2008 SB Nation Rookie Of The Year Awards

by Al Yellon on Nov 3, 2008 1:00 PM CST in Chicago Cubs News

Congratulations to Geovany Soto and Evan Longoria, the 2008 SB Nation baseball Rookies of the Year. All this week, we'll be announcing the results of SB Nation balloting, in advance of the MLB awards.

Schedule:

Tuesday: AL & NL Managers of the year
Wednesday: AL & NL Cy Young Awards
Thursday: AL & NL MVP

This is the third year we've done this, and if you weren't here last year, here's how it works: each SB Nation baseball blog was allotted two ballots -- just as there are two BBWAA writers in each major league city who vote.

The second BCB ballot went, as last year, to Mike, who draws all the great cartoons here. 19 total ballots were returned from the NL bloggers, 17 from the AL bloggers. Here's how the voting went, with 5 points for a first-place vote, 3 points for second, 1 point for third:

National League	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Geovany Soto	18	1	-	93
Joey Votto	-	10	8	38
Jair Jurrjens	1	6	6	29
Edinson Volquez	-	1	-	3
Jay Bruce	-	1	-	3
Ian Stewart	-	-	2	4
John Bowker	-	-	1	1
Johnny Cueto	-	-	1	1
Blake DeWitt	-	-	1	1

American League	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Evan Longoria	15	1	-	78
Mike Aviles	1	5	4	24
Alexei Ramirez	1	2	3	14
Armando Galarraga	-	3	3	12
Joba Chamberlain	-	3	1	10
Jacoby Ellsbury	-	1	2	5
Brad Ziegler	-	1	1	4
David Murphy	-	1	-	3
Denard Span	-	-	2	2
Chris Davis	-	-	1	1

Full disclosure:

My ballot: 1) Soto 2) Bruce 3) Votto

Mike's ballot: 1) Soto 2) Volquez 3) Votto

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Comments

Volquez

I recall hearing, in discussion on WGN earlier this year, that Volquez was not eligible for Rookie of the Year voting.

by dmlichte on Nov 3, 2008 1:16 PM CST reply actions

Looking at his numbers...

… you are probably right — I think he had too many innings before 2008.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 3, 2008 1:20 PM CST up reply actions

Likewise with Joba...

"Sports are a crazy business. If there was a template, we'd all be champions, right? But there's one winner and 29 or 30 losers; one guy wins, everybody else is tied for last. That's the way it works" -- Mark Cuban

by TheRiot Police on Nov 3, 2008 1:20 PM CST up reply actions

I believe Joba IS eligible.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 3, 2008 1:29 PM CST up reply actions

I believe you are correct...my bad.

by TheRiot Police on Nov 3, 2008 3:03 PM CST up reply actions

Jair with a first place vote?

weird, thought Votto would at least get one

2009 Cubs: Well, Seems so far away..

by Chanman25 on Nov 3, 2008 1:20 PM CST reply actions

Personally I think Ramirez for the AL got snubbed a couple of votes

but hell what difference does it make

2009 Cubs: Well, Seems so far away..

by Chanman25 on Nov 3, 2008 1:22 PM CST reply actions

Will Reds Turn Things Around?

Volquez, Bruce, Votto, and Cueto make up half of the top eight in voting. I thought the Reds would be around the .500 mark. Dusty’s teams in San Francisco and Chicago showed a lot of improvement in his first season with those clubs. Dusty’s not the best manager, but he’s better than average.

The Reds should be better next season, but they’ve got to have better pitching with Harang regaining his old form.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Nov 3, 2008 1:29 PM CST reply actions

I think Reds management has to ask itself...

… why Baker had such improvement with bad teams in SF and Chicago but his first Reds team improved only two games over the previous year despite the presence of such young talent.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 3, 2008 1:32 PM CST up reply actions

Maybe the fact that they were near the bottom of the league in team BA and OBP may have had something

to do with it.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Nov 3, 2008 1:45 PM CST up reply actions

Hmmm.

Wonder why?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 3, 2008 1:49 PM CST up reply actions

Surprisingly, they got lots of walks, but they hit like crap. I guess we can't blame Dusty entirely

for that, but they should have performed better. The Cubs only outscored them by 150 runs.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Nov 3, 2008 1:55 PM CST up reply actions

Yabbut...

… the Cubs allowed 130 runs LESS than the Reds — thus had a differential of +280 over the Reds, or about 1.5 runs per game, thus 23 more wins.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 3, 2008 2:12 PM CST up reply actions

That's pretty amazing. The more you look at the stats for this year,

the more you realize what a dominating season the Cubs had this year. Too bad it ended so badly.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Nov 3, 2008 2:19 PM CST up reply actions

.....sigh.....

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Nov 3, 2008 8:49 PM CST up reply actions

Harang has campaigned to get the fences moved back

and I can’t blame him. Building a pitching staff in that park is akin to building one in Colorado in the pre-humidor days.

Unless you can piece together a sinker-heavy pitching staff, you’re going to have problems, unless you can win a lot of 10-6 games.

They have talent, but I think they’re going to need an organizational philosophy to be followed through on over the next few years before they’re competitive again.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Bill Potter on Nov 3, 2008 1:38 PM CST up reply actions