2009 Arizona Diamondbacks Awards

Welcome to the 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks Award Ceremony.

Now, you may be thinking that a last place team that fell short of all expectations may not be worthy of an awards ceremony, but we disagree. And since the D-Backs subscribed to the Little League theory that everyone plays (144 different lineups in 2009), everyone will get a participation trophy. Yes, even Eric Byrnes.

So let’s get started with the awards…

Best Personnel Move: Trading Jon Rauch to Minnesota

In his two partial seasons in Arizona, Rauch became one of the most unpopular players in team history. The 6′11″ right hander went 2-8 in a Diamondbacks’ uniform, but is 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA since joining the Minnesota Twins, who are one game away from a division title. In return, the Diamondbacks got right hander Kevin Mulvey, who made 4 starts in September, and could be a candidate for the 5th spot in the rotation in 2010. If nothing else, this trade was good for Rauch’s psyche–I’m sure he got sick of being booed every time the bullpen door opened.

Statistic of the Year: Mark Reynolds, 223 strikeouts

I know it’s not a stat that anybody wants to be associated with, but you’ve got to give Reynolds credit for one thing…when he breaks a record, he smashes the hell out of it. He topped his own strikeout mark set last year by 19! Reynolds played in 155 games this season, and had 26 games where he didn’t strike out, and 25 games of 3 or more strikeouts.

Play of the Year: Triple Play vs. the Dodgers

Back in May, the Diamondbacks turned just their second triple play in team history against the Dodgers. It featured Josh Wilson catching a line drive, flipping to Felipe Lopez at second to retire that runner, and then over to Conor Jackson at first to complete the trifecta. Wilson, Lopez, and Jackson? Are we sure that was this year? None of those players was anywhere to be found in September.

Quote of the Year: “So what?” - Mark Reynolds

After eclipsing the previously-mentioned single-season strikeout record, Reynolds was asked about the dubious honor. His reply? “So what?” Either you love that response, or it makes your head hurt.
Runner-up: “The lack of experience is overwhelmed by understanding what organizational advocacy is.” - GM Josh Byrnes on newly-named manager A.J. Hinch.

Most Improved Player: Miguel Montero

Montero was considered a weak-defensive player, and an average hitter. But since he bats left-handed, he was also a nice backup for every day catcher Chris Snyder. That all changed in 2009. By the end of the season, Montero was hitting in the cleanup spot for manager A.J. Hinch and ranked 4th among MLB catchers with a .294 batting average. Miggy’s definitely the starting catcher headed into 2010.

Rookie of the Year: Gerardo Parra

Parra made an early splash by homering in his first MLB at-bat off of Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto back in May, and continued his steady play all season long. Parra ranked 2nd among all National League rookies in hits (132) and rbi (60), while placing 4th in batting among all NL rooks with more than 300 at-bats with a .290 average. Not bad for a guy who started the season in Double-A.

Pitcher of the Year: Dan Haren

Haren was masterful in the first half of the season and was arguably the best pitcher in baseball prior to the All-Star Game. The second half? Not so much, as Haren’s ERA ballooned to 4.62 after the unofficial midway point of the season. Haren still finished 14-10 with a 3.14 ERA, which ranked him 13th in the National League. As predicted by many, the lack of meaningful games in the second half of the season took its toll on Haren.

Most Valuable Player: Mark Reynolds

Is there any question about this? Reynolds did set a single-season strikeout record for the 2nd year in a row, but improved in so many other areas. He increased his home runs by 16, his rbis by 5, his batting average by 21 points, and cut down his errors by 10. He also became the team’s vocal leader and continually sacrificed himself by launching his body into the stands for foul balls. I know the Diamondbacks finished in last place in 2009, but it wasn’t because of Mark Reynolds, that’s for sure.

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