Craig Kimbrel
Encyclopedia
Craig Michael Kimbrel is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the Atlanta Braves
. Breaking the record for saves by a rookie in the 2011 season
, Kimbrel was awarded the Rookie of the Year Award for the National League
.
in order to improve his draft position. He was then taken by the Braves in the third round of the 2008 draft, and was the 96th player chosen.
on the roster. He was called up for the second time in his career on June 4, 2010, to replace Takashi Saito
, who was placed on the 15-day DL. He earned his first major league save on September 19, 2010 against the New York Mets
. Kimbrel's record for the 2010 season was 4–0, with one save and a 0.44 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. He recorded 40 strikeouts and 16 walks. In the 2010 playoffs, he shut down the eventual World Champion
San Francisco Giants
on several occasions; he had 7 strikeouts in a total of 4 1/3 innings, appearing in all 4 games of the NLDS between the Giants and the Braves.
, Kimbrel passed the record for most saves by a National League rookie before the All-Star break. He is the fastest Braves pitcher to reach 100 career strikeouts, doing so in 59 1/3 career innings. His new record surpassed the previous record set by John Rocker
in the 1998–1999 season, where it took Rocker 70 career innings to reach the 100 career strikeout mark. On July 5, his 26th save matched Jonathan Papelbon
's record for most saves by a rookie before the All-Star break. On July 7, Kimbrel's 27th save of the year against the Colorado Rockies
broke Papelbon's record.
Kimbrel was selected to the 2011 All Star Game
during his first full season in the majors. San Francisco Giants
manager Bruce Bochy
choose Kimbrel as a replacement for Giants pitcher Matt Cain
.
On July 22, 2011 in a game versus the Cincinnati Reds
, Kimbrel broke the Braves rookie record for saves in a season (31).
On August 9, 2011 in a game versus the Florida Marlins
, Kimbrel tied the National League rookie record for saves in a season (36 by Todd Worrell
of the St. Louis Cardinals
in 1986). He broke that record on August 17 in a game versus the San Francisco Giants. On August 21, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 100th strike out which coincided with his 39th save of the season and a string of 30 2/3 innings without yielding a run. On August 23, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 40th save, tying the rookie save record of Neftali Feliz. He subsequently broke this record with his 41st save on August 31 with two strike outs in a game against the Washington Nationals. At the time, he led the majors in saves and had not given up a run in his last 34 innings. The following night September 1, 2011, Kimbrel surpassed Cliff Lee
's record of thirty four scoreless innings with thirty four 2/3 scoreless innings for the longest scoreless streak in the majors in 2011. The scoreless inning streak came to an end after 37 2/3 innings, on September 10, 2011.
He was named the NL Rookie of the Month and MLB Delivery Man of the Month for August 2011.
Kimbrel ended the season tied for the National League lead with 46 saves--shattering the previous rookie record of 40, set by (former Braves prospect) Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers
in 2010--and led the Major Leagues with 127 strikeouts in 77 innings of relief.
On November 14, the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced the results of their 2011 National League Rookie of the Year vote; Craig Kimbrel received all 32 first-place ballots--the first unanimous selection since 2001 winner Albert Pujols
--for 160 points. Freddie Freeman
finished second in the voting with 21 second-place votes and seven third-place votes, for a total of 70 points--making the pair the first team-mates to take the top two spots since 1989, when the Chicago Cubs
' Jerome Walton
and Dwight Smith
came in first and second in the balloting.. The only other time two Braves finished in the top five, the organization was still located in Milwaukee--Gene Conley
was voted third-best rookie of the 1954 season; Hank Aaron came in fourth.
Baseball Writers' Association of America 2011 Rookie of the Year Voting Results
BBWAA awards five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote, and one point for each third-place vote
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Breaking the record for saves by a rookie in the 2011 season
2011 Atlanta Braves season
The 2011 Atlanta Braves season was the Braves' 46th season in Atlanta, and the 136th of the franchise. For the first time since the 1990 season, Bobby Cox did not manage the club, having retired following the 2010 season. He was succeeded by Fredi González, the former third-base coach for the...
, Kimbrel was awarded the Rookie of the Year Award for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
.
Career
Kimbrel was drafted by the Braves in the 33rd round of the 2007 draft, but elected to remain at Wallace State Community CollegeWallace State Community College
Wallace State Community College is a community college located in Hanceville, Alabama. Wallace State offers a variety of associate's degrees. It is named for former Alabama governor George C. Wallace, who greatly expanded Alabama's community college system...
in order to improve his draft position. He was then taken by the Braves in the third round of the 2008 draft, and was the 96th player chosen.
2010
Kimbrel got his first call up from Gwinnett on May 5, 2010, to replace the injured Jair JurrjensJair Jurrjens
-Childhood:Jurrjens grew in a quiet neighborhood called ´Kura Piedra´ pronounced in Dutch as ´Steenkoraal or Stenenkoraal´, and was always active in baseball. His older brother, Carl Jr., also played baseball.Jurrjens speaks English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamentu....
on the roster. He was called up for the second time in his career on June 4, 2010, to replace Takashi Saito
Takashi Saito
is a Japanese professional baseball player.Saito previously pitched for the Yokohama BayStars in the Japanese Central League, compiling a record of 87–80 over 13 seasons...
