Soto Wins Rookie of the Year

As expected, the Cubs field general Geovany Soto took home the NL Rookie of the Year honors. He's the 5th Cub to win the honor and first catcher since Mike Piazza in 1993. He did it on the strength of a 285/364/504 batting line with 23 HR's, 86 RBI's and 66 Runs in the traditional baseball categories. He also created 6.6 Runs per game, had a 7.0 WARP-1 value and was 5 runs above average on defense, those last two numbers courtesy of Baseball Prospectus. That's quite a nice little season that was good enough to get 31 of the 32 possible first place votes, with one yokel probably from Cincinnati voting for Joey Votto.

Thanks to the legwork of reader WISCGRAD, here's the complete list of Cubs that have received a vote for the Rookie of the Year. The five winners are in bold (Geovany Soto, Kerry Wood, Jerome Walton, Ken Hubbs and Billy Williams).

Name Year Place
Geovany Soto
2008
 1st
Mark Prior 2002  7th
Kerry Wood
1998
1st
Jeremi Gonzalez 1997 9th
Kevin Orie 1997 11th
Steve Trachsel 1994 4th
Chuck McElroy 1991 5th
Mike Harkey 1990 5th
Jerome Walton
1989
1st
Dwight Smith 1989 2nd
Mark Grace 1988 2nd
Damon Berryhill 1988 6th
Les Lancaster 1987 6th
Mel Hall 1983 3rd
Ryne Sandberg 1982 6th
Scot Thompson 1979 3rd
Manny Trillo 1975 3rd
Bill Madlock 1974 3rd
Randy Hundley 1964 3rd
Ken Hubbs
1962
1st
Billy Williams
1961
1st
Jack Curtis 1961 3rd
Ron Santo 1960 4th
Dick Drott 1957 3rd
Ernie Banks 1954 2nd
Bill Serena 1950 5th

Now that Soto has earned the ROY hardware, next up - OSCAR!

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Tags: 
Cubs history
Geovany Soto
Cubs Rookie of the Year
Submitted by Rob G. on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 1:32pm
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Comments

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 2:08pm

Brenly not in the runnning for Mariners job...so far.

 http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3694118

Submitted by Raisin101
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 2:24pm

Nothing like Edinson Volquez coming in 4th in Rookie of the Year balloting despite NOT being a rookie.

Submitted by Charlie
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 2:28pm

Maybe someone has a problem with the current definition of rookie, but even so I would've figure those votes wouldn't be counted.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 2:30pm

Honor,

I'd like to present into evidence yet another reason why the baseball awards need to be taken from the BBWAA.

For fuck's sake, how stupid can they be not notice that and to let it go through. Just throw out the ballots instead of drawing attention to your stupidity.

Submitted by Raisin101
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 9:54pm

And James Loney came in 7th place. He was a rookie last year.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 11/11/2008 - 7:00am

Technically, they were all rookies last year. Being a rookie is like being a virgin, either you are or you're not.

Submitted by Brick
on Tue, 11/11/2008 - 7:27am

I fondly remember the beginning of the season, when Hendry displayed Soto's bloody bedsheet to the cheering Wrigley crowd.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 2:30pm

here's the full voting

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3693976

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 2:33pm

love to see Ellsbury finish 3rd and get some 2nd place votes...

no East Coast/Red Sox bias there...dear lord.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:04pm

Actually, I'm surprised he didn't slip in there in front of Ramirez.

I have a dream that Major League Baseball players will one day live in a nation where they are judged not by the color of their socks but by the content of their statistical index.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:12pm

http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_10947913?so...

Carlos Gonzalez and Huston Street doesn't strike me as a particularly impressive haul for Holliday.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:16pm

probably a bit more than just those two, Greg Smith was mentioned in another article. They should get 3-4 players for him.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:18pm

http://www.purplerow.com/

Yeah, I was just coming back to edit in Smith. That sounds more like it.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:33pm

top of Rotoworld

http://www.rotoworld.com/Content/playernews.aspx?s...

look for the NBC Video that says Mad Dog Minute, headline is
"Cubs to get Peavy".

jerk-off

Submitted by Andrew
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:42pm

Saw that too, but can't get it to open. Is it anything new?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:43pm

absolutely not, whoever Mad Dog is, just yells at you for a minute saying he thinks the Cubs will land Peavy and that everything in the offseason revolves around the Yankees. He needs a haircut too.

Submitted by Andrew
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 4:04pm

Shucks. I should have realized "Mad Dog Minute" refers to guy from Mike & the Mad Dog show in NYC on WFAN. Fucking annoying as hell. No wonder he thinks everything's about the Yankees.

Submitted by Cubster
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:43pm

he is a MAD dog...that rant had more arm waving than Wendell Kim.

