Series Awards: @ Nationals, 6/15 - 6/17

Earlier this season I pointed out that as long as Yankee starters could start giving up less home runs, then they would be fine. In March/April Yankee pitchers had a HR rate of 1.23 per 9 innings of work, while going 13-9. The HR rate went up to 1.4 HR/9 in May, leading to a record of 14-14. Here we are in June, and the Yankees have swept 3 straight series while going 13-2. And what is the team's HR/9 during this month? .55 HR/9. Attainable? Probably not. But it shows you what this team can do when the pitchers simply limit the long-balls.

Jake Taylor Award
Curtis Granderson is NOT a home run hitter. Got that? Good. So ignore the fact that the Grandy man hit two of them in the series vs. the Nationals. Instead, think about the two doubles that Curtis hit, on his way to going 4-for-14 in the series.

Gentry Award
The nation's capitol wasn't so welcoming for Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod was 1-for-10 in the series, but was able to drive in a run with his lone hit (single), so he wasn't a total bust in the series.

Rick Vaughn Award
Although Phil Hughes pitched really well in Game 1, going 6 innings while giving up only a run with 9 strikeouts, I'll always give this award to somebody that does really well too but goes deeper into the game. Hence the reason Ivan Nova wins the Rick Vaughn Award this time. This afternoon he went 7 innings, giving up just 7 hits while walking 1, to go along with 4 strikeouts.

Kelner Award
Cory Wade. Okay, I'm not for giving a releiver, who only threw .2 innings in the series, this or any award. But I didn't give it away last time, and Cory did give up the game-tying home run to Ian Desmond in the 8th inning of Game 2, which ended up being a 14-inning affair. So I don't feel to sleazy here.

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*The awards are named after one of the best baseball movies of all time... Major League.

Jake Taylor Award - Awarded to the most valuable position player. Named after the hard-nose veteran catcher that, despite making the league minimum, was the heart and soul of the 1989 American League East winning Cleveland Indians.

Gentry Award - Awarded to the least valuable position player. Named after the very first man cut from the 1989 Cleveland Indians, #47 Gentry. A man so insignificant he wasn't even given a first name.

Rick Vaughn - Awarded to the best pitcher in the series. This one is, of course, named after the "Wild Thing". The man that made Clu Haywood look silly in the division deciding game.

Kelner Award - Awarded to the worst pitcher in the series. Named after the Opening Day starter for the '89 Indians. Not a good game for Mr. Kelner, as Indians' announcer Harry Doyle famously quipped "thank God" after Kelner left the game. And yet another bad player without a first name.