Delivery Man of the Month / Year Award by DHL on Baseball Almanac

Delivery Man of the Month Award

On May 4, 2005, Major League Baseball and DHL introduced the first winner of a new, officially-sanctioned Major League Baseball award recognizing the most outstanding relief pitcher for each month of the regular season. The "DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award" is one of two new MLB-sanctioned, DHL-sponsored awards, part of a sponsorship agreement announced in March between Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) and DHL, the world's leading express delivery and logistics company. DHL is the "Official Express Delivery and Logistics Provider" of both Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Advanced Media.

Each "DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award" winner will be selected by a special Major League Baseball "yellow-ribbon" panel that includes Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley; Jerome Holtzman, Official MLB Historian and a member of the Writer's Wing of the Hall of Fame; Rick Sutcliffe, 1984 NL Cy Young Award winner, ESPN and MLB International broadcaster; and Bob Watson, Vice President, On-Field Operations, Major League Baseball.

Throughout the season, this "yellow-ribbon" panel will select the relief pitcher who gave that month's most dominant performance for his respective Major League Baseball Club. As part of the award, DHL will donate $1,500 to a local chapter of Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the official charity of Major League Baseball, in the name of each winning pitcher. In addition, the announcement of the monthly winner will be supported by an advertisement in USA Today.

"Each recipient of the 'DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award' will have to perform brilliantly at key moments over long stretches of the season," said Dennis Eckersley, one of the most dominant closers in MLB history. In addition to his role on the "yellow-ribbon" panel, Eckersley will serve as DHL's expert commentator for the award announcements, providing his insights on the winning "Delivery Man" performances to various DHL audiences and venues. "I am honored to play a part in an award that will recognize relief pitchers throughout the league that are called upon to deliver in the clutch," added Eckersley.

Delivery Man of the Year Award

At the conclusion of the season, Major League Baseball fans will have the opportunity to determine which relief pitcher had the best overall season through the "DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Award." A list of finalists will be selected based on statistical qualifiers and fans will be able to vote for the winner online at MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball. The "DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Award" will be presented during the Major League Baseball postseason.

Source: Major League Baseball (May 2, 2005 Press Release)

"We are pleased to announce this new, officially-sanctioned League award. The 'DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award' will become the gold standard for relief pitchers and an award our fans can look forward to hearing about every month throughout the season." - Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig (Press Release)

