Aaron Award is latest hardware for Pujols
ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols is closing in on a dominating sweep of postseason hardware.
Pujols, a favorite for National League Most Valuable Player honors and already the winner of the Players' Choice Award as Major League player of the year, was named the National League winner of the 2009 Hank Aaron Award on Sunday prior to Game 4 of the World Series.
It's the second time Pujols has won the award. He also brought home the hardware in 2003, when he was the National League batting champion.
Pujols was unable to receive the award in person at Sunday's live announcement at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia because he is still recovering from right elbow surgery, which he underwent on Oct. 21.
"Albert had another truly remarkable season," Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said during the award's press conference. "We congratulate Albert and wish him the best in his recovery."
It's fitting that Pujols is a winner of an award named for Aaron, since there are decided similarities between the two right-handed hitters.
Like Aaron, Pujols is a line-drive hitter who hits for a high batting average and happens to have home run power. Neither Aaron nor Pujols could be considered a pure slugger. But Aaron consistently racked up homers over a 23-year career, and Pujols has done the same in his nine years.
In fact, according to Baseball-Reference.com's similarity scores, Aaron is rated as the second-most similar player in baseball history to Pujols at age 28.
The 2009 season may have been Pujols' finest offensive campaign, even though he finished the year in a home run drought. He batted .327 and led the National League with a .443 on-base percentage, .658 slugging percentage, 47 home runs, 124 runs scored and 374 total bases. His 135 RBIs ranked third in the league.
Though Pujols has never hit fewer than 32 home runs in a Major League season, it was the first time he had ever led the NL in homers. He's never hit the 50-home run plateau. That makes him similar to Aaron in another way, as the Hall of Famer had 15 seasons with 30 or more long balls, and eight with at least 40, but never hit 50 in a season.
The Hank Aaron Award was created and introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time home run record of 714, and at that time, it was the first new major award introduced by MLB in more than 25 years.
Other past NL winners of the Hank Aaron Award include Sammy Sosa, Todd Helton, Barry Bonds, Andruw Jones, Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder.
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
PHILLIES' HAPP, CHISOX'S
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ and Chicago White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham were named the top rookies by the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Happ started the 2009 season in the Phillies' bullpen and joined the starting rotation in late May. He finished the year with a record of 12-4 and a 2.93 earned run average for the National League champions. The 27-year-old lefty struck out 119 batters in 166 innings and posted a pair of shutouts.
Beckham didn't make his 2009 season debut until June 4 and finished the campaign with 14 homers, 63 runs batted in and a .270 batting average in 103 games.
Other finalists for the top rookie in the NL were Florida's Chris Coghlan and Atlanta's Tommy Hanson. AL finalists were Jeff Niemann of Tampa Bay and Elvis Andrus of Texas.
(c) The Sports Network.
Phillies slugger Ryan Howard is postseason record-setter
PHILADELPHIA --- Two at-bats in the first two innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series for Ryan Howard, and both ended with belly-flops, er, head-first slides.
These are fun times for the Phillies' mammoth first basemen, who's three RBI led the Phillies to an 11-0 win over the Dodgers and a 2-1 lead in the series.
Howard knocked in the first two runs of the game with a triple into the rightfield corner, then another the next inning with a slow roller down the first base line, trying in vain to beat the tag of James Loney with another head-first slide.
"It was all-out panic," Howard said of his feeling after he rounded second in lieu of his first playoff triple. "I was able to see the ball in front of me and I saw where (Andre) Ethier was playing. It was one of those things where I had to make my mind up whether this was going to happen or not. So once I hit second, it was pretty much full bore."
Whether it's line drives that end with him hugging the bag at third, slow rollers, towering home runs or your run-of-the-mill single up the middle, Howard has been doing all of it this postseason, and at a record pace. With his two RBI in the first, Howard became the first player in MLB history to knock in a run in seven straight playoff games in the same year, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Carlton Fisk, Bernie Williams and Ivan Rodriguez all had driven in runs in six consecutive games in one postseason.
Bowman pointed out that, according to baseball-reference.com, Lou Gehrig set the Major League record of eight games, spanning from 1928-32. Tony Perez, Bill Skowron and Clyde Barnhart also knocked in runs in seven straight, but not in one year.
So far in these playoffs, No. 6 has gone 10-for-26 (.385 avg.) with a home run and 12 RBI.
