News
Mauer in running for two TYIB Awards
Vote for catcher, five other Twins nominated for honors
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
11/25/09 5:00 PM EST
MINNEAPOLIS -- The 2009 season was full of many highlights for Twins catcher Joe Mauer, as evidenced by the American League MVP Award he won this week.
Offensively, there was the home run the catcher hit off Sidney Ponson in his first at-bat back with the Twins on May 1. There was the .414 batting average Mauer put together in the month of May and a 15-game hitting streak in August when he batted .524 and posted a .952 slugging percentage. It's a list that could go on and on.
But when it comes to defensive plays, it would be hard to top Mauer's running dive-and-tag play at home plate in the Twins' contest against the Yankees on May 17. Mauer delivered what some have called the best defensive play by a catcher when he made a head-first dive to tag Brett Gardner in the chest and prevent the winning run from scoring in the ninth inning. Mauer's stunning defensive stop is nominated for the This Year in Baseball Award for Play of the Year. His play is competing against other web gems such as Eric Bruntlett's unassisted triple play for the Phillies, Dewayne Wise's home-run-saving catch in Mark Buehrle's perfect game and Daniel Murphy's behind the back throw. The ballot boxes will close at 6:59 p.m. CT on Dec. 11. In 2008, a record 12 million votes were cast for the TYIB Awards, and that figure could be surpassed this time around as fans weigh in on the year's top hitter, pitcher, moments and more. The results of the voting will be revealed during the week of Dec. 14-18. The Twins have a total of six nominees in seven categories for the TYIB Awards with Mauer on the ballot in two categories. Mauer is also in the running for the Hitter of the Year honor, competing with notable hitters like Albert Pujols and Derek Jeter. The Twins catcher led the American League with his .365 average, .444 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage, making Mauer the first player to lead the AL in all three categories since the Royals' George Brett in 1980. And it all came after Mauer missed the entire month of April due to a lower back injury. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is one of the top contenders for the Manager of the Year honor. In 2009, Gardenhire led the Twins to an 87-76 record and their fifth AL Central division title in his eight years as manager. The club overcame a rash of injuries and a seven-game deficit in early September by winning 17 of their final 21 games, including a one-game tiebreaker with Detroit, to earn a postseason berth. Joe Nathan is one of only two closers in baseball history to deliver 36 or more saves in six consecutive seasons, so it's no surprise that he's nominated for the Closer of the Year. Nathan set the single-season saves record for the Twins in 2009 by recording 47 saves. He posted a 2.10 ERA while limiting batters to a .171 average. Nathan got some help in his save record thanks to the eighth-inning efforts of Twins reliever Matt Guerrier. The right-hander filled the primary setup role for Minnesota in 2009, and he's up for Setup Man of the Year, after posting 33 holds and a 2.36 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP. Alexi Casilla's walk-off hit in the 12th inning of the Twins' memorable tiebreaker win over the Tigers is nominated for Top Moment of the Year. Casilla delivered the hit off Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney in what was his only at-bat of the contest. Following the Twins' strong run at the end of the year to earn yet another postseason berth, Twins general manager Bill Smith is a nominee for Executive of the Year. Smith made four acquisitions for the Twins in the second half, trading for shortstop Orlando Cabrera at the Trade Deadline and pulling off waiver deals for Carl Pavano and Jon Rauch. The Twins players and coaching staff credited those additions with playing a large role in the club making the playoffs.Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