Delivery Man of the Month Award DHL Delivery Man of the Month Award Logo In Chronological Order
Year	Month	Delivery Man of the Month Award	Team^(League)	Saves^(Opp)
2005	April	Jose Mesa⁽¹⁾	Pittsburgh Pirates^(NL)	8⁽⁸⁾
	May	Trevor Hoffman⁽¹⁾	San Diego Padres^(NL)	12⁽¹²⁾
	June	Chad Cordero⁽¹⁾	Washington Nationals^(NL)	* 15⁽¹⁵⁾
	July	Brad Lidge⁽¹⁾	Houston Astros^(NL)	8⁽⁸⁾
	August	Todd Jones⁽¹⁾	Florida Marlins^(NL)	12⁽¹²⁾
	September	Ryan Dempster⁽¹⁾	Chicago Cubs^(NL)	13⁽¹³⁾
2006	April	Jonathan Papelbon⁽¹⁾	Boston Red Sox^(AL)	10⁽¹⁰⁾
	May	Jason Isringhausen⁽¹⁾	St. Louis Cardinals^(NL)	10⁽¹⁰⁾
	June	Bobby Jenks⁽¹⁾	Chicago White Sox^(AL)	10⁽¹⁰⁾
	July	Joe Nathan⁽¹⁾	Minnesota Twins^(AL)	9⁽⁹⁾
	August	Francisco Rodriguez⁽¹⁾	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim^(AL)	12⁽¹²⁾
	September	Trevor Hoffman⁽²⁾	San Diego Padres^(NL)	10⁽¹¹⁾
2007	April	Francisco Cordero⁽¹⁾	Milwaukee Brewers^(NL)	10⁽¹⁰⁾
	May	Trevor Hoffman⁽³⁾	San Diego Padres^(NL)	11⁽¹¹⁾
	June	J.J. Putz⁽¹⁾	Seattle Mariners^(AL)	11⁽¹¹⁾
	July	Billy Wagner⁽¹⁾	New York Mets^(NL)	8⁽⁸⁾
	August	Takashi Saito⁽¹⁾	Los Angeles Dodgers^(NL)	10⁽¹⁰⁾
	September	Manny Corpas⁽¹⁾	Colorado Rockies^(NL)	8⁽⁹⁾
2008	April	Mariano Rivera⁽¹⁾	New York Yankees^(AL)	8⁽⁸⁾
	May	Not Yet Announced ^(06-2008)	To Be Determined ^(xx)	-- ^(--)
	June	Not Yet Announced ^(07-2008)	To Be Determined ^(xx)	-- ^(--)
	July	Not Yet Announced ^(08-2008)	To Be Determined ^(xx)	-- ^(--)
	August	Not Yet Announced ^(09-2008)	To Be Determined ^(xx)	-- ^(--)
	September	Not Yet Announced ^(10-2008)	To Be Determined ^(xx)	-- ^(--)
Year	Month	Delivery Man of the Month Award	Team^(League)	Saves^(Opp)
Delivery Man of the Year Award DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award Logo In Alphabetical Order / BOLD DENOTES WINNER
Year	Delivery Man of the Year Award		Team^(League)	Saves^(Opp)
2005	Chad Cordero^(FINALIST)		Washington Nationals^(NL)	47⁽⁵⁴⁾
	Dustin Hermanson^(FINALIST)		Chicago White Sox^(AL)	34⁽³⁹⁾
	Trevor Hoffman^(FINALIST)		San Diego Padres^(NL)	43⁽⁴⁶⁾
	Jason Isringhausen^(FINALIST)		St. Louis Cardinals^(NL)	39⁽⁴³⁾
	Todd Jones^(FINALIST)		Florida Marlins^(NL)	40⁽⁴⁵⁾
	Brad Lidge^(FINALIST)		Houston Astros^(NL)	42⁽⁴⁶⁾
	Joe Nathan^(FINALIST)		Minnesota Twins^(AL)	43⁽⁴⁸⁾
	Mariano Rivera^{(FINALIST / WINNER)}		New York Yankees^(AL)	43⁽⁴⁷⁾
	Mike Timlin^(FINALIST)		Boston Red Sox^(AL)	13⁽²⁰⁾
	Bob Wickman^(FINALIST)		Cleveland Indians^(AL)	46⁽⁵⁰⁾
2006	Trevor Hoffman^(FINALIST)		San Diego Padres^(NL)	46⁽⁵¹⁾
	Bobby Jenks⁽^FINALIST⁾		Chicago White Sox^(AL)	41⁽⁴⁵⁾
	Joe Nathan^(FINALIST)		Minnesota Twins^(AL)	36⁽³⁸⁾
	Mariano Rivera^{(FINALIST / WINNER)}		New York Yankees^(AL)	34⁽³⁷⁾
	Francisco Rodriguez⁽^FINALIST⁾		Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim^(AL)	47⁽⁵¹⁾
	B.J. Ryan^(FINALIST)		Toronto Blue Jays^(AL)	38⁽⁴²⁾
	Jonathan Papelbon⁽^FINALIST⁾		Boston Red Sox^(AL)	35⁽⁴¹⁾
	J.J. Putz^(FINALIST)		Seattle Mariners^(AL)	36⁽⁴³⁾
	Billy Wagner^(FINALIST)		New York Mets^(NL)	40⁽⁴⁵⁾
	Joel Zumaya^(FINALIST)		Detroit Tigers^(AL)	1⁽⁶⁾
2007	Francisco Cordero⁽^FINALIST⁾		Milwaukee Brewers^(NL)	44⁽⁵¹⁾
	Trevor Hoffman^(FINALIST)		San Diego Padres^(NL)	42⁽⁴⁹⁾
	Jason Isringhausen^(FINALIST)		St. Louis Cardinals^(NL)	32⁽³⁴⁾
	Bobby Jenks⁽^FINALIST⁾		Chicago White Sox^(AL)	40⁽⁴⁶⁾
	Joe Nathan^(FINALIST)		Minnesota Twins^(AL)	37⁽⁴¹⁾
	Jonathan Papelbon⁽^FINALIST^{/ WINNER)}		Boston Red Sox^(AL)	37⁽⁴⁰⁾
	J.J. Putz^(FINALIST)		Seattle Mariners^(AL)	40⁽⁴²⁾
	Francisco Rodriguez⁽^FINALIST⁾		Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim^(AL)	40⁽⁴⁶⁾
	Takashi Saito⁽^FINALIST⁾		Los Angeles Dodgers^(NL)	39⁽⁴³⁾
	Jose Valverde⁽^FINALIST⁾		Arizona Diamondbacks^(NL)	47⁽⁵⁴⁾
Year	Delivery Man of the Year Award		Team^(League)	Saves^(Opp)
Delivery Man of the Month Award & Delivery Man of the Year Award

The first recipient of the Delivery Man of the Month Award was Jose Mesa, the first Dominican-born player to amass at least three-hundred career saves, who said after winning, I'm happy to be the first one. We only have nine wins and I've been pitching every six or seven days, so every time I go out there I've got to do my job. I'm just happy to have the opportunity to do my job. Any time you can accomplish something in your career and get an award, it's a good thing to happen for you and your team. I always say that if the guys in front of me don't do their job then I'm not going to be able to come in in the ninth and close it out. Any award you get goes to the team and to the bullpen."

Did you know Trevor Hoffman, the May 2005 winner, was only the third pitcher in Major League history to reach the four hundred saves plateau, joining Lee Smith (478) and John Franco (424)?

* The fifteen saves mark achieved by Chad Cordero in June 2005 tied the Major League record for saves in a month set originally by Lee Smith in June 1993 then tied by John Wetteland in June 1996.

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