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The results of
balloting conducted amongst 545 members of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America to elect
Major League Baseball players to the
United States
National Baseball Hall of Fame are announced.
Cal Ripken, Junior , having, across twenty-one
seasons as a
shortstop and
third baseman with the
Baltimore Orioles , stricken 3184
hits and 431
home runs , made 8214
assists and compiled on
defense a 4.14
range factor ; been named twice the
Most Valuable Player of the
American League (AL), twice the most valuable player of the
league's All-Star Game , and the AL
Rookie of the Year in
1982 ; claimed two
Gold Glove and eight
Silver Slugger Awards and honors as the Orioles
DHL Hometown Hero ; earned selection nineteen times to the All-Star Game and to the
Major League Baseball All-Century Team ; and
played in 2632
consecutive games , 502 more than
Lou Gehrig , theretofore the MLB record holder, and 417 more than
Sachio Kinugasa , theretofore the holder across
leagues of fully
professional baseball ; garners 537 votes to post the third-best percentage of votes (98.5
per cent ) ever achieved and the best of any
position player to win induction. Ripken and
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
sportswriter Rick Hummel , the winner of the
J. G. Taylor Spink Award , are joined in the
2007 induction class by
Tony Gwynn , who, having, across his twenty MLB seasons as a
right fielder with the
San Diego Padres , stricken 3141 hits,
stolen 319
bases ,
scored 1383
runs , and compiled a .338
batting average ; claimed five
Gold Glove and seven
Silver Slugger Awards , honors as the Padres DHL Hometown Hero, and, in
1998 , as Ripken in
1992 , the
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award ; earned selection fifteen times to the All-Star Game; and been eight times—including
four times consecutively —the
National League
batting titlist ; receives 532 votes to post the fifth-best per centage of any elected player. Three other players—
relief pitcher
Rich Gossage ,
left fielder
Jim Rice , and right fielder
Andre Dawson —receive at least 50 per cent of the vote, whilst starting pitcher
Bert Blyleven , having been named on 53.3 per cent of ballots
one year thither , is named on just 47.7 per cent of those cast; amongst players
eligible for the first time, only two—
first baseman and
designated hitter
Mark McGwire , a member of the
50- and
500-home run clubs , and right fielder and designated hitter
Harold Baines , winners respectively of 128 and 29 votes—are chosen by at least five per cent of voters.
Left-handed
starting pitcher
Barry Zito , by the
Oakland Athletics a first-round choice in the
2000
Major League Baseball (MLB)
First-Year Player Draft , having across his first seven
seasons with the Athletics been thrice a selection to the
league's All-Star Game , having in
2002 earned the
American League
Cy Young Awards , and having finished amongst the American League's top ten in
earned run average ,
walks plus hits per inning pitched ,
strikeouts four times and in
wins and
shutouts three times and as the league's leader in
games started four times, agrees as a
free agent to a seven-year,
US$ 126
million
contract with the
San Francisco Giants to become, ahead of
Mike Hampton , in
2001 the signer of an eight-year, US$120 million contract with the
Colorado Rockies , the
highest-paid pitcher ever and, after Hampton and
Kevin Brown , in
1999 the signer of a seven-year, US$105 million contract with the
Los Angeles Dodgers , just the third MLB pitcher and fourteenth MLB player to have signed a
super-US$100 million contract .
Having across his
fifteen seasons in
Major League Baseball earned selection to the
All-Star Game on four occasions, garnered the
1991
National League rookie of the year and
1994
National League most valuable player awards , earned thrice a
Silver Slugger Award and once a
Gold Glove Award , and been recognized five times as the
National League
Player of the Month ,
Houston Astros
first baseman
Jeff Bagwell , aged 38 years, announces his
retirement from
professional play ; he completes his career having compiled a .297
batting average , having
stricken 449
home runs , and having tallied 1,529
runs batted in .
