Thursday, November 12, 2009

Kemp and Ethier are Silver Sluggers

After having breakout 2009 seasons, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have already added to the honors they've gathered this offseason.

Kemp and Ethier both won Silver Slugger Awards, given to the top players at their positions. The outfielders became the first pair of Dodgers to claim the honor since Mike Piazza and Eric Karros in 1995.

Russell Martin claimed the award in 2007, making him the last Dodger to do so until this season.

Previously in the offseason, Kemp won his first Gold Glove Award. Ethier was named the Clutch Performer of the Year by fan voting for all of the dramatic hits he came up with to win games.

It's been quite the past couple of days for the Dodgers, as they've combined to win four awards in both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. It really puts an exclamation point for a big season in Los Angeles.

Kemp finished the year hitting .297 with 26 home runs and 101 RBIs. He also hit three grand slams and homered in four straight games. His 10 RBIs in extra innings were the most since Juan Gonzalez had 11 in 1992. He hit everywhere from second to eighth, and never skipped a beat.

Ethier hit .262 with 31 homers and 106 RBIs. We all know of his flair for the dramatic for his six walk-off hits, four of which were home runs. He also set a Dodgers' record for most homers hit by a left-handed hitter at home with 22.

The scary part is that with Kemp only 25 and Ethier 28 next season, the best is probably yet to come. They are the nucleus for the Dodgers in their continuing battle for a World Series spot.

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