News
Unrewarding campaign for Indians
Tribe coming up empty-handed during awards season
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
12/21/09 4:31 PM EST
Awards season was not a bountiful one for the Indians in 2009. While players the likes of Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera had strong seasons, no one on the Tribe merited serious consideration for any of baseball's major awards -- be it the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards or the Rawlings Gold Glove or Silver Slugger honors. As far as local awards are concerned, the Cleveland chapter of the BBWAA named Shin-Soo Choo its "Man of the Year" for his strong season at the plate, and Jamey Carroll was named the "Frank Gibbons/Steve Olin Good Guy" award winner for being accomodating to the media.
The 2009 awards season was the first in three years in which the Indians did not figure prominently into the mix. The Tribe's run of Cy Young Award winners came to an end. After a 35-year drought, the Tribe scored two straight with CC Sabathia in 2007 and Cliff Lee in 2008. Both, of course, were traded elsewhere in the season following their Cy Young triumphs. Sabathia went to the Brewers and later the Yankees, while Lee was dealt to the Phillies.
While the Tribe used 14 rookies and fielded a roster with 12 first-year players at season's end -- tied for the most in the Majors -- none of them contributed prominently enough for serious consideration for Rookie of the Year. As far as the Gold Glove is concerned, Cabrera certainly has the slick-fielding skills and range to be considered for the high honor one day, but considering his position switch and time missed because of injury this season, he was not a prime candidate yet. Two-time Gold Glove winner Grady Sizemore, who also won a Silver Slugger trophy last year, had an '09 season marred by elbow and groin injuries that required two surgeries in September. With his performance hampered and his season cut short, Sizemore was not in the mix for either award this time around. Right fielder Choo, who was the only American Leaguer to hit .300 with 20 homers and 20 steals, might one day emerge as a Silver Slugger winner. But for now, he'll receive a simple pat on the back for a strong offensive showing in his first full season in the big leagues. The Tribe might have had a Comeback Player of the Year candidate in Carl Pavano, but he was dealt to the Twins in August.
| National Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | Cy Young | ROY | |||
| George Burns | 1926 | Gaylord Perry | 1972 | Herb Score | 1955 |
| Lou Boudreau | 1948 | CC Sabathia | 2007 | Chris Chambliss | 1971 |
| Al Rosen | 1953 | Cliff Lee | 2008 | Joe Charboneau | 1980 |
| Sandy Alomar Jr. | 1990 | ||||
| Joey Gerut | 2003 | ||||
| Manager of Year | Rawlings Gold Glove | Silver Slugger | Mike Hargrove | 1995 | Vic Power | 1960 | Andre Thornton | 1984 |
| Eric Wedge | 2007 | Jimmy Piersall | 1961 | Julio Franco | 1988 |
| Larry Dierker | 1998 | Vic Power | 1961 | Carlos Baerga | 1993 |
| Vic Davalillo | 1964 | Albert Belle | 1994 | ||
| Ray Fosse | 1970 | Carlos Baerga | 1994 | ||
| Ray Fosse | 1971 | Manny Ramirez | 1995 | ||
| Rick Manning | 1976 | Albert Belle | 1995 | ||
| Sandy Alomar | 1990 | Jim Thome | 1996 | ||
| Kenny Lofton | 1993 | Albert Belle | 1996 | ||
| Omar Vizquel | 1994 | David Justice | 1997 | ||
| Kenny Lofton | 1994 | Matt Williams | 1997 | ||
| Omar Vizquel | 1995 | Manny Ramirez | 1999 | ||
| Kenny Lofton | 1995 | Roberto Alomar | 1999 | ||
| Omar Vizquel | 1996 | Manny Ramirez | 2000 | ||
| Kenny Lofton | 1996 | Roberto Alomar | 2000 | ||
| Matt Williams | 1997 | Juan Gonzalez | 2001 | ||
| Omar Vizquel | 1997 | Victor Martinez | 2004 | ||
| Omar Vizquel | 1998 | Grady Sizemore | 2008 | ||
| Omar Vizquel | 1999 | ||||
| Roberto Alomar | 1999 | ||||
| Travis Fryman | 2000 | ||||
| Omar Vizquel | 2000 | ||||
| Roberto Alomar | 2000 | ||||
| Omar Vizquel | 2001 | ||||
| Roberto Alomar | 2001 | ||||
| Grady Sizemore | 2007 | ||||
| Grady Sizemore | 2008 | ||||
| Roberto Clemente Award | |||||
| Andre Thornton | 1979 | ||||
| Jim Thome | 2002 | ||||
| Local Awards | |||||
| Man of the Year | Good Guy Award | ||||
| Bill Veeck | 1946 | Alvin Dark | 1968 | ||
| Lou Boudreau | 1947 | Lou Klimchock | 1969 | ||
| Gene Bearden | 1948 | Larry Brown | 1970 | ||
| Bob Lemon | 1949 | Hank Peters | 1971 | ||
| Larry Doby | 1950 | Dino Lucarelli | 1972 | ||
| Bob Feller | 1951 | Bob Gill | 1973 | ||
| Mike Garcia, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn | 1952 | Harold Bossard, Marshall Bossard | 1974 | ||
| Al Rosen | 1953 | Boog Powell | 1975 | ||
| Bobby Avila | 1954 | Jim Warfield | 1976 | ||
| Al Smith | 1955 | Cy Buynak | 1977 | ||
| Vic Wertz | 1956 | Duane Kiper | 1978 | ||
| Gene Woodling | 1957 | Sid Monge | 1979 | ||
| Rocky Colavito | 1958 | Rick Manning | 1980 | ||
| Tito Francona | 1959 | Mike Seghi | 1981 | ||
| Jim Perry | 1960 | Dennis Sommers | 1982 | ||
| Mel Harder | 1961 | Don McMahon | 1983 | ||
| Dick Donovan | 1962 | Andre Thornton | 1984 | ||
| Max Alvis | 1963 | Mike Hargrove | 1985 | ||
| Don McMahon | 1964 | Johnny Goryl | 1986 | ||
| Rocky Colavito | 1965 | Andre Thornton | 1987 | ||
| Sonny Siebert | 1966 | Doc Edwards | 1988 | ||
| Max Alvis | 1967 | Tom Candiotti, Bud Black | 1989 | ||
| Luis Tiant | 1968 | Brook Jacoby | 1990 | ||
| Sam McDowell | 1969 | Mike Hargrove | 1991 | ||
| Ray Fosse, Sam McDowell | 1970 | Felix Fermin | 1992 | ||
| Graig Nettles | 1971 | Cy Buynak | 1993 | ||
| Gaylord Perry | 1972 | No award | 1994 | ||
| Buddy Bell | 1973 | Jim Thome | 1995 | ||
| Gaylord Perry, Jim Perry | 1974 | Omar Vizquel | 1996 | ||
| Dave LaRoche | 1975 | Orel Hershiser | 1997 | ||
| Rico Carty | 1976 | Luis Isaac | 1998 | ||
| Duane Kiper | 1977 | Dave Burba | 1999 | ||
| Andre Thornton | 1978 | Sandy Alomar Jr. | 2000 | ||
| Dave Garcia | 1979 | Charles Nagy | 2001 | ||
| Mike Hargrove | 1980 | Joel Skinner | 2002 | ||
| Mike Hargrove | 1981 | Ellis Burks | 2003 | ||
| Andrew Thornton, Toby Harrah | 1982 | Casey Blake | 2004 | ||
| Rick Sutcliffe | 1983 | Aaron Boone | 2005 | ||
| Bert Blyleven | 1984 | Paul Byrd | 2006 | ||
| Brett Butler | 1985 | Mark Shapiro | 2007 | ||
| Joe Carter | 1986 | Luis Isaac | 2008 | ||
| Brook Jacoby | 1987 | Jamey Carroll | 2009 | ||
| Doug Jones | 1988 | ||||
| Jerry Browne | 1989 | ||||
| Doug Jones | 1990 | ||||
| Carlos Baerga | 1991 | ||||
| Carlos Baerga | 1992 | ||||
| Albert Belle | 1993 | ||||
| No award | 1994 | ||||
| Jose Mesa | 1995 | ||||
| Albert Belle | 1996 | ||||
| Sandy Alomar Jr. | 1997 | ||||
| Manny Ramirez | 1998 | ||||
| Roberto Alomar, Manny Ramirez | 1999 | ||||
| Travis Fryman | 2000 | ||||
| Roberto Alomar | 2001 | ||||
| Jim Thome | 2002 | ||||
| Jody Gerut | 2003 | ||||
| Victor Martinez | 2004 | ||||
| Travis Hafner | 2005 | ||||
| Grady Sizemore | 2006 | ||||
| CC Sabathia | 2007 | ||||
| Cliff Lee | 2008 | ||||
| Shin-Soo Choo | 2009 | ||||
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
