November 15, 2011 – International League (IL) Gwinnett Braves
Lawrenceville, GA – Former Gwinnett Braves right-hander Craig Kimbrel received the 2011 National
League Rookie of the Year award in an announcement made Monday by the Atlanta Braves. A dominant
closer for the G-Braves in 2010 that fulfilled the same role with Atlanta in 2011, Kimbrel secured all 32
first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in becoming the seventh Atlanta
Braves player to win the award all-time.

Kimbrel edged teammate and fellow former G-Brave Freddie Freeman, who earned 21 second-place
votes and seven third-place votes.

Kimbrel, 23, set a Major League rookie record with 46 saves in 2011, going 4-3 with a 2.10 ERA (18 ER
in 77.0 IP) and 127 strikeouts in 79 appearances. Major League opponents hit just .178 against him in
his first full professional season. In 2010, he went 4-0 with one save and a 0.44 ERA in 21 outings for the
Braves, but did not qualify for Rookie of the Year voting.

Originally drafted by the Braves in the third round in 2008 out of Wallace State Community College (AL),
Kimbrel pitched two scoreless outings with Gwinnett in 2009 and enjoyed breakout success with the G-
Braves in 2010. He went 3-2 with 23 saves and a 1.62 ERA (10 ER in 55.2 IP) in 48 International League
outings that season. Kimbrel shared the club’s “Most Outstanding Pitcher” of 2010 award with right-
hander Stephen Marek.

Kimbrel is the first Braves player to win the award since Rafael Furcal in 2000 and the first unanimous NL
Rookie of the Year selection since Albert Pujols of St. Louis in 2001.

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• Former G-Brave Kimbrel Is Nl Rookie of the Year – Gwinnett Braves

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ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves have recalled right-hander Cory Gearrin from Triple-A Gwinnett and optioned outfielder Wilkin Ramirez to the same club.

The Braves made the move before Sunday’s game against Cincinnati after using six pitchers in beating the Reds 7-6 in 12 innings on Saturday night.

Gearrin was 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 10 games with Atlanta before he was optioned to Gwinnett on May 18.

Ramirez had a pinch-hit double Saturday night for his only hit in three at-bats this season.

Trips out West take their toll on teams. The Braves are finding this out as they called up reliever Cory Gearrin from AAA Gwinnett on Friday.

Gearrin is a side-arming 25-year-old who is receiving his first shot in the majors. He has toiled in the minors since 2007, including a full season of 80 innings with Gwinnett last year. To open a spot, the Braves demoted outfielder Matt Young to Gwinnett for the time being.

Gearrin’s walk and strikeout numbers have taken hits in the upper levels, which may be expected with a side-armer who relies on ground balls. His K/BB dropped to 2.06 last season, recording a 3.36 ERA and 4.06 FIP. Like Moylan, Gearrin lives for grounders, but the Braves may not use him in the same situations as they would with Moylan due to inexperience. Gearrin is likely there just for reinforcement for a tired bullpen.

You can find my report on Gearrin here. (Hey, I got the ETA right!)

Young probably won’t be at Gwinnett for long, just until the Braves get caught up innings-wise in the bullpen. That could possible come Friday when they return home following an off day.

Former Rhea County high school standout Cory Gearrin was called up from the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves on Friday and will join the Atlanta Braves to bolster the bullpen.

Gearrin, who also pitched for Mercer University, will join the Braves to add depth to the bullpen as Atlanta opens a three-game series against the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

To make room for Gearrin, Atlanta optioned reserve outfielder Matt Young to Triple-A Gwinnett.

In six appearances this season at Gwinnett, Gearrin has a 2.61 ERA, with 10 hits, four walks and eight strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings.

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