On Nov. 21, 1952, Joe Black, a 28-year-old right-hander for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was overwhelmingly voted as the National League Rookie of the Year, receiving 19 of 24 first-place votes. Hoyt Wilhelm, Dick Groat and Eddie Mathews also received first-place votes. This made Black the third player in Dodgers franchise history to win the Rookie of the Year honors, joining Jackie Robinson in 1947 and Don Newcombe in 1949. The following season, Jim Gilliam added to the Dodgers list by winning the honor for 1953.
In a season that Trea Turner won the batting title with a .304 average, Lile finished just five points behind him (albeit in an abbreviated big-league cameo). Lile also scored 51 runs, hit an eye-popping 11 triples, and was performing best of all as the season came to a close. Raw ability took him far, so imagine what's to come in the future.
All BBWAA Award winners will be announced live on MLB Network with special shows starting at 4 p.m. PT for each designated day. The voting process to determine the winners and finalists for each category is run by the BBWAA. Two writers from each MLB city are recommended by the local chapter chairman and approved by the national secretary-treasurer to vote for each award.
1980 - Steve Carlton wins his third Cy Young Award after posting a 24-9 record with a 2.34 ERA and 286 strikeouts. Carlton joins Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver and Jim Palmer as the only pitchers with three Cy Young Awards. 1987 - San Diego Padres catcher Benito Santiago, who ended the season with a rookie-record 34-game hitting streak, is a unanimous selection as the National League Rookie of the Year.
Within the last few years, the Rookie of the Year award has grown to have more meaning than it had in the past. Changes in the most recent collective bargaining agreement allow the award to bestow a full year of MLB service time on the top two finishers, even if they would have otherwise entered the offseason with less than that.