Lorenzo Cain, Wade Davis, Yordano Ventura win Royals’ year-end team awards
Pitching and defense were the hallmarks of the Royals’ 2014 run to the World Series, and those qualities were well represented in their yearly award winners announced Monday.
Outfielder Lorenzo Cain, the MVP of the American League Championship Series, won the Les Milgram Player of the Year award.
Right-hander Wade Davis, who had the lowest ERA of any reliever in the majors, received the Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year award.
Another right-hander, fireballing rookie Yordano Ventura, who won 14 regular-season games and won game six of the World Series, captured the Joe Burke Special Achievement Award.
The awards were voted on by members of the Kansas City chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. All three players are first-time winners.
Cain, 28, hit .301 with five homers and 53 RBIs in the regular season and had a career-best eight outfield assists. In the postseason, he made several spectacular catches in center and right field and hit .333 with eight RBIs and 13 runs scored.
Davis, 29, did not allow an extra-base hit until July 31 and posted a franchise record 109 strikeouts by a reliever. Ventura, 23, was 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA in his rookie season and had a 3.20 ERA in the playoffs, including four starts.
Les Milgram Player of the Year award winners
1971: Amos Otis and Fred Patek
1972: John Mayberry
1973: Amos Otis
1974: Hal McRae
1975: George Brett
1976: George Brett
1977: Al Cowens
1978: Amos Otis
1979: George Brett
1980: George Brett
1981: Willie Wilson
1982: Hal McRae
1983: Frank White
1984: Willie Wilson
1985: George Brett
1986: Frank White
1987: Danny Tartabull
1988: George Brett
1989: Jim Eisenreich
1990: George Brett
1991: Danny Tartabull
1992: George Brett
1993: Greg Gagne
1994: Bob Hamelin
1995: Gary Gaetti
1996: Tom Goodwin
1997: Jay Bell
1998: Dean Palmer
1999: Jermaine Dye
2000: Mike Sweeney
2001: Carlos Beltran
2002: Mike Sweeney
2003: Carlos Beltran
2004: David DeJesus
2005: Mike Sweeney
2006: Mark Teahen
2007: Mark Grudzielanek
2008: Mike Aviles
2009: Billy Butler
2010: Billy Butler
2011: Alex Gordon
2012: Billy Butler
2013: Eric Hosmer
2014: Lorenzo Cain
Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year award winners
1971: Dick Drago
1972: Roger Nelson
1973: Paul Splittorff
1974: Steve Busby
1975: Dennis Leonard
1976: Mark Littell
1977: Dennis Leonard
1978: Larry Gura
1979: Dennis Leonard
1980: Dan Quisenberry
1981: Larry Gura
1982: Dan Quisenberry
1983: Dan Quisenberry
1984: Dan Quisenberry
1985: Bret Saberhagen
1986: Mark Gubicza
1987: Bret Saberhagen
1988: Mark Gubicza
1989: Bret Saberhagen
1990: Steve Farr
1991: Bret Saberhagen
1992: Kevin Appier
1993: Kevin Appier
1994: David Cone
1995: Kevin Appier
1996: Tim Belcher
1997: Tim Belcher
1998: Jeff Montgomery
1999: José Rosado
2000: Jeff Suppan
2001: Jeff Suppan
2002: Paul Byrd
2003: Darrell May
2004: Zack Greinke
2005: Mike MacDougal
2006: Mark Redman
2007: Gil Meche
2008: Joakim Soria
2009: Zack Greinke
2010: Joakim Soria
2011: Bruce Chen
2012: Greg Holland
2013: Greg Holland
2014: Wade Davis
Joe Burke Special Achievement award winners
1971: Bob Lemon, Brooks Robinson and Cookie Rojas
1972: George Toma
1973: Steve Busby
1974: Hank Bauer
1975-77: None
1978: John Kauffman
1979: None
1980: Willie Wilson
1981: Frank White and Bill Gorman
1982: John Wathan, Frank White and Willie Wilson
1983: Lee MacPhail
1984: Greg Pryor
1985: Charlie Leibrandt
1986: None
1987: Kevin Seitzer
1988: Frank White
1989: Jeff Montgomery
1990: Kevin Appier
1991: Bill Pecota and Steve Palermo
1992: Rusty Meacham
1993: Mike Macfarlane
1994: None
1995: Keith Lockhart
1996: José Offerman
1997: Jeff Montgomery
1998: Scott Service
1999: Mike Sweeney
2000: Jermaine Dye
2001: None
2002: Raul Ibañez
2003: Angel Berroa
2004-05: None
2006: Mark Grudzielanek
2007: Brian Bannister
2008: Zack Greinke
2009: Alberto Callaspo
2010: Bruce Chen
2011: Eric Hosmer
2012: Alcides Escobar
2013: James Shields
2014: Yordano Ventura
This story was originally published January 12, 2015 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Lorenzo Cain, Wade Davis, Yordano Ventura win Royals’ year-end team awards."