As chants of "MVP, MVP" rose from the chilled but raucous crowd of 45,721 at Citizens Bank Park during Howard's first plate appearance, he roped a 3-1 fastball from Dodger righty Hiroki Kuroda (whose 1 1/3-inning outing was Ku-ruddy) to the tightest corner of right where Ethier tracked it down and made a somewhat lazy throw toward the infield. By that time Howard had rumbled through second and was embarking on his best Pete Rose imitation.
"Ryan is swinging the bat very good right now," said Phils skipper Charlie Manuel. "He's staying on the ball real good. It's good to see. He couldn't pick a better time to hit good. It's outstanding. Keep it up."
Howard's numbers in the playoffs have elevated him to legendary status in Phillies history. Consider:
--He is the all-time leader in RBI with 22 in 24 games; Mike Schmidt had 16 in 36 games.
--His five home runs are one shy of the club mark set by Schmidt.
--In his last 10 games, he has knocked in 18. He had a total of four RBI in his first 14 games.
--He has reached base safely in 16 straight games.
"We didn't come into the series saying we're going to walk Howard every chance we get," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre. "We're certainly not going to pitch to him with a base open and stuff like that. There was no base open in the first inning."
Though Howard's numbers do have the "wow" factor, those who have watched him during his five-plus years with the club are now witnessing the ultimate package at the plate. Rare are the flailing swings at bad pitches and, ultimately, the many strikeouts. Howard seems to be tuned in on every pitch, in a zone that, well, can carry a team.
"Right now I'm just trying to be as disciplined as I can and be as relaxed as I can and just trying to work good AB's and get good pitches to hit," Howard said.
It also helped matters Sunday night that, for some reason, Torre decided to throw Kuroda onto the frigid mound to begin the game, as the temperature at game-time was 46 degrees. Kuroda hadn't pitched since Sept. 28 due to a neck injury, which was compounded when he had to frequently turn and see base hits leaving vapor trails during his short stint.
Kuroda, in his second season with LA, had had some success against the Phillies before Sunday night, winning Game 3 in last year's NLCS. He also had a 0.95 ERA against the Phils in three starts.
"I think it was more of an adjustment that I think we made as a lineup," Howard said of the team scoring six runs off the Dodgers' starter. "We went up there, took pitches, got good pitches to hit and hit them. It's really simple. Really simple."
Whether it's Kuroda, Vicente Padilla or Huston Street, it really doesn't matter to Howard right now. It has become a simple game of they throw it and he hits it -- usually long and hard.
And sometimes the at-bat ends up with those unique slides.
(c) 2009, Philadelphia Daily News.
Tigers leftfielder Carlos Guillen, Jim Leyland have long talk
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Tuesday that he and Carlos Guillen have "no hard feelings" toward each other and that Guillen remains the Tigers' full-time leftfielder.
Guillen recently said he didn't want to play left. Leyland and Guillen then had a long talk on the phone Monday.
"We were talking a lot about playing time and about (his) playing nine innings," Leyland said. "There is absolutely no problem there. We talked for quite a while.
"Carlos wants to play, and we want Carlos to play."
Guillen, 34, has two years remaining on a four-year contract.
In a recent interview with MLB.com, Guillen said he didn't want to play leftfield and that Leyland "doesn't have confidence in me" in left. The basis for Guillen's remarks seems a bit unclear. He was unavailable to play leftfield much of the season because of an injury to his right (throwing) shoulder.
Guillen might have been unhappy at how in the late innings of close games Leyland would lift him for Ryan Raburn, who has more range than Guillen. Leyland indicated Raburn won't be subbing for Guillen like that next season.
"Carlos is a nine-inning player -- that's what we want him to be," Leyland said.
He noted that Guillen will be a more experienced leftfielder next season. This was Guillen's first season in left, and he started there in only about a fourth of the games (42) due to his shoulder injury.
He also had limited spring-training acclimation to leftfield because he, like dozens of major leaguers, missed a few weeks of the exhibition season to participate in the World Baseball Classic.
Leyland said Raburn -- who emerged as a force against left-handed pitching -- will be "a very, very valuable part of our club" next season. Leyland said Raburn would figure to start anytime Guillen, centerfielder Curtis Granderson or rightfielder Magglio Ordoñez need a day off.
Until this season, Guillen had spent his previous 11 seasons moving among the four infield spots. In the past two years before this one, Guillen had been (in order) the Tigers' shortstop, first baseman and third baseman.
Leyland believes Guillen spoke out about playing leftfield out of frustration built up over Guillen's position changes and injuries of the past two seasons. Guillen has been with the Tigers for six seasons, including all four that Leyland has been manager.