Submitted by Cubster
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:44pm

but can't get it to open. Is it anything new?
----------'
try Firefox. For some reason it didn't work on Safari.

No, nothing new...just a rant, I think he expected Holiday to go to the Yankees.

Submitted by Andrew
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 4:06pm

I was using Firefox actually but no luck. If it's just some dude ranting (from New York, at that) I'm kinda glad it didn't open.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 4:36pm

might want to rethink those writer photos

http://danny-knobler.blogs.sportsline.com/mcc/blog...

Braves think they have the best offer for Peavy, but have also contacted Dempster's and Burnett's agents.

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 4:45pm

harvey pekar approves

Submitted by 10man
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 5:44pm

I could've sworn that was Rob torching all those unbelievers in the ESPN comments.

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 5:50pm

eyre reups with the phillies...2m+ incentives

http://www.delawareonline.com/blogs/2008/11/nov-10...

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 5:52pm

Should the Cubs be interested in Huston Street at all? Would make re-signing Wood a much lower priority. You could close with Street or use Marmol and put in Street in set-up work. Either way, would save the Cubs some money.

The Roto story suggests the Rockies might be in a real money bind. Which raises the question for me: Brad Hawpe, available? Would solve the Cubs' need for a LH hitting RF. Would also make the Cubs the all-time favorite team of every LSU Tigers fan in the world, LOL.

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 6:19pm

"Outfielder Shane Victorino, a spark plug in the Philadelphia Phillies' postseason run, hosting a World Series championship party for his family and friends on Sunday in the VIP bowling suite inside Red Rock Lanes at Red Rock Resort. Among his friends joining him was Reed Johnson of the Chicago Cubs. Victorino lives in Las Vegas in the off-season. "

http://www.lvrj.com/news/34191634.html

Why isn't he in mourning like the rest of us?

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 6:23pm

cuz the alcohol is free.

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 7:04pm

oh that's right....carry on.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 6:52pm

to sign Dempster and Wood before other teams can start making offers...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM...

first, Dempster's smart enough to know his stuff is best suited to the National League. Second, although it's been reported that he's asking for five years and $70 million from the Cubs, he has apparently told the team he is willing to give them a discount in terms of money and years to stay with them in the event they acquire Peavy, and help form what would be a beastly starting rotation. From spending a couple of days with the Cubs and Dempster down the stretch, it's pretty clear Chicago's where his heart is, and my guess both sides would make it work.

Submitted by Charlie
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 8:46pm

It's cool to see a player that wants to make his team great (or wants to be on a great team?) more than he wants the extra five million on top of the tens of millions he'll surely be making anyway. Then again, if everyone did this, it would be the death of parity... I don't care though, because it's the Cubs who would benefit most.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 9:53pm

No doubt that's cool. Any team where Jason Marquis is the sixth starter has a monster rotation. Hot stove fever: As good as this team was for six months last year, it's exciting they could stand to be even better (on paper) within the next two months.

Submitted by Chad
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 7:10pm

I got Willingham and Olsen to the nats for for 2B Emelio Bonaficio and P PJ Dean

anyone?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 7:12pm

winner

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3694827

that trade sounds incredibly dumb for the Marlins or is just me? Shortstop Jake Smolinski goes to the Marlins as well.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 7:15pm

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-11-06...

Towers, who expects Peavy to be traded before the Dec. 8 winter meetings, said one of the three teams wants a decision by Nov. 14, the first day free agents can solicit offers from all clubs.

obviously the Braves are the team demanding that and hopefully they fuck themselves with their demands.

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 7:30pm

Some asshole calls in at 15 minute mark asking about Volquez voting-

http://www.670thescore.com/topic/play_window.php?a...

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 11/11/2008 - 7:20am

just one more thing to worry about...sure would be nice to have a diagnosis as to what is the cause of him still hurting after a full month of rest...

from Paul Sullivan's Trib article on Soto:

Soto disclosed Monday that he's still taking painkillers for the sore left hand that started bothering him in mid-September.

"It's still hurting right now," Soto said. "It feels like the worst hurt you could have without being injured. It was a pain I couldn't really shake. After I hit the ball, you'd have to give me five or six minutes and it would go away. It was giving me nagging pain … It didn't hurt catching, but it didn't help it to get better either, so I just had to play through it."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs...

and the similar article from Gordon Wittenmeyer in the Sun-Times is a bit more reassuring:

-- despite finishing the season with a hand injury he admitted was worse than he let on at the time.

He said the hand -- which he hurt on a swing the at-bat before a huge ninth-inning, game-tying homer against Milwaukee Sept. 18 -- still hurt Monday but that he's taking medication and doing rehab exercises. He said he's not worried about it lingering into spring training and expects to be 100 percent in about a month.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/12720...

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