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So there's a little ballgame in Detroit tomorrow, an exhibition, if you will, although This Time (Again) It Counts.

Over the last few weeks, Batter's Box Interactive Magazine authors and readers cast their own ballots regarding who should start the game for the AL and NL squads, and although as of this writing the starting pitchers had not been named, the Box vote agreed with the popular vote in a convincing majority of cases. Let's see ...

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It's Groundhog Day, and you know what that means ... it's time for 2004 pre-season nominations for the Annual Batter's Box Joaquin Andujar Award. The player who will eventually be awarded the 2005 Andujar will be the epitome, in retrospect, of a low-risk, high-reward transaction. (If those two sentences sound Bill Murray-esque Groundhog Day familiar, well they should.)

Batter's Box authors and readers are invited to cast their ballots for the top five pre-season candidates for the 2004 Andujar. Points will be tabulated on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis and balloting will conclude, after a second round of reminders, near the end of Spring Training, at which time the pre-season list will be published.

To win an Andujar ...
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Bauxites have spoken and the Andujar torch passes from ex-Jay Esteban Loaiza to Tribe All-Star Ronnie Belliard. Details follow.
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Be sure to participate in choosing the only completely original Batter's Box MLB-wide award -- the Andujar, also known as "the youneverknow." Meet the finalists, then go ahead and vote. It's in poll format, so it's easy -- about 150 of your fellow Bauxites have already cast ballots. Voting has been extended and will now conclude at midnight (Central time) tonight, Dec. 24; as always, the winner will be announced here on Da Box on Dec, 26 -- Boxing Day.
It's that time once again ... vote for your choice to win the 2004 Andujar, the annual Batter's Box award, selected by Box readers, named in honor of the legendary and quotable pitcher Joaquin Andujar, who won 127 games in 13 seasons with the Astros, Cardinals and Athletics -- and who once said, "There is one word in baseball that says it all, and that word is 'youneverknow.'"

Voting is scheduled to conclude at noon on Dec. 23. For technical reasons, the poll is posted in a separate thread and is available from the Batter's Box home page.

Read more about the Andujar award, see the semifinal round's ballot results and read profiles of each of the finalists ... and feel free to influence your fellow voters by posting an explanation of your own vote.

Cast your Andujar ballot today!
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Congratulations to Jason and to John Northey who have won the prizes in our Batter's Box Personal Stories Of Brushes With Third-Rate Celebrity Contest.
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As one baseball season ends and another (post-)season begins, it's time to look back at the years enjoyed (or ins ome cases endured) by the 20 remaining candidates for the 2004 Batter's Box Andujar Award.

Andu-what? The award is named in honor of the legendary and quotable pitcher Joaquin Andujar, who won 127 games in 13 seasons with the Astros, Cardinals and Athletics -- and who once said, "There is one word in baseball that says it all, and that word is 'youneverknow.'"

"That quote captures the spirit of this award," said Batter's Box founder Kent Williams in the announcement of last year's winner. "We're honoring the players who, looking back, really make fans shake their heads and say 'Wow, in baseball, you really never do know what's going to happen.'"
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It's Barajas, Braden (Looper) and Belliard -- in that order -- at the top of the mid-season Andujar rankings, sponsored by Batter's Box. In a non-binding vote by 16 members of The Roster, Jeff Suppan and former Jay Jose Cruz Jr. also cracked the top five.

Our first look at the 2004 Andujar rankings back on May 1 showed Marlon Anderson with a healthy lead on the field ... but in true Andujar "youneverknow" fashion, the erstwhile St. Louis infielder found his way onto just one of the 16 ballots cast at midseason.

In fact, just one player -- Rod Barajas -- made it onto all 16 ballots, but six players were on at least 10, while 23 players were named at least once each. So it's still a wide-open field and of course ... youneverknow.
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Last year was the year of the Marlins. This year, could it be the year of the Marlon? Ten members of the Batter's Box roster have cast their first monthly ballots in tracking progress for the eventual presentation of the 2004 Andujar Award. While 29 players received mention -- exactly half of the 58 who were "nominated" in various pre-season discussions on Da Box -- only one player was on all 10 ballots.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your May 1 Andujar Leader ... Marlon Anderson. While the 10 first-place votes were split among six players, with nobody receiving more than two, Anderson nabbed 83 of a possible 100 points in this first in-season survey.

The details of where the '04 Andujars stand ...
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With Detroit's Jason Johnson roaring (Tigers, roaring, get it?) to an early lead in the competition for the 2004 Andujar Award, let's break down who we should keep an eye on this year to take away Esteban Loaiza's crown. And yes, it's likely the actual winner won't even appear on this list, because ... hey, YouNeverKnow.
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It's Groundhog Day, and you know what that means ... it's time for 2004 pre-season nominations for the Annual Batter's Box Joaquin Andujar Award. The player who will eventually be awarded the 2004 Andujar will be the epitome, in retrospect, of a low-risk, high-reward transaction. (If those two sentences sound Bill Murray-esque Groundhog Day familiar, well they should.)

Batter's Box authors and readers are invited to cast their ballots for the top five pre-season candidates for the 2004 Andujar. Points will be tabulated on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis and balloting will close at midnight on Monday, February 23, at which time the pre-season list will be published.

To win an Andujar ...
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Sure, Roy Halladay won some award named after an ex-pitcher. But he didn't win (okay, he wasn't even eligible for) the award named for an ex-pitcher. It's Boxing Day, and the final results of the inaugural Andujar "youneverknow" Award balloting are here.

Thirteen different players received votes; five of those received first-place votes. But the clear winner -- sorry, pre-season favorite John Halama; apologies, runner-up Scott Podsednik -- was Chicago White Sox ace Esteban Loaiza.

Details follow.
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Okay, seriously ... time to vote. One e-mail address, one vote, just like the MLB Some-Star Game. And this time, it's for Box History ... the premiere award of the first Andujar YouNeverKnow, to be announced right here on Da Box Dec. 26 ... Boxing Day, natch.

It's time to Joaq the Vote. If you're new here, go back and read the original announcement and rules, then pop over to meet the 12 finalists (and one significant write-in suggestion) ... the voting so far is shockingly close.

You just pick your favorites any time before the extended Dec. 24 deadline (that's tomorrow at midnight Eastern time) ... vote for up to 5 ... and wait for the announcement of the winner. It's easier than trading a quarter-billion-dollar shortstop, more interesting than a Brewers/Rays twi-night doubleheader in August, and more important than who Roger Clemens will pitch for next year.

Voting not limited to "regulars" ... lurkers welcome. Vote now or David Wells will return to Toronto!

Sure, sure, you meant to vote already. And you meant to call mom on her birthday, and to take the dog for a walk before that ugly incident on the hallway carpet. Well, mom's birthday may be long gone (and that carpet is out on the curb for trash day) ... but you can still be a part of the greatness of Batter's Box Democracy. It's time to Joaq the Vote in the first annual Batter's Box Andujar Award balloting, the coveted youneverknows.

If you're new here, go back and read the original announcement and rules, then pop over to meet the 12 finalists (and one significant write-in suggestion) ... nine men (that's a nice baseball number, isn't it?) have already received votes and despite a heavy assumption by ... certain voters ... that former Jay Esteban Loiaza will Cruz, er cruise to victory and receive the '03 Andujar, the results are far from certain.

You just pick your favorites any time before the Dec. 23 deadline ... vote for up to 5 ... and wait for the Dec. 26 ("Boxing" Day) announcement of the winner. It's easier than Manny Ramirez's pace to first base after popping up to shortstop! Just Joaq the Vote, baby!