Yesterday the 30 beat writers at MLB.com revealed their votes for "Comeback Player of the Year" and Jacoby Ellsbury took the American League award.
Ellsbury was one of very few high points for the Red Sox this season. After missing all but 18 games in the 2010 season, in 2011 Ellsbury became the third active player in MLB to record at least 200 hits, 100 runs, 100 RBI, 30 home runs and 35 stolen bases (fourth player in MLB history) and he became the first player ever for the Red Sox to get 30 stolen bases and 30 home runs.
The award is well-deserved and a bit of a surprise given Ellsbury was berated by many in the sports media as being "soft" after he spent most of 2010 on the disabled list with cracked ribs. He started strong and ended strong batting .358 to end the season with 8 home runs in the dismal September the Red Sox had, being one of the only bright spots in the midst of the team's collapse. The comeback award could be a precursor to Ellsbury winning the league's MVP award (voted for before the season ends but the end of the season awards won't be revealed until the World Series is over).
Even with his great season, he's been criticized recently (in both pieces by Jackie MacMullen and Bob Hohler) for not doing more to help the attitude in the clubhouse because he tends to keep to himself. Instead of getting caught in the muck that was the deteriorating attitude of the team, he played hard the entire season, not only putting up good numbers for himself but doing what he could to help the team, finishing the season with a hit in every game except for the one on September 15th, including 8 home runs.
Lance Berkman, of the St. Louis Cardinals, was voted National League Comeback Player of the Year. Unlike Ellsbury, Berkman's team is currently playing in the League Championship Series, tied at two games apiece with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Regardless of Ellsbury's record-making season, the fact that his team collapsed in September and didn't make the playoffs could hurt his chances for receiving the votes for MVP.
Comments