DELIVERY MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Most Outstanding Delivery Man of the Year in Major League Baseball

The Delivery Man of the Year Award was officially announced 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 Year 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.

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.

NOTES: Names appear in alphabetical order. All finalists from 2005-2008 are listed because voting was conducted online and all finalists were known. Those from 2009 are not made public. Names which appear in bold print were the actual recipient of the Delivery Man of the Year Award. Due to the honor alone, finalists have this included on their awards tab as well.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"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 Year Award

Delivery Man of the Year Award

DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award Logo

BOLD Denotes Winner | Also See: Delivery Man of the Month Award

2005 01 Chad Cordero (FINALIST) Washington Nationals (NL) 47 (54)
02 Dustin Hermanson (FINALIST) Chicago White Sox (AL) 34 (39)
03 Trevor Hoffman (FINALIST) San Diego Padres (NL) 43 (46)
04 Jason Isringhausen (FINALIST) St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 39 (43)
05 Todd Jones (FINALIST) Florida Marlins (NL) 40 (45)
06 Brad Lidge (FINALIST) Houston Astros (NL) 42 (46)
07 Joe Nathan (FINALIST) Minnesota Twins (AL) 43 (48)
08 Mariano Rivera (FINALIST / WINNER) New York Yankees (AL) 43 (47)
09 Mike Timlin (FINALIST) Boston Red Sox (AL) 13 (20)
10 Bob Wickman (FINALIST) Cleveland Indians (AL) 46 (50)
2006 01 Trevor Hoffman (FINALIST) San Diego Padres (NL) 46 (51)
02 Bobby Jenks (FINALIST) Chicago White Sox (AL) 41 (45)
03 Joe Nathan (FINALIST) Minnesota Twins (AL) 36 (38)
04 Mariano Rivera (FINALIST / WINNER) New York Yankees (AL) 34 (37)
05 Francisco Rodriguez (FINALIST) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (AL) 47 (51)
06 B.J. Ryan (FINALIST) Toronto Blue Jays (AL) 38 (42)
07 Jonathan Papelbon (FINALIST) Boston Red Sox (AL) 35 (41)
08 J.J. Putz (FINALIST) Seattle Mariners (AL) 36 (43)
09 Billy Wagner (FINALIST) New York Mets (NL) 40 (45)
10 Joel Zumaya (FINALIST) Detroit Tigers (AL) 1 (6)
2007 01 Francisco Cordero (FINALIST) Milwaukee Brewers (NL) 44 (51)
02 Trevor Hoffman (FINALIST) San Diego Padres (NL) 42 (49)
03 Jason Isringhausen (FINALIST) St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 32 (34)
04 Bobby Jenks (FINALIST) Chicago White Sox (AL) 40 (46)
05 Joe Nathan (FINALIST) Minnesota Twins (AL) 37 (41)
06 Jonathan Papelbon (FINALIST / WINNER) Boston Red Sox (AL) 37 (40)
07 J.J. Putz (FINALIST) Seattle Mariners (AL) 40 (42)
08 Francisco Rodriguez (FINALIST) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (AL) 40 (46)
09 Takashi Saito (FINALIST) Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 39 (43)
10 Jose Valverde (FINALIST) Arizona Diamondbacks (NL) 47 (54)
2008 01 Brian Fuentes (FINALIST) Colorado Rockies (NL) 30 (34)
02 Bobby Jenks (FINALIST) Chicago White Sox (AL) 29 (33)
03 Brad Lidge (FINALIST / WINNER) Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 41 (41)
04 Mariano Rivera (FINALIST) New York Yankees (AL) 39 (40)
05 Francisco Rodriguez (FINALIST) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (AL) 62 (69)
06 B.J. Ryan (FINALIST) Toronto Blue Jays (AL) 32 (36)
07 Joe Nathan (FINALIST) Minnesota Twins (AL) 39 (45)
08 Jonathan Papelbon (FINALIST) Boston Red Sox (AL) 41 (46)
09 Joakim Soria (FINALIST) Kansas City Royals (AL) 42 (45)
10 Brad Ziegler (FINALIST) Oakland Athletics (AL) 11 (13)

Delivery Man of the Year Award

Delivery Man of the Year Award

DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award Logo

BOLD Denotes Winner | Also See: Delivery Man of the Month Award

2009 n/a Mariano Rivera (3) New York Yankees (AL) 44 (46)
2010 n/a Heath Bell (1) San Diego Padres (NL) 47 (50)
2011 n/a Jose Valverde (1) Detroit Tigers (AL) 49 (49)
2012 n/a Fernando Rodney (1) Tampa Bay Rays (AL) 48 (50)
2013 n/a Craig Kimbrel (1) Atlanta Braves (NL) 50 (54)
2014 n/a Award Discontinued (n/a) Award Discontinued (n/a) n/a
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baseball almanac fast facts

The first recipient of the Delivery Man of the Year Award was Mariano Rivera; who is also the first right handed recipient, the first and only pitcher who has won it more than once and the first too ever win it three times!

Did you know that every winner of the Delivery Man of the Year Award was a right-handed pitcher? Why was that? Who do you think would have been the first lefty? Tell us your thoughts on Baseball Fever.

Record marks for winners of the award: Mariano Rivera in 2005 had the lowest ERA (1.38), Brad Lidge in 2008 had the most strikeouts (92), and Jose Valverde in 2011 had the most saves (49).