Jemile Weeks earns GIBBY Rookie nomination

OAKLAND -- Jemile Weeks' June arrival, some say, has affected the level of consideration he's received for American League Rookie of the Year Award honors.

But with the help of fans, Weeks has the chance to land atop the ranks for another recognition, the annual Greatness in Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) Award for top rookie.

Major League Baseball's A-listers will take home GIBBY trophies -- the ultimate honors of baseball's awards season -- based on votes by the fans at MLB.com, media, front-office personnel and MLB alumni.

The 2011 GIBBYs feature nominees in 19 categories. Individual honors will go to the top everyday player, starting pitcher, closer, setup man, rookie, breakout player, comeback player, defensive player, wow factor, manager, executive and postseason performer.

GIBBY trophies also will be awarded for the year's best play, moment, performance, oddity, walk-off, fan moment and postseason moment from MLB.com's Must C highlight reels.

Fan voting ends Dec. 4, and you can vote up to 25 times per category. Winners will be announced Dec. 16 from 6-8 p.m. PT on MLB Network and MLB.com.

The 24-year-old Weeks, the younger brother of the Brewers' Rickie Weeks, paced the A's in triples (eight), multihit games (35) and games of three hits or more (14). His team-leading .303 average ranked best among AL rookies with at least 400 plate appearances and would have ranked second best among all rookies in Oakland history next to Mitchell Page (.307).

Among AL rookies, Weeks led the pack in triples, tied for second in stolen bases with 22 and ranked third in hits (123) and doubles (26) in 97 games -- numbers that helped A's fans forgive general manager Billy Beane for trading longtime mainstay Mark Ellis to Colorado.

"We've always had high hopes for him," Beane said at the end of the season. "I didn't think he'd be here until next year. You can see what he did, arriving a half-year before anyone thought he would be ready. He's a dynamic player. He was a bright spot for us."



(mlb.com)