Beltre Named AL Player Of The Month
Third baseman Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for September. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor of 24 of 30 clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the National League and American League Player of the Month Awards.
Beltre batted .379 (36-for-95) with four doubles, 12 home runs, 29 RBI and 21 runs scored in 23 games in September to win his second career Player of the Month honor (previously accomplished with the Los Angeles Dodgers in September 2004). The Dominican Republic native paced the Major Leagues in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage (.800). Among A.L. leaders, Beltre finished tied for fourth in runs scored and was fifth in hits and batting average. Among his offensive highlights from September, Beltre went 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI in an 8-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on September 11th at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Beltre’s first home run, a two-run shot in the fifth inning, was the 300th of his 14- year career. On September 20th, the 32-year-old once again
led the Texas offense past the Athletics, this time in Oakland as he collected two hits, including a home run and three RBI as the Rangers defeated the A’s 7-2. Against the Seattle Mariners on September 25th, the two-time A.L. All-Star went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored as Texas outlasted Seattle, 12-5, in Arlington. Beltre’s bomb was one of four by the Rangers on the night as the 2011 A.L. West Champions completed their season at home with a 52-29 record. Two days later against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Beltre launched his 12th home run of the month as part of a three-hit night to help lead the Rangers past the Angels, 10-3, at Angel Stadium. Adrian added a pair of runs scored and RBI in the effort. Before going hitless on September 16th, Beltre batted .395 (30-for-76) with eight doubles, six homers, 19 RBI, and 16 runs scored over a 19-game hitting streak. The two-time Silver Slugger Award winner finished out the month on a 10-game hitting streak, batting .381 (16-for-42) with one double, seven home runs and 14 RBI during the stretch. On the season, the Rangers slugger batted .296 with 33 doubles, 32 home runs and 105 RBI in 124 games.
Others receiving votes included Beltre’s teammates Ian Kinsler (.337, 2 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, .726 SLG) and Mike Napoli (.418, 5 2B, 6 HR, 16 RBI, .506 OBP); Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (.425, 11 2B, 6 HR, 21 RBI, .759 SLG, .533 OBP); and Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (.365, 11 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 21 RBI, .408 OBP).
The Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month, Adrian Beltre, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for his accomplishment.