"Carlos has always been one of my favorite players and is one of my favorite players," Leyland said. "This is a matter of how Carlos wants to be healthy and wants to play. Carlos wants to be a nine-inning player and a productive player. He will be. We want to make sure to keep him healthy."
(c) Detroit Free Press.
Abreu's impact on Halos' lineup a hit
NEW YORK -- No mysteries here, no secrets. The Yankees know Bobby Abreu inside out, and Abreu knows the Yankees with the intimacy of family. Distance can't change that.
Partners for 2 1/2 seasons in the Bronx, they now share a mutual respect as the Angels, Abreu's new associates, prepare to engage the Yankees in a riveting American League Championship Series that opens on Friday night at 4:37 p.m. PT at Yankee Stadium.
"He's the kind of guy," Yankees catcher Jose Molina said, "that you hate to play against and love to have on your team. He does so many things to help you win."
Abreu, who rarely has a bad day on or off the field, has closely followed his old buddies from afar.
"They're a great team, obviously -- so many weapons," Abreu said. "You have to be careful with that lineup. Those guys can do some damage. Believe me, I know."
Abreu, who preceded Mark Teixeira as the Yankees' No. 3 hitter in front of Alex Rodriguez, admittedly was disappointed when they set him free last winter. But he's quick to add, "It worked out beautifully. The Angels are perfect for me. [Manager] Mike Scioscia gave me freedom, and my teammates have treated me great."
It was a long wait, into February, with less productive players drawing larger contracts in the open market before the Angels finally struck the deal of the season: one year, $5 million, with incentives that would bring his salary to $6 million.
Incentives met, Abreu gave the Angels as much production for the dollar as perhaps any player in the game except teammate Kendry Morales, who pulled in $1.1 million to deliver a blockbuster season replacing Teixeira at first base.
In nine games against his former team this season, Abreu hit .314 with eight RBIs in 35 at-bats. For his career, in 85 at-bats against the Bronx Bombers, Abreu is a .282 hitter with three homers and 15 RBIs.
Joe Girardi, his previous manager, developed a fine appreciation of Abreu's many talents.
"Bobby's a very consistent player who can beat you in a lot of different ways, whether he's stealing bases, driving in runs, hitting homers, taking his walks," Girardi said. "Bobby is a very smart player.
"The other thing that you love about Bobby is that he comes to play every day. He wants to be in the lineup every day; he does not want a day off. I think that's a great example for a lot of young players that are coming up. To ask Bobby to take a day off, he would look at you like, 'What? What are you talking about?'
"He's very heads-up as a player and he knows how to play this game. That's why he's dangerous."
The Angels quickly discovered that Abreu's value far exceeded the hard numbers, as impressive as they were: .293 average, 103 RBIs, 96 runs scored, 30 stolen bases.
During the stunning sweep of the Red Sox in the AL Division Series, Abreu was in the middle of virtually everything, hitting .556 with five hits and four walks in 13 plate appearances for a .692 on-base percentage.
His RBI double with two outs and two strikes against Jonathan Papelbon preceded Vladimir Guerrero's decisive two-run single, leading to a 7-6 victory that will go down in Angels lore.
Calling it "one of the most special wins" of his 14-year Major League career, Abreu is thrilled to be moving on to his first LCS.
"I've always wanted to go to a World Series," he said. "Now I'm close."
"I've always wanted to go to a World Series," he said. "Now I'm close."
Scioscia didn't realize his team was acquiring a patient, willing teacher as part of the Abreu package of gifts.
"Going into Spring Training, we knew what Bobby could do on the field," Scioscia said. "Some of the spillover effect he's had on a whole lineup has been a big surprise. I think he has influenced guys in a positive way."
Scioscia concluded, late in the season, that "Abreu has been our MVP, because of the balance he brings to the offense."
The manager quickly added that center fielder Torii Hunter, in his judgment, was the American League's MVP before a groin injury took him out of the lineup for a month at midseason.
Hunter never hesitated in giving Abreu credit for enhancing his understanding of the craft of hitting.
"Bobby showed us how it's done," Hunter said. "We all stood on the dugout steps or in the on-deck circle and watched him take pitches, work counts. Seeing how patient he was, and how he always figured out a way to get a good pitch, I couldn't go up there hacking at anything.
"I became a better hitter this year. I owe a lot of that to Bobby. I know a lot of guys feel the same way, even veterans like Chone [Figgins] and Juan [Rivera]. You're never too old to learn new tricks of the trade."
