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AMERICAN LEAGUE

 

 

 

 

 

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California 4, Oakland 2

 

 

 

 

Preview coming soon.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A.L. AWARDS - 2010

 

2010 ALL-STAR TEAM

 

C - Yadier Molina, KC

C - Benjie Molina, Oak

1B- Russell Branyan, KC

1B- Prince Fielder, NYY

2B- Chris Coghlan, KC

2B- Brian Roberts, TOR

SS- Hanley Ramirez, BOS

SS- Ryan Theriot, TOR

3B- Ryan Zimmerman, OAK

3B- Jorge Cantu, BOS

OF- Vladimir Guerrero, CHI

OF- Jason Bay, BOS

OF- Shin Soo Choo, KC

OF- Adam Dunn, SEA

OF- Ryan Braun, OAK

DH- Michael Young, OAK

DH- Miguel Cabrera, CAL

P - Tim Lincecum, SEA

P - Kevin Millwood, KC

P - Dan Haren, NYY

P - Jake Peavy, KC

P - Felix Hernandez, NYY

P - Jonathon Broxton, TOR

P - Mariano Rivera, OAK

P - Andrew Bailey, BOS

P - Ronald Belisario, NYY

 

SILVER SLUGGERS

 

C  - Yadier Molina, KC            .317, .383, 5-41

1B - Russell Branyan, KC         .271, .358, 21-69

2B - Chris Coghlan, KC           .315, .384,  6-35

SS - Hanley Ramirez, BOS       .334, .385, 12-43

3B - Ryan Zimmerman, OAK   .299, .369, 16-59

OF - Vladimir Guerrero, CHI   .322, .328, 17-60

OF - Shin Soo Choo, KC          .322, .416, 10-47

OF - Jason Bay, BOS                .262, .365, 17-51

DH - Michael Young, OAK       .331, .380, 16-46

 

 

CLOSER

 

Jonathon Broxton, Toronto Blue Jays

 

Over the years the stereo-typical closer has changed. No more is he a big imposing mound presence who throws 100 mph...nowadays, it is not unusual to find soft-tossing lefties serving as a team's closer. But that doesn't make it right.

Yet, given the choice, most major league managers would prefer to have the comfort of a closer from the throwback days, in the Goose Gossage, Lee Smith mold. Enter Jonathon Broxton. This guy throws gas, pure and simple. There is no guess work involved with him - you know you will be getting his best - he has 3 pitches, fast, faster, and fastest, and he used all 3 to close out all but 1 of his save opportunities toiling for the last place Blue Jays.

He compiled a 1.90 ERA, and saved 13 of his 14 save opportunities. He struck out 26 in just 22 innings, and walked just 4. Here is the complete list of closers nominated for this award:

1. Jonathon Broxton, Toronto   0-0, 1.90, 13/14

2. Kerry Wood, KC   0-4, 3.58, 13/15

3. Andrew Bailey, Boston   3-4, 2.62, 13/17

4. Mariano Rivera, Oakland   3-1, 2.65, 12/16

5. Huston Street, California   4-2, 2.18, 8/14

 

SET-UP MAN

 

Ronald Belisario, NYY

 

Each winter meetings, the race is on to draft the next best set-up man, given the inconsistency of the position from year to year. And each year there are winners and losers. This past season the winner was GM Bosco and his NY Yankees, drafting Ronald Belisario to pitch the critical 7th and 8th innings.

Belisario was near-perfect, going 3-0 with a miniscule ERA of just 1.66. He posted these numbers over 60 innings of work (34 appearances). He was invaluable in bridging the gap between some of the fine Yankees starting pitchers and their closer tandem.

Here is how the final balloting finished up:

 

1. Ronald Belisario, NYY   3-0, 1.66, 60 IP

2. Angel Guzman, Oakland   4-3, 3.00, 69 IP

3. Jason Frasor, Boston   3-0, 1.17, 31 IP

4. Ryan Madson, California   1-2, 2.93, 31 IP

 

 

MVP

Russell Branyan, KC Royals

Everyone knows about KC's impressive offensive production this year; they led the USBL in runs scored with 477, as well as in team batting average (.292), and team on-base percentage (.375). But all of those many base-runners would have meant nothing without a bona fide cleanup hitter driving them all in. That's where Russell Branyan comes in.

Branyan hit 21 HRS with 69 RBI, leading the league in both categories. In fact, the next-best RBI total was 60. What's more impressive is that Branyan accomplished these gaudy numbers in just 70 games played, while the competitors for this award all played between 74 and 77 games. Branyan could have easily found himself closer to 75 RBI had he hadn't missed any time with injuries.

Branyan hit .271, and also drew 36 walks, giving him an on-base of .358, and he scored 43 times himself.

Here is how the complete voting went:

 

1. Russ Branyan, KC .271, .358, 21-69

2. Ryan Zimmerman, OAK .299, .369, 16-59

3. Vladimir Guerrero, CHI .322, .328, 17-60

4. Prince Fielder, NYY .286, .395, 21-53

5. Justin Morneau, CAL .300, .368, 19-50

6. Jason Bay, BOS .262, .365, 17-51

 

 

CY YOUNG

Tim Lincecum, Seattle Mariners

After posting solid numbers in his first 2 seasons in the league, Lincecum finally blossomed this season, becoming the most dominant pitcher in the league, and maybe in the entire USBL, as he went 10-1, with a miniscule 1.77 ERA playing for the next-to-last Mariners. He also struck-out 157 batters, good for 11.6 strikeouts per 9 innings, and gave up just 83 hits, for an opponent's batting average of .185.

Lincecum saw several leads he left to his bullpen get blown, otherwise he would have approached record win levels. As it stands, he did break the American League record for lowest ERA in a season, surpassing the previous best held by Pedro Martinez of the Oakland A's, a 1.83 mark accomplished in 2002.

Since entering the league, Lincecum has now gone 23-8 in his 3 seasons, an average of 8 wins and just 2 losses per season.

Here are the complete balloting results:

 

1. Tim Lincecum, SEA 10-1, 1.77

2. Kevin Millwood, KC 10-2, 3.35

3. Felix Hernandez, NYY  7-2, 2.80

4. Jake Peavy, KC  7-3, 2.61

5. Barry Zito, BOS  7-3, 3.27

6. Dan Haren, NYY  6-4, 2.63

 

TOP ROOKIE

Chris Coghlan, KC Royals

He was seemingly a draft day after-thought, as he went largely ignored through the first 2 and a half rounds, as he sat and watched names like Franklin Guiterez, Brad Bergeson, Nolan Reimold, and Garrett Jones go before him. But KC swung a deal during the draft to obtain an extra selection, and immediately scooped up Coghlan, and the rest is history.

But the truth is that Coghlan continued to not get any respect, as KC used him coming off the bench over the first month of the season. But once he was finally installed as the everyday 2nd baseman, and batting second in the order, he got hot, finishing up with a .315 batting average (second in the league), a .384 on-base, with 6 HRS, 35 RBI, and 40 runs scored, in just 65 games, several of which were only as a pinch hitter. Had he started all 77 games, he would have approached 10 home runs, 50 RBI, and would have scored 55 to 60 runs, with 100 hits. As it was he collected 79 hits, tying for the rookie lead with Oakland's Andrew McCutcheon.

But his stats were strong enough as they were to still win him the AL's Rookie of the Year award.

Here are the complete balloting results:

 

1. Chris Coghlan, KC   .315, .384, 6-35, 40 Runs

2. Andrew Bailey, BOS   3-4, 2.62, 13/17 SVS

3. Andrew McCutcheon, OAK   .254, .335, 9-37, 55 Runs

4. Brett Anderson, TOR   8-4, 4.35

5. Dexter Fowler, KC   .255, .363, 3-28, 52 Runs

6. Colby Rasmus, OAK   .281, .350, 13-36, 36 Runs

7. Ronald Belisario, NYY   3-0, 1.66

8. Angel Guzman, OAK   4-3, 3.00

 

 

TOP MANAGER

1. Mike Gionas, KC Royals

The road to winning this award began back at the Winter Meetings, when Mike began building the Royals into what would become the World Series Finalists. From going out and obtaining a 3rd round pick when he saw Chris Coghlan slipping through the draft, to signing Kevin Millwood as a free agent just hoping he could step into the #4 spot, never dreaming that he would go 10-2 and finish 2nd in the Cy Young balloting. Signing one more lefty-killer in Casey Blake was also huge, as Blake hit southpaws to the tune of .400 all season long. And then there was the late-season trade to bolster the bullpen in Jeff Fulchino and Michael Wuertz, and of course the acquisition of oft-injured slugger Aramis Ramirez, who's performance in Game 7 of the ALCS single-handedly put KC into the World Series.

But there was managing involved also. Mike made a controversial decision to bench incumbent Dan Uggla at the 20 game mark and play rookie Chris Coghlan, which paid huge dividends. Making use of Jorge Posada as a 3rd baseman also infused more offense. And, the way he handled pitcher Jake Peavy and his assortment of arm woes by giving him 7 days between his starts also factored in, as Peavy was able to pitch well into the 8th and 9th innings thanks to the extended rest, thus saving the bullpen.

In the post season, Mike had to deal with not one but two Game 7 matchups, one with the upstart Yankees, the other with the Beast and his Oakland A's, and won both. Unfortunately he and his Royals ran out of gas come the World Series, as the Reds were just too much for them.

 

2. Pete Athanasopoulos, Oakland A's

Seldom has the USBL seen a team finish so strongly yet earned so little respect from its peers as the Oakland A's. With a patchwork starting rotation, a bullpen short on long relief, and an offensive lineup consisting of several USBL rejects, this team still wound up tying for 1st place with the much more explosive Royals, and fell to those same Royals in the ALCS by a mere 1 run in Game 7.

The formula for success was to treat each game as a new adventure. One game the situation called for going to the pen early and often; next game might require milking 6 innings from the starter; and the game after that might require out-scoring the opponent. The road wasn't easy, as several unexpected challenges popped up - from Rich Harden's inability to keep the ball in the park, to Angel Guzman's inability to consistently shut the door, to Cole Hamels "all-or-nothing" performances...but Oakland fought through it.

 

3. Carm Bosco, NY Yankees

Using the league's best pitching to overcome the league's lowest-scoring offense, New York not only found a way to make the playoffs, but they flourished, winning one playoff series and taking the semi's to a Game 7. And all this after they traded away 3 key cogs from their line-up. Managing a low-scoring team to a plus .500 record is a very difficult thing to do, especially in the wild American league, but the Yankees did it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NATIONAL LEAGUE

 

 

NL FINALS PREDICTION

 

 

Cincinnati 4, Pittsburgh 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

NL Finals Preview coming soon...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CINCINNATI 4, SAN FRANCISCO 2

 

 

Giants magical ride comes to an end

The Reds came out firing on all cylinders, taking a 3 games to nothing stranglehold on the series, before watching the Giants go back into "Super Underdog Man" mode, before barely putting them away in Game 6 to avoid a seventh game.

It seems that throughout the pennant run and the 2 rounds of playoffs, the Giants only seem to be interested in playing when their backs are up against the wall. And until they get to that point, its almost as if they encourage disaster so that they can put themselves in a win-or-go-home scenario. Case in point was Game 1, when the Giants had to start their #4 man Jamie Moyer, and although the crafty veteran was hit hard for 3 runs in the 2nd inning, and 2 more in the 3rd, he was allowed to continue on the mound. And even when San Fran put 2 runs up on the board in the top of the 5th and suddenly made it a ballgame again, Moyer was still allowed to go back to the mound for the bottom of the 5th. As it happened, Moyer put zero's up on the board in the 4th and 5th innings, but that isn't the point.

Regardless, it wound up not mattering, as the Giants pen was even worse, and the Reds went on to score 14 runs in this key opening game to the series. But this does raise an interesting comment regarding #4 starters in the playoffs. For instance, in this series, if we ignore the game 1 loss by San Fran because they had used their #4, then the rest of the series was 3 games to 2 for the Reds on the basis of their slim win in Game 6. Or, looking at it another way, if San Fran wins Game 1, it means the Game 6 win by Cincinnati would have only tied the series, and sent it into a critical Game 7. When looking at it from this point of view, one begins to see how much a difference a solid #4 starter can make. The Reds #4 was J.A. Happ, who went 8 2/3 shut-out innings in his start in Game 2, with 8 K's, in a 3-0 win.

It seems too many usbl teams figure that their #4 starter is only going to start 1 game per series, therefore, they wonder how much damage can he really cause? But in this series, if we only look at the results of when each team was using one of its #1, 2 or 3 starters, then the series was deadlocked at 2 apiece, and the run differential was 19-17 in SF's favor. So San Fran losing the start where their #5 started, and Cinci winning the start where their #5 started, was in essence the difference in the series.

Anyhow, pardon the diatribe, but it does relate to the theme of this series, in that San Fran could match Cinci in most categories as far as their starters, but it was Cinci's depth, on paper, that distinguished them from the rest of the league, and that depth paid off in spades in this series.

We had said that the Giants needed their big 3 starters to pitch them deep into games, but they only succeeded in accomplishing a 7 inning performance 3 times out of their 5 starts. And the SF bullpen, which was not a factor for most of the series, wound up taking the loss in the elimination game 6, as Pedro Feliciano and Ryan Perry combined to pitch the 8th inning in a 2-2 tie and gave up the go-ahead and eventual winning run.

As for the Reds, we indicated their offense had to be on high performance in order for them to win, and they did put up 35 runs in the 6 games, a healthy per game average of almost 6 per game, but the inconsistency remained, as they sputtered to scoring just 9 over the final 3 games of the series, after scoring 26 in the first 3 games, which contributed to letting San Fran back into the series. Meanwhile, the set-up duo of Evan Meek and Johnny Venters did their thing, with 4 of their combined 5 appearances being scoreless.

Onto the series review. So yes, the Reds took a commanding 3 games to 0 lead in the series, and just like San Fran did in the Expos series, it was a 9th inning rally in Game 4 by SF that tied the game to force extras, where the Giants won and extended the series. This time the unlikely rally was a 2-out, nobody on, bottom of the 9th home run, when the Reds were up 1-0, and Adam Wainwright was trying to put the finishing touches on a 4 hit shut-out and 12 K's performance, when rookie Pedro Alvarez connected on a low fastball to crush it into the right field stands. And although we don't keep such stats, it is doubtful that the usbl has ever seen a team stave off a 4 game sweep in back to back series with 9th inning heroics the way San Fran did.

And this boost was almost what the Giants needed, as it rejuvenated them into taking the next 2 games, and then in game 6, were all knotted up at 2-2 into the 8th inning...that is how close the Giants came to forcing a game 7!

Game 1: Moyer vs Neimann. If an offense as super-charged as Cincinnati's can't pummel an aging veteran like Jamie Moyer, then we are all doomed. Sure enough, the Reds took it not only to Moyer, but to the San Fran long relievers, putting up 14 runs in just 8 innings of work, on 17 hits, and 3 home runs. Joey Votto went 5/5 with a homer and 4 RBI, and Kevin Youkilis went 3/4 with a homer and 3 RBI. Victor Martinez added the other home run. The Giants did score 7 runs themselves, although 5 came over the final 3 innings, with Pedro Alvarez doing the bulk of the damage on 2 home runs and 5 RBI. Cincinnati wins the game 14-7.

Game 2: Happ vs Sanchez. Anibal Sanchez pitched his heart out, going 7 strong, on just 5 hits, 2 runs, 8 K's, and 1 walk, but this day belonged to JA Happ. He limited the Giants to just 4 hits and 1 walk, with 8 strike-outs, but when he hit Carlos Gonzalez to put runners on 1st and 2nd with just 1 out in the 9th, in came Jose Valverde, who struck-out pinch-hitter James Loney, and induced a popup from Chase Utley. The Reds win 3-0, on the strength of RBI's from Robinson Cano and Victor Martinez in the 4th inning, and a pinch-hit single from Delmon Young in the 8th inning.

Game 3: Sabathia vs Price. The Reds jumped on Price in the top of the 1st, as BJ Upton tripled to lead off, and scored on a Jay Bruce groundout. Troy Tulowitzky would add an RBI single later in the inning. But David Price settled down, and put up zero's in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, allowing the Giants to rally back in the 3rd and 4th innings with single runs, on an RBI single by Shane Victorino, and an RBI double by Michael Cuddyear. But the Reds went to work in the 5th, as Jay Bruce hit a 2-run homer, and in the 6th Youkilis added a solo shot. Bruce connected for his second home run of the game in the 7th, a solo shot this time, off Miguel Batista, and in the 8th, Michael Bourn hit a 2-run double, and Tori Hunter singled him in, and the rout was on. Cinci led 9-2, and it ended 9-6 when the Giants rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th on a grand slam by Alfonso Soriano. Too little, too late.

Game 4: Bucholz vs Wainwright, and yes, the anticipated pitcher's duel did transpire. This game was scoreless through 7 innings. Wainwright's line was 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 8 K, while Bucholz after 7 innings was 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 4 K's. But the Reds found a way to break through in the top of the 8th. Victor Martinez drew a lead off walk, and caught San Fran napping as he stole second base. Wainwright then hit a squibler in front of the plate that he beat out for an infield single, sending Martinez to 3rd. Bourn then cashed Martinez with a sac fly, but Hunter hit into the inning-ending double play. Wainwright then retired the Giants 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 8th, on 2 more strike-outs. That set the stage for the fateful 9th inning. Wainwright got Victorino to fly out leading off the bottom of the 9th, and then struck-out Utley. But rookie Alverez hit his game-tying home run, and this game was going to extra innings. It didn't take the Giants long to capitalize, either, as Miguel Montero led off the 10th with a single, and 1 out later scored on Jonny Peralta's 2-run homer. Giants win in improbable fashion to avoid getting swept, and extend the series.

Game 5: Sanchez vs Neimann. Just as San Fran used offense against the Expos to win the final 3 games of that series, San Fran again relied on their hitting, as they put up 6 runs by the 4th inning, the big blow a 2-run homer by Carlos Gonzalez. But the Reds got to Sanchez on this night, answering with 5 of their own, all by the 4th inning as well. Bourn's 2-run double was the big blow. 6-5 San Fran after 4 innings. But then the bullpens took over. Venters and Meek combined on 4 scoreless innings, while the SF pen of Brett Cecil, Ryan Perry, Jesse Crain, and Matt Capps combined to 2-hit the Reds over the final 4 innings. San Fran added to huge insurance runs in the top of the 9th off Valverde, on a 2-run shot by CarGo, his second of the game. San Fran wins 8-5.

Game 6: Price vs Sabathia. A win here for San Fran and they would then force a game 7 winner-takes-all matchup, with a pitching line of Bucholz vs Wainwright. But first things first. Price held the Reds hitless through the first 3 innings, while Sabathia was nicked for 2 hits but also no runs. The Reds broke through first in the top of the 4th, on a Victor Martinez solo shot. But San Fran came right back in their half of the 4th, thanks to outfield errors by Upton and Young in the same inning. And in the bottom of the 6th, the Giants took advantage of yet another rare defensive miscue by Cincinnati, as Cuddyear got on when Tulo bobbled a routine grounder, and came around to score on Ramon Hernandez' RBI single. SF now led 2-1 after 6 innings. Unfortunately for the Giants, they had the worst record in the NL when leading after 6, so protecting a 2-1 lead would be no easy task.

Sure enough, the Reds came up with the big hit, as they seemed to do all season long, when Bruce tripled to lead off the top of the 7th against Price, and quickly scored when the very next batter, Youkilis, singled into left field. Tie game after 7.

The Reds then manufactured the winning run in the top of the 8th against the SF bullpen. With Pedro Feliciano in, Etobicoke's Joey Votto led off by drawing a clutch walk, and was then sacrificed to second base by Sabathia. That ended Feliciano's day, and in came Ryan perry, who struck out Upton in clutch fashion to make it 2 away, but then the veteran V-Mart came through yet again with the clutch 2-out RBI single, giving the Reds a 3-2 lead.

The Giants battled, and in the bottom of the 8th against Sabathia, Nick Markakis doubled to lead off the inning, and after CarGo struck out, a rare failure for him, Cudyear singled Markakis to 3rd, with just 1 out. But CC reached back and struck out Utley for the second out, and got Hernandez to ground out, ending the threat. San Fran went 1-2-3 in the 9th against Valverde, on 2 K's. Reds win the game 3-2, and the series 4 games to 2.

Expos-killer Carlos Gonzalez came down to earth in this series, as he hit just 5/23, but in the SF 4 losses he went just 2/14 with just 1 run scored and 1 RBI. Actually, the entire San Fran offense went limp, as the only game they even got 10 hits was their 8-5 win. In the other 5 games they got 7, 4, 5, 7, and 6 hits. If not for their 8 home runs in the series, which accounted for 18 runs, San Fran have not scored, as they only scored 8 runs without the benefit of a homer.  As a contrast, Cincinnati scored just 10 runs off a home run, and 25 runs without.

For the Reds, likely NL MVP Troy Tulowitzky went just 7/23 in the series with just 1 RBI, but this is where the Reds depth came in and became a factor. Several guys stepped up, most notably Jay Bruce, who was a pinch hitter for this team all season long, but  in this series got more playing time and went 7/15 with 6 runs, 2 HRS, and 5 RBI. But Victor Martinez was the series MVP, as he went 9/23, with 2 HRS, 5 RBI, and 6 runs scored, and many of his hits were of the clutch variety. Its also worth mentioning that the Reds pinch-hitters combined to go 3/7 with 2 RBI and 1 run scored.

It is also worth noting that the Reds did blow a save in the series, which cost them a win (actually it cost them a sweep), but had enough depth to be able to withstand that setback.

Against Cincinnati's left-handed pitchers, San Fran as a team hit just 15 for 90, a .156 batting average.

The Cincinnati Reds now face the Pittsburgh Pirates for the NL pennant, in a series where the Reds will be the favorites, although head to head the two teams have been very evenly matched. But with a win in this upcoming series, it will mark the fifth time in modern usbl history that the team winning the previous year's World Championship makes a return to the World Series in the very next season. Interestingly enough, all 4 previous teams to achieve this feat all wound up winning the Championship in their return year as well, becoming back-to-back Champions. The teams to accomplish this are:

Pittsburgh Pirates - 1994 and 1995

Oakland A's - 1998 and 1999

Toronto Blue Jays - 2003 and 2004

Pittsburgh Pirates - 2005 and 2006

There have also been 3 teams to lose in the World Series in one year, and make a repeat appearance the very next year, and again, it is very interesting that in all 3 cases, the team making the return WS appearance wound up winning the Championship in that second year.

* Toronto Blue Jays - lost WS in 1992, and won in 1993

* Oakland A's - lost WS in 1995, and won in 1996

* California Angels - lost WS in 2006, and won in 2007

Both WS teams from last season are still involved in this year's post season, and both will be trying to make the above lists...stay tuned..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N.L. AWARDS

2010 ALL-STAR TEAM

C - Victor Martinez, CIN

C - Brian McCann, PIT

1B- Ryan Howard, MON

1B- Kevin Youkilis, CIN

2B- Aaron Hill, PHI

2B- Asdrubal Cabrera, LA

SS- Troy Tulowitsky, CIN

SS- Yunel Escobar, PIT

3B- Chris MaGehee, PIT

3B- Scott Rolen, LA

OF- Tori Hunter, CIN

OF- Nick Markakis, SF

OF- Brad Hawpe, PHI

OF- Denard Span, MON

OF- Carl Crawford, CUBS

OF- Ichiro Suzuki, LA

OF- Nelson Cruz, PIT

P - Zach Greinke, PIT

P - CC Sabathia, CIN

P - Javier Vazquez, CIN

P - Joel Piniero, CIN

P - Adam Wainwright, CIN

P - Jose Valverde, CIN

P - Trevor Hoffman, LA

P - Ryan Franklin, PIT

P - Phil Hughes, MON

 

SILVER SLUGGERS

C  - Victor Martinez, CIN         .356, .431, 9-36

1B - Ryan Howard, MON         .326, .406, 23-47

2B - Aaron Hill, PHI                .277, .320, 28-56

SS - Yunel Escobar, PIT           .316, .399, 11-48

3B - Chris MaGehee, PIT         .298, .363, 16-52

OF - Tori Hunter, CIN             .297, .360, 14-44

OF - Nick Markakis, SF            .318, .364,  8-41

OF - Brad Hawpe, PHI             .277, .365, 12-38

DH - Pittsburgh Pitchers          .168, .243,  3-21

 

MVP

Aaron Hill, Philadelphia Phillies

It's very rare that a player toiling for a middle of the pack team wins this prestigious award, but the fact that he did goes to show what kind of mamoth season he enjoyed in 2010.

Hill led the league by far with 28 HRS, an even more amazing feat when you consider he is a 2nd baseman. He drove in 56, while scoring 52 himself. But he also played a Gold Glove caliber infield, making several highlight-reel defensive gems all year long. On a team loaded with under-producing sluggers, Hill was the one guy who more than met expectations.

Hill's terrific season overshadowed the contributions of Cincinnati's Kevin Youkilis. "Youk" was the consumate team player, as he played in left field, 3rd base, and 1st base as required, and did so flawlessly. And, batting in the cleanup spot for the World Champion Reds, he would either be driving in a run, or getting on base to start a rally.