The
New York Yankees , having twenty-nine days thither in
sealed bidding won the exclusive right to negotiate with
left-handed
starting pitcher
Kei Igawa –in
2003 the
Central League
most valuable player and
Sawamura Award winner and in
2002 ,
2004 , and
2006 the Central League
season
strikeouts leader–last of the
Pacific League 's
Seibu Lions , onto which, under the
Major League Baseball -
Nippon Professional Baseball
posting system , a
US$ 26,000,914
transfer fee , by nearly a factor of two over that paid in
2000 by the
Seattle Mariners to the
Orix Blue Wave for
right fielder
Ichiro Suzuki and behind only that paid ten days thither by the
Boston Red Sox to the
Pacific League 's
Seibu Lions upon the Red Sox's agreeing to a six-year, US$52
million
contract with
right-handed starting pitcher
Daisuke Matsuzaka –with the
Japan national team thrice a
winner at the
2006 World Baseball Classic and in view of such performance an
all-WBC selection and the Classic
most valuable player –the
second greatest-ever , reach agreement with Igawa on a five-year US$20
million
contract .
The recipients of the
player and manager awards for the
2006
Major League Baseball (MLB)
regular season are announced.
Minnesota Twins
first baseman
Justin Morneau , who finishes the season having
stricken 34
home runs ,
batted in 130
runs , and posted a
batting average of .321, receives fifteen of the thirty-two first-place votes cast by a panel of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America and, in the award's
Borda count system, outscores by fourteen points
New York Yankees
shortstop
Derek Jeter to earn the
American League
Most Valuable Player Award , whilst
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman
Ryan Howard , in
2005 the
National League
Rookie of the Year , earns, in view of his having tallied 58 home runs, 149 runs batted in, and 108
walks , that league's most valuable player award; Howard totals twenty first-place votes to outpoint, 388-347,
Saint Louis Cardinals first baseman
Albert Pujols , the 2005 award winner.
In view of his becoming the
first MLB player since
Dwight Gooden (
1985 ) to complete a league-wide
triple crown by leading Major League Baseball in
earned run average (2.77),
wins (19), and
strikeouts (245),
Minnesota Twins
starting pitcher
Johan Santana wins
unanimously , as in
2004 the
American League
Cy Young Award ;
New York Yankees starting pitcher
Chien-Ming Wang , who, in his second MLB
season , wins 19 games and posts a 3.63 earned run average, outpoints in the
Borda count voting of twenty-eight members of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America , 51-48,
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Roy Halladay , the
2003 Cy Young winner, for second place, whilst
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
relief pitcher
Francisco Rodríguez , who, for his having recorded 47
saves and tallied a 1.73 earned run average and 1.10
walks plus hits per innings pitched average , is recognized as the
American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year , is the only other player to record a second-place vote and finishes with five points.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Brandon Webb , who wins 16 games, posts a 3.10 earned run average, and
pitches 235
innings , more than any other pitcher save one, receives fifteen of thirty-two first place and seven of thirty-two second place votes cast to win the
National League (NL)
Cy Young Award by twenty-six points over
San Diego Padres
relief pitcher
Trevor Hoffman , who tallies 46 saves during a season in which he displaces sixteen-
year
closer
Lee Smith from first place on the
enumeration of MLBers by career saves and who ultimately earns–as in
1998 –the
NL Relief Man of the Year Award , and by forty points over
Saint Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Chris Carpenter , the
2005 honoree.
