TORONTO - Jose Bautista may have finished fourth in balloting for the American League MVP award but he was a big winner in the Blue Jays team honours announced Thursday by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
The major-league home run king was a unanimous pick for player of the year, and also picked up the most improved player honour plus the John Cerutti Award, given to a person associated with the club who displays the goodwill, co-operation and character exemplified by the late pitcher.
Left-hander Ricky Romero was the decisive selection as pitcher of the year.
Bautista hit .260 with 54 home runs and 124 RBIs while providing strong defence in both right field and third base, helping drive the Blue Jays to 85 wins, well beyond the dire expectations from spring training.
His emergence was one of the best stories around the team all season, and was a total surprise after he hit .235 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs in 2009.
Vernon Wells and John Buck, now of the Florida Marlins, tied for runner-up honours in the player of the year vote, while Wells and Brandon Morrow tied for second in the most improve player selection.
Romero went 14-9 with a 3.73 earned-run average in 32 starts, logging a team best 210 innings to win pitcher of the year honours, ending a five-year run by the departed Roy Halladay. Left-hander Brett Cecil, who was 15-7 with a 4.22 ERA, was the runner-up to Romero.
