CubsChic

Now all of baseball knows what the Cubs and their fans knew all of last season, that Geovany Soto was the top rookie in the National League. Soto got 31 out of 32 first-place votes placed by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America to win the NL’s Rookie of the Year Award for 2008.

Soto’s numbers were not only strong (.285 average with 23 homers and 86 RBIs) but he also called most of the games for one of the leagues best pitching staffs. One shining moment was being behind the plate for Zambrano’s no-hitter. Soto is the first rookie catcher to hit at least 30 doubles and 20 homers in a single season and his .504 slugging percentage ranked second among all Major League catchers.

Staying true to form, Soto gave due credit to his veteran back-up, Henry Blanco, who helped him learn the ropes in the big leagues. Just what we like in our young stars, humility to go with all that talent. Here’s hoping for a long relationship between Soto and the Cubs, and more post-season honors in both of their futures.