TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Pedroia, Braun Win Rookie Honors

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: November 13, 2007

NEW YORK - Dustin Pedroia, the little Boston second baseman with the big swing, was an easy pick for AL Rookie of the Year, while Ryan Braun barely edged Troy Tulowitzki for the NL honor Monday.

Generously listed at 5-foot-9, Pedroia became a fan favorite at Fenway Park with his all-out style. Plus, few knew he played with a broken left hand down the stretch.

"Everyone doubted me at every level I've been to, saying I'm too small, I'm not fast enough, my arm's not strong enough," Pedroia said. "There's a lot of people that have stuck by me and knew deep down in, that there's something about me that makes me a winning baseball player."

Pedroia hit .317 with eight home runs and 50 RBIs. He got 24 of the 28 first-place votes to outdistance Rays outfielder Delmon Young in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Braun's brawn earned him the NL award. The slugging third baseman from Milwaukee finished two points ahead of Tulowitzki, Colorado's sparkplug shortstop.

Braun received 17 of 32 first-place votes and finished with 128 points. Tulowitzki got 15 first-place votes and 126 points. Ballots were completed by the end of the regular season, before Pedroia and Tulowitzki met in the World Series.

Braun's .634 slugging percentage led NL players and was the highest by a rookie in major-league history. His big offensive numbers were enough to overcome 26 errors, tied for most in the majors with Minnesota shortstop Jason Bartlett.

Young was next with three first-place votes and 56 points, and Kansas City pitcher Brian Bannister received the other first-place vote. Boston pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka finished fourth in the AL voting, followed by Angels outfielder Reggie Willits and Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima.

Yankees, Posada Agree To $52.4M, 4-Year Deal

NEW YORK - The New York Yankees and Jorge Posada agreed Monday night to a $52.4 million, four-year contract that keeps the catcher off the free-agent market.

Posada, a five-time All-Star who is 36, said Sunday he was "really close" to an agreement with the Yankees and his preference is to remain with the only major-league team he's played for. A person familiar with the talks confirmed the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce it.

New York also was trying to re-sign Mariano Rivera, who had been given an improved offer, senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said.

TIGERS-CUBS TRADE: Detroit acquired outfielder Jacque Jones from Chicago for utility player Omar Infante.

Jones, who took over as Chicago's starting center fielder in the second half of the 2007 season, is expected to split time in left field with Marcus Thames and be an option in center behind Curtis Granderson and in right backing up Magglio Ordonez.

Jones hit .285 with 33 doubles, five homers and 66 RBIs in 135 games last season, coming close to matching the production he has had over his nine seasons. He signed with the Cubs as a free agent before the 2006 season after playing for the Minnesota Twins from 1999-2005.

Infante batted .271 with two home runs and 17 RBIs in 66 games with Detroit this year. He played six positions and made his most appearances at second base in 20 games. He also played shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions.

The Tigers also resigned reliever Todd Jones to a $7 million, one-year deal

Re-signing Jones became even more important when reliever Joel Zumaya had shoulder surgery, costing him at least the first half of the 2008 season.

Jones saved 38 games for the Tigers last season, a year after saving 37 games while helping them earn a postseason bid for the first time since 1987.

Over 15 seasons, the right-hander has 301 saves and a 3.93 ERA.

PIRATES: Larry Corrigan, formerly an assistant to Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan, was hired as a special assistant to new general manager Neal Huntington. Corrigan spent 20 years in the Twins' baseball operations department.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT