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Braun snags lone Brewers '09 hardware

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By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com

12/21/09 7:16 PM EST

MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee each made worthy contributions for the Brewers in 2009, but Braun held the lone piece of hardware at the end of baseball's national awards season.

Braun won a National League Silver Slugger Award after he led the National League with 203 hits while batting .320 with 32 home runs and 114 RBIs, and he became the first Brewers player since Paul Molitor, more than a decade ago, to win a Silver Slugger Award in consecutive years.

Since 1980, Silver Slugger Awards have been given annually to the best offensive player at each position as selected by the Major League Baseball managers and coaches, and Braun was honored alongside Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp of the Dodgers as the top outfielders in the National League.

Braun became the third Brewers player to take home the award in consecutive seasons. Molitor was the American League's top designated hitter in 1987 and 1988, and Cecil Cooper won the award as the AL first baseman in three straight seasons from 1980-82.

Braun also drew votes in NL MVP balloting but the Brewers' main contender in that category was first baseman Fielder, who finished fourth with 203 points from Baseball Writers' Association of America voters. The Cardinals' Albert Pujols was the unanimous winner of the award, followed by the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez and the Phillies' Ryan Howard in third.

A Brewer hasn't been honored as his league's MVP since then-center fielder Robin Yount won the AL prize for the second time in 1989. Yount was also named MVP in 1982 as a shortstop. Reliever Rollie Fingers won the honor the previous season, in 1981, his first season after a blockbuster trade brought him to Milwaukee from St. Louis.

Fingers also won the AL Cy Young Award that season, and Pete Vuckovich made it two Brewers in a row when he won in 1982.

Fielder made quite an MVP case in 2009. He batted a career-best .299 with 46 home runs and 141 RBIs. Fielder tied Howard for the Major League RBI crown and finished only one homer shy of Pujols' Major League-best mark.

At the same time, Fielder boosted his batting average to a career-best .299, a 23-point jump from the previous season. He walked a career-best 110 times. And he was the only player in baseball to appear in all 162 games.

Asked which of those statistical achievements were the source of the most pride, Fielder didn't flinch.

"Driving in runs, because that's my job," Fielder said as players began to scatter for the winter. "It's not necessarily hitting home runs. My job is to drive in runs. I'm happy about the fact I was able to do that this year."

Braun, who finished third in NL MVP balloting in 2008, ran 11th this time, with 43 points.

McGehee, the Cubs castoff who won a roster spot with the Brewers in Spring Training and then won the third-base job as the season progressed, batted .301 with 16 homers and led Major League rookies with 66 RBIs. He finished fifth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting.

McGehee received one first-place vote but Florida outfielder Chris Coghlan won the award after batting .321.

"I finished right about where I thought I would," McGehee said after seeing the results. "I think you could have made a very strong case for a lot of people, and Coghlan was obviously very deserving. Congratulations to him.

"Now that this is over with, we can finally put 2009 to bed and focus on next year. I'm excited about the chance to improve on this year and help the team get to where it needs to be."

First, though, a glance at the Brewers' local awards:

The local chapter of the BBWAA announced its Brewers awards on Oct. 27 and Fielder was the runaway winner for club MVP. He was a unanimous choice.

Right-hander Yovani Gallardo received four first-place votes to be named Brewers Most Valuable Pitcher. Trevor Hoffman received the other two first-place votes. Gallardo, in his first full season in the Majors, went 13-12 with a 3.73 ERA in 30 starts and became just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to have 200 strikeouts in a season.

Hoffman earned five first-place votes to earn Top Newcomer honors over McGehee, who received the remaining first-place vote. Hoffman went 3-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 37 saves in 55 appearances during his first season with the Brewers and extended his all-time Major League saves record to 591.

Reliever Todd Coffey was voted Brewers Unsung Hero, receiving three first-place votes. Infielder Craig Counsell (two) and McGehee (one) also earned first-place votes. Counsell earned the Good Guy Award for the second consecutive season. His four first-place votes edged outfielder Mike Cameron for the honor.

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.