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The results of balloting conducted amongst 545 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America to elect Major League Baseball players to the United States National Baseball Hall of Fame are announced. Cal Ripken, Junior, having, across twenty-one seasons as a shortstop and third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles, stricken 3184 hits and 431 home runs, made 8214 assists and compiled on defense a 4.14 range factor; been named twice the Most Valuable Player of the American League (AL), twice the most valuable player of the league's All-Star Game, and the AL Rookie of the Year in 1982; claimed two Gold Glove and eight Silver Slugger Awards and honors as the Orioles DHL Hometown Hero; earned selection nineteen times to the All-Star Game and to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team; and played in 2632 consecutive games, 502 more than Lou Gehrig, theretofore the MLB record holder, and 417 more than Sachio Kinugasa, theretofore the holder across leagues of fully professional baseball; garners 537 votes to post the third-best percentage of votes (98.5 per cent) ever achieved and the best of any position player to win induction. Ripken and St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Rick Hummel, the winner of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, are joined in the 2007 induction class by Tony Gwynn, who, having, across his twenty MLB seasons as a right fielder with the San Diego Padres, stricken 3141 hits, stolen 319 bases, scored 1383 runs, and compiled a .338 batting average; claimed five Gold Glove and seven Silver Slugger Awards, honors as the Padres DHL Hometown Hero, and, in 1998, as Ripken in 1992, the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award; earned selection fifteen times to the All-Star Game; and been eight times—including four times consecutively—the National League batting titlist; receives 532 votes to post the fifth-best per centage of any elected player. Three other players—relief pitcher Rich Gossage, left fielder Jim Rice, and right fielder Andre Dawson—receive at least 50 per cent of the vote, whilst starting pitcher Bert Blyleven, having been named on 53.3 per cent of ballots one year thither, is named on just 47.7 per cent of those cast; amongst players eligible for the first time, only two—first baseman and designated hitter Mark McGwire, a member of the 50- and 500-home run clubs, and right fielder and designated hitter Harold Baines, winners respectively of 128 and 29 votes—are chosen by at least five per cent of voters.
Left-handed starting pitcher Barry Zito, by the Oakland Athletics a first-round choice in the 2000 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft, having across his first seven seasons with the Athletics been thrice a selection to the league's All-Star Game, having in 2002 earned the American League Cy Young Awards, and having finished amongst the American League's top ten in earned run average, walks plus hits per inning pitched, strikeouts four times and in wins and shutouts three times and as the league's leader in games started four times, agrees as a free agent to a seven-year, US$126 million contract with the San Francisco Giants to become, ahead of Mike Hampton, in 2001 the signer of an eight-year, US$120 million contract with the Colorado Rockies, the highest-paid pitcher ever and, after Hampton and Kevin Brown, in 1999 the signer of a seven-year, US$105 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, just the third MLB pitcher and fourteenth MLB player to have signed a super-US$100 million contract.
Having across his fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball earned selection to the All-Star Game on four occasions, garnered the 1991 National League rookie of the year and 1994 National League most valuable player awards, earned thrice a Silver Slugger Award and once a Gold Glove Award, and been recognized five times as the National League Player of the Month, Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, aged 38 years, announces his retirement from professional play; he completes his career having compiled a .297 batting average, having stricken 449 home runs, and having tallied 1,529 runs batted in.
The New York Yankees, having twenty-nine days thither in sealed bidding won the exclusive right to negotiate with left-handed starting pitcher Kei Igawa–in 2003 the Central League most valuable player and Sawamura Award winner and in 2002, 2004, and 2006 the Central League season strikeouts leader–last of the Pacific League's Seibu Lions, onto which, under the Major League Baseball-Nippon Professional Baseball posting system, a US$26,000,914 transfer fee, by nearly a factor of two over that paid in 2000 by the Seattle Mariners to the Orix Blue Wave for right fielder Ichiro Suzuki and behind only that paid ten days thither by the Boston Red Sox to the Pacific League's Seibu Lions upon the Red Sox's agreeing to a six-year, US$52 million contract with right-handed starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka–with the Japan national team thrice a winner at the 2006 World Baseball Classic and in view of such performance an all-WBC selection and the Classic most valuable player–the second greatest-ever, reach agreement with Igawa on a five-year US$20 million contract.
The recipients of the player and manager awards for the 2006 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season are announced.

