Choo Voted Winner Of Newly Named Award

The Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America has voted outfielder Shin-Soo Choo its player of the year for the second season in a row. The writers also voted to rename the award in honor of Bob Feller, the ailing 92-year-old Hall of Famer. Voted winner of the Frank Gibbons-Steve Olin Good Guy Award was manager Manny Acta, in recognition for his cooperation with the media.

Feller, the biggest name in franchise history, was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. The Indians retired his uniform No. 19 in 1957.

Despite losing four seasons at the prime of his career while serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Feller is the franchise leader in wins (266), strikeouts (2,581), complete games (279), starts (484), innings pitched (3,827) and walks (1,764). He also ranks second with 44 shutouts (one behind Hall of Famer Addie Joss), 570 games pitched (12 behind Mel Harder), 162 losses (24 behind Harder) and is fourth with a .621 winning percentage, behind Bartolo Colon (.625), Joss (.623) and Wes Ferrell (.622).

Feller, battling leukemia with complications from pneumonia, was moved into a hospice last week.

Feller sat in the same seat in the press box nearly every game since Progressive Field opened in 1994. The writers and team plan to make that area a memorial to Feller.

The Man of the Year award has been presented since 1946 to the player judged by Cleveland writers as most valuable to the Indians for that particular season. Choo is only the fifth to win it in consecutive seasons, joining outfielder Manny Ramirez (1998-99), second baseman Carlos Baerga (1991-92), first baseman Mike Hargrove (1980-81) and left-hander Sam McDowell (1969-70). Ramirez shared the 1999 award with second baseman Roberto Alomar and McDowell tied catcher Ray Fosse in voting in 1970.

Choo led Cleveland in batting average (.300), doubles (31), homers (22), RBI (90), runs (81), hits (165), walks (83) and stolen bases (20) in addition to playing solid defense in right field.

Choo won in a unanimous vote over right-hander Chris Perez, the only other nominee. Perez claimed the closer's role when veteran Kerry Wood was injured early in the year. His emergence allowed the Indians to get out from under at least part of the remainder of Wood's rich contract in July by trading him to the New York Yankees.

Perez went 2-2 with a 1.71 ERA and 23 saves.

Perez also was nominated for the Good Guy Award, along with outfielder Shelley Duncan and Acta.

The award is named after late Cleveland Press sportswriter Frank Gibbons and Indians relief pitcher Steve Olin, who died in a boating accident during 1993 spring training. It symbolizes cooperation with the media, something that was positive trait displayed by Acta throughout his first season on the job in Cleveland.

The writers appreciated Acta's forthright comments during a disappointing season. Though injuries mounted and the Indians lost 93 games, Acta kept his sense of humor and willingly chatted baseball, providing insight on a variety of issues.

CLEVELAND BBWAA MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
RENAMED THE BOB FELLER AWARD IN 2010

YEAR	WINNER		YEAR	WINNER
1946	Bill Veeck	1947	Lou Boudreau
1948	Gene Bearden	1949	Bob Lemon
1950	Larry Doby	1951	Bob Feller
1952	Mike Garcia	1953	Al Rosen
	Bob Lemon		1954	Bobby Avila
	Early Wynn	1955	Al Smith
1956	Vic Wertz		1957	Gene Woodling
1958	Rocky Colavito	1959	Tito Francona
1960	Jim Perry		1961	Mel Harder
1962	Dick Donovan	1963	Max Alvis
1964	Don McMahon	1965	Rocky Colavito
1966	Sonny Siebert	1967	Max Alvis
1968	Luis Tiant	1969	Sam McDowell
1970	Ray Fosse		1971	Graig Nettles
	Sam McDowell	1972	Gaylord Perry
1973	Buddy Bell	1974	Gaylord Perry
1975	Dave LaRoche		Jim Perry
1976	Rico Carty	1977	Duane Kuiper
1978	Andre Thornton	1979	Dave Garcia
1980	Mike Hargrove	1981	Mike Hargrove
1982	Andre Thornton	1983	Rick Sutcliffe
	Toby Harrah	1984	Bert Blyleven
1985	Brett Butler	1986	Joe Carter
1987	Brook Jacoby	1988	Doug Jones
1989	Jerry Browne	1990	Doug Jones
1991	Carlos Baerga	1992	Carlos Baerga
1993	Albert Belle	1994	no award (baseball strike)
1995	Jose Mesa		1996	Albert Belle
1997	Sandy Alomar Jr.	1998	Manny Ramirez
1999	Roberto Alomar	2000	Travis Fryman
	Manny Ramirez	2001	Roberto Alomar
2002	Jim Thome		2003	Jody Gerut
2004	Victor Martinez	2005	Travis Hafner
2006	Grady Sizemore	2007	CC Sabathia
2008	Cliff Lee		2009	Shin-Soo Choo	
2010	Shin-Soo Choo

CLEVELAND BBWAA FRANK GIBBONS-STEVE OLIN GOOD GUY AWARD WINNERS

YEAR	WINNER		YEAR	WINNER
1968	Alvin Dark	1969	Lou Klimchock
1970	Larry Brown	1971	Hank Peters
1972	Dino Lucarelli	1973	Bob Gill
1974	Harold Bossard	1975	Boog Powell
	Marshall Bossard	1976	Jim Warfield
1977	Cy Buynak		1978	Duane Kuiper
1979	Sid Monge		1980	Rick Manning
1981	Mike Seghi	1982	Dennis Sommers
1983	Don McMahon	1984	Andre Thornton
1985	Mike Hargrove	1986	Johnny Goryl
1987	Andre Thornton	1988	Doc Edwards
1989	Bud Black		1990	Brook Jacoby
	Tom Candiotti	1991	Mike Hargrove
1992	Felix Fermin	1993	Cy Buynak
1994	no award (strike)	1995	Jim Thome
1996	Omar Vizquel	1997	Orel Hershiser
1998	Luis Isaac	1999	Dave Burba
2000	Sandy Alomar Jr.	2001	Charles Nagy
2002	Joel Skinner	2003	Ellis Burks
2004	Casey Blake	2005	Aaron Boone
2006	Paul Byrd		2007	Mark Shapiro
2008	Luis Isaac	2009	Jamey Carroll
2009	Manny Acta