Yankees exercise 2012 options on Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher

Yankees exercise 2012 options on Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher October 29, 2011 – The Yankees exercised their 2012 club options on All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano and right fielder Nick Swisher on Saturday. Cano led the Yankees in average, doubles and hits, while Swisher is coming back for his fourth season in pinstripes.    

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 

Yanks' radio voices in limbo Tuesday, October 18, 2011 BY PETE CALDERA STAFF WRITER The Record NEW YORK – Among the list of Yankees' off-season considerations is their expired radio contract with WCBS-AM and, by extension, the fate of broadcasters John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Wherever the Yankees land on the dial in 2012, the club retains the right to approve their announcers – indicating a healthy possibility for the duo's return to the booth. A decision on the Yankees' radio home could be made shortly after the World Series. But until the rights holder is revealed, there's not much the club or its high-profile announcers can say on the matter. Yet, the notion that Sterling or Waldman might have worked a final game as a Yankees announcer wasn't part of the personal reflection after the Detroit Tigers' clinching ALDS victory Oct. 6. "I was very disappointed in the way the season ended, in many respects," Waldman said. "But none of them had anything to do with me." Like any stunned Yankees fan, Sterling lamented the club's various missed opportunities. "It was unbelievably disappointing, because they were so close – they were a base hit away," Sterling said of the Game 5 aftermath. "You thought that with the game in your ballpark [they could advance]. The pitching actually was very good, but they just didn't get the hit at the right time." In Philadelphia, as Sterling noted, "they're probably saying the same thing." But in the Bronx, at least part of the hot stove discussion is about broadcast teams and radio terms. In their last contract with WCBS, the Yankees reportedly received $13 million per year for their radio rights. ESPN-AM 1050 has been mentioned as a possible landing spot, although the station might have to utilize other radio outlets to compensate for its weaker signal. Clear channel, 50,000-watt WCBS has been the Yankees' flagship station since the 2002 season. Sterling hasn't missed a game since he entered the Yankees' radio booth in 1989, while Waldman's Yankee association dates back just as far – first as a beat reporter for WFAN. Their broadcast partnership began in 2005. Compared to the millions generated by the YES Network, the club's own television base, the radio operation is a relatively minor consideration. Seton Hall professor Rick Gentile believes it's in the Yankees best interest to continue its association with WCBS, assuming the club isn't completely blown away by another offer. "They're always in the driver's seat. But I think it'd be their inclination not to change anything. I'd be very surprised if they moved," said Gentile, director of the Seton Hall University Sports Poll as well as an Emmy-winning sports broadcaster and former CBS Sports executive producer. "I can't imagine there's some lucrative radio deal out there that would make this deal look like a real bad one," Gentile said. WCBS's strong signal and the fans' familiarity with its location on the dial are the primary reasons to keep that marriage intact. However, Gentile puts less stock in the broadcast team as vital to the operation. With current exceptions such as Hall of Famer Vin Scully, who began with the Dodgers in Brooklyn and whose voice could be heard on transistor radios around Dodger Stadium, Gentile believes there's less of an attachment among fans and their favorite club's radio announcers. Still, there's certain value in having someone who "bleeds Yankee pinstripes" like Sterling as the club's signature voice – with his well-mimicked home run calls and familiar personality. "There is a comfort level," Gentile said. "He's their guy."

Find this article at: http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_sports/baseball/132033188_Yankees__radio_voices_in_limbo.html

IBWAA ANNOUNCES ROY, COMEBACK AWARDS

IBWAA ANNOUNCES ROY, COMEBACK AWARDS

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced its Rookie of Year awards Monday, naming Atlanta Braves' closer Craig Kimbrel in the National League. The American League vote finished in a tie, with Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's outfielder Mark Trumbo and New York Yankees' starting pitcher Ivan Nova sharing the honors.

The IBWAA NL Comeback Player of the Year award was won by St. Louis Cardinals' outfielder Lance Berkman, with Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury winning in the AL.

Voting results are as follows:

NL ROY

1^st Place:                  Craig Kimbrel, Atl
2^nd Place:                 Freddie Freeman, Atl
3^rd Place:                  Danny Espinosa, Wash

AL ROY

1^st Place:                  Mark Trumbo, LAA (tie)
1st Place:                  Ivan Nova, NYY (tie)
3^rd Place:                  Eric Hosmer, KC

NL Comeback

1^st Place:                  Lance Berkman, StL
2^nd Place:                 Ryan Vogelsong, SF
3^rd Place:                  Carlos Beltran, SF

AL Comeback

1^st Place:                  Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos
2^nd Place:                 Melky Cabrera, KC (tie)
2^nd Place:                 Casey Kotchman, TB (tie)

IBWAA Manager and Executive of the Year awards will be announced Wednesday, with Relievers awards to follow Friday.