Having finished the
regular season having
won 17 games and having posted the seventh-best
earned run average (3.63) amongst all
American League (AL)
starting pitchers , the
Detroit Tigers '
Justin Verlander , the second overall selection in the
2004
first-year player draft , who three days thither finishes seventh in voting for the AL
Cy Young Award , earns twenty-six of twenty-eight first-place votes cast by members of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), and, in the award's
Borda count
voting system , earns the AL
Rookie of the Year Award by 70 points over
Boston Red Sox
relief pitcher
Jonathan Papelbon , who records 35
saves but does
plays in just 59 games, and by 103 over
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher
Francisco Liriano , who tallies 144
strikeouts and wins 12 games but, having sustained an
elbow injury,
pitches just 121
innings , and who, as
Baltimore Orioles
right fielder
Nick Markakis , earns one first-place vote. Each of six players receives at least one first- or second-place vote from amongst the 32 of either cast by members of the BBWAA for the
National League
Rookie of the Year Award , and
shortstop
Hanley Ramirez —with
second baseman
Dan Uggla (55 points in the Borda count system);
starting pitcher
Josh Johnson (11); starting pitcher
Scott Olsen ; starting pitcher
Anibal Sánchez , the
sole MLB pitcher to have posted a
complete game
no-hitter since 18 May 2004; and
left fielder
Josh Willingham one of six
Florida Marlins players to have earned a vote—having, across the
2006 regular season,
hit 17
home runs ,
scored 119
runs , and
stolen 51 bases, outpoints by four, 105-101,
Washington Nationals
third baseman
Ryan Zimmerman –who, on the season, totals 20
home runs and 110
runs batted in and compiles a .965
fielding percentage –to win the award.
Although his team lose the
2006
World Series in
five games to the
Saint Louis Cardinals ,
Detroit Tigers
manager
Jim Leyland , having assumed control of the Tigers from
Alan Trammell upon the team's completing the
2005
regular season having won but 71 games and having helped his side to 95 wins in the
2006 season, earns nineteen of twenty-eight first-place votes cast by members of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) to outpoint, in the
Borda count
voting system employed by the BBWAA, by twenty-five, 118-93,
Minnesota Twins manager
Ron Gardenhire –who earns nine first-place votes–to claim the
American League
Manager of the Year Award and to become, after
Bobby Cox and
Tony LaRussa , just the third manager to have won the award in the American and
National Leagues and, after Cox, LaRussa, and
Dusty Baker , just the fourth manager to have won at least three Manager of the Year Awards across his career.
Joe Girardi , having been discharged as
Florida Marlins
manager despite his having helped the squad, in the
starting lineup of which regularly were four
rookies and in the
rotation of which were regularly three rookies, to an
overall record of 79-84, earns eighteen of thirty-two first-place votes cast and tallies 111 points in the Borda count voting to finish thirty points clear of
New York Mets manager
Willie Randolph –whose team, having captured the National League (NL)
East Division , ultimately falls to the
Saint Louis Cardinals in the
decisive seventh game of the
NL Championship Series –for the National League Manager of the Year Award;
Bruce Bochy (
San Diego Padres ) and
Grady Little (
Los Angeles Dodgers ), who lead teams to the
playoffs , also earn first-place votes and finish, respectively, 61 and 81 points adrift of Girardi.
Chicago White Sox
designated hitter
Jim Thome , having across the league's
2005
regular season
played in only 59 games and having across 193
at-bats recorded a
batting average of just .207 but having in the 2006 season
stricken 42
home runs , tallied 109
runs batted in , and earned selection to the
2006
All-Star Game , wins the
American League
Comeback Player of the Year Award ahead, in voting undertaken
online by
fans , of
Oakland Athletics designated hitter
Frank Thomas , whilst
Los Angeles Dodgers
first baseman
Nomar Garciaparra wins the
National League honor in view of his having completed the 2006 season having stricken 20 home runs, tallied 93 runs batted in and earned All-Star Game selection despite having contested just 62 games during the 2005 season–and having recorded nine home runs therein–and having played in 143 games total across the
2004 and 2005 seasons.
