2014 Greatness In Baseball Yearly Awards

The 2014 Greatness In Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) award winners were announced Saturday night on MLB Network. The GIBBY awards — which began in 2002, but were referred to as the ‘This Year In Baseball Awards’ until 2010 — are awarded annually for a number of different categories (25 this year), including Rookie of the Year, Play of the Year, MVP of the Year, etc.

These awards are voted on by the media, front office personnel, former players, fans and the fans society for American baseball research, and given to the winner seen as the best for each category. Below are the 2014 GIBBY award winners with my thoughts on each:

Most Valuable Major Leaguer

My pick: Clayton Kershaw

Winner: Clayton Kershaw

This was the year of Kershaw. After winning the Cy Young award and picking up the Most Valuable Player award as well for the season, Clayton Kershaw also takes home the Most Valuable Major Leaguer award. Leading all of baseball in wins (21) and ERA (1.77) despite missing the first month of the season, Kershaw was pretty remarkable.

Everyday Player of the Year

My pick: Jose Altuve

Winner: Mike Trout

This category was origninally refered to as the Hitter of the Year award, which is why I went with Jose Altuve. But Mike Trout was in fact the most deserving player of the honor. Having a career high in both home runs and RBI’s, with 36 and 111, respectively, Trout takes home this award with ease.

Staring Pitcher of the Year

My pick: Clayton Kershaw

Winner: Clayton Kershaw

As with the category of Most Valuable Major Leaguer, this was a no brainer. Having won so many awards this year, I’ve run out of things to say about Kershaw. So I’ll just say something everyone already knew: Kershaw was brilliant this season. It’s as simple as that.

Rookie of the Year

My pick: Jose Abreu

Winner: Jose Abreu

Although there were many good candidates for Rookie of the Year from the 2014 season, one player stood far above the rest. Slugging the sixth most home runs ever by a rookie, with 36, Jose Abreu takes home this GIBBY, after becoming the first rookie in history to finish the year in the top five of all three Triple Crown statistics.

Closer of the Year

My pick: Craig Kimbrel

Winner: Greg Holland

I had Craig Kimbrel winning this award after the great season he put together once again for the Braves, but instead it was Greg Holland receiving the hardware. I can’t argue too much. Holland had a season worth of recognition, posting a 1.44 ERA over the course of 62.1 regular season innings, and was a valuable asset of the Royals’ postseason run.

Setup Player of the Year

My pick: Dellin Betances

Winner: Wade Davis

This was a rather difficult award to pick a winner from, but although I had Dellin Betances winning the GIBBY, it ended up going to the Royals’ Wade Davis. Coming over from the Rays a couple of seasons ago, Davis used to be a starting pitcher, but after recording a 1.00 ERA on the season, it’s likely he’s going to stay put as a setup man.

Defensive Player of the Year

My pick: Andrelton Simmons

Winner: Andrelton Simmons

Although another tough choice, this award was made for guys like Andrelton Simmons. Seemingly making an unbelievable play every single night, Simmons is one of those players that makes even the most difficult of plays look routine. In addition to the GIBBY, Simmons also won his second career Gold Glove last month.

Breakout Everyday Player of the Year

My pick: J.D. Martinez

Winner: Jose Altuve

I chose J.D. Martinez, simply because of the amazing season he had after the Astros released him in March, but you can’t argue with Jose Altuve winning. Becoming the first player since Ichiro in 2001 to lead the league in average (.341), hits (225) and stolen bases (56), Altuve had a special season extremely worth of the GIBBY.

Breakout Pitcher of the Year

My pick: Corey Kluber

Winner: Corey Kluber

The Angels’ Garrett Richards likely would’ve been the recipient of this award had he not gotten injured towards the end of the season. But regardless, Corey Kluber more than did enough for the GIBBY. Kluber started with a decent season, posting a 3.01 ERA before the All-Star break, but finished strong, closing out the second half with a 1.73 ERA.

Bounceback Player of the Year

My pick: Casey McGehee

Winner: Johnny Cueto

I found it hard to believe that Casey McGehee wasn’t even a finalist after the year he put together following a 2013 season in Japan. But I don’t disagree with the award winner. Johnny Cueto would’ve won the Cy Young award, had it not have been for Clayton Kershaw, as he went a great 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA over 34 starts this year.

Manager of the Year

My pick: Bruce Bochy

Winner: Bruce Bochy

Usuably the manager that leads their team to a Fall Classic victory is the winner of Manager of the Year. However, while Bruce Bochy takes home the GIBBY for this category, the official manager of the year for the N.L. went to Matt Williams. Still, what Bochy has been able to do over the course of his career is unbelievable.

