KIMBREL, VALVERDE WIN IBWAA RELIEF PITCHER AWARDS

KIMBREL, VALVERDE WIN IBWAA RELIEF PITCHER AWARDS

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced its relief pitcher awards Friday, naming Atlanta Braves' Craig Kimbrel the Hoyt Wilhelm National League Relief Pitcher of the Year, and the Detroit Tigers' Jose Valverde the Rollie Fingers American League Relief Pitcher of the Year. The awards were created for the IBWAA in 2010.

Voting results are as follows:

NL Relief:

1^st Place:                  Craig Kimbrel, Atl
2^nd Place:                 John Axford, Mil
3^rd Place:                  J.J. Putz, Ariz

AL Relief:

1^st Place:                  Jose Valverde, Det
2^nd Place:                 Mariano Rivera, NYY
3^rd Place:                 Jonathan Papelbon, Bos

With the Relief Pitcher of the Year announcements, the IBWAA has concluded its 2011 award season. Below is a full list of all the winners.

NL MVP – Matt Kemp, LAD

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson, NYY

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw, LAD

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander, Det (unanimous)

NL Rookie of the Year – Craig Kimbrel, Atl

AL Rookie of the Year – Mark Trumbo, LAA; Ivan Nova, NYY (tie)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson, Ariz

AL Manager of the Year – Joe Maddon, TB

NL Executive of the Year – Doug Melvin, Mil

AL Executive of the Year – Andrew Friedman, TB

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Lance Berkman, StL

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos

NL Hoyt Wilhelm Relief Pitcher of the Year – Craig Kimbrel

AL Rollie Fingers Relief Pitcher of the Year – Jose Valverde

The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com and Dodger blogger for the Orange County Register, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative voice to the BBWAA.

Among others, IBWAA members include Tim Brown, YahooSports; Fred Claire, former General Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers; Tony Jackson, Dodgers reporter, ESPNLosAngeles.com; Ben Maller, ThePostGame.com and Fox Sports Radio; David Pinto, BaseballMusings.com; Mike Petriello, MikeSciosciasTragicIllness.com; and prominent baseball authors Peter Golenbock and Dan Schlossberg.

Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $10. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.

For more information on the IBWAA, please visit this page at BaseballSavvy.com, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html

Contact:

Howard Cole
Director, IBWAAbaseballsavvy@aol.com