 wins tied him for 7th, and 201 strikeouts placed him 5th.
Hong-Chih Kuo
-Well, on top of all the good stuff I've mentioned he's done this season in the previous awards I've given out, he's also the winner of the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Reliever of the Year."
...and the 2008 Dodger Cy Young winner is...
Chad Billingsley
Hong-Chih Kuo was good, but nowhere near as good as the two starters on the list. Yes, this was mostly a two-horse race.
And while Derek Lowe might actually be a better candidate for MVP considering how well he pitched down the stretch, if you consider the Cy Young Award to be the award given to the best pitcher, then Chad Billingsley definitely wins, as he bested Lowe in both wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
So, for his statistical dominance of the pitching staff, Chad Billingsley wins the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Cy Young Award."
There were a handful of rookies that came up this year for the Dodgers, but only three really made an impact. Here are your nominees for Rookie of the Year:
Clayton Kershaw
-Kershaw debuted May 25th and had a strong six inning outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in 22 games in 2008, going 5-5 with a 4.26 ERA, striking out 100 batters in 107.2 innings. His best outing came on August 7th, in St. Louis, when he gave up one run over seven innings while striking out seven.
Cory Wade
-Wade got called up and made his first appearance April 25th. He brought his ERA down from 3.00 to 2.35 on May 9th, and from that point until the end of the season, his ERA never cracked 3.00 again. He went 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 55 games in his rookie season.
Blake DeWitt
-DeWitt won the starting 3rd base job by default coming out of Spring Training, but showed he had some staying power. By the end of a terrific May, DeWitt was batting .303 with five homeruns and 29 RBIs. He settled down after that, but finished 2008 batting .264, with nine homeruns and 52 RBIs and started over 100 games combined at both 2nd and 3rd base.
...and the Rookie of the Year is...
Cory Wade
Blake DeWitt was all the rage for the first couple months, and he was important, don't get me wrong, but he seriously faded after that. Clayton Kershaw was hyped up, and while he wasn't lights out, he was still impressive.
However, Cory Wade received no hype but was quietly one of the best and most consistent members on the pitching staff. He settled right into the bullpen and pitched like a multi-year veteran. He might not have the most brilliant career of the three players mentioned here, but if you want to talk about who had the best year this year, it was Cory Wade.
There you have it, Cory Wade, "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Rookie of the Year."
It would be kind of pointless to give out a Gold Glove for each position on the team, but I will give out a Gold Glove to the best fielder on the team.
The nominees for the 2008 Dodger Gold Glove are:
James Loney
-Loney played a strong 1st base, committing only 13 errors in 1,498 total chances, good for a .991 fielding percentage.
Matt Kemp
-Kemp handled both center field and right field during the year, and yes, while at times he certainly seemed shaky, he committed only three errors on the season (.991 fielding percentage) and had 16 outfield assists.
Andre Ethier-Ethier, in playing both left field and right field committed only two errors during the season (.991 fielding percentage). He also collected 11 outfield assists.
...and the 2008 Gold Glove winner is...
Matt Kemp.
James Loney was downright solid at 1st base, and Andre Ethier played a strong right field (though his left field was weaker) but it's hard to overlook what Matt Kemp did.
Yes, he was shaky chasing down some of those fly balls, but he only got charged for three errors, and gunning out 16 people from the outfield is incredibly impressive.
For the glove and the arm, Matt Kemp is the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Gold Glove Winner."
There are six players up for Reliever of the Year:
Chan Ho Park
-4-4, two saves, 3.40 ERA in 54 games (95.1 innings).
Joe Beimel
-5-1, 2.02 ERA in 71 games (49 innings).
Hong-Chih Kuo
-5-3, one save, 2.14 ERA in 40 games (80 innings).
Cory Wade
-2-1, 2.27 ERA in 55 games (71.1 innings).
Jonathan Broxton
-3-5, 14 saves, 3.13 ERA in 70 games (69 innings).
Takashi Saito
-4-4, 18 saves, 2.49 ERA in 45 games (47 innings).
...and the Reliever of the Year is...
Hong-Chih Kuo
It came down to three players for me. Joe Beimel, even though he had a very impressive ERA, had some issues with letting inherited runners score. Cory Wade was a close second, but Hong-Chih Kuo had a better ERA in more innings.
On top of that all, Kuo was 5th on the team for strikeouts, trailing only four Dodgers starters, who of course, had more innings under their belts.
So, congratulations to Hong-Chih Kuo for winning the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Reliever of the Year."
Now that all the awards have been given out in baseball, it's time for me to give out my rewards, so we'll take a quick break from Player Profiles to hand out some rewards. First up: Comeback Player of the Year.
Just three nominees for the Comeback Player of the year:
Ángel Berroa
-After playing only nine games in the majors in 2007 and being sent to the Kansas City Royals' AAA team, Berroa was picked up by the Dodgers midseason. He then proceeded to start 64 games at shortstop for the Dodgers. He hit his first homerun in two years and played solid defense down the stretch.
Chan Ho Park
-Playing on three different teams after leaving the Dodgers before the 2002 season (including playing only one game in the majors in 2007), and not having an ERA below 4.80 over that time, Chan Ho returned to the team that first signed him. He made 54 appearances in 2008 (including five spot starts) and went 4-4 with a 3.40 ERA.
Hong-Chih Kuo-Kuo made it into only eight games in 2007, posting a 7.42 ERA while struggling with injuries throughout the year. Always an injury threat, Kuo made it through most of the 2008 season, appearing in 42 games (including three spot starts) and went 5-3 with a 2.14 ERA.
...And the Comeback Player of the Year is...
Chan Ho Park.
Ángel Berroa was a solid enough replacement at short stop, but not incredibly impressive. Many always knew Hong-Chih Kuo was a good pitcher but just needed to stay healthy, and when he did that, he proved how good he could be. His comeback was not nearly as good as say...
Chan Ho Park, on the other hand, had a great year for someone who's career was looking in question coming into the season. Despite his dropoff near the end of the season, Chan Ho still had his lowest ERA since 2000. In fact, if not for a handful of bad games near the end of the season, Chan Ho had an ERA below 3.00 for most of the season. He played three different roles out of the bullpen (spot starter, short reliever, long reliever) and did it all well.
So with that, Chan Ho Park is the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Comeback Player of the Year."
Couple of notes before the Dodger game today.
Congratulations to Blake DeWitt for winning the National League Rookie of the Month Award for May. He hit .322 with five homeruns and 18 RBIs in May. Congratulations Blake, keep making Sikeston proud.
Andy LaRoche didn't play yesterday after getting his call-up but he will be in the line-up tonight in place of James Loney against lefty Randy Wolf.
Finally, lucky us, the Padres will activate Jake Peavy off the DL just in time for tomorrow's game against us. Peavy is 11-1 in his career against us with a 2.31 ERA and 127 Strikeouts over 132.1 innings in 20 starts. This bodes well for us tomorrow. We'd probably better cash in with a win tonight against Wolf.
And look how David Eckstein trembles beneath him.
