eSports Media Group Writers Announce First Annual Major League Baseball Awards

The first half of the eSports Media Group 2001 Baseball awards were announced today. Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and Manager of the Year were annnounced. The remaining awards will be handed out in the next few days.

As we head into the World Series, the eSports Media Group is proud to present our first annual Major League Baseball Awards.

The awards consist of six categories in each league and one that covers both the AL and NL. Today we will release the winners of the Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and Manager of the year. The other awards will announced in the coming days.

Rookie of the Year

The award for National League Rookie of the Year goes to Albert Pujols, 3b, St. Louis Cardinals. Pujols started 161 games this year and .329 with 37 HRs and 130 RBIs. he scored 112 runs and had a .403 on-base percentage. It was certainly a wonderful year for 21 year old as he was the only unanimous choice in this years awards. Coming in second place was Houston pitcher Roy Oswalt. After pitching in last years Olympics it was hard to imagine that he could top that experience, but he may have. He finished the season 14-3 with a 2.73 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 141 2/3 innings. He had a magical streak in August and September when allowed one or no earned runs in six straight starts. The top three point totals were Pujols 98 (14 first place votes), Oswalt 40, and Jimmy Rollins, SS, Philadelphia with 21 votes.

The award for American League Rookie of the Year goes to Ichiro Suzuki, OF, Seattle Mariners. A controversial decision only because of his previous experience in Japan, he was fabulous as the lead off hitter that made the Mariner machine go. He had 242 hits and a .350 batting average while swiping 56 bases leaving no doubt that he belonged in the Majors. Runner up was C.C. Sabathia, P, Cleveland Indians. In a regular year, Sabathia would have run away with the award. He went 17-5 with a 4.39 ERA while striking out 171 in 180 1/3 innings pitched. Top three point totals were: Ichiro 85 (12 first place votes), Sabathia 49 (2 first place votes), and Alfonso Soriano, 2B, New York Yankees with 20 points.

Comeback Player of the Year

The award for National League Comeback Player of the Year goes to Billy Wagner, P, Houston Astros. After a miserable start to the 2000 campaign which saw Billy blow 9 of his 15 save opportunities, he had ligament surgery and was gone for the rest of the year. The questions started, as they always do, about a pitcher who has elbow surgery. Billy ended those questions quickly and rolled through the season by converting 39 of 41 save opportunities and striking out 79 in 62 2/3 innings. Second place finisher John Smoltz missed all of the 200 season and started shakily in 2001. After a stint on the DL he seemed to come into his own as a reliever and saved ten games in eleven opportunities for the Braves at the end of the season. Top three point totals were: Billy Wagner 28 (4 first place votes), John Smoltz 26 (2 first place votes), and a tie between Omar Daal, P, Philadelphia Phillies, and Kerry Wood, P, Chicago Cubs with 12 points each.

The award for the American League Comeback Player of the Year goes to Ruben Sierra, DH, Texas Rangers. Out of nowhere, Ruben came back to enjoy one of his best seasons. The veterean hit .291 and 23 HRs in only 323 ABs after just getting 60 ABs last year and not playing in the Majors in 1999. Runner-up to Sierra was Juan Gonzalez, OF, Cleveland Indians, who powered himself back into the leagues elite hitters after a dismal year in Detroit. Gonozalez hit .325 with 35 HRs and 140 RBIs after a .289-22-67 campaign in Detroit in 2000. Top three point totals were: Ruben Sierra 41 (5 first place votes), Juan Gonzalez 20 (2 first place votes) and David Cone, P, Boston Red Sox and Brett Boone, 2B, Seattle Mariners who toed with 16 points and one first place vote each.

Manager of the Year

The award for National League Manager of the Year goes to Larry Bowa of the Philadelphia Phillies. Bowa guided the Phillies to an 86-76 record, finishing just two games behind the East winning Atlanta Braves. That was a nine game improvement over their best year since the World Series year of 1993 and a whopping 21 game improvement over last year. Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenley finished second as took a team that finished third in the division last year to their second division championship with a seven game improvement. Top three point totals were Larry Bowa 79 (10 first place votes), Bob Brenley 31 (1 first place vote), Jim Tracy, Los Angeles Dodgers 19 (1 first place vote)

The award for the American League Manager of the Year goes to Lou Pinella of the Seattle Mariners. All Lou did was guide a team that had lost three Hall of Fame players in three years to a tie for the most wins in a single season...ever. Not only that, it was a twenty-five game improvement from a 91 win season last year. Minnesota Twins manager Tom Kelly finished in second place. He managed them to a fifteen game improvement and a second place finish in the AL central. The Twins finished 85-77, their best season since 1992. Top three point totals were Lou Pinella 74 (8 first place votes), Tom Kelly 42 (4 first place votes) and Art Howe 39 (1 first place vote).

The awards were voted on by the writers of eSports Media Group. Each writer was asked to provide a first, second, and third place vote. Totals were tallied with seven points for a first place vote, four for second place, and one for third place.