In terms of impacting a game, only pitchers and catchers can fully understand what Abreu brings.
"He's in the elite class of hitters," starter Jered Weaver said. "He can control a game from the batter's box. How many hitters can do that?"
Teammates quickly embraced Abreu's approach and philosophy, starting in Spring Training.
The Angels made an extraordinary leap in on-base percentage this season, rising from the 19th in the Majors in 2008 to third this season, behind only the Yankees and Red Sox. The Halos' gain: a whopping 20 points, from .330 to .350.
Hitters of all stripes -- from the youthful Erick Aybar, Howard Kendrick, Maicer Izturis and Morales to veterans Hunter, Rivera and Figgins -- became more selective, working deeper counts and finding better pitches to pound.
A look at some 2009 vs. career on-base percentages illustrates the point: Hunter (.366 this year, .330 career); Figgins (.395, .363); Aybar (.353, .324); Morales (.355, .334); Rivera (.332, .322); Izturis (.359, .346).
But the man who showed how it's done was one of the few who fell below his career norm. A rough August (.217 average) cost Abreu enough points to fall to .390 in on-base percentage from his .404 career mark.
Aybar, Morales and Kendrick have freely attributed upgrades in their performances to the 35-year-old right fielder from Venezuela.
"Abreu has helped me in many ways," said Aybar, whose .312 average led the club. "He's always showing me things, teaching me the right way."
At Abreu's urging, Morales became more selective as the season moved along, especially with runners in scoring position.
"Morales was too aggressive with guys on," Abreu said. "He wanted it so much, he was swinging at some bad pitches. I just told him to wait for something good, that he didn't have to swing at everything."
Morales heeded Abreu's advice and became one of the game's most dangerous hitters in pressure situations.
"I listen to everything Abreu says," said Morales, a .330 hitter with 19 homers and 59 RBIs in 267 at-bats after the All-Star break. "He is a smart man. He knows what he's talking about."
Abreu had the same impact in New York on teammates, and it was especially profound on Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano.
"Bobby did so much to help guys like myself and Cano," Cabrera said. "He was a great teammate and friend. [He's] always in a good mood, always helping you."
The workplace might change, but the man is the same. Wherever he goes, Abreu makes good things happen for his teams. It's in his DNA, and his OBP.
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Butler earns first Player of Month Award
Kansas City first baseman hit .363 in September.
It was a rough season for the Royals, but September was one of few months that actually ended up being a winning one.
And Billy Butler was a big part of that.
Kansas City's first baseman hit an American League-best .363 during the final full month of the regular season, and on Tuesday, he was named AL Player of the Month -- presented by Sharp -- for the first time in his career.
The Royals finished off the season 65-97, which tied them with the Indians for fourth in the AL Central. But in September, they went 15-13 to notch just their second above-.500 month of the year. The only other one was April, when they finished 12-10.
In the midst of their September, Butler went 37-for-102 with six homers, 26 RBIs, 10 doubles and a triple. He also posted a .459 on-base percentage and a .675 slugging percentage.
On Sept. 9, the 23-year-old collected three doubles in the Royals' 5-1 win over the Tigers. That gave him four three-double games this year, which was the most in a season in Major League history since 1900.
Another notable game came on Sept. 25, when Butler went 4-for-5 with two home runs and drove in the only four runs in a 9-4 loss to the Twins.
"I'm just trying to square the ball up and help the team win," Butler said when asked that night if he thinks about his numbers. "I just got pitches to [work with] tonight -- even on my last at-bat, I had pitches to get the job done before I struck out."
Butler finished the season with career highs in every offensive category and led the Royals in hits (183), doubles (51), walks (58), RBIs (93), batting average (.301), slugging percentage (.492) and on-base percentage (.362).
When Butler notched his 50th double of the season on Sept. 26, he became just the fifth player in Major League history to compile at least 20 home runs -- he finished with 21 homers -- and 50 doubles in a season before age 24.
The runner-up for AL Player of the Month was Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer, whose eight home runs in September were tied for the most in the AL.
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Iannetta helps Rox stretch Wild Card lead
DENVER -- The Rockies were two outs away from their first smooth-sailing victory in nine days. But they have been all about the drama this September, and with closer Huston Street on the mound and a three-run lead in the ninth, Colorado satisfied its taste for another nail-biter as the Brewers' Jason Kendall drove Street's one-out offering over the left-field fence for a three-run homer.
