
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, October 29, 1993                   TAG: 9310290017
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ANAHEIM,CALIF.                                LENGTH: Medium

SALMON THE BIG FISH AMONG AL ROOKIES

Tim Salmon, a can't-miss prospect who lived up to his billing, unanimously was voted American League Rookie of the Year in balloting announced Thursday, becoming the first California Angels player to win the award.

Salmon, a third-round selection by the Angels in the 1989 amateur draft, hit .283 with 95 RBI and 31 home runs, tied for ninth in AL.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Jason Bere received 18 second-place votes and was runner-up with 59 points, well ahead of Boston pitcher Aaron Sele, who had 19 points and finished third.

Salmon's victory completed a sweep by the Los Angeles-area teams. Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza unanimously was voted NL Rookie of the Year in balloting announced Wednesday. The only other time both awards were won unanimously was in 1987, by Oakland's Mark McGwire and San Diego's Benito Santiago.

Salmon joined McGwire,Boston's Carlton Fisk (1972) and Cleveland's Sandy Alomar Jr. (1990) as the only AL rookies to win unanimously.

Salmon's statistics might have been more impressive if he hadn't missed the final 2 1/2 weeks of the season. An inning after hitting a grand slam in the Angels' 15-1 rout of Seattle on Sept. 15, Salmon broke his left ring finger while diving to catch a line drive.

He came up to the Angels after hitting .347 in 1992 with Class AAA Edmonton,leading the Pacific Coast League in homers with 29 and RBI with 105. He was voted the PCL's most valuable player and was a consensus selection as minor-league player of the year. He batted .177 in 23 games with California in late 1992.

"Salmon is the story of the year," California manager Buck Rodgers said at the end of the season. "He had twice the home-run and RBI production we expected."

Keywords:
BASEBALL

by CNB