lol what a load of shit.
Webb takes third in rookie voting
Right-hander finishes behind Willis and Podsednik
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com
Brandon Webb received seven first-place votes and finished with 73 points. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
PHOENIX -- Wins proved to be elusive for Brandon Webb during the 2003 season and that trend continued Monday as he finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Florida's Dontrelle Willis and Milwaukee's Scott Podsednik.
Webb received seven first-place votes, 10 second-place votes and six third-place votes to finish with 73 points. Willis captured 17 first-place votes and had 118 total points, while Podsednik finished with 81 points.
"It really doesn't take away from the season, but I'm pretty disappointed and bummed out right now," Webb said from his home in Ashland, Ky. "Of course, I probably will be for a few days and then I'll get over it."
Surprisingly, Webb was not listed on seven of the 32 ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writer's Association of America.
"I didn't know that," Webb said of the snubs. "That's kind of crazy I think. I don't know what they were looking for really."
What they were looking for apparently was wins, which was the only category that Willis bested Webb in, compiling 14 to Webb's 10.
Webb was fourth in the NL and sixth in the Majors in ERA (2.89), while his 172 strikeouts in 180 2/3 innings easily led all rookies and placed him 10th in the NL. His 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings ratio was seventh in the Majors, while his .212 batting average against was third-best in the NL.
"It had to have been that," Webb said of the win total. "Or they had already made up their minds at the All-Star break because his second half was anything but good. He didn't do anything second half."
Brandon Webb / P
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190
Bats/Throws: R/R
More info:
Player page
Stats
Splits
D-Backs site
Willis was 5-5 with a 4.60 ERA in the second half after compiling a 9-1, 2.08 ERA in the first half. He allowed a .245 opponent's batting average and struck out 142.
Webb was 10-9 though the win total was a bit misleading as the Diamondbacks couldn't muster up much run support for him.
In 12 Webb's 28 starts, the Diamondbacks' offense scored two or fewer runs. In his first six starts after the All-Star break, the D-Backs scored a total of seven runs for him. He was 0-4 in those six games despite a 2.95 ERA.
"We all know he could have had more wins if we had scored more runs for him," manager Bob Brenly said.
When he went to bed Sunday night, Webb said he thought the voting would be close.
"I thought it was going to be either me or Podsednik and I thought Willis would be (third)," Webb said. "I thought it was going to be real close and it wasn't real close at all."
Webb impressed the Diamondbacks' during Spring Training and began the year at Triple-A Tucson, where he said he was hoping to pitch well enough to earn a call-up in September.
Instead, he was summoned in April when Randy Johnson's right knee began giving him problems. After a scoreless inning of relief in his Major League debut, Webb made his first start in the first game of a doubleheader April 27 against the Mets.
It was a memorable outing, as Webb tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just three hits and a walk while fanning 10. After the game he was sent back to Tucson to make room on the roster for Randy Johnson, who started that day's second game.
It was a short stay in Tucson, though, as Webb was called up just days later when Johnson went back on the DL.
He never looked back, picking up quality starts (six or more innings and three or less runs) in his first 13 trips to the mound, the most quality starts to begin a career since Montreal's Steve Rogers had 16 in 1973.
The 24-year-old became the ace of the pitching staff as Johnson and Curt Schilling would miss a combined 138 games due to a variety of ailments.
"You can't say enough about what he did for us with the two big guys down," Brenly said. "For a rookie to step up like that ..."
And Webb didn't rack up his impressive numbers by taking advantage of a hitter's unfamiliarity with him. He faced the same opponent in consecutive starts six times and was 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in the second meetings, holding the opponents to a .162 average.
Webb's bread-and-butter pitch is a heavy sinking fastball that is extremely hard for hitters to get into the air. Of the 542 outs he recorded in 2003, just 55 were caught by an outfielder.
The nearly 200 innings that Webb threw between Triple-A and the Major Leagues was the most he'd thrown in a season during his pro career and he tired a bit down the stretch. In his final two starts of the year, he allowed nine earned runs over eight innings to push his ERA from 2.62 up to 2.84.
As a result, he vowed to work even harder on conditioning during the offseason and he said the way Monday's vote went would give him even more incentive for next year.
"I just started the basic stuff, working out and doing that stuff," said Webb, who is set to marry Alicia Berginnis in January. "I'm not going to throw at all until December. I'm just doing kind of arm exercises and strengthening up a little bit."
