Carlos Lee Wins Silver Slugger Award

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Silver lining to Lee's season

Milwaukee Brewers leftfielder Carlos Lee was one of eight first-time winners in the National League when Louisville Slugger announced the Silver Slugger Award recipients in both leagues for 2005 on Monday.

The Silver Slugger Awards are given annually to players at each position in their respective leagues for offensive excellence, as voted on by major league managers and coaches. Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics as well as general impressions of a player's overall offensive value. Managers and coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their clubs.

"That's what makes it so impressive for Carlos," Brewers hitting coach Butch Wynegar said. "It's what managers and coaches from other teams thought of his play. I'm proud of him. It always means a lot when it comes from your peers, or other managers and coaches."

Lee batted only .265 in his first year with the Brewers, 23 points below his career norm, but led the club with personal highs of 32 home runs and 114 runs batted in. The only Brewer to play in all 162 games, Lee finished with an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .888.

"I think his batting average can be attributed to switching leagues and seeing a bunch of pitchers he had never faced before," said Wynegar, who arrived in town Monday to take part in the Brewers' weeklong organizational meetings.

"I think he also ran out of steam at the end a little bit. We had a chance to finish .500 (for the first time in 13 years) and he didn't want to come out of the lineup. He knew he was a big cog in the middle (of the batting order).

"I think you'll see an even better Carlos Lee next year. He knows the pitchers better now, and he knows how to make adjustments. He's a smart hitter. I think he'll have a better batting average and more production, too."

Lee is the first Brewer to win a Silver Slugger Award since the club moved to the NL in 1998 and the 11th overall. The last Brewer honored was Dave Parker in 1990 as the designated hitter in the AL.

The other first-time winners on the NL squad were Chicago first baseman Derrek Lee, who outpolled St. Louis' Albert Pujols; Houston third baseman Morgan Ensberg, Cincinnati shortstop Felipe Lopez, Florida outfielder Miguel Cabrera, Atlanta outfielder Andruw Jones, Chicago catcher Michael Barrett and St. Louis pitcher Jason Marquis. Los Angeles' Jeff Kent was the winner at second base for the fourth time.

In the AL, Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez and New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez claimed their eighth Silver Slugger Awards. Los Angeles outfielder Vladimir Guerrero was honored for the fifth time, New York outfielder Garry Sheffield for the fourth time, and Texas second baseman Alfonso Soriano for the third time.

Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira, Baltimore shortstop Miguel Tejada and Boston designated hitter David Ortiz won for the second time, with Boston catcher Jason Varitek the only first-time winner.

BREWERS' SILVER SLUGGERS
Year P Player
2005 OF Carlos Lee
1990 DH Dave Parker
1989 OF Robin Yount
1988 DH Paul Molitor
1987 DH Paul Molitor
1982 1B Cecil Cooper
SS Robin Yount
1981 1B Cecil Cooper
1980 SS Robin Yount
1B Cecil Cooper
OF Ben Oglivie

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Lee garners Silver Slugger Award
OF one of eight first-time National League honorees

MILWAUKEE -- Outfielder Carlos Lee won a 2005 Silver Slugger Award, the first Brewer so honored in 16 years.
Lee was one of eight first-time National League honorees for the award, based on a vote by Major League managers and coaches and presented annually since 1980 by the makers of Louisville Slugger baseball bats. Lee is the first Brewer on the Silver Slugger team since outfielder Robin Yount in 1989.

In his first NL season, Lee led the Brewers with 32 home runs and 114 RBIs -- both career highs -- and struck out just 87 times in 618 at-bats. He ranked sixth in the National League in RBIs.

"I feel really good about it," Lee said before the regular season finale in Pittsburgh, when Lee became the fourth player in franchise history to play all 162 games. "But I think that it could have been better."

On Oct. 20, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin announced that the club had picked up Lee's $8.5 million option for 2006.

Major League coaches and managers voted during the regular season for the players they felt were the best offensive producers at each position in both the American and National Leagues. Voters were not allowed to select players on their own team.

Lee will be presented with his Silver Slugger Award at a ceremony early in the 2006 season. The award was instituted by the Hillerich & Bradsby Co. in 1980 as an extension of the Silver Bat Award, presented annually to the batting champions in each league.

Acquired in a December 2004 trade with the Chicago White Sox that cost Milwaukee its leadoff man -- Scott Podsednik -- and most durable reliever -- Luis Vizcaino -- Lee enjoyed a fantastic first half. He hit 22 home runs and set a Brewers record with RBI No. 76 in the final game before the All-Star break.

Other 2005 NL Silver Slugger winners included Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent, Astros third baseman Morgan Ensberg, Reds shortstop Felipe Lopez, Braves outfielder Andruw Jones, Marlins outfielder Miguel Cabrera, Cubs catcher Michael Barrett and Cardinals pitcher Jason Marquis.

All but Kent were first-time winners.

Lee is the fifth Brewer to win a Silver Slugger Award in the past 26 seasons. Yount, first baseman Cecil Cooper and outfielder Ben Oglivie were all honored in 1980, the first of three awards for both Cooper and Yount. Paul Molitor won it twice as a designated hitter.