Editorials

Kershaw Wins Most Valuable Major Leaguer, Three Total GIBBY Awards

Clayton Kershaw 3

While the major awards have been given out and publications have named their All-2014 teams, MLB had yet to announce the winners for the 2014 Greatness In Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) Awards heading into Saturday.



Collectively, the Los Angeles Dodgers had ties to 13 nominations in what was the 13th-annual GIBBY Awards with Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig each appearing in three categories. However, the Dodgers didn’t have finalists in all categories but there was a familiar name that continued to reign supreme — Kershaw’s.

The Dodger ace was named the Starting Pitcher of the Year, which he adds to a third Cy Young Award in four years and his first MVP Award. Kershaw won the GIBBY over AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, Madison Bumgarner and Felix Hernandez and 2014 marks the second consecutive year he’s won the award.

Despite missing one month of the regular season, Kershaw led all pitchers in wins, ERA, ERA+, WHIP and WAR. The southpaw also won the Pitching Performance of the Year Award for the no-hitter he threw against the Colorado Rockies that was a Hanley Ramirez error from being a perfect game.

Kershaw’s no-hitter was selected ahead of those by Tim Lincecum and Jordan Zimmermann, and Bumgarner’s relief appearance in Game 7 of the World Series. Kershaw completed the trifecta as he was also named the Most Valuable Major Leaguer ahead of Bumgarner and Mike Trout.

Kershaw received 35 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating Bumgarner’s 34.4 percent and Trout finished third with 30.6 percent. Kershaw received the majority of the vote from the Sabr community, reporters and broadcasters, and front office personnel.

Bumgarner held the majority among the fans and retired players, and Trout didn’t receive any majority votes.

Notes on other categories in which a Dodger did not win and/or wasn’t a finalist:

Yasiel Puig’s diving catch against the New York Mets wasn’t good enough to win Play of the Year, which instead went to Steven Souza for his dramatic catch in the ninth inning that preserved Zimmermann’s no-hitter.

Puig was also denied a GIBBY for Must C Outfield Throw of the Year as Yoenis Céspedes’ throw to get Howie Kendrick at the plate was picked ahead of Puig’s throwing out Brandon Belt at home.

Neither Dee Gordon or Puig won the Hitting Performance of the Year Award, which went to Lonnie Chisenhall for his 5-for-5 effort complete with three home runs and nine RBIs. Of the two Dodgers, only Puig was one of the four finalists for the award.

Don Mattingly’s guiding of the Dodgers to consecutive NL West titles couldn’t overcome Bruce Bochy’s World Series title with the San Francisco Giants and he was given the Manager of the Year Award.

Kenley Jansen earned 44 saves last season and moved into fifth place on the Dodgers’ All-Time saves list, but it was Kansas City Royals closer Greg Holland who was named Closer of the Year.

Matt Kemp’s resurgence didn’t earn him consideration for Comeback Player of the Year and he also lost out in a GIBBY for Bounceback Player of the Year as he wasn’t one of the finalists.

As for the Cut4 Topic of the Year, Mo’Ne Davis throwing out the first pitch lost out to a young fan giving a foul ball to a young female fan that was seated behind him at Fenway Park.

Josh Beckett’s first career no-hitter failed to qualify as one of the four finalists for Pitching Performance of the Year.

Vin Scully’s in-game video announcement of his intentions to return in 2015 for an unprecedented 66th season lost out to Derek Jeter’s walk-off hit in his final game at Yankee Stadium for Moment of the Year.

Staff Writer

Staff Writer features content written by our site editors along with our staff of contributing writers. Thank you for your readership.

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