From the Indians.com e-mail newsletter, sent to me by pals who are middle-managers there and still praise the day John Hart left town:
Despite a very good rookie season, Jody Gerut didn't think he would be earning any postseason awards. He figured those accolades would go to a certain left fielder in the Bronx. But The Sporting News awarded its 2003 American League Rookie of the Year to the Tribe's rookie outfielder. Read the whole dang surprising story.
The Tribe had two back-to-back winners in '70-'71 (somebody named Roy Foster, then Chris Chambliss) then have had approximately one per decade with Joltin' Joe Charboneau (1980), Sandy Alomar Jr. (1990) and Gerut.
Good for TSN. I personally would have thought long and hard about Berroa and Teixeira (but not Baldelli and certainly not the likely "real" winner, Matsui) ... but Gerut is a good, solid choice.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20031021040253999