Former Natural Hosmer Selected As AL Rookie Of The Month
The following is a press release directly from the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. It is reprinted here in its entirety.
Former Natural Hosmer selected as AL Rookie of the Month
Louis Coleman also nominated for award for month of July
KANSAS CITY, MO – Kansas City Royals first baseman and former Natural Eric Hosmer has been voted the July recipient of the Gillette presents American League Rookie of the Month Award.
Hosmer led A.L. rookies with 34 hits and 12 doubles in 27 games during the month of July. The 21-year-old also added five home runs, 19 RBI, 12 runs scored and three stolen bases with a .523 slugging percentage and a .358 on-base percentage.
Hosmer, who was the third overall selection in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, recorded a career-best 11-game hitting streak from July 19th-30th, batting .426 (20-for-47) during the streak with a home run, five doubles, eight RBI and seven runs scored.
The left-handed-hitting slugger posted 10 multi-hit contests during the month, including a four-hit contest on July 3rd at Colorado in which Hosmer tied a career-best with four RBI. Hosmer has now collected 27 multi-hit games on the season to lead all A.L. rookies. On July 15th at Target Field in Minnesota, Eric connected on a game-winning, two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth to give the Royals a 2-1 victory over the Twins. In a four-game set against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park from July 25th-28th, Hosmer batted .421 (8-for-19) with two doubles, a home run and five RBI.
Of Hosmer’s ten home runs since being called up to the Majors on May 6th, four have given the Royals a lead while two have tied the game. The Florida native leads the Royals with 16 go-ahead RBI and nine game-winning RBI this season. Among A.L. rookies, Hosmer ranks first in on-base percentage (.333) and walks (23); second in hits (89), doubles (19) and total bases (142); third in batting average (.284), home runs (10), RBI (47), slugging percentage (.454) and extra-base hits (31); and fourth in runs (33).
Hosmer hit 13 homers, drove in 35 runs, and batted .313 for the Naturals in the second half of last season before erupting for six homers during the Texas League Playoffs, tying a league record as the Naturals won the Texas League Championship.
Another former Natural, Hosmer’s teammate Louis Coleman, was among the nominees for the award. Coleman, who has been stellar in the Royals’ pen all season, posted an 0.61 ERA in ten appearances. The right-handed sidewinder and 2010 Texas League All-Star reliever allowed just nine hits and five walks while fanning 15 in 14 2/3 innings.
Hosmer will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, to commemorate his Rookie of the Month performance.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.