Saturday, August 28, 2010

BBM Awards NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Sandy Madera, Yucatan Leones

This award could just as easily have gone to Bobby Cramer of the Quintana Roo Tigres, who had a terrific season, but Sandy Madera had a daily impact on his team’s fortunes whether he was playing for Saltillo or Yucatan (to whom he was traded by the Saraperos in a midseason swap for outfielder Willie Romero after Romero was suspended two games for shoving an umpire).

Coming off a spectacular Mexican Pacific League season in which he led the Mex Pac with a .413 average for Los Mochis, Madera clobbered Mexican League pitching with a .383 average, second to Puebla's Willis Otanez) along with 18 homers and 86 runs scored. A first baseman who turned 30 in August, Madera even swiped 10 bases in the regular season.

Madera bounced around the minors for 12 years before debuting in Mexico last winter. If his first year south of the border is any indication, he may have found a permanent baseball home.

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