Amongst the
eighteen players to be honored with
Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for individual
fielding performance are five
American Leaguers —
Detroit Tigers
starting pitcher
Kenny Rogers (five), Detroit Tigers
catcher
Iván Rodríguez (twelve,
more than any other catcher ),
Oakland Athletics
third baseman
Eric Chavez (six),
Seattle Mariners
right fielder
Ichiro Suzuki (six), and
Minnesota Twins
center fielder
Torii Hunter —and three
National Leaguers —
Chicago Cubs and
Los Angeles Dodgers
starting pitcher
Greg Maddux (sixteen,
as many as
Jim Kaat and more than any other pitcher),
San Francisco Giants
shortstop
Omar Vizquel (eleven, more than any other shortstop save
Ozzie Smith ),
Saint Louis Cardinals
third baseman
Scott Rolen , and
Atlanta Braves
center fielder
Andruw Jones —of whom each wins a Gold Glove Award for at least the fifth time is his career, but amongst those eighteen honored for overall
offensive performance with
Louisville Silver Slugger Awards , is just one—
Boston Red Sox left fielder
Manny Ramírez (nine, more than any other
outfielder save
Barry Bonds )—who wins for at least the fifth time as thirteen players—including
American League (AL)
Most Valuable Player Minnesota Twins
first baseman
Justin Morneau , AL Most Valuable Player Award
runner-up
New York Yankees shortstop
Derek Jeter (who also wins his third consecutive Gold Glove),
Chicago Cubs
starting pitcher
Carlos Zambrano (who, in 73
at-bats in the
2006
regular season ,
strikes six
home runs and
bats in 11
runs ), and
National League
Most Valuable Player Philadelphia Phillies first baseman
Ryan Howard —win for the first time.
For the second consecutive year, the
champion of the
Japan Series wins the
Konami Cup Asia Series as the
Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters , two-and-one-half weeks thither the Japan Series titlist as
victor of the
Pacific League , having completed
round robin
pool play
undefeated and having
scored fifteen
runs and permitted just three, defeat the
La New Bears —winner of the
Chinese Professional Baseball League
2006
regular season and
Taiwan Series titlist—1-0 in a
championship round game to garner the
2006 iteration of the Asia Series; for his having recorded ten
strikeouts across seven
shutout
innings to
win the championship game, Hokkaidō
starting pitcher
Yu Darvish is named Series
most valuable player . The Bears, having lost to the Fighters in round robin play, 2-1, reach the final by virtue of the squad's 3-2
day three victory over the
Samsung Lions —champion, as in
2005 , of the
Korea Baseball Organization , three weeks thither in
five games over the
Hanhwa Eagles , and the
2005 Asia Series
runner-up to the
Chiba Lotte Marines —which side finish, having won only a
day two tie against the
China Stars, in
third place overall ; the Stars, composed of players selected from amongst the six
China Baseball League (CBL) constituent teams–including from the
Tianjin Lions , three months thither over the Guangdong Dragons in
three consecutive playoff games , CBL champions–finish, as in 2005, last overall, having scored just four runs and having conceded thirty-two.
At the
Sapporo Dome in the
eponymous city in
Japan , the
Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters ,
champion of the
Pacific League in
three consecutive games over the
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks , having lost, at the
Nagoya Dome , the first game of the series, 4-2, and having thereafter claimed three
straight victories , defeat the
Chunichi Dragons ,
champion , by
three-and-one-half games over
2005 league titlist
Hanshin Tigers , of the
Central League , which does not hold a
playoff , 4-1, to earn, in five games, the
best-of-seven-game
2006
Japan Series
pennant ; the
franchise captures its
second-ever Series and becomes the fourth consecutive
Pacific League side to garner the championship of
Nippon Professional Baseball and second consecutive such side, after the
Chiba Lotte Marines (
Bobby Valentine ) to be
managed by a native of the
United States (Trey Hillman ). The Fighters are led by
right fielder Atsunori Inaba , who compiles a .353
batting average ,
bats in seven
runs , and
strikes two
home runs across the Series to earn
most valuable player honors, and
relief pitcher
Micheal Nakamura , who
saves three games, whilst the Dragons are paced in defeat by right fielder
Kosuke Fukudome , the Central League most valuable player and
batting champion , who bats in two of the three runs the team scores against the second, third, and fourth games of the Series.