Major League Baseball

Rockies' Tulowitzki, Gonzalez double up on awards

Published Nov. 12, 2010 4:05 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

The fuss over Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has always focused on his smooth fielding.

He hopes his latest trophy validates him as a complete player.

Tulowitzki and Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez won NL Silver Slugger awards Thursday, given to the best hitter at each position. Gonzalez led the league with a .336 batting average while Tulowitzki finished at .315.

The news came one day after each player won his first Gold Glove. That was hardly a shock with Tulowitzki, who's been dazzling at shortstop since the day he arrived in the majors.

''These two awards definitely get other people to realize what I bring to the baseball field each and every day is something not too many shortstops in the game bring,'' Tulowitzki said Thursday night on a conference call. ''I definitely consider myself a complete player. I take a great deal of pride in that.''

While Tulowitzki's inaugural Gold Glove was pretty much expected, Gonzalez's honor was a bit of a surprise, especially considering this was his first full season as a starter.

But he made a habit of turning in spectacular plays in left, center and right field.

''If I were going to go purchase a ticket at any place to watch one player, this is the guy I'd probably want to watch, because he can do it all,'' Tulowitzki said. ''I've never really seen or played with a player who was so even the whole year. He didn't go through too many bad streaks. That's impressive.''

Gonzalez put up impressive power numbers despite batting leadoff at the beginning of the season.

Tulowitzki thinks he can take a little credit for Gonzalez's performance, because he was the hitter protecting ''CarGo'' in the lineup.

Gonzalez was a bona fide Triple Crown threat down the stretch, only to be bested by Albert Pujols in homers (42 to 34) and RBIs (118 to 117).

Tulowitzki turned in a sizzling September, hitting a franchise-best 15 homers and knocking in 40 runs.

However, the production of Tulowitzki and Gonzalez, along with the pitching of ace Ubaldo Jimenez, wasn't enough to carry the Rockies to another postseason appearance.

''We're going to go into next season saying, 'Hey, you've got two really good players who have won some awards and a pitcher in Ubaldo that's special,''' Tulowitzki said. ''They're going to start expecting big things from us because of the caliber of players we have on our team.''

Added pressure?

''I don't feel pressure at all from other people,'' Tulowitzki said. ''I expect a lot out of myself.''

Each offseason, Tulowitzki picks an area on which to concentrate.

One year it was basestealing, another his power and yet another his range in the field.

He's beginning to run out of things to improve upon.

Except for maybe this: preventing nagging injuries. Last season, Tulowitzki missed 33 games after breaking his wrist when he was hit by a pitch from Twins reliever Alex Burnett in June.

It was Tulowitzki's third stint on the disabled list and first since his injury-marred 2008 season. That year he tore his left quadriceps in May while making an awkward throw. Two months later, Tulowitzki sliced his right palm after slamming his maple bat into the ground in anger following his removal from a game.

''I was very proud of the fact the only injury I pretty much had that I missed a good chunk of time was something I couldn't control,'' Tulowitzki said. ''With other years, injuries with my leg, hamstring, the quad stuff, I felt like I can control that. ... I want to play every day and help my team win.''

Now that Tulowitzki has a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award, he has no intentions of losing them.

In fact, that's his motivation.

''I'm going to take pride in keeping them. I don't want them to go anywhere,'' Tulowitzki said. ''I'd love to run off a streak where I win several in a row. But at the same there's a lot of good players out there.

''It's my job to, each and every year, to put up the numbers to win these awards. I continually try to humble myself and tell myself that I'm not the best and I want to be the best.''

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball