Dodgers Boast Two Silver Sluggers

By Paul Jensen

The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielders Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp both won their first Silver Slugger Awards, emblematic of the best offensive player at each position in the American and National Leagues, on November 12.

The Dodgers were one of three teams with two representatives earning the distinction, joining the Yankees (Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira) and Blue Jays (Aaron Hill and Adam Lind). The last time Los Angeles had two winners in the same season was 1995 when Mike Piazza and Eric Karros won the awards at catcher and first base, respectively. The last Dodger outfielder to capture the award was Kirk Gibson in 1988.

Ethier — Ethier hit .272 while establishing career highs in hits (162), doubles (42), home runs (31), RBI (106), walks (72), and runs (92). The right fielder became the fourth Dodger in franchise history to amass at least 40 doubles and 30 home runs, joining Babe Herman (1930), Raul Mondesi

Photo by Jon Soo Hoo

(1997), and Karros (1999). The Arizona native tied for sixth in the National League in RBI and fifth in doubles.

Ethier also displayed a flair for the dramatic, leading the major leagues with six walk-off hits, including a major-league record-tying four walk-off home runs. Jimmie Foxx in 1940, Roy Sievers in 1957, and Ethier this past season are the only players in baseball history to hit four walk-off homers in a season. In addition, the fourth-year player’s six multi-homer games tied Ryan Howard for the second most in the major leagues, trailing only Albert Pujols (10).

Kemp — Kemp joins the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman as the only two players in 2009 to claim Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. Kemp is one of three Dodgers to win both awards in the same season, joining Dusty Baker (1981) and Russell Martin (2007).

Photo by Jon Soo Hoo

Kemp established career highs with 26 home runs, 101 RBI, 180 hits, 97 runs scored, and 52 walks while leading the Dodgers in runs, hits, stolen bases (34), and batting average (.297). The Oklahoma native became the first Dodger in franchise history to post at least 25 homers, 100 RBI, and 30 stolen bases in a season and just the eighth to hit at least 20 homers and steal 30 or more bases.

The Gold Glove center fielder tied a Dodger franchise record by hitting three grand slams this season and he led the squad with 49 multi-hit games. Kemp’s 10 RBI in extra innings was the most by a major leaguer since Juan Gonzalez in 1991 and his .362 average vs. left-handed pitching ranked sixth in the National League.

The Dodger duo of Ethier and Kemp were the first set of Dodger teammates to each drive in 100 runs since Shawn Green and Gary Sheffield in 2001. Ethier, Kemp, and Manny Ramirez combined to hit 76 home runs this season, the second-most prodigious in baseball behind the Phillies’ trio of Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, and Shane Victorino who hit 80.

The last Dodger to win a Silver Slugger was Martin in 2007. Since the creation of the award in 1980, a Dodger has taken home the honor 21 times, led by Piazza’s five trophies.

The Award — The Silver Slugger award winners are determined by a vote of Major League Baseball coaches and managers who name the players they feel are the best offensive producers at each position in both the American and National Leagues. Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage as well as the coaches’ and managers’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value. Managers and coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams.

The specially designed Silver Slugger Award will be presented to each player by a representative of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., makers of Louisville Slugger, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, in a ceremony early in the 2010 season. The trophy is three feet tall and bears the engraved name of the winner and his Silver Slugger teammates in his respective league.

The Silver Slugger Award was instituted by Louisville Slugger in 1980 as a natural extension of the Silver Bat Award which is, as its name indicates, a silver-plated bat presented by Louisville Slugger to the batting champions in the American and National leagues. This year’s Silver Bat Award winners are Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins and Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins.

__________________________________________________________________

Joe Jareck (Los Angeles Dodgers public relations department) contributed to this story.