Sunday, September 27, 2009

LIGA GIVES COMEBACK PLAYER, TOP MANAGER AWARDS




The Mexican League announced two more award winners for the 2009 season last week from their office in Mexico City. Puebla skipper Alfonso “Houston” Jimenez was named Manager of the Year, while Mexico City pitcher Roberto Ramirez was given Comeback Player of the Year honors.

A member of the Salon de la Fama as a player, the 51-year-old Jimenez (pictured, left) led the Pericos to a 62-43 record and reached the South Zone Championship Series before losing to Quintana Roo. The former big league shortstop won his 500th game as a Mexican League manager June 6 with a 15-3 clubbing of the Oaxaca Guerreros. 2009 was Jimenez’ first year in Puebla. He’s also managed in Oaxaca, Mexico City and Tijuana, and was a coach for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic last March.

The 37-year-old Ramirez (pictured, right) had a superb regular season for the Diablos Rojos, finishing at 13-4 with a 3.45 ERA to help Mexico City to the regular season title in the North Zone. He was coming off a 2008 season in which he had a 3-4 record and posted a 5.97 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched. Despite winning only seven times between 2007 and 2008, the lefthander from Veracruz has a record of 147-68 for his Mexican League career, and his .684 career won-lost percentage is tops all-time.

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