Rounding out the Top 5 was another Red, Troy Tulowitsky, who played Gold Glove defense at the critical shortstop position, while getting the big hit whenever Youkilis failed to do so. Pittsburgh's fine rookie, 3rd baseman Chris MaGehee, infused surprising power and RBI numbers on a team that was starving for another clutch hitter, driving the Pirates to their great season. And, in 5th place was yet another Pirate, shortstop Yunel Escobar, who was all-world this side of Tulowitsky, and in fact was the MVP favorite at the 60 game mark, but fell off slightly.

Here is how the complete voting went:

1. Aaron Hill, PHI   .277, .320, 28-56

2. Kevin Youkilis, CIN  .269, .359, 16-42

3. Troy Tulowitsky, CIN   .287, .372, 13-46

4. Chris MaGehee, PIT   .298, .363, 16-52

5. Yunel Escobar, PIT   .316, .399, 11-48

6. Ryan Howard, MON   .326, .406, 23-47

 

 

CY YOUNG

Zach Greinke, Pittsburgh Pirates

It took him awhile to blossom, but Zach Greinke put it all together in 2010 and the results were astounding, as he broke the all-time ERA record that has stood since 1995, eclipsing Greg Maddux' mark of 1.58 by posting a 1.54 mark. Although his won-lost record of 9-3 doesn't particularly stand out, that can be blamed on the Pittsburgh offense's lack of run support, not to mention Greinke getting matched up against most other teams' aces. It was surely a season to remember, and one that should stand in the record books for a long, long time.

The next four Cy Young candidates also accomplished something amazing - but not an individual honor, but a collective one, by becoming the first-ever 4-man starting rotation to rank #2 through #5 in the Cy balotting. From CC Sabathia, who's 10-1 won-lost record should have been good enough to win this ward in any other year, to Javier Vazquez who also won 10 games, to Joel Piniero and Adam Wainwright, those 4 combined to post a record of 37-8, with a 2.98 cumulative ERA. Wow.

Here are the complete balloting results:

1. Zach Greinke, PIT   9-3, 1.54

2. CC Sabathia, CIN   10-1, 3.24

3. Javier Vazquez, CIN   10-3, 2.72

4. Joel Piniero, CIN   8-1, 2.97

5. Adam Wainwright, CIN   9-3, 3.03

6. Erik Bedard, PIT   8-1, 2.78

7. Justin Verlander, CUBS   8-6, 3.11

8. Clayton Kershaw, LA   9-6, 3.49

 

 

 

TOP ROOKIE

Chris McGehee, Pittsburgh Pirates

Drafted to fill a hole at 3rd base for the Pirates, Chris McGehee exceeded all expectations when, after a slow start, put up some of the best offensive numbers in the league. Playing for a team loaded with veteran hitters who have lost a bit in the power department, McGehee filled the need beautifully.

In second spot was the surprising Gordon Beckham (no relation to David, the soccer star). Beckham's final stats would have projected at least 20% better had he been playing for one of the better teams, yet he still approached a .300 average, double digits in home runs, and the magical 50 RBI plateau.

Kendry Morales, the talented Cuban defector, was the preseason favorite fotr this award, but he never quite got himself into a rhythm, struggling with incosistency all year long. Nelson Cruz, another highly-touted Pirates draft pick, came in 4th with a performance that many believe is just the start for this young slugger. Finally, setup man Sean White was just as important to the Reds Championship run as any of the starting pitchers, as he was the glue that bridged the gap of the numerous slim leads from the starters to closer Jose Valverde.

Here are the complete balloting results:

1. Chris McGehee, PIT   .298, .363, 16-52

2. Gordon Beckham, SF   .298, .376, 8-42

3. Kendry Morales, LA   .260, .302, 13-44

4. Nelson Cruz, PIT   .248, .310, 13-37

5. Sean White, CIN   4-4, 1.86

6. Randy Wells, CUBS   7-4, 4.45

7. Pablo Sandoval, SD   .260, .317, 10-31

8. Tommy Hanson, PHI   3-7, 3.73

 

 

 

CLOSER

Jose Valverde, Cincinnati Reds

This was another category where we nearly saw a long-time USBL record fall by the wayside. Valverde at times accumulated saves in bunches, but in the end, there just weren't enough close games to get him the extra 5 saves he needed to tie the USBL all-time mark. But Valverde was another huge cog in the wheels for the Champion Cincinnati Reds.