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

     

IBWAA NAMES JUSTIN VERLANDER AS 2011 AL CY YOUNG

IBWAA NAMES JUSTIN VERLANDER AS 2011 AL CY YOUNG

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the fourth of its 14 annual awards Friday, unanimously naming Detroit Tigers' pitcher Justin Verlander its 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner.

Voting results are as follows:

1^st Place:                  Justin Verlander, Det
2^nd Place:                 Jered Weaver, LAA
3^rd Place:                  CC Sabathia, NYY
4^th Place:                  James Shields, TB
5^th Place:                  Dan Haren, LAA

IBWAA Rookie and Comeback awards will be announced Monday, October 10, followed by Manager and Executive awards Wednesday, and Reliever awards Friday.

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

IBWAA NAMES CLAYTON KERSHAW AS 2011 CY YOUNG

IBWAA NAMES CLAYTON KERSHAW AS 2011 CY YOUNG

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the third of its 14 annual awards Wednesday, naming Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Clayton Kershaw its 2011 Cy Young Award winner.

Voting results are as follows:

1^st Place:                  Clayton Kershaw, LAD
2^nd Place:                 Roy Halladay, Phil
3^rd Place:                  Ian Kennedy, Ariz
4^th Place:                  Cliff Lee, Phil
5^th Place:                  Craig Kimbrel, Atl

Los Angeles Daily News' columnist Tom Hoffarth explains his Kershaw vote this way: "It wasn’t just because Kershaw racked up the Triple Crown numbers, or that the eight others who did the same since the first Cy Young was given out 55 years ago also won the award, too, nearly unanimously. That’s too easy. All the 'new' numbers support him as well. Kershaw was also first in WHIP (0.98), in opponent’s batting average (.207), and his run-support average (5.52) was tougher than Ian Kennedy (6.12) and Roy Halladay (5.89). A new standard has been established the last three years – Felix Hernandez, Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum won the Cy in 2010, 2009 and 2008 on teams that finished under .500, with far less dazzling stats. And check it out: the 2011 Dodgers were actually above .500."

Mike Petriello, of MikeSciosciasTragicIllness.com, adds this perspective: "The NL Cy Young is really a complete toss-up between Kershaw (233.1 IP, 66 R), Halladay (233.2 IP, 65 R) and Lee (232.2 IP, 66 R), particularly since Baseball Prospectus has the Dodgers and Phillies defenses behind them essentially tied in effectiveness. A vote for any of the three would be completely defensible. From this viewpoint, Kershaw gets the slight edge simply because he was the most dominating, even in the somewhat more forgiving Dodger Stadium. He finished second in MLB (behind Justin Verlander) in strikeouts and second again (behind Zack Greinke) in K%. Only Verlander allowed a lower batting average to his opponents, and Kershaw's swinging strike percentage topped both of his Philadelphia competitors. Even with a slightly higher walk rate than Halladay or Lee, Kershaw held opposing batters to the lowest OPS of anybody in baseball, topping even Verlander."

Ron Kaplan, Features Editor at NJ Jewish News, sums up his feelings here: "Kershaw has enjoyed one of the best pitching seasons in several years. Despite playing for an underperforming Dodgers team and faced with a most distracting situation not of his own making with the team’s troubles this year, he managed to lead the NL in wins, strikeouts, and ERA – the pitcher’s “Triple Crown” – while allowing fewer than one hit/walk per inning. One can only imagine how much worse Los Angeles fans would have had it without Kershaw and Matt Kemp as the bright lights in an otherwise dismal campaign."

IBWAA AL Cy Young results will be announced Friday, with Rookie, Manager, Comeback, Executive and Relievers of the Year to follow next week.

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

IBWAA ANNOUNCES MANAGER, EXECUTIVE AWARDS

IBWAA ANNOUNCES MANAGER, EXECUTIVE AWARDS

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced its Manager of the Year awards Wednesday, naming Arizona Diamondbacks' skipper Kirk Gibson in the National League, and the Tampa Bay Rays' Joe Maddon in the American League.

The IBWAA NL Executive of the Year award was won by Milwaukee Brewers' general manager Doug Melvin, with Rays' Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman winning in the AL.