Executive of the Year

My pick: Brian Sabean

Winner: Dayton More

Making the postseason for the first time since 1985, it’s little surprise that the Royals’ general manager won the GIBBY for Executive of the Year. He was very deserving, despite the fact that I had the Giants’ general manager, Brian Sabean, taking home the hardware.

Postseason Most Valuable Player

My pick: Madison Bumgarner

Winner: Madison Bumgarner

What Clayton Kershaw was to the regular season, Madison Bumgarner was to the postseason — and then some. Setting a new postseason innings record by throwing 52.2 innings over the span of the playoffs, there is little doubt that the Giants wouldn’t have won the Championship without Bumgarner, who now holds a career 0.25 World Series ERA.

Play of the Year

My pick: Souza saves no-hitter

Winner: Souza saves no-hitter

There were numerous terrific plays throughout the season, however, Steven Souza’s diving catch to save Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter was the one that everyone agreed was the best. Coming on as a defensive replacement, Souza’s catch, happening on the last day of the regular season, secured the first no-no in Nationals’ history.

Outfield Throw of the Year

My pick: Cespedes’ incredible throw

Winner: Cespedes’ incredible throw

I’ve seen a lot of great throws in my time as a baseball fan, but few top the one made by Yoenis Cespedes against the Angels in June. After bobbling the baseball, Cespedes turned a sure run into an amazing out. Just as “The Catch” made by Willie Mays is forever tied to him, “The Throw” made by Cespedes will forever be linked to him.

Moment of the Year

My pick: 2 good to be true

Winner: 2 good to be true

No moment this season topped the walk off hit by Derek Jeter in his last game of his career at Yankee stadium. Though Jeter has dozens of amazing moments to choose from, this may be the most incredible of them all. This becomes the seventh career GIBBY award for Jeter — a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Storyline of the Year

My pick: Farewell, Captain

Winner: Instant Improvement

I had Derek Jeter’s final season being the storyline of 2014, but it didn’t end up winning. Instead, the topic of expanded instant replay takes home the GIBBY. Admittedly, it was interesting to see the great progress made by instant replay this season, but I still think Jeter should’ve won. However, even he can’t win them all.

Hitting Performance of the Year

My pick: Chisenhall’s career night

Winner: Chisenhall’s career night

There were several superb hitting performances this season, including Yasiel Puig recording three triples in a game (that’s something you may never see again). But in the end, none could overtake the night Lonnie Chisenhall had in June. By going 5-5 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI’s, Chisenhall earns this award without much argument.

Pitching Performance of the Year

My pick: Kerfection

Winner: Kerfection

Every time Clayton Kershaw takes the mound, I find myself tuning in to see him pitch. Every single time. Kershaw is one of those once in a generation players that is must see T.V. He sure was that way back in June when he tossed his first career no-hitter — a 15 strikeout gem in which he came a single error shy of a perfect game.

Oddity of the Year

My pick: Wild pitch scores three

Winner: Wild pitch scores three

Have you ever seen a single wild pitch score three runs? No? Me either. That is, until it happened to the Brewers against the Rockies in Denver earlier this season. While there were a few other “odd” moments from 2014, this was by far the most unusual of the entire season.

Walk-off of the Year

My pick: A night 2 remember

Winner: A night 2 remember

Already winning an award for ‘Moment of the Year’, this GIBBY once again honored Derek Jeter’s walk off single against the Orioles in one of the most memorable moments in recent baseball history.

Cut4 Topic of the Year

My pick: 50 cent throw

Winner: Boy Gifts Baseball

The first pitch made by 50 cent at Citi Field this season was hands down the worst I’ve ever seen in my life, but it wasn’t bad enough, apparently, to win the GIBBY for topic of the year. That honor went to the boy who gave a souvenir baseball to a girl sitting behind him. For me, I’ve seen that too many times. I don’t agree with this GIBBY.

Postseason Play

My pick: No Panik

Winner: No Panik

There were several great plays made throughout the postseason that could’ve won this GIBBY, but the double play started by Joe Panik during game seven of the World Series was the best. Given its importance, with the Giants going on to win the championship, the diving stop and flip throw by Panik was one of the best double plays you’ll ever see.

Postseason Walk-off

My pick: Wild ending spurs Royals

Winner: Walk-off Down Memory Lane

While I had Salvador Perez’s walk off hit to send the Royals to the American League Division Series being the winner, the home run by Travis Ishikawa was deserving too. The first walk off homer to send a team to the World Series since Bobby Thomson in 1951, Ishikawa put his name in the history books with his memorable blast.

Postseason Storyline

My pick: Wild win sparks Royals’ run

Winner: Wild win sparks Royals’ run

If it couldn’t win for the last category, I’m glad to see that the walk off single by Salvador Perez took home the GIBBY for postseason storyline. With the Royals making the playoffs for the first time since 1985, the hit by Perez started the amazing run by the Royals that saw them coming up a win shy of a World Series title.