Todd Frazier Popular Among Peers

Oct 7, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier (21) hugs first baseman Miguel Cairo (43) after game two of the 2012 NLDS against the San Francisco Giants at AT

In a major league baseball season that introduced us to phenomenal rookies like Bryce Harper and Wade Miley, it was hard to be considered a stand out. That is just what the Cincinnati Reds rookie, Todd Frazier, did though.

In ballots that were voted on entirely by the league’s players, Todd Frazier was given the Major League Baseball Player Association Players Choice Award for the NL’s outstanding rookie. Though, Frazier was a star in Cincinnati, it was somewhat of a surprise that he received the award over Harper of the Nationals. Everywhere you turned in sports during the season, people could not seem to get enough of the Nationals young rookie.

“It means a lot. It’s the ultimate award, I think, because the players vote,” Frazier said. “They understand the game. They understand how hard it is to play, the grind. It’s very meaningful to me and I’m happy to receive it.”

Frazier wasn’t recalled to the Majors until mid-April but he quickly became a regular presence in the Reds lineup when Scott Rolen went down with an injury. Todd quickly made his home at third base and in the line-up, becoming a powerhouse behind the plate. Then, as Rolen was returning, Joey Votto went down with knee surgery. Frazier, showing his versatility, shifted to first base and batted .305 with eight homers and 32 RBI’s in 47 games at the new position.

In 128 games during his first full season at the Major League level with the Reds, Frazier batted .273 with 19 home runs and 67 RBI’s. He was among leaders in several categories among National League rookies. He made 36 starts at first base, 66 starts at third base, and seven starts in the outfield. He also filled in as pinch-hitter, going 6 for 12.

Not only was Frazier exciting to watch on the field, he is a Good Samaritan off of it. During the season, the multi-talented Frazier was recognized for saving a choking man at a restaurant by administering the Heimlich maneuver when he saw the man struggling. Now, during the off season, he is aiding Hurricane Sandy victims in his home state of New Jersey.

Frazier is asking that the $20,000 donated by the Players Trust to the winner of the awards charity be divided among the House of Hope program at the Presbyterian Church of Toms River, NJ and the Hurricane Sandy relief fund.