Buster Posey wrapped up a magical rookie season that saw him win a World Series, by taking home the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year award. Posey wasn’t called up until late May but in his five months in the big leagues he had a monster impact. He put up impressive offensive numbers while handling one of the best pitching rotations in the majors. He stepped up in October and he did an excellent job against base stealers. He had as well rounded a rookie season as one could imagine. Here’s what the media have to say about the victory:
McCovey Chronicles: And then Buster Posey won a division. And then he won a pennant. And then he won a championship. And then he won Rookie of the Year. You’d be stupid not to have him taking your NCAA bracket too. Posey over Duke, 89-61, with three Blue Devils caught stealing. They said there would be an adjustment period. If this was the adjustment period, it’s hard to imagine what it will be like when Posey settles in.
San Francisco Chronicle: Heyward was considered the front-runner from the moment he hit a three-run homer against Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano in his first big-league at-bat April 5. He came to the plate 623 times, hit .277 with 18 homers and 72 RBIs and had a much better on-base percentage (.393) than Posey.
However, many influential voices, particularly those who write for national Internet sites, argued late in the season that Posey deserved a heap of credit for catching one of the majors’ best pitching staffs.
Posey’s defense, cited by the Giants as the reason he needed more time in the minors, became a strength, and the staff praised his work repeatedly down the stretch and during the postseason.
Posey’s plans to improve his defense begin in the weight room next week. He said he will try to make his hips more flexible so he can block balls in the dirt better.
San Jose Mercury News: Posey’s award also represents a victory for scouting director John Barr, who made Posey the fifth overall pick shortly after the Giants hired him to coordinate the 2008 draft. Barr deflected credit, but acknowledged the organization felt Posey could win this award when they drafted him.
“Definitely, we did,” said Barr, reached by phone in the Dominican Republic. "We felt he could be a difference maker because he could help both offensively and be an asset with his work behind the plate. That was the main reason we were so excited about getting him.
“There’s a lot of people involved, all the people who helped to bring him in the organization and refine him. But this is all about him. It’s about the player and his ability and makeup. My hat’s off to him. This is just one step in his career and in our organization.”
Sports Illiustrated: It’s a nice combination: a World Series ring and a National League Rookie of the Year plaque. Combine that with the fact that Posey has become the biggest attraction on a wildly popular team — that his jerseys jump off the rack and that half the hipster population of San Francisco seems to be rocking the name of a clean-cut youth from South Georgia — and you have a marketing dream, right?