Cubs' Soto Named Rookie of the Year

With the playoffs far enough behind us that we can forget the terrible choke job by the Cubs, it's a little easier to celebrate today's awarding of the National League Rookie of the Year to Cubs' catcher Geovanny Soto. Soto is the first catcher to win ROY honors since Mike Piazza won it in 1993 and the first Cub to do so since Kerry Wood in 1998.

It's a nice cap to a great season for Soto, who batted .285 this year, belting 23 home runs and knocking in 86 RBIs. He won NL Rookie of the month in April and August, became the first rookie catcher to ever start an All-Star Game, and also caught Carlos Zambrano's September no-hitter. Soto got 31 of 32 first-place votes.