NewsRockies in hunt for TYIB Awards
Playoff run earns nominations for Tracy, Jimenez, Tulowitzki
By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
11/25/09 4:50 PM EST
The 2009 season was one to remember for the Rockies, with the team falling 12 games under .500 on June 3 before going on a tear the rest of the way to clinch the third playoff berth in franchise history.Manager Jim Tracy was a major part of that shift as he took over a Rockies club with an 18-28 record, then guided them to a 74-42 finish to win the National League Wild Card with a 92-70 overall record.
For his efforts, Tracy was named NL Manager of the Year, and now Rockies fans have a chance to earn him one more honor as Tracy is up for a 2009 This Year in Baseball Award along with general manager Dan O'Dowd, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez and center fielder Dexter Fowler.
The ballot boxes will close at 5:59 p.m. MT 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.
Tracy is a favorite for the TYIB Manager of the Year Award for turning around the Rockies season after Clint Hurdle was dismissed on May 29.
The Rockies pushed the Dodgers to the brink in the NL West despite trailing by as many as 15 1/2 games in early June, but ultimately lost the division on the second-to-last day of the season.
The club still advanced to the postseason as the NL Wild Card, but fell to the Phillies in four games in the NL Division Series.
It was still a successful season for the Rockies, and Tracy was rewarded with a three-year extension the same day it was announced he won NL Manager of the Year honors.
Tracy has tough competition for the TYIB Manager of the Year Award with Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, Angels manager Mike Scioscia and Dodgers manager Joe Torre emerging as top candidates.
Tracy also couldn't have done his job without career years from a few of his players, including Jimenez, who emerged as the team's ace, and Tulowitzki, who had a monster year at the plate while playing outstanding defense at shortstop.
Jimenez had a career year with a 15-12 record and a 3.47 ERA to along with 198 strikeouts in 218 innings pitched. But his season seemed to fly under the radar, perhaps because of his record, so he's nominated for the Unsung Star of the Year Award along with fellow unheralded players like the Rays' Ben Zobrist, the Phillies' Jayson Werth and the Blue Jays' Adam Lind.
Meanwhile, Tulowitzki was nominated for Best Defensive Player as well as Performance of the Year when he hit for the cycle in a 5-for-5 effort against the Cubs on Aug. 10.
Tulowitzki showed his range and cannon of an arm all season at shortstop for the Rockies while making it all look effortless.
But it's going to take some effort by the voters to win him the award, as other top candidates include Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and Angels center fielder Torii Hunter.
And he also faces some tough challengers in the Performance of the Year category with White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle's perfect game as the front-runner along with Giants left-hander Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter.
If Tulowitzki wins either award, it'll be his second TYIB honor, as he won for best rookie in 2007.
Speaking of rookies, Fowler is up for Postseason Moment of the Year when he jumped over Phillies second baseman Chase Utley in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the Division Series.
The heads-up baserunning play led to a rally for the Rockies as they scored three runs that inning to take a late lead. They ultimately lost, 5-4, and were sent home from the postseason.
It was one of the top moments of the 2009 postseason, but it has strong competition with all of the moments the Yankees had on the way to their 27th World Series title as well as Rollins' walk-off hit in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers.
Finally, O'Dowd is up for Executive of the Year after crafting the Rockies' roster that is full of homegrown players.
In fact, when the Rockies clinched their playoff berth with a win against the Brewers on Oct. 1, the lineup that day had homegrown talent at all eight positions, and starting pitcher Aaron Cook came up through the club's farm system.
But O'Dowd will have a tough time against other deserving candidates such as the Yankees' Brian Cashman, the Red Sox's Theo Epstein, the Dodgers' Ned Colletti, the Cardinals' John Mozeliak and the Phillies' Ruben Amaro Jr.
Rockies fans looking to cast their ballots for the TYIB Awards can vote here: http://www.mlb.com/mlb/awards/y2009/tyib/index.jsp
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
