Bailey, Coghlan named Rookies of the Year

Chicago fared no better in baseball's Rookie of the Year award voting than it did on the diamond itself in 2009.

I picked Andrew Bailey of Oakland and J.A. Happ of Philadelphia as the best rookies in their respective leagues this season, but I thought a Cub and a White Sox each had a compelling case. I thought Gordon Beckham would at least merit very strong consideration in the American League, and that Cubs hurler Randy Wells would get some support in the National. Bailey was named the top rookie in the AL, it was announced today, and Chris Coghlan of Florida took the honors in the senior circuit.

Beckham finished a distant fifth in the AL, while Wells did not crack the top 5 in the NL. Beckham wasn't even the top infielder, as Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus was second overall. A pair of starting pitchers, Rick Porcello of Detroit and Jeff Niemann of Tampa Bay, also finished higher in the voting than Beckham.

Meanwhile, Coghlan did have a very nice season as an outfielder for the Marlins, hitting .321 with nine home runs, 84 runs, 47 RBI and 31 doubles in 128 games. Happ, who was the only NL player named on every ballot, finished a close second in the voting. Tommy Hanson of Atlanta, Andrew McCutchen of Pittsburgh and Casey McGehee of Milwaukee rounded out the top five spots in the NL.