Lewis Named AL Player of Month, Kinston Has Four All-Stars

Cleveland Indians pitcher Scott Lewis has been named the September recipient of the American League Rookie of the Month Award presented by Gillette.

Lewis made four starts in September and went 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in 24.0 innings pitched. The 25-year-old left-hander permitted 20 hits with six walks and 15 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a .222 batting average. In his Major League debut on September 10th at Baltimore, Scott tossed 8.0 scoreless innings of three-hit ball with three strikeouts in the 7-1 victory. The 8.0 shutout innings by Lewis was the second-longest starting debut since 1956 by an Indians pitcher without allowing a run. Only Luis Tiant’s complete-game shutout in 1965 tops Lewis. The West Covina, California native hurled 6.0 shutout innings in his next start on September 15th against the Minnesota Twins, and allowed just three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in the 3-1 win. The 14.0 scoreless innings streak to begin his career was the longest by an Indians pitcher since 1969. Lewis, who was selected by the Indians in the third round of the 2004 First-Year Player draft out of The Ohio State University, closed the month with victories against the Detroit Tigers on September 21st and at the Chicago White Sox on September 26th, pitching 5.0 innings in each of the two starts.

Other rookies receiving votes included Kansas City Royals infielder Mike Aviles (.301, 31 H, 3 HR, 13 RBI); Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (.344, 31 H, 20 R, 7 SB); and Texas Rangers catcher Taylor Teagarden (.341, 14 H, 5 HR, 16 RBI).

As part of Gillette’s involvement, fans, for the first time, had a voice this season in selecting the Rookie of the Month winners by voting each month at www.mlb.com/gillette. The online fan vote represented 20% of the overall vote with the remaining votes coming from team baseball writers and Club broadcasters.

Gillette, the presenting sponsor of the American League Rookie of the Month Award will donate $5,000 in the name of Scott Lewis to the Club’s official charity.

K-Tribe Puts Four Players on Baseball America’s High A All-Stars

K-Tribe catcher Carlos Santana is Baseball America’s High A Player of the Year, leading a group of four Kinston Indians who earned the post season honors. Beau Mills, Nick Weglarz and Hector Rondon fill out the group. Kinston had more players make the end of year squad then any other team in High A. The All-Star group is selected from all three High A Leagues (Carolina, California, Florida) by the staff of Baseball America.

Carlos Santana earns High A Player of the Year honors after starting the year at Inland Empire (Dodgers) in the California League and finishing with the K-Tribe. Santana hit a combined .330 with 20 home runs and 115 RBI in High A this season. His 122 runs scored where the most in all of Minor League baseball.

Kinston first baseman Beau Mills was selected as the designated hitter for the High A All-Stars. Mills hit .293 with a Carolina League high 21 home runs and 90 RBI. Nick Weglarz was selected as one of three outfielders, hitting .272 with ten home runs and 41 RBI. Kinston starting pitcher Hector Rondon is one of four starting pitchers selected for the post season honor. Rondon went 11-6 with a 3.67 ERA, striking out 145 batters in 145 innings.

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