Webb takes third in rookie voting
Right-hander finishes behind Willis and Podsednik
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com
Brandon Webb received seven first-place votes and finished with 73 points. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
PHOENIX -- Wins proved to be elusive for Brandon Webb during the 2003 season and that trend continued Monday as he finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Florida's Dontrelle Willis and Milwaukee's Scott Podsednik.
Webb received seven first-place votes, 10 second-place votes and six third-place votes to finish with 73 points. Willis captured 17 first-place votes and had 118 total points, while Podsednik finished with 81 points.
"It really doesn't take away from the season, but I'm pretty disappointed and bummed out right now," Webb said from his home in Ashland, Ky. "Of course, I probably will be for a few days and then I'll get over it."
Surprisingly, Webb was not listed on seven of the 32 ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writer's Association of America.
"I didn't know that," Webb said of the snubs. "That's kind of crazy I think. I don't know what they were looking for really."
What they were looking for apparently was wins, which was the only category that Willis bested Webb in, compiling 14 to Webb's 10.
Webb was fourth in the NL and sixth in the Majors in ERA (2.89), while his 172 strikeouts in 180 2/3 innings easily led all rookies and placed him 10th in the NL. His 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings ratio was seventh in the Majors, while his .212 batting average against was third-best in the NL.
"It had to have been that," Webb said of the win total. "Or they had already made up their minds at the All-Star break because his second half was anything but good. He didn't do anything second half."
Brandon Webb / P
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190
Bats/Throws: R/R
More info:
Player page
Stats
Splits
D-Backs site
Willis was 5-5 with a 4.60 ERA in the second half after compiling a 9-1, 2.08 ERA in the first half. He allowed a .245 opponent's batting average and struck out 142.
Webb was 10-9 though the win total was a bit misleading as the Diamondbacks couldn't muster up much run support for him.
In 12 Webb's 28 starts, the Diamondbacks' offense scored two or fewer runs. In his first six starts after the All-Star break, the D-Backs scored a total of seven runs for him. He was 0-4 in those six games despite a 2.95 ERA.
"We all know he could have had more wins if we had scored more runs for him," manager Bob Brenly said.
When he went to bed Sunday night, Webb said he thought the voting would be close.
"I thought it was going to be either me or Podsednik and I thought Willis would be (third)," Webb said. "I thought it was going to be real close and it wasn't real close at all."
Webb impressed the Diamondbacks' during Spring Training and began the year at Triple-A Tucson, where he said he was hoping to pitch well enough to earn a call-up in September.
Instead, he was summoned in April when Randy Johnson's right knee began giving him problems. After a scoreless inning of relief in his Major League debut, Webb made his first start in the first game of a doubleheader April 27 against the Mets.
It was a memorable outing, as Webb tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just three hits and a walk while fanning 10. After the game he was sent back to Tucson to make room on the roster for Randy Johnson, who started that day's second game.
It was a short stay in Tucson, though, as Webb was called up just days later when Johnson went back on the DL.
He never looked back, picking up quality starts (six or more innings and three or less runs) in his first 13 trips to the mound, the most quality starts to begin a career since Montreal's Steve Rogers had 16 in 1973.
The 24-year-old became the ace of the pitching staff as Johnson and Curt Schilling would miss a combined 138 games due to a variety of ailments.
"You can't say enough about what he did for us with the two big guys down," Brenly said. "For a rookie to step up like that ..."
And Webb didn't rack up his impressive numbers by taking advantage of a hitter's unfamiliarity with him. He faced the same opponent in consecutive starts six times and was 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in the second meetings, holding the opponents to a .162 average.
Webb's bread-and-butter pitch is a heavy sinking fastball that is extremely hard for hitters to get into the air. Of the 542 outs he recorded in 2003, just 55 were caught by an outfielder.
The nearly 200 innings that Webb threw between Triple-A and the Major Leagues was the most he'd thrown in a season during his pro career and he tired a bit down the stretch. In his final two starts of the year, he allowed nine earned runs over eight innings to push his ERA from 2.62 up to 2.84.
As a result, he vowed to work even harder on conditioning during the offseason and he said the way Monday's vote went would give him even more incentive for next year.
"I just started the basic stuff, working out and doing that stuff," said Webb, who is set to marry Alicia Berginnis in January. "I'm not going to throw at all until December. I'm just doing kind of arm exercises and strengthening up a little bit."
