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Running Brave Furcal routs field to win NL Rookie of the Year
Updated: Wednesday November 08, 2000 8:25 AM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Last April, Rafael Furcal was a surprise pick for the Atlanta Braves' roster. On Tuesday, it was no surprise the shortstop was voted National League Rookie of the Year in a landslide. Furcal, who hit .295 with 40 steals in 54 chances, received 25 of 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "To play major league baseball has been a dream of mine since my brothers started taking me every day as a child to practice," Furcal said in a statement released by his agent, Paul Kinzer. "There were a lot of other rookies who had great years and for me to win this means my hard work has paid off," he said. The only player listed on all 32 ballots, Furcal got six seconds and one third for 144 points. "I was convinced he could help us win ballgames," Braves manager Bobby Cox said earlier this year. Rick Ankiel of the St. Louis Cardinals, who gained notoriety during the playoffs by becoming the first pitcher in 110 years to throw five wild pitches in one inning, was second with 87 points, getting six firsts, 17 seconds and six thirds.
New York Mets outfielder Jay Payton was third with 37 points, followed by Philadelphia outfielder-first baseman Pat Burrell with 10 points, and Houston catcher Mitch Meluskey with seven. When Furcal made the Braves, he claimed to be 19 and the Braves said he was the first major leaguer born in the 1980s. He turned 20 in August, and HBO reported he is three years older than he says, which Furcal disputes. It's undisputed that he became the first middle infielder to win the NL award since Steve Sax of Los Angeles in 1982. He became the sixth Braves player to win, joining Alvin Dark (1948), Sam Jethroe (1950), Earl Williams (1971), Bob Horner (1978) and David Justice (1990). During the 1999 season, while he was playing in Class A, the Braves shifted Furcal from second base to shortstop. This year, he led NL rookies in runs (87), walks (73), steals and on-base percentage (.394). He had only four homers -- all in September -- and 37 RBIs. Furcal traveled Tuesday from Atlanta back to his native Dominican Republic. Kinzer told the Braves that Furcal was unaware the rookie announcement was being made Tuesday. "I'm so young," Furcal said during the season. "When I made the team, it was a big surprise for me." While he batted .306 against right-handers, he slumped to .250 against left-handers. "He's got a lot of confidence," teammate Andruw Jones said. "I'm not saying he's cocky, but he knows when he does his best he can be successful." Ankiel was 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 175 innings, helping St. Louis win the NL Central. That was overshadowed by his performance in the third inning of the Cardinals' postseason opener, when he became only the second pitcher in major league history to throw five wild pitches, joining Bert Cunningham, who did it for Buffalo of the Players League on Sept. 15, 1890. "Something obviously was wrong," Ankiel said. "What do you do? Put it behind you and look forward to the next one." By the time the postseason was done, Ankiel had nine wild pitches and 11 walks in only four innings. "He's a young kid and he's tough as nails," Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan said after Ankiel threw two wild pitches in the NL Championship Series finale against the New York Mets. "He's going to be fine." Voting was done before the end of the regular season, and Ankiel, a 21-year-old left-hander, impressed.
"He's probably the best-looking young pitcher in baseball, at least in our league," Gene Lamont said before being fired as Pittsburgh's manager. "When he starts throwing that curveball and change across, they'll start talking about him like they did about Kerry Wood."
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