, who was placed on the 15-day DL. He earned his first major league save on September 19, 2010 against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. Kimbrel's record for the 2010 season was 4–0, with one save and a 0.44 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. He recorded 40 strikeouts and 16 walks. In the 2010 playoffs, he shut down the eventual World Champion
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
on several occasions; he had 7 strikeouts in a total of 4 1/3 innings, appearing in all 4 games of the NLDS between the Giants and the Braves.
2011
Kimbrel made the roster to start the 2011 season as the team's primary closer. He was successful in his first four save opportunities before blowing his first career save on April 21, 2011. On June 3, 2011 in a game versus the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, Kimbrel passed the record for most saves by a National League rookie before the All-Star break. He is the fastest Braves pitcher to reach 100 career strikeouts, doing so in 59 1/3 career innings. His new record surpassed the previous record set by John Rocker
John Rocker
John Loy Rocker is a retired American Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians, the Texas Rangers, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as well as the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball...
in the 1998–1999 season, where it took Rocker 70 career innings to reach the 100 career strikeout mark. On July 5, his 26th save matched Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Robert Papelbon is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Before joining the Phillies, Papelbon played with the Boston Red Sox from 2005-2011....
's record for most saves by a rookie before the All-Star break. On July 7, Kimbrel's 27th save of the year against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
broke Papelbon's record.
Kimbrel was selected to the 2011 All Star Game
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
during his first full season in the majors. San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
manager Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
choose Kimbrel as a replacement for Giants pitcher Matt Cain
Matt Cain
Matthew Thomas Cain is an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants...
.
On July 22, 2011 in a game versus the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, Kimbrel broke the Braves rookie record for saves in a season (31).
On August 9, 2011 in a game versus the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, Kimbrel tied the National League rookie record for saves in a season (36 by Todd Worrell
Todd Worrell
Todd Roland Worrell is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers from to ....
of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in 1986). He broke that record on August 17 in a game versus the San Francisco Giants. On August 21, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 100th strike out which coincided with his 39th save of the season and a string of 30 2/3 innings without yielding a run. On August 23, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 40th save, tying the rookie save record of Neftali Feliz. He subsequently broke this record with his 41st save on August 31 with two strike outs in a game against the Washington Nationals. At the time, he led the majors in saves and had not given up a run in his last 34 innings. The following night September 1, 2011, Kimbrel surpassed Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
's record of thirty four scoreless innings with thirty four 2/3 scoreless innings for the longest scoreless streak in the majors in 2011. The scoreless inning streak came to an end after 37 2/3 innings, on September 10, 2011.
He was named the NL Rookie of the Month and MLB Delivery Man of the Month for August 2011.
Kimbrel ended the season tied for the National League lead with 46 saves--shattering the previous rookie record of 40, set by (former Braves prospect) Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in 2010--and led the Major Leagues with 127 strikeouts in 77 innings of relief.
On November 14, the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced the results of their 2011 National League Rookie of the Year vote; Craig Kimbrel received all 32 first-place ballots--the first unanimous selection since 2001 winner Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
--for 160 points. Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman
Frederick Charles "Freddie" Freeman is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.-Professional career:...
finished second in the voting with 21 second-place votes and seven third-place votes, for a total of 70 points--making the pair the first team-mates to take the top two spots since 1989, when the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
' Jerome Walton
Jerome Walton
Jerome O'Terrell Walton is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs , California Angels , Cincinnati Reds , Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
and Dwight Smith
Dwight Smith
Dwight Smith is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron....
came in first and second in the balloting.. The only other time two Braves finished in the top five, the organization was still located in Milwaukee--Gene Conley
Gene Conley
Donald Eugene Conley is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played eleven seasons from to for four different teams. Conley also played forward in the 1952-1953 season and from 1958 to 1964 for two teams in the National Basketball Association...
was voted third-best rookie of the 1954 season; Hank Aaron came in fourth.
BBWAA awards five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote, and one point for each third-place vote
| Player | Team | First | Second | Third | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Kimbrel | Atlanta Braves | 32 | 160 | ||
| Freddie Freeman Freddie Freeman Frederick Charles "Freddie" Freeman is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.-Professional career:... |
Atlanta Braves | 21 | 7 | 70 | |
| Vance Worley Vance Worley Vance Richard Worley , nicknamed "The Vanimal", is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.-Early career:... |
Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League... |
8 | 16 | 40 | |
| Wilson Ramos Wilson Ramos Wilson Abraham Ramos is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Washington Nationals. He is 6' tall, weighs 221 lbs., and throws and bats right-handed. He signed with the Minnesota Twins as a non-drafted free agent on July 7, .... |
Washington Nationals | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| Josh Collmenter Josh Collmenter Joshua Michael Collmenter is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-High School:... |
Arizona Diamondbacks Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... |
1 | 2 | 5 | |
| Danny Espinosa Danny Espinosa Daniel Richard "Danny" Espinosa is a Major League Baseball Second baseman for the Washington Nationals.-College career:... |
Washington Nationals Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium... |
1 | 3 | ||
| Darwin Barney Darwin Barney Darwin James Kunane Barney is a Major League second baseman currently playing for the Chicago Cubs... |
Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... |
2 | 2 | ||
| Kenley Jansen Kenley Jansen Kenley Geronimo Jansen is a pitcher in Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization... |
Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... |
2 | 2 |