Royals Announce Award Winners

The Royals named their organizational award winners this afternoon, recognizing outstanding performance in 2011.

Along with Eric Hosmer (Joe Burke Special Achievement Award), Bruce Chen (Bruce Rice Award for Pitcher of the Year) and Alex Gordon (Les Milgram Player of the Year) those winners are:

• Johnny Giavotella  – Gio’s hot June and July earned him the George Brett Hitter of the Year for the organization’s top hitter.
• Kelvin Herrera – When a player starts in A ball and ends the year in the big leagues (tearing through two more levels in the process), it’s noticed and earned Herrera the Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year Award.
• Anthony Seratelli – Seratelli had a great year at Northwest Arkansas and his 35 steals in 40 attempts made him a great choice for the Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year Award. The super-utiplayer should be in Triple A next year after a strong Arizona Fall League performance.
• Lorenzo Cain – Despite being blocked by a career year by Melky Cabrera, Cain hit well in Omaha and displayed his range in Triple A. The presumptive 2012 opening day center fielder was named the Frank White Defensive Player of the Year.
• Tim Melville – Melville was a volunteering machine, according to the Royals, appearing at community and charity events all year, winning him the Mike Sweeney Award for the player who best represents the organization on and off the field. You can check out a review of his 2011 season here if you like.
• Mike Jirschele – Not only did Jirschele preside over and Omaha team that won the Pacific Coast League, but he also helped move Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Giavotella, Louis Coleman, Greg Holland, Danny Duffy and Everett Teaford up the ranks. Who better to win the Dick Howser Player Development Person of the Year?
• Orlando Estevez – He won the Art Stewart Scout of the Year Award. Why? He signed Sal Perez, Kelvin Herrera, Cheslor Cuthbert and Humberto Arteaga. That’s why.
• Eric Edelstein – Edelstein, general manager of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, won the Matt Minker Award as the organization’s outstanding minor league employee. We’ve talked to him a couple of times in the past, first with a Q&A with Gage Matthews and he also appeared as a guest on the Royalman Report.

The Royals also recognized Lois Lakey. The 73-year-old has volunteered at Childrens Mercy Hospital in the neonatal intensive care unit. She volunteers five days a week. Eight hours a day. For more than 12 years. A story by KCTV5 estimated that she’s held, rocked and comforted greater than 93,000 babies in that time. Her outstanding effort in the community makes her a worthy recipient of the Dan Quisenberry Special Achievement Award.