Miguel Cabrera voted top player by big leaguers

[November 06, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Miguel Cabrera is waiting for the crown that was presented to him at the World Series to arrive at his home. He'll give it a prominent spot in his office.

"I'll show it to my friends, my family," the Detroit Tigers third baseman said Monday after adding another honor by beating out Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen and Los Angeles Angels rookie Mike Trout for player of the year as voted on by their fellow major leaguers. "I think it's going to be something special for my kids. ... It's going to be a good story for my grandkids."

Cabrera, the first Triple Crown winner in the big leagues since 1967, hit .330 with 44 homers and 139 RBIs for the AL champion Tigers. The slugger was given an actual crown by Major League Baseball during the World Series in honor of his achievement.

Detroit was swept by San Francisco in the World Series. Cabrera hit .231 with three RBIs and ended the Series by taking a called third strike.

"It's really disappointing because we didn't want to finish like we finished," he said. "It was very hard to accept how we lost."

But winning the Players Choice Award was special because the voters were his big league peers.

"It makes you feel proud and makes you feel like you've got to work harder, you've got to work to get better," the 29-year-old Cabrera said. "You've got to get better every year."

Retiring Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones was voted Marvin Miller man of the year for excellence on and off the field over finalists Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox and Michael Young of Texas in Players Choice voting announced Monday.

Other awards went to Cabrera (AL outstanding player), McCutchen (NL outstanding player), Tampa Bay's David Price (AL outstanding pitcher) and New York Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (NL outstanding pitcher). Trout and Cincinnati third baseman Todd Frazier were voted the outstanding rookies, and Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco catcher Buster Posey were chosen comeback players of the year.

Voting took place in September.

[Associated Press]

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