Iwakuma Wins Sawamura Award

» 03 November 2008 » In npb »

This year’s Sawamura Award selection committee agreed with me and choose Rakuten ace Hisashi Iwakuma as the recipient of this year’s award. Here’s a YouTube clip of the game that really put Iwakuma over the top.

Runner-up Yu Darvish had an outstanding year, meeting all seven guidelines for selection, but in the end Iwakuma’s win total and slightly better era won out. Said selection committee member Choji Murata: “Darvish is a pitcher who can take the award again from next year”.

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  1. Patrick
    simon
    04/11/2008 at 11:02 am Permalink

    Yeah, the fact that Darvish can win the award in any given year, and the great comeback story of Iwakuma probably sealed the deal (along with the win total and ERA). Darvish is to NPB pitching, how Pujols is to NL batting, taken for granted.

  2. Patrick
    westbaystars
    04/11/2008 at 5:44 pm Permalink

    Gee, I hadn’t realized that the Award wasn’t presented yet. Here, on Marinerds, and in one of my Pro Yakyu This Week broadcasts the reasons for Iwakuma were presented so thoroughly that I thought it was already done.