Marlins support Gaby Sanchez as top rookie

ATLANTA -- Silent and steady, Gaby Sanchez has performed at a high level all season.

As the year winds down, the Marlins are speaking up in hopes of generating support for Sanchez for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Sanchez has been a standout at first base all year. He leads all NL rookies in RBIs (83), hits (153) and doubles (36). He is third in homers with 19.

"It's been a tremendous season for Gaby," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said recently. "He keeps putting the numbers out there. He's been outstanding. Sometimes we forget he's a rookie. He's been very, very consistent."

In hopes of gaining some recognition for Sanchez, the Marlins have printed up Rookie of the Year T-shirts, promoting their first baseman.
During batting practice Thursday, the players are planning to wear the shirts, which read: "GS 14 4 ROY" (Gaby Sanchez, No. 14, for Rookie of the Year).

Similar shirts were worn by the players a year ago, drumming up support for Chris Coghlan, who ended up winning the award.

The Marlins have had three NL Rookie of the Year Award winners in their history -- Dontrelle Willis (2003), Hanley Ramirez ('06) and Coghlan ('09).

Sanchez is most proud of his steadiness.

"I'd say, it's probably just the consistency, doing all the things I needed to do on the field," he said. "Helping the ballclub any way that I could. I couldn't just pick out one number. I think as a whole, I feel like I've held my own pretty good."

There is stiff competition in the 2010 class. A few of the front-runners are Atlanta's Jason Heyward, San Francisco's Buster Posey and Chicago's Starlin Castro.

Among the pitchers worthy of consideration are St. Louis' Jaime Garcia and Milwaukee's John Axford. If not for season-ending Tommy John surgery, Washington's Stephen Strasburg would have been in the thick of the race.

"There has been other classes where there have been four or five guys," Sanchez said. "This year's class, there seems like there are a lot of them. It's not just four or five guys. There are a lot of guys contributing to their team. It's kind of nice to be able to see that now."



(flamarlins.com)