Barely removed from college ball at Texas, Huston Street sprinted out of the gates with the Oakland Athletics, filled in remarkably for injured closer Octavio Dotel, and now is the winner of the 2005 CC.com American League Rookie of the Year award in a landslide. Street received 11 of 15 first-place votes and beat runner-up Jonny Gomes of the Devil Rays by 26 points overall.
Street posted a 1.72 ERA, 23 saves and a 5-1 recored in his 67 games with the A's this season. He also struck out 72 in 78 1/3 innings pitched. Four others received first-place votes: Gomes, Oakland's Joe Blanton (third place overall), Chicago second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, and Robinson Cano of the Yankees.
(Full voting results are available under the Read More link.)
In a far tighter race than the AL vote, big Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard beat out Atlanta's Jeff Francoeur and Pittsburgh pitcher Zach Duke to win the 2005 CC.com National League Rookie of the Year award. Howard, saving the Phillies from a Jim Thome disaster this season, hit .288/.356/.567 with 22 homers and 63 RBI in 88 games. Francoeur finished in second place, seven points back, and Duke was 11 points behind in third.
Howard had seven first-place votes, followed by Francoeur's four, Duke's three, and Houston's Willy Taveras with one.
(Full voting results are available under the Read More link.)
AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
1 2 3 TOTAL
H. Street, OAK 11 4 - 41
J. Gomes, TAM 1 4 4 15
J. Blanton, OAK 1 3 4 13
T. Iguchi, CHW 1 1 2 7
G. Chacin, TOR - 2 2 6
R. Cano, NYY 1 1 1 6
D. Johnson, OAK - - 1 1
A. Hill, TOR - - 1 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
1 2 3 TOTAL
R. Howard, PHI 7 5 1 32
J. Francoeur, ATL 4 5 3 25
Z. Duke, PIT 3 3 6 21
W. Taveras, HOU 1 1 1 6
R. Weekes, MIL - 1 - 2
G. Atkins, COL - - 1 1
C. Barmes, COL - - 1 1
P. Orr, ATL - - 1 1
G. Majewski, WAS - - 1 1