Fernando Rodney earned a pair of huge awards, being named the American League Comeback Player of the Year, and the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year. The Delivery Man award recognizes the most outstanding relief pitcher of the regular season, and is voted on by a panel from MLB.
Rodney was quoted as saying, “I was surprised by the year I had,” and “Next year, I want to be the same guy and do my job. I want to be the same person I am today.”
It bears mentioning that Rodney collected 48 saves in a career-high 76 appearances in his first year with the Rays. The 35 year-old reliever also earned his first All-Star selection following a disappointing 2011 season with the Angels, where he went 3-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 39 games. Fernando set the major league record for a relief pitcher with a minimum of 50 innings pitched with a 0.60 ERA, surpassing Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley who previously set the record with a 0.61 ERA set in 1990.
…And Because We Can’t Just Ignore the Yankees Postseason Collapse
A healthy round of applause go out to the Detroit Tigers for deflating the balloon like egos of A-Rod and company, sweeping the Yankees in four games in the ALCS. To add insult to injury, even ESPN wrote an article critical of the Bronx Bummers! Yes, you read that right, ESPN was critical of the Yankees! We cannot wait to see what the Yankees look like next season. With the hot-stove rumor mill a-cranking, word on the street is that we may not see the return of Soriano and Swisher because of money issues…yes, money issues. The question also begs, will we see the return of a healthy Rivera, Jeter, or Petite following their collective leg injuries? And then there’s the impotent bat of A-Rod…Oy vey. Sucks to be a Yankee fan!