:*Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who finishes the season having stricken 34 home runs, batted in 130 runs, and posted a batting average of .321, receives fifteen of the thirty-two first-place votes cast by a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and, in the award's Borda count system, outscores by fourteen points New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter to earn the American League Most Valuable Player Award, whilst Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, in 2005 the National League Rookie of the Year, earns, in view of his having tallied 58 home runs, 149 runs batted in, and 108 walks, that league's most valuable player award; Howard totals twenty first-place votes to outpoint, 388-347, Saint Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, the 2005 award winner.

:*In view of his becoming the first MLB player since Dwight Gooden (1985) to complete a league-wide triple crown by leading Major League Baseball in earned run average (2.77), wins (19), and strikeouts (245), Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Johan Santana wins unanimously, as in 2004 the American League Cy Young Award; New York Yankees starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, who, in his second MLB season, wins 19 games and posts a 3.63 earned run average, outpoints in the Borda count voting of twenty-eight members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, 51-48, Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Roy Halladay, the 2003 Cy Young winner, for second place, whilst Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim relief pitcher Francisco Rodríguez, who, for his having recorded 47 saves and tallied a 1.73 earned run average and 1.10 walks plus hits per innings pitched average, is recognized as the American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year, is the only other player to record a second-place vote and finishes with five points. Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Webb, who wins 16 games, posts a 3.10 earned run average, and pitches 235 innings, more than any other pitcher save one, receives fifteen of thirty-two first place and seven of thirty-two second place votes cast to win the National League (NL) Cy Young Award by twenty-six points over San Diego Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman, who tallies 46 saves during a season in which he displaces sixteen-year closer Lee Smith from first place on the enumeration of MLBers by career saves and who ultimately earns–as in 1998–the NL Relief Man of the Year Award, and by forty points over Saint Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter, the 2005 honoree.

:*Having finished the regular season having won 17 games and having posted the seventh-best earned run average (3.63) amongst all American League (AL) starting pitchers, the Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander, the second overall selection in the 2004 first-year player draft, who three days thither finishes seventh in voting for the AL Cy Young Award, earns twenty-six of twenty-eight first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), and, in the award's Borda count voting system, earns the AL Rookie of the Year Award by 70 points over Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, who records 35 saves but does plays in just 59 games, and by 103 over Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Francisco Liriano, who tallies 144 strikeouts and wins 12 games but, having sustained an elbow injury, pitches just 121 innings, and who, as Baltimore Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis, earns one first-place vote. Each of six players receives at least one first- or second-place vote from amongst the 32 of either cast by members of the BBWAA for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and shortstop Hanley Ramirez—with second baseman Dan Uggla (55 points in the Borda count system); starting pitcher Josh Johnson (11); starting pitcher Scott Olsen; starting pitcher Anibal Sánchez, the sole MLB pitcher to have posted a complete game no-hitter since 18 May 2004; and left fielder Josh Willingham one of six Florida Marlins players to have earned a vote—having, across the 2006 regular season, hit 17 home runs, scored 119 runs, and stolen 51 bases, outpoints by four, 105-101, Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman–who, on the season, totals 20 home runs and 110 runs batted in and compiles a .965 fielding percentage–to win the award.

:*Although his team lose the 2006 World Series in five games to the Saint Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland, having assumed control of the Tigers from Alan Trammell upon the team's completing the 2005 regular season having won but 71 games and having helped his side to 95 wins in the 2006 season, earns nineteen of twenty-eight first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) to outpoint, in the Borda count voting system employed by the BBWAA, by twenty-five, 118-93, Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire–who earns nine first-place votes–to claim the American League Manager of the Year Award and to become, after Bobby Cox and Tony LaRussa, just the third manager to have won the award in the American and National Leagues and, after Cox, LaRussa, and Dusty Baker, just the fourth manager to have won at least three Manager of the Year Awards across his career. Joe Girardi, having been discharged as Florida Marlins manager despite his having helped the squad, in the starting lineup of which regularly were four rookies and in the rotation of which were regularly three rookies, to an overall record of 79-84, earns eighteen of thirty-two first-place votes cast and tallies 111 points in the Borda count voting to finish thirty points clear of New York Mets manager Willie Randolph–whose team, having captured the National League (NL) East Division, ultimately falls to the Saint Louis Cardinals in the decisive seventh game of the NL Championship Series–for the National League Manager of the Year Award; Bruce Bochy (San Diego Padres) and Grady Little (Los Angeles Dodgers), who lead teams to the playoffs, also earn first-place votes and finish, respectively, 61 and 81 points adrift of Girardi.

