Baseball | Oakland's Andrew Bailey, Florida's Chris Coghlan earn Rookie of the Year awards

NEW YORK — Chris Coghlan and Andrew Bailey each agreed to change and quickly got their chance in the major leagues. Each has a rookie reward that will last forever.

Coghlan, the Florida Marlins' leadoff hitter, won the National League Rookie of the Year award in a close vote Monday and Bailey earned the AL honor after an outstanding season as Oakland's closer.

"I couldn't have written it better," Coghlan said during a conference call.

A second baseman in the minors, Coghlan made a hasty shift to left field in May and found a home atop Florida's lineup.

Bailey also switched successfully, going from struggling Class AA starter to All-Star reliever in a year.

"I think the move to the bullpen allowed me to get back mentally to who I was," Bailey said, explaining he began challenging hitters again.

"Just took the opportunity and ran with it."

Coghlan edged Philadelphia pitcher J.A. Happ, receiving 17 first-place votes and 105 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Happ, the only player picked on all 32 ballots, got 10 first-place votes and 94 points.

Bailey, who had 26 saves and a 1.84 earned-run average this season, was selected first on 13 of 28 ballots and finished with 88 points. Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus was the runner-up with 65 points, one more than Detroit pitcher Rick Porcello.

Bailey, an All-Star in July, was driving when he got word that he won.

"At first, I thought it was a prank call. Which one of my friends is playing a prank on me?" the 25-year-old said. "I didn't want to take my eyes off the road."

Once he realized the news was legit, Bailey passed it along to his family.

"My mom was crying and my dad was stoked," he said.

Coghlan, 24, dug himself out of an early slump and had a superb second half. He batted .321 with nine homers and 31 doubles in 128 games, scoring 84 runs and driving in 47.

Called up from the minors in May, Coghlan topped NL rookies in batting average, runs, hits (162), total bases (232) and on-base percentage (.390). Though he was left off seven ballots, he became the third Florida player to win the award, joining Hanley Ramirez (2006) and Dontrelle Willis (2003).

"At the end of the year, I knew that I put myself in a good position to win," Coghlan said.

With two-time All-Star Dan Uggla playing second base in Florida, Coghlan's path to the majors was impeded. He was at Class AAA New Orleans this year when the Marlins told him they wanted to try him in the outfield.

Coghlan played one minor-league game in left — without getting a fly ball — and was brought up to the majors. He finished the season with five errors.

"It wasn't the easiest transition," Coghlan said. "I just tried to work as hard as I could to get as comfortable as I could in the outfield. A lot of people think I'm pretty bad out there. But I think it's an adjustment. I have confidence playing the outfield."

Bailey went 6-3 and had 24 more saves than any other AL rookie. He also led the league's rookies in ERA. He is the eighth Oakland player to win the award.

Notes

• Catcher Ramon Hernandez, 33, agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Reds after Cincinnati declined his $8 million option.

The deal includes a $3.25 million option for 2011 that would become guaranteed if Hernandez plays in 120 games next year. If he plays in fewer games, the Reds do not have the ability to exercise the option.

Hernandez was limited to 81 games this year because of a knee injury that required surgery in July. He hit .258 with five homers and drove in 37 runs. He started at first base 18 times when Joey Votto was sidelined. Cincinnati obtained Hernandez in a trade that sent Ryan Freel to Baltimore after the 2008 season.

• Utility man Eric Bruntlett, who scored the winning run in the final game of the 2008 World Series against Tampa Bay, became a free agent after refusing a minor-league assignment from the Philadelphia Phillies.

Bruntlett batted .171 (18 for 105) this year, after hitting .217 in 212 at-bats in 2008.