Indians' Lee, 22-3 in '08, captures AL Cy Young
baseball
Cliff Lee won the American League Cy Young Award in a runaway yesterday, capping a dominant comeback season that made him the second consecutive Cleveland Indians left-hander to earn the honor. Demoted to the minors last year, Lee went a major league-best 22-3 this season with a 2.54 ERA. Lee, 30, received 24 of 28 first-place votes and 132 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay was a distant runner-up with four first-place votes and 71 points. Record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Angels finished third with 32 points. Lee became the third Cleveland pitcher to win a Cy Young, following Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry in 1972 and CC Sabathia last year.
Orioles: : Aubrey Huff was awarded the Silver Slugger award as the top designated hitter in the AL. The award, voted on by coaches and managers, is given to the best offensive producer at each position in both leagues. It's the first Silver Slugger award for Huff, and he became the eighth Oriole to garner the honor and the first since shortstop Miguel Tejada did it in 2005. Huff led the AL with 82 extra-base hits to go along with 32 home runs and 108 RBIs. ... Director of baseball administration Scott Proefrock is a candidate to become a top assistant under new Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. Proefrock, who was hired by the Orioles after the 2005 season, interviewed with Amaro last week at the GM meetings in California after getting permission from Orioles club president Andy MacPhail. ... In the continued effort to find a long-term spring training home, Orioles vice president John Angelos and Alan Rifkin, a lawyer for the club, met Tuesday and Wednesday with Sarasota, Fla. officials. Sarasota County Commissioner Shannon Staub, who is heading the effort to land the Orioles as a spring replacement for the Arizona-bound Cincinnati Reds, will meet with fellow commissioners Tuesday and could make a proposal to the Orioles shortly after. The Orioles' minor league facility is in Sarasota. The Orioles, who are about three months away from starting what could be their last spring training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., already have an offer from Vero Beach to take over the Dodgertown facility. Fort Myers is also reportedly interested in playing host to Orioles spring training.
JEFF ZREBIEC
