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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Hellickson walks away with rookie of the year award

Posted Nov 14, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Nov 14, 2011 at 03:04 PM

BY ROGER MOONEY
ST. PETERSBURG Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was the overwhelming choice for the American League Rookie of the Year as voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of American and announced this afternoon.

Hellickson received 17 out of a possible 28 first place votes and finished with 102 points, easily outdistancing Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo, the runner-up who received five first place votes and 63 points.

Rays left fielder Desmond Jennings finished tied for seventh with one point coming on a lone third place vote.

Hellickson, 24, is the second Ray to be named rookie of the year by the BBWAA, joining third baseman Evan Longoria, the 2008 winner. He is the 10th starting pitcher to win the award and only the second in the last 30 elections, joining Detroit’s Justin Verlander, who won in 2006.

Hellickson was 13-10 in 2011, his first full season in the big leagues, and help the Rays erase a 9 ½-game deficit in the Wild Card on Sept. 2 to reach the playoffs by going 2-0 with a 2.28 ERA in five September starts.

While Yankee rookie Ivan Nova had a better won-loss record, 16-4, Hellickson took home the prize because of his other numbers, such as …

—He led all major league rookie pitchers in ERA (2.95), innings pitched (189), starts (29), quality starts (20) and opponents’ batting average (.210). Nova’s ERA was 3.70.

—Hellickson’s 2.95 ERA was eighth overall in the AL.

—His .210 opponents’ batting average was third lowest in the majors behind Verlander (.192) and the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (.207).

—Since 1900 only five rookies who pitched enough innings to qualify for the ERA title finished with an ERA and opponents’ average as low as Hellickson’s.

—He received one run or less of support while on the mound in nine of his 10 losses. The Rays were shutout in five of Hellickson’s starts.

—He averaged 19.6 outs per starts, the most by an AL rookie since Steve Sparks did that in 1995 with Milwaukee.

—Hellickson pitched seven or more innings 14 times, the most among major league rookies.

—He pitched two complete games. The rest of the AL rookie pitchers combined to throw one.

—His post-All-Star Break ERA of 2.64 was third lowest among all AL starters.

The 28 voters, two in each American League city, listed three names on their ballots in first, second and third place order. The points system is based on five points for first place, three for second place and one for third place.

Here are the results of the BBWA Vote:

Player, Club 1st 2nd 3rd Points
Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays 17   5   2 102
Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim   5 11   5   63
Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals   4   4   6   38
Ivan Nova, New York Yankees   1   5 10   30
Michael Pineda, Seattle Mariners   3   2   11
Dustin Ackley, Seattle Mariners   1   1   6
Desmond Jennings, Tampa Bay Rays   1   1
Jordan Walden, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim   1     1