Just missing out on winning his unheard of 5th Closer of the Year award, Hoffman nevertheless posted off the charts numbers, with a 1.01 ERA and just 1 blown save. Pittsburgh's Ryan Franklin was another older player proving his worth, as he was almost as good as Hoffman in what may have been the farewell seasons for the two veterans. Montreal's JOnathon Papelbon endured some uncharacteristic struggles in 2010, but still made 4th on this list. Chicago's Bobby Jenks finished 5th, despite finishing second in saves with 18 to Valverde's 20.

Here is the complete list of closers nominated for this award:

1. Jose Valverde, CIN   0-0, 1.63, 20/23

2. Trevor Hoffman, LA   3-0, 1.01, 11/12

3. Ryan Franklin, PIT   3-1, 1.36, 9/12

4. Jonathon Papelbon, MON   1-4, 3.19, 9/11

5. Bobby Jenks, CUBS   0-2, 5.04, 18/22

 

 

 

SET-UP MAN

Phil Hughes, Montreal Expos

This is a new award category, honoring the unsung set-up men, with special emphasis on those who eat up a ton of innings pitching mainly the 7th and or 8th innings of close games. Montreal's Phil Hughes was the workhorse, pitching 62 innings, and amassing a 2.63 ERA. He was vital in taking away innings from the Expos suspect starting pitchers.

Cincinnati's Sean White was a close second, held back only by the fact he threw 14 innings fewer than Hughes. But his contributions to a Reds team that had very few bullpen options was huge. Pittsburgh's Kyle McClellan also ate up a lot of work, throwing 58 innings and compiling a stingy 2.62 ERA. LA's Joe Nathan, a former closer, pitched in perhaps the toughest situations of any set-up man, as he was constantly called upon to enter games with multiple men on base and nobody out, and he met the challenge, putting together a 1.60 ERA. Last but not least was Philadelphia's Mike Gonzalez, who came all the way back from elbow surgery to become the top lefthanded setup man in the league at 4-1 and a 1.93 ERA.

Here is how the final balloting finished up:

1. Phil Hughes, MON   4-4, 2.63

2. Sean White, CIN   4-4, 1.86

3. Kyle McLellan, PIT   2-3, 2.62

4. Joe Nathan, LA   3-1, 1.60

5. Mike Gonzalez, PHI   4-1, 1.93

 

 

TOP MANAGER

 

1. Marcello Aiello, Cincinnati Reds

To win a World Championship in the USBL requires much more than just great managing - it also requires the GM part of the job - making all the right moves that wind up paying off in the post season. For March, this award is just as much about his trading as it is about his managing.

Let's start with the deals. Aquiring Tori Hunter was his first and maybe biggest deal of the season, as Hunter averaged almost an RBI per game, while playing stellar defense in center field. Later, he picked up Michael Bourn, another Gold Glove outfielder who also gave the Reds a true leadoff hitter. Finally, he topped it all off by going out and getting Robinson Cano to provide more power than the predecessor at the position ever could. These moves all paid off, as in the NLCS and the World Series, all 3 of those hitters took turns single-handedly winning critical playoff games for the Reds.

Now let's talk about March's managing prowess. While he likes to tell people its all about the dicing, the fact is that this man is unflapable when managing his team. He takes emotions completely out of the equation, regularly benching a superstar, or yanking someone despite a good performance, just because the percentages give him a better chance at winning. He will do whatever it takes to win, and is not afraid to pull the trigger on deal after deal, all the while keeping his eyes on the prize.

 

2. Carmine Bosco, Chicago Cubs

There's a reason why most managers try and assemble the very best offense they can possible put together - because its much easier to win in this league with a heavy hitting lineup. So try to imagine managing a predominantly singles-hitting team, which not surprisingly finishes next to dead last in runs scored, but close to the top in ERA. If the frustration of going 1 for 13 with men in scoring position each game doesn't drive you crazy, then the constant 2-1 losses will.

But not only did Carm not go crazy, but his team played better as the season wore on, culminated by defeating the Phillies in the quarter finals, and then almost knocking off the eventual World Champion Reds in a tighty-contested series, before falling in 6 games.

 

3. Pete Athanasopoulos, Pittsburgh Pirates

Give this man a lights-out pitching staff, complete with several lefty and rightie options, and you know he will be very tough to beat. And that's exactly what happened, as he pieced together just enough offense to take advantage of the great pitching staff and finish with the second-best record in the USBL.

 

 

2010 WORLD SERIES CHAMPS

Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati 4, Kansas City 1