Voting results are as follows:

NL Manager

1^st Place: Kirk Gibson, Ariz
2^nd Place: Ron Roenicke, Mil
3^rd Place: Fredi Gonzalez, Atl

AL Manager

1^st Place: Joe Maddon, TB
2^nd Place: Jim Leyland, Det
3^rd Place: Ron Washington, Tex

NL Executive

1^st Place: Doug Melvin, Mil
2^nd Place: Kevin Towers, Ariz
3^rd Place: Ruben Amaro, Phil

AL Executive

1^st Place: Andrew Friedman, TB
2^nd Place: Dave Dombrowski, Det
3^rd Place: Jon Daniels, Tex

The IBWAA wraps up its award season Friday with the naming of the 2011 Rollie Fingers American League Relief Pitcher of the Year and Hoyt Wilhelm National League Relief Pitcher of the Year awards.

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, IBWAA

IBWAA NAMES CURTIS GRANDERSON AS 2011 AL MVP

IBWAA NAMES CURTIS GRANDERSON AS 2011 AL MVP

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the second of its 14 annual awards Monday, naming New York Yankees' center fielder Curtis Granderson its 2011 American League Most Valuable Player.

Voting results are as follows:

1^st Place:                  Curtis Granderson, NYY
2^nd Place:                 Adrian Gonzalez, Bos
3^rd Place:                  Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos
4^th Place:                  Miguel Cabrera, Det
5^th Place:                  Robinson Cano, NYY
6^th Place:                  Jose Bautista, Tor
7^th Place:                  Justin Verlander, Det
8^th Place:                  Michael Young, Tex
9^th Place:                  Dustin Pedroia, Bos
10^th Place:             Adrian Beltre, Tex

Los Angeles Times' baseball writer and IBWAA member, Kevin Baxter, explains his Granderson vote this way: "There was not a more complete player in the American League than Curtis Granderson. Certainly the Yankees' deep lineup provided him protection but from runs scored to home runs, from total bases to stolen bases, Granderson was near the top of every list. And almost forgotten is the fact he solidified the Yankee defense by playing an excellent center field."

David Pinto, of BaseballMusings.com, having voted differently, shares this perspective: "Justin Verlander turned in a memorable season, with his win total being his least impressive accomplishment. His ability to go deep in games while maintaining velocity, and holding opponents to a .191 BA despite an average defense made him the outstanding player of 2011 in the American League."

IBWAA Cy Young results will be announced Wednesday and Friday, with Rookie, Manager, Comeback, Executive and Relievers of the Year to follow.

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, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com

IBWAA NAMES MATT KEMP AS 2011 NL MVP

IBWAA NAMES MATT KEMP AS 2011 NL MVP

 Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the first of its 14 annual awards Friday, naming Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp its 2011 National League Most Valuable Player.

 Voting results are as follows:

1^st Place:                  Matt Kemp, LAD
2^nd Place:                 Ryan Braun, Mil
3^rd Place:                  Prince Fielder, Mil
4^th Place:                  Albert Pujols, Stl
5^th Place:                  Justin Upton, Ariz
6^th Place:                  Joey Votto, Cin
7^th Place:                  Jose Reyes, NYM
8^th Place:                  Roy Halladay, Phil
9^th Place:                  Troy Tulowitzki, Col
10^th Place:                Hunter Pence, Phil

Los Angeles Times' baseball writer and IBWAA member, Kevin Baxter, explains his Kemp vote this way: "Consider 2011 a coming-out party for the Dodgers' Matt Kemp, who fully displayed his enormous abilities. No player in the National League had a more complete season than Kemp, who led the league in runs, homers and RBIs, had the third-highest batting average and also stole 40 bases. And he did it all in the middle of a lineup that offered him little protection. Oh, and he also led NL centerfielders with 11 assists."
Los Angeles Daily News' columnist and founding IBWAA member, Tom Hoffarth, adds the following: "If Braun has an edge in being valuable to a team winning a division title, Kemp was able to have the season he did for a team blanketed in off-the-field distractions without someone like Prince Fielder having his back in the lineup all season. You hate to be accused of having a local bias, but in this case, L.A. is not only where Kemp played, but where Braun grew up. You could find yourself rooting for both to have phenomenal years, which they did. It could have been easy to name them co-MVPs. But that would be the easy way out. This makes more sense."

 Gary Warner, Orange County Register Travel Editor and founding IBWAA member, sums up his feelings here: "There are just some seasons that demand recognition, despite - or maybe because - of the performance of the team. Kemp went into the last two weeks as the first legitimate triple crown threat in decades. He put up those numbers in a lineup with far less protection than Braun and Fielder."

 An announcement regarding the American League MVP is next on the docket, Monday, October 3, 2011. Cy Young results to come shortly afterwards, with Rookie, Manager, Comeback, Executive and Relievers of the Year to follow.

 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, FoxSports.com; 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, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com