Kevin Youkilis and Aramis Ramirez Receive Hank Aaron Award

For the sixth year in a row, fans were able to log on to the MLB website and cast their vote for who they thought deserved the Hank Aaron award. The award is given to the most outstanding offensive performers from each league.  With over 230,000 votes cast, the awards have been announced, and it is official: Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox and Aramis Ramirez of the Chicago Cubs are the 2008 Hank Aaron Award winners.

Youkilis finished the season with a career high .312 batting average, meaning that he averaged an RBI every 4.7 times he took a trip to the plate, which was the best ratio in the American League.   He also finished out the season slugging .569 and accumulated a club-high 29 homers out of his 168 hits during the regular season.  Youk also broke the Red Sox club record of runs with 115.

In response to being the 2008 American League recipient of the award, Youkilis said, "Well, I don't think I can ever compare myself to Hank Aaron in any way," Youkilis said. "I'll never see myself in that level. So to win this award, I don't know, I'm a little humbled by it. But it's great just to be able to have an award that's named after somebody that exemplified so much in this game and has brought so much history to this game. It's an honor just to be named in the same sentence. So for me, I'm thrilled."

Aramis Ramirez jacked 27 homers, a club-high 111 RBI's, and got 160 hits this season to finish with a .289 batting average and a .518 slugging average.  Ramirez also had a career-high 44 doubles and a career-high .380 on-base percentage.  It was also the two-time All-Star's sixth consecutive season, and seventh total season, of hitting 25 or more homers.

Hank Aaron complemented Ramirez and Youkilis by saying, "These guys have demonstrated that they can play the game of baseball the way it's meant to be played.  The most home runs I ever hit in a season were 47. And that was it. No more. And I just want to say, really, I offer my congratulations to the two of them. And believe me that it just takes teamwork, and I'm sure that things are going to work out fine for them."

Ramirez responded to receiving the award by saying, "I can never compare myself to a guy like Hank Aaron. I mean his numbers and those 23 All-Star Games. I'm only 21 behind. But I'm just honored having that award and sitting right next to him."