The Pecan Park Eagle

Houston Baseball Dinner Picks Michael Bourn as 2009 Astros MVP!

The 2010 Houston Baseball Dinner at the downtown Hilton near Discovery Green came off as scheduled last night, Thursday, Jannuary 21st. The winter banquet that normally lights the hot stove fire on Houston’s hope for the coming baseball season worked its usual magic before a crowd of over 1,000, picking several Astros and a few others for post and pre season honors.

Michael Bourn was chosen by the Houston Chapter of the Baseball Writers of America as the 2009 Most Valuable Astro Player. Bourn had a breakout season in 2009, hitting .285 with a .354 one-base percentage and a National League leading total of 61 stolen bases, a figure that fell only four shy of the club record. Michael hit .353 with runners in scoring position and he led the National League in in both infield hits and bunt hits. He also ranked second in the league with 12 triples. Defensively, Bourn also became  the first Astro outfielder in 33 years to win a Gold Glove for fielding excellence.

Wandy Rodriguez Was the Astro Ace in 2009.

Wandy Rodriguez was named ast the 2009 Astro Pitcher of the Year. Wandy’s 14-12 record came with a 3.09 ERA, 9th best in the National League. His 193 strikeouts and 205 innings pitched placed him 8th in the NL, and he was 7th i the league with 33 starts. His 2009 home ERA was a remarkable 2.05. Wandy’s 4-0 record and 0.75 ERA last July also earned him Pitcher of te Month honors for that time frame.

Minute Maid Park View from Banquet Site: January 21, 2010.

Jeff Fulcino won the Astro Roookie of the Year award for 2009. Fulcino posted an all relief record of 6-4 with a 3.40 ERA. He recorded 71 strikeouts in his 82 innings and 61 game appearances, holding right-handed batters to a .209 batting average.

Pitcher Brian Moehler was the recipient of the Darryl Kile Award as the player who best exemplified victory over hard times and commitment to the team above personal gain.

Outfielder Adam Dunn of the Washington Nationals won the 2009 Houston Area Major League Player of the Year Award. Dunn cranked out 38 home runs and posted 105 RBI in 2009, while also becoming only the 123rd player in big league history to hit 300 homers over his career. Dunn now ranks 106th on the all-time home run total list.

First baseman Lance Berkman took the 2009 Allen Russell Award for Distinguished Achievement, Lance is a five-time All Star who ranks 12th among active players for highest career batting average (.303), 5th among active players in on-base percentage, 12th among players in slugging percentage (.561) and 7th among active players in on-base plus slugging percentage (.983).

Former sports writer and Houston Baseball Dinner Co-Founder Ivy McLemore took the Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious Service to the community.

Anthony Rendon of Rice was named as the Pre-Season 2010 College Player of the Year; Coach Jim Long of the Brenham Cubs was tabbed as the 2009 Houston Area High School Coach of the Year; and sixteen high school players were chosen as members of the 2010 Houston Area Pre-Season High School All Star Team. These high school baseball stars of the present and future included: Nick Bergmann, Memorial; Krey Bratsen, Bryan; John Cialone, St. John’s; Stefan Crichton, Cinco Ranch; Dave DeKerlegand, Pearland; Jordan Jolly, Fort Bend Elskins; Jared Lakind, Cypress Woods; Cody Perkins, Kingwood; Kendrick Perkins, LaPorte; Kevin Semien, Atascosita; Alex Silver, Bellaire; John Simms, College Park; Jameson Taillon; Trevor Teykl, Fort Bend Kempner; Erich Weiss, Brenham; and Jake Wise, Cypress Falls.

Astros General Manager Ed Wade and Field Manager Brad Mills capped the evening with some “hope springs eternal” talk about the coming new season and their 2010 roster of upside-bearing younger players. MVP Michael Bourn serves well as the poster boy for more team speed and positive change on offense and defense. How many games the 2009 Astros can actually win with their reconstructed pitching staff and roster of new starters at catcher, short, and third remains to be seen. The outfield is 67% fast and furious and 33% slow and plodding for the second year in a row. We’ll see how that string plays again too.

You had to be a deep blue baseball fan to enjoy the Houston Baseball Dinner, but all of us were. And now we’re chomping at the bit for spring training to start over  in Florida.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the annual dinners started by Allen and Jo Russell to honor local baseball accomplishments and other community achievements by baseball people. Former Houston Buffs President Allen Russell passed away in January 1996, but his widow, Jo Russell, has done a beautiful job of making sure this torch keeps passing forward to the younger generations that make up the grand community of loyal and knowledgeable baseball fans in Houston.

Thanks, Jo Russell, for another job well done!

Have a nice weekend, everybody!

Tags: Baseball, Houston Astros

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