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Youkilis Wins 2008 Aaron Award For The AL
By Administrator | October 26, 2008
Prior to the beginning of tonight’s World Series Game Four, Major League Baseball announced that Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis and Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez have been chosen as the winners of the 2008 Hank Aaron Award.
The Hank Aaron Award was introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record of 714… at the time, it was the first new major award introduced by MLB in more than 25 years.
The winner is determined by the voting of fans and major league broadcasters. Fans cast 230,000 votes at MLB.com in the sixth consecutive year that fans have had a voice in selecting the award winners in this fashion. The Hank Aaron Award recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each league.
At a news conference before the game, Commissioner Bud Selig said: “We have two great hitters in Major League Baseball this year who won this award… Hank, I’d like to thank you once again for joining us in presenting this award. Aramis and Kevin, both of you had outstanding seasons in your respective leagues”.
Of Youkilis and Ramirez, Aaron said: “These guys have demonstrated that they can play the game of baseball the way it’s meant to be played. The most home runs I ever hit in a season was 47 (in 1971). And that was it. No more. And I just want to say, really, I offer my congratulations to the two of them. And believe me that it just takes teamwork, and I’m sure that things are going to work out fine for them”.
Youkilis set career highs with a .312 batting average (6th in the AL), 29 HR and 115 RBI (4th in the league)… he averaged an RBI for every 4.7 at-bats (the best ratio in the AL). He had 76 extra-base hits (4th in the AL), accumulated a .390 on-base percentage (6th in the league) and a .569 slugging percentage (3rd in the league).
Youkilis was a first-time All-Star in 2008… he started at first base in the Midsummer Classic at Yankee Stadium.
Youk said: “Well, I don’t think I can ever compare myself to Hank Aaron in any way. I’ll never see myself in that level. So to win this award, I don’t know, I’m a little humbled by it. But it’s great just to be able to have an award that’s named after somebody that exemplified so much in this game and has brought so much history to this game. It’s an honor just to be named in the same sentence. So for me, I’m thrilled”.
Past winners of the Hank Aaron Award include: Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa (1999); Carlos Delgado and Todd Helton (2000); Rodriguez and Barry Bonds (2001, ‘02); Rodriguez and Albert Pujols (’03); Manny Ramirez and Bonds (’04); David Ortiz and Andruw Jones (’05); Derek Jeter and Ryan Howard (’06); and Rodriguez and Fielder (’07).
Topics: MLB Annual Awards, Sox Players |
