Are you ready for some Twins baseball?!
Not yet? Yeah… neither are we. But the Twins did celebrate another 96 losses by announcing the winners of their annual Diamond Awards on Thursday. The awards will be handed out at the Diamond Awards Banquet in January.
Most Valuable Player: Joe Mauer – Third time he’s won the award (2009, 2010).
Pitcher of the Year: Glen Perkins – He was 36-40 in save chances and it earned him his first trip to the All-Star Game.
Most Outstanding Rookie: Caleb Thielbar – In 49 appearances the left-handed reliever posted an impressive 1.76 ERA.
Most Improved Player: Brian Dozier – His 18 home runs and 66 RBI were triple and double that of his 2012 totals.
Defensive Player of the Year: Pedro Florimon – Posted a career-high .973 fielding percentage. He committed 18 errors in 664 chances.
Bob Allison Award: Justin Morneau – The award is given to the player who “exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field.”
Media Good Guy: Brian Dozier – He likes to do interviews, apparently.
@Twins_morsecode @AaronGleeman I will refuse any interview about not winning this award
— Glen Perkins (@glenperkins) October 17, 2013
The Star Tribune reports that it’s the first time three local natives — Mauer, Perkins and Thielbar — have claimed the top three awards.
