McCallum one of 16 for National Player of the year

NCBWA NAMES 2009 DICK
HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, working in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the College Baseball Foundation, has released the list of 16 semifinalists for the 2009 Dick Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball.

The membership of the NCBWA will choose the winner of the Dick Howser Trophy based on two rounds of national voting. Three 2009 finalists will be announced just prior to the first game of the College World Series with a press conference slated for Saturday, June 13, at 9:30 a.m. (CDT) at the Omaha Press Club in the old First National Bank Building. The winner will be named in a national broadcast from Lubbock, Texas, on Thursday, July 2.

The 16 candidates hail from nine different conferences and 16 different schools. The Southeastern Conference paces the pack with three semifinalists. Nine different positions afield, including four pitchers, join one designated hitter and a utility player among this diversified group.

2009 DICK HOSWER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
1B Dustin Ackley, North Carolina
OF Kent Matthes, Alabama
DH Matt Alexander, Air Force
2B Derek McCallum, Minnesota
P Kyle Bellamy, Miami
3B Tommy Mendonca, Fresno State
3B Troy Channing, St. Mary's
P A.J. Morris, Kansas State
1B Cody Hawn, Tennessee
1B Rich Poythress, Georgia
C Chris Henderson, George Mason
UT Brooks Raley, Texas A&M
P Mike Leake, Arizona State
3B Anthony Rendon, Rice
SS Bryan Marquez, New Mexico State
P Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State


The Howser Trophy was created in 1987, some notable past winners include Robin Ventura in 1988, Brooks Kieschnick in 1992 and 1993, Jason Varitek in 1994, Todd Helton in 1995, Kris Bensen in 1996, J.D. Drew in 1997, Mark Teixera in 2000, Mark Prior in 2001, Khalil Greene in 2002, Ricky Weeks in 2003, Jered Weaver in 2004, Alex Gordon in 2005, and David Price in 2007.


I would say the overwhelming favorite is Strasburg, who is being called the greates college prspect ever.

JohnnyGopher said:

NCBWA NAMES 2009 DICK
HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, working in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the College Baseball Foundation, has released the list of 16 semifinalists for the 2009 Dick Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball.

The membership of the NCBWA will choose the winner of the Dick Howser Trophy based on two rounds of national voting. Three 2009 finalists will be announced just prior to the first game of the College World Series with a press conference slated for Saturday, June 13, at 9:30 a.m. (CDT) at the Omaha Press Club in the old First National Bank Building. The winner will be named in a national broadcast from Lubbock, Texas, on Thursday, July 2.

The 16 candidates hail from nine different conferences and 16 different schools. The Southeastern Conference paces the pack with three semifinalists. Nine different positions afield, including four pitchers, join one designated hitter and a utility player among this diversified group.

2009 DICK HOSWER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
1B Dustin Ackley, North Carolina
OF Kent Matthes, Alabama
DH Matt Alexander, Air Force
2B Derek McCallum, Minnesota
P Kyle Bellamy, Miami
3B Tommy Mendonca, Fresno State
3B Troy Channing, St. Mary's
P A.J. Morris, Kansas State
1B Cody Hawn, Tennessee
1B Rich Poythress, Georgia
C Chris Henderson, George Mason
UT Brooks Raley, Texas A&M
P Mike Leake, Arizona State
3B Anthony Rendon, Rice
SS Bryan Marquez, New Mexico State
P Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State


The Howser Trophy was created in 1987, some notable past winners include Robin Ventura in 1988, Brooks Kieschnick in 1992 and 1993, Jason Varitek in 1994, Todd Helton in 1995, Kris Bensen in 1996, J.D. Drew in 1997, Mark Teixera in 2000, Mark Prior in 2001, Khalil Greene in 2002, Ricky Weeks in 2003, Jered Weaver in 2004, Alex Gordon in 2005, and David Price in 2007.


I would say the overwhelming favorite is Strasburg, who is being called the greates college prspect ever.

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Yeah, I heard that he no-hit somebody the other day. Not sure who it was against, but every article I've read about the guy says he's unbelievable. Johnny, do you know anything else about him?

He no-hit Air force, also had 17 strikeouts to go to 11-0 on the year. Here's a really good ESPN story on him that gives alot of the answers. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=4153903

Most think he will be in the majors immediately. Represented by Boras and there was some debate about will Washington draft him based on the early reports on the signing demands, but they came out a couple weeks ago and said they would take him no matter what. Some scouts like David Price better and others use Mark Prior as a cautionary tale but this guy throws so hard, clocked at 103 earlier this year and consistantly throws in the high 90's late in games and has an above average curve and change.

Just for the fun of it all, I went and looked up Strasburg's stats. They read like something out of a video game.

12 starts,
11-0 record,
1.24 ERA,
48 hits allowed in 87 innings,
with 164 strike outs and 17 walks. Jeebus!!!

Count me in with Johnny, National Player of the Year here we come.

as dominating as strasburg has been i find it hard to give such an award to a guy who has appeared in about 25 percent of your games, as opposed to a guy who is out their grinding it out for you day in and day out. this is not intended to be a knock on pitchers in any way, which leads me to ask the question.... do they have a cy young award equivalency in college baseball? because i've noticed a solid number of pitchers winning this award in the past.

youngstown, I really don't like that argument because it ignores the fact that a starting pitcher affects the game so much more a position player. A position player affects 1/9 of every play on offense and less than that on defense (except for catchers). A pitcher affects every play on defense.

A starter pitches only every 4th or game or so but in Strasburg's case for example, he pretty much guarantees a win for his team every 4th game. There is no position player that makes that big of a difference, even though they play every day. If his team goes .500 without him, he makes their record .625. It would be a truly extraordinary position player that got his team that many more wins.

So, McCallum is the B10 player as a finalist for Nat'l POY but he can't win B10 POY? Nice.

The voting for player of the year in the Big Ten was pretty horsed up if you ask me. The guy that won player of the year, Dan Burkhart of Ohio State, wasn't even a unanimous all-conference first team selection.

Can't really argue with Alex Wimmers or Eric Arnett of Indiana getting nods as co-pitchers of the year. And I wouldn't have had a problem with either Josh Phegley or obviously McCallum as being named player of the year either. But giving it to Burkhart is a real stretch. Lots of Ohio State loving going from the Big Ten offices on this one.

I don't even have a problem with Bob Todd getting coach of the year. But the whole thing with Burkhart makes me go think "um, what?"