:*Chicago White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome, having across the league's 2005 regular season played in only 59 games and having across 193 at-bats recorded a batting average of just .207 but having in the 2006 season stricken 42 home runs, tallied 109 runs batted in, and earned selection to the 2006 All-Star Game, wins the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award ahead, in voting undertaken online by fans, of Oakland Athletics designated hitter Frank Thomas, whilst Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra wins the National League honor in view of his having completed the 2006 season having stricken 20 home runs, tallied 93 runs batted in and earned All-Star Game selection despite having contested just 62 games during the 2005 season–and having recorded nine home runs therein–and having played in 143 games total across the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

:*Amongst the eighteen players to be honored with Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for individual fielding performance are five American Leaguers—Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Kenny Rogers (five), Detroit Tigers catcher Iván Rodríguez (twelve, more than any other catcher), Oakland Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez (six), Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (six), and Minnesota Twins center fielder Torii Hunter—and three National Leaguers—Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Greg Maddux (sixteen, as many as Jim Kaat and more than any other pitcher), San Francisco Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel (eleven, more than any other shortstop save Ozzie Smith), Saint Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen, and Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones—of whom each wins a Gold Glove Award for at least the fifth time is his career, but amongst those eighteen honored for overall offensive performance with Louisville Silver Slugger Awards, is just one—Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramírez (nine, more than any other outfielder save Barry Bonds)—who wins for at least the fifth time as thirteen players—including American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, AL Most Valuable Player Award runner-up New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (who also wins his third consecutive Gold Glove), Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano (who, in 73 at-bats in the 2006 regular season, strikes six home runs and bats in 11 runs), and National League Most Valuable Player Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard—win for the first time.

For the second consecutive year, the champion of the Japan Series wins the Konami Cup Asia Series as the Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters, two-and-one-half weeks thither the Japan Series titlist as victor of the Pacific League, having completed round robin pool play undefeated and having scored fifteen runs and permitted just three, defeat the La New Bears—winner of the Chinese Professional Baseball League 2006 regular season and Taiwan Series titlist—1-0 in a championship round game to garner the 2006 iteration of the Asia Series; for his having recorded ten strikeouts across seven shutout innings to win the championship game, Hokkaidō starting pitcher Yu Darvish is named Series most valuable player. The Bears, having lost to the Fighters in round robin play, 2-1, reach the final by virtue of the squad's 3-2 day three victory over the Samsung Lions—champion, as in 2005, of the Korea Baseball Organization, three weeks thither in five games over the Hanhwa Eagles, and the 2005 Asia Series runner-up to the Chiba Lotte Marines—which side finish, having won only a day two tie against the China Stars, in third place overall; the Stars, composed of players selected from amongst the six China Baseball League (CBL) constituent teams–including from the Tianjin Lions, three months thither over the Guangdong Dragons in three consecutive playoff games, CBL champions–finish, as in 2005, last overall, having scored just four runs and having conceded thirty-two.
At the Sapporo Dome in the eponymous city in Japan, the Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters, champion of the Pacific League in three consecutive games over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, having lost, at the Nagoya Dome, the first game of the series, 4-2, and having thereafter claimed three straight victories, defeat the Chunichi Dragons, champion, by three-and-one-half games over 2005 league titlist Hanshin Tigers, of the Central League, which does not hold a playoff, 4-1, to earn, in five games, the best-of-seven-game 2006 Japan Series pennant; the franchise captures its second-ever Series and becomes the fourth consecutive Pacific League side to garner the championship of Nippon Professional Baseball and second consecutive such side, after the Chiba Lotte Marines (Bobby Valentine) to be managed by a native of the United States (Trey Hillman). The Fighters are led by right fielder Atsunori Inaba, who compiles a .353 batting average, bats in seven runs, and strikes two home runs across the Series to earn most valuable player honors, and relief pitcher Micheal Nakamura, who saves three games, whilst the Dragons are paced in defeat by right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, the Central League most valuable player and batting champion, who bats in two of the three runs the team scores against the second, third, and fourth games of the Series.

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