Soto wins NL Rookie of the Year, wonders what it's like to catch Jake Peavy

Photo Credit: AP

Finally, Chicago Cubs fans can say they cheered for a winner.

Catcher Geovany Soto was a near-unanimous choice for the National League Rookie of the Year award, becoming the fifth Cub player to do so.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto picked up the other first-place vote.

F-U Dusty!

Anyway...

Soto's win comes 10 years after teammate Kerry Wood won the NL's ROY award in 1998. Here's hoping Geo doesn't get his arm blown out like Kid K's did.

The rookie backstop did it all this year.

• He led all rookies with 86 RBIs
• Hit 23 home runs (second among NL rookies)
• Became the first rookie catcher to start the All-Star game
• Caught Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter

Maybe next year he'll catch Jake Peavy if GM Jim Hendry commits to throwing every prospect in the Cubs' organization westward to San Diego.

***********************

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria won the American League's ROY award, mashing 27 homers and driving in 85 runs en route to leading the Rays to an AL East title.

Chicago White Sox second baseman Alexei Ramirez, who hit .297 with 21 homers and 77 RBIs in his rookie campaign, finished second behind Longoria.

Ramirez's claim to fame this season were the four grand slams he hit for the South Siders this season.

Kenny Williams is cashing on the bargain that is Alexei Ramirez

Alexei Ramirez came to the Chicago White Sox from Cuba as a relative unknown.

Now, the Cuban Missile is becoming a daily feature on ESPN's Web Gems and an offensive force in the American League.

Despite batting in the .100s during April, Ramirez has rebounded and is currently hitting .314 with 15 homers and 58 runs batted in and would be closing on a Rookie of the Year award if not for what Evan Longoria is doing with the feel-good story of the year, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Nevertheless, Ramirez's ascent to a cult following in Chicago is surprising only to outsiders. Hawk Harrelson calls him the best player in the organization, and despite what VORP tells me, I have to agree.

Ramirez possesses every skill and instinct you want a baseball player to have. And now, the stats got his back. His .821 OPS ranks among the best among middle infielders.

Oh yeah, and there's the fact that he's playing out of position. In fact, scouts say he's playing his third best position. Ramirez, who came up through the ranks as a shortstop, played excellent center field earlier in the year.

Having a player like Ramirez on your roster is worth every penny, especially when that player is making pennies on the dollar.*

*Ramirez is making only $950,000 in the first year of a four-year deal worth $4.75 million.