Awards

Rookie of the Year Award Winners

By Patrick Mondout

The Baseball Writers Association of America have awarded the Rookie of the Year Awards since 1947, with Jackie Robinson winning the initial award. There was only one "Major League" winner for the first two years, but there have been winners for each league since 1949.

The Chicago chapter of the BBWAA began giving out a Rookie of the Year award in 1940 (see winners below). The Sporting News started given out a similar award in 1946. The full BBWAA began voting on the award in 1947.

For the 40th anniversary of the award, it was renamed in honor of the first recipient. Thus it has officially been known since 1987 as the Jackie Robinson award.

The award has come under criticism in the past decade due to the influx of Japanese professional baseball players into the Major Leagues. Hideo Nomo, Kazuhiro Sasaki, and Ichiro Suzuki have won the years after years at the top of the Japanese leagues. Critics often want to have it both ways. They want to suggest that their accomplishments in those leagues should not count when deciding whether the players should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but they also want those same accomplishments to count against them when deciding whether or not they are considered rookies.

It would be unfair to label such people racists, but Major League baseball's rules for who is eligible for the award are clear:

• Fewer than 130 at bats and 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues or
• Fewer than 45 days on the active rosters of Major League clubs (excluding time on the disabled list, military time, or any time after rosters are expanded on September 1st)

The player closest to exceeding these thresholds and still winning the award was 1997 winner Scott Rolen. He was called up in August of 1996 by the Phillies and had accumulated 130 at bats before being injured by a pitch in what would have been his 131st. He did not play again that season and a HPB is not considered an "at bat."

Prior to the Super70s, the criteria varied. It was once 75 at bats/45 innings pitched or being "rostered" between May 15 and September 1st.

Votes come from two beat writers from each league city (two who cover the San Diego Padres, two who cover the Dodgers, etc.) who vote for their top three rookies. The votes are then  via a ranking system, with five points for a first place vote, three for a second, and one for a third.

Trivia

• Although a number of pitchers have won the award, only Bob Grim won at least 20 games in his rookie season.
• The Pittsburgh Pirates were the last of the original 16 franchises to win the award, with Jason Bay finally win the ROY in 2004.
• The Dodgers have won the award a record 16 times, including a record five in a row (1992-1996)!
• Ichiro Suzuki and Fred Lynn are the only players to win both the ROY and MVP in the same season.

The winners of the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA Rookie of the Year Award (then named the J. Louis Comiskey Memorial award):
1940 Lou Boudreau (Indians)
1941 Pete Reiser (Dodgers)
1942 Johnny Beazley (Cardinals)
1943 Billy Johnson (Yankees)
1944 Bill Voiselle (Giants)
1945 Boo Ferriss (Red Sox)
1946 Eddie Wiatkus (Cubs)

References