After the Rockies nearly exhausted their bench, it fell to pinch-hitting catcher Chris Iannetta to supply the fireworks, capping Colorado's thrilling win with an 11th-inning walk-off homer into the right-field bullpen. The Rockies' critical 7-5 victory lengthened their National Lead Wild Card lead over the Braves to three games.
"I guess we're going to continue to keep doing it that way," said manager Jim Tracy, whose last four wins have all been by one- or two-run margins. "My heart could take a little bit less."
But it was heart that carried the day, as Iannetta emerged from the shadows of the dugout to carry his team that much closer to a playoff berth. Relegated to a bench role in late August after Yorvit Torrealba heated up and became one of the Rockies' best clutch hitters down the stretch, Iannetta never missed a step, even as he missed game after game.
"What does it say about a man for whom things haven't gone quite the way he wanted them to and who has not been catching a whole lot?" Tracy asked. "To be called upon in a situation like that and deliver -- just a tremendous effort by Chris Iannetta. And it speaks volumes for the man with the way things have gone to not give up on himself, not give up on his teammates, and deliver one of the biggest hits of the season."
It was a game that took contributions from up and down the roster, as the Rockies used 22 players in 11 innings to get the job done, lowering their magic number to clinch the Wild Card to three, while still staying alive for the NL West title.
Rockies starter Jason Marquis was not in top form to start the game Tuesday, but he battled to limit the damage in a pair of dangerous innings and ultimately found his form, lasting six frames while holding the Brewers to two runs on six hits and four walks.
"This was huge," Marquis said of his good feeling on the mound after the Rockies lost his previous three starts. "To feel comfortable with my delivery and bring it out to the game was definitely a step in the right direction.
"I felt good. The ball was coming out of my hand clean -- it had life, it had sink on it. I've been working hard between starts to get where I need to be. Bringing it into the game is a little different feeling with the adrenaline. Luckily, I was able to make pitches when I needed to and get the game under control before it got out of hand."
Marquis escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, then walked in a run with the bases loaded in the third, both times inducing inning-ending ground-ball double plays.
Todd Helton knocked in two runs and helped spark a sixth-inning three-run rally that drove Brewers starter Chris Narveson from the game. Narveson was the "player to be named later" in the trade that sent former Rockies player Larry Walker to the Cardinals, and his performance Tuesday night was the first real impact a player in the trade has made on the Rockies.
The big inning was made even sweeter by the fact that Atlanta lost to Florida while the Rockies' rally was building, ending a run in which the Braves had won 15 of 17 games to climb within two games of the NL Wild Card lead entering play Tuesday.
"You obviously feel pretty good," Tracy said, admitting to some scoreboard watching. "They showed a quick highlight of the last out of the game with the Marlins and the Braves. With what Huston Street has done this year, you feel awfully good with where you're at at 5-2 with three outs left to go."
Matt Daley and Rafael Betancourt pitched a perfect seventh and eighth, respectively, with Betancourt striking out the side to get it to the closer. Street's blown save was only his second of the year, and it came on a hanging slider, his best pitch.
"It stayed up, but he still had to hit it," Street said. "He didn't have to hit it for a homer. I wish he'd hit a double."
Three outs turned into nine as the Kendall homer sent the Rockies into extras, and Tracy brought a parade of pinch-hitters to the plate and seven pitchers to the mound, but with David Weathers on the hill in the 11th for the Brewers, Tracy saw an edge in the catcher on his bench who had a favorable history with the right-hander.
"Sometimes memory serves you very well," Tracy said. "I remember at the Trading Deadline in the three-game series in Cincinnati against that same pitcher, he hit a very similar type of home run to the second deck in Great American Ball Park. Tonight, he hit this ball just as hard and just as far, but used the other side of the field to do it."
Iannetta has epitomized the good teammate, working hard in the cage after losing his starting role, working with pitchers in the bullpen and adding to a strong clubhouse chemistry. He understands the hot hand Torrealba has wielded, but he was thankful to get his own cuts when it mattered Tuesday.
"It doesn't change your desire to want to play and contribute," Iannetta said. "It was great to do so. I knew I hit it really well. I just wanted to make sure. That was me being a little pessimistic. If I had to make a bet, I'd say it was definitely a homer. I just wanted to make sure and actually see it with my own eyes go over the fence."
When it did go over the fence, his teammates erupted from the dugout, as happy for him as they were for themselves.
"It's good to see I-man hit that home run right there," Helton said. "Every time he goes up to the plate, you pull for him. He's a good guy, he works really hard. That's a season-changer right there for him."
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
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