News
Giants' effort recognized in TYIB Awards
Turnaround '09 results in four nominees for annual honor
By Chris Haft / MLB.com
11/25/09 4:38 PM EST
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants' 2009 turnaround, resulting in their first winning record since 2004, was a collective effort, but that didn't obscure the individual performances that sustained the surge. The recognition was made evident by the club's quartet of nominees for the 2009 MLB.com This Year in Baseball Awards.
The ballot boxes will close at 4:59 p.m. PT 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.
Right-hander Tim Lincecum, who won his second consecutive National League Cy Young Award last week, is among the favorites to take home top starting pitcher in the Major Leagues. Lincecum faces stiff competition from American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke and Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia, who was last year's TYIB winner.
The other nominees are also pitchers, reflecting the season-long excellence the Giants displayed on the mound. Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, who no-hit the San Diego Padres on July 10, joins White Sox hurler Mark Buehrle, among others, in the top performance category. Buehrle threw a perfect game and only a fielding error separated Sanchez, who struck out 11 Padres on his big night, from a perfecto. Future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson became a nominee for the top moment distinction by collecting his 300th career victory, an achievement he reached June 4 at Washington. The 6-foot-10 left-hander is no stranger to the TYIB Awards, having captured the top performance honor in 2004 for throwing a perfect game at Atlanta as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Reliever Jeremy Affeldt, another left-hander, is a leading contender in the setup-man category. Affeldt led all NL relievers with a 1.73 ERA and 18 double-play grounders induced. By amassing 33 holds, Affeldt shared the Major League lead with Minnesota's Matt Guerrier, also a top nominee. Fans looking to cast thier TYIB vote can do so here.Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
