A's Announce 2012 Organizational Awards

Post date: Sep 10, 2012 2:31:22 PM

Manny Machado, Stephen Strasburg and Mike Trout honored with 2012 Athletics Organizational Awards

The theme throughout the Philadelphia Athletics organization during 2012 was "youth be served", and that theme continued right out to the naming of the organization's annual award recipients. 20-year old Manny Machado, a shortstop prospect who broke in to MLB late this season at 3rd base, was named as the Lawrence 'Crash' Davis Award honoree as the club's top prospect. Stephen Strasburg, the 25-year old righthanded flame-throwing starting pitcher who fought back from Tommy John surgery, was named as the Lefty Grove Award winner as the club's top pitcher. Mike Trout, the local kid who came to the organization in a 2012 Winter Meetings trade with Rayne, was promoted right around May 1st and performed so spectacularly that he was named the club's Jimmy Foxx Award winner as the top offensive player.

Trout was also honored by the WFBL as it's Pete Rose Award winner for the league's Rookie of the Year, and both he and Strasburg were named to the seasonal WFBL 2012 All-Star Team. "We were excited about getting Stephen back into our rotation this season" said GM Matt Veasey in announcing the three honorees. "Missing the entire 2011 WFBL season was rough on him and the entire organization. But as he rehabbed and got some work in late last year, we were really encouraged. We really believed that he was ready to help us, and man did he ever. Now we should be ready to really let the reigns loose with him next season. It's exciting to think how good he can be if he stays healthy."

On Trout, Veasey went back to the big winter deal: "We loved Mike Trout. But we never thought Rayne would let him go. Still, we had to take our best shot. They were tough negotiations, and we paid a price, but we felt it was worth it. What he did this season was beyond what we hoped, at least this soon. That is the kind of performance you expect from a guy with 4-5 years in MLB, but to dominate the way he did so consistently at such a young age? Unreal." Commenting on Machado's development and possible future role, Veasey was a bit non-committal: "Manny is going to play, there is no doubt about that. He has an impact bat. We just need to let the position thing play out right now. The way Ian (Desmond) broke out, and being able to deal for Longo, those things will make decisions difficult for us. It's going to be nice watching Manny push for a spot in the spring, and we'll let the players dictate which direction we go."