Hurley, Gold honored by Rangers

The Texas Rangers announced Monday that right-handed pitcher Eric Hurley was named the organization's 2006 Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Additionally, first baseman Nate Gold was named the 2006 Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year.

Hurley, the Rangers' first selection (30th overall) in the 2004 June draft, combined to go 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA (54 ER/137 2/3 IP) and 137 strikeouts in 24 starts for Class A Bakersfield and Double-A Frisco.

The 21-year-old right-hander ranked second among Texas full-season Minor Leaguers in ERA (3.53) and strikeouts (137). He started the season at Bakersfield, going 5-6, 4.11 (46 ER/100 2/3 IP) with 106 strikeouts in 18 starts for the Blaze.

He was promoted to Double-A on July 24 and in six starts with the RoughRiders, went 3-1, 1.95 (8 ER/37 IP). He earned midseason California League All-Star honors and was selected to play in the 2006 XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game.

Gold, the Rangers' 10th-round selection of the 2003 June draft, batted .291 (131-450) with 26 doubles, 34 home runs and 103 RBIs in 119 games for Frisco this season. Gold ranked second among all Minor Leaguers with 34 homers, trailing only Kevin Witt (36) of Durham in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization, and ninth with 103 RBIs. Both the 34 homers and 103 RBIs established Frisco franchise records. The former Gonzaga standout was named a Texas League All-Star after leading the league in home runs and finishing second in RBIs and slugging percentage (.582).

TOM GRIEVE MINOR LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

1984 Tommy Dunbar (OF)

1985 Steve Buechele (3B)

1986 Bob Brower (OF)

1987 Wayne Rosenthal (RHP)

1988 Kevin Reimer (OF)

1989 Jim Hvizda (RHP)

1990 Juan Gonzalez (OF)

1991 Rob Maurer (1B)

1992 Dan Smith (LHP)

1993 Rick Helling (RHP)

1994 Julio Santana (RHP)

1995 Fernando Tatis (3B)

1996 Lee Stevens (DH)

1997 Fernando Tatis (3B)

1998 Shawn Gallagher (1B)

1999 Mike Lamb (3B)

2000 Kevin Mench (OF)

2001 Hank Blalock (3B)

2002 Laynce Nix (OF)

2003 Ramon Nivar (OF)

2004 Ian Kinsler (SS)

2005 Travis Metcalf (3B)

2006 Nate Gold (1B)

NOLAN RYAN MINOR LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE YEAR

1995 Jeff Davis (RHP)

1996 Ted Silva (RHP)

1997 Corey Lee (LHP)

1998 Jeff Zimmerman (RHP)

1999 Doug Davis (LHP)

2000 Jovanny Cedeno (RHP)

2001 Ryan Dittfurth (RHP)

2002 Ben Kozlowski (LHP)

2003 Juan Dominguez (RHP)

2004 Kameron Loe (RHP)

2005 Thomas Diamond (RHP)

2006 Eric Hurley (RHP)