In a 2006 baseball season spiced with hot rookies, none were hotter than Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
Monday, Verlander was named American League rookie of the year and Ramirez grabbed the National League honor.
Verlander, a hard-throwing right-hander, was the poster boy for an upstart Tigers team that shocked baseball by capturing the AL pennant before being trounced by St. Louis in the World Series.
“I have had an opportunity to put things in perspective and see just what a good year this was, not just for myself, but for the whole team,” Verlander said. “I realized how lucky I was to be part of a team that was able to make it to the World Series my rookie year.”
Verlander, 23, went 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA to become the first starting pitcher to win the AL award since the Yankees’ Dave Righetti in 1981. The last Tigers player to receive the honor was second baseman Lou Whitaker in 1978.
The AL was loaded with quality rookie pitchers such as Minnesota lefty Francisco Liriano and Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon, but late-season injuries derailed their chances.
Ramirez was part of a young and loose Marlins team that, despite having the lowest payroll in the majors, stayed in wild-card contention well into September. Ramirez edged Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman by four points, the closest NL vote since 1982 when Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Steve Sax beat out Pittsburgh second baseman Johnny Ray by six votes under a different format.
The 22-year-old Ramirez, who was acquired from Boston last November in a deal for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, batted .292 with 17 homers, 46 doubles and 11 triples. He had 59 RBIs, scored 119 runs and stole 51 bases.
Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
