Jacob deGrom wins National League Rookie of the Year Award - MLB

Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom was announced as the winner of the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year Award by the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) on Monday, beating out Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton and Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong. It wasn’t unanimous like Jose Abreu in the American League, but DeGrom still received 26 out of the 30 first-place votes. Hamilton got the other four first-place votes.

A late-bloomer, deGrom wasn’t on the radar in most prospect circles coming into the season and was even an afterthought among Mets fans with Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero presumed to be close to the majors. However, he turned out to be the biggest bright spot in the Mets’ season. Called up in mid-May after an injury to Dillon Gee, the shaggy-haired 26-year-old posted a 2.69 ERA with a 144/43 K/BB ratio in 140 1/3 innings across 22 starts.

Hamilton faded during the second half, but deGrom got better as the season moved along. He had a 1.99 ERA over his final 15 starts and allowed more than three runs just once in that time. DeGrom had a minor scare with his right shoulder in early August, but he rejoined the Mets’ rotation a few weeks later and finished September strong with a 1.67 ERA over four starts. The final push put made him the heavy favorite to walk away with Rookie of the Year honors.

While deGrom didn’t pitch the full season in the majors, he was right there among the game’s best when he was on the mound. Among pitchers with at least 140 innings pitched, he ranked 10th in the majors in strikeout percentage (25.5 percent), 11th in batting average against (.225), and 10th in OPS against (.613). His 130 ERA+ checked in at 19th. The Mets already had an impressive young nucleus of pitchers coming into this season, but deGrom’s unexpected emergence gives them another front-of-the-rotation stud.

DeGrom is the fifth National League Rookie of the Year winner in Mets history and the first in 30 years. Tom Seaver (1967), Jon Matlack (1972), Darryl Strawberry (1983), and Dwight Gooden (1984) are the others.

Complete voting results for the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year Award can be found at BBWAA.com.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.