Hamilton named AL Player of the Month for April '08

[Unassisted]

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/t...spx?id=4148067

Hamilton named AL Player of the Month
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Texas Ranger outfielder Josh Hamilton was named the American League Player of the Month for April.

Hamilton earned his first-ever monthly honor by posting a .330 batting average with an MLB-best 32 runs batted in by the end of April. He also led the American League in total bases (68), hits (38), and extra base hits (17) in the span.

The 26-year-old is the first Rangers player to win the monthly award since Mark Teixeira in July 2004, and the first Texas outfielder to win it since Juan Gonzalez in September 1997.

Others receiving votes were Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez, Chicago White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin, and Angels first baseman Casey Kotchman.

Additionally, Cleveland Indians left-hander Cliff Lee was named the AL Pitcher of the Month, the first monthly honor of his career, after winning all five of his April starts. In 37.2 innings, he allowed just one home run, 19 hits and two walks, while posting 32 strikeouts and 0.96 ERA.

[oneupper]

Could Volquez be NL Pitcher of the Month?

[wally post]

Good for Josh. I'm still happy we have Volquez!

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Could Volquez be NL Pitcher of the Month?

I'm going to guess it will be Brandon "6 and 0 in a month" Webb.

I'm glad to see Hamilton having success. It's a lot easier to see him have success when the guy we got in return for him is arguably doing just as well.

[HokieRed]

I like Volquez but we'd be a better team with Josh.

[CTA513]

I like Volquez but we'd be a better team with Josh.

Without Volquez the Reds would have both Fogg and Belisle in the rotation.

[Chip R]

Good for Josh!

[OnBaseMachine]

I like Volquez but we'd be a better team with Josh.

How do you figure that?

[HokieRed]

Without Volquez we might have Homer in the rotation. If we'd kept Josh and moved some other people before their value fell off the table, we'd have had a whole lot of money to spend on pitching. Don't mistake what I'm saying. I love Volquez, but this team/organization has been in denial about its everyday players and it's past time to make moves for the future, beginning with moving tonight's 2 and 6 hitters. I believe in a longer term view and I had hoped the 2010 outfield would be Hamilton, Stubbs, and Bruce. Votto, Phillips, Keppinger (maybe), Edwin and a significant upgrade behind the plate. Rotation Harang, Cueto, Bailey, two starters picked up for the 25 million now going to two non-producing outfielders. With that team by 2010 we might have been credible. Now we are not and we're no closer to being good than we were last year, although Jocketty has a chance still if he moved Dunn and Griffey for something and then, more importantly, uses the salary savings to add the kinds of players we need.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Without Volquez we might have Homer in the rotation.

And without Hamilton, we might have Harang, Volquez, Cueto and Homer in the rotation. I'll take the pitching.

[4256 Hits]

That begs to question just how good could Hamilton been if he would not have waisted so many years on drugs?

[HokieRed]

Our #2 and 6 hitter just K'd in the middle of what could have been a productive inning.

[klw]

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Webb, who was 6-0 with a 1.98 ERA in April, has been voted National League Pitcher of the Month.
Webb's six wins led the National League, his 1.98 ERA ranked fourth in the N.L. and he tied for fourth with 41.0 innings pitched, in which the two-time All-Star recorded 34 strikeouts and allowed nine earned runs, 29 hits and 14 walks. On April 27th at San Diego, matched up against Jake Peavy in a duel between the last two N.L. Cy Young Award recipients, Brandon gave up one unearned on five hits run en route to a 2-1 victory and his sixth win of the season. The last pitcher to end April with six wins was Webb's current Diamondbacks teammate Randy Johnson, who concluded April of 2002 with a 6-0 mark.

Other pitchers receiving votes were Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez (4-1, 1.27 ERA, 42 SO), San Francisco's Tim Lincecum (4-1, 1.73 ERA, 40 SO) and Milwaukee's Ben Sheets (4-0, 1.64 ERA, 26 SO). Brandon Webb will receive a specially designed trophy and a Sharp AQUOS® HD LCD-TV to commemorate his N.L. Pitcher of the Month performance.

[HokieRed]

12-18. Only thing that matters.

[reds44]

12-18. Only thing that matters.

And what exactly is your point?

The Rangers are on a three game winning streak just to get to 12-18.