12 November 2008

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher J. C. Romero edged out Tampa Bay Rays centerfielder B. J. Upton as the World Series rivals raced to the wire for the United States Sports Academy's Alabama Athlete of the Month honor.

Romero, a former University of Mobile standout and Fairhope resident, picked up two wins as a reliever in the World Series. He gave up zero earned runs in 7.1 innings pitched in the postseason.

Upton, a former Mobile BayBear, hit .338 in the postseason with seven home runs and 16 RBIs. This included four home runs against Boston in the seven-game American League Championship Series.

Finishing third in the balloting was University of Alabama freshman football receiver Julio Jones of Foley. Jones caught six passes for 103 yards in No. 2 Alabama's 29-9 win at Tennessee. By the end of October he was the team's leading receiver, with 28 catches for 444 yards and four touchdowns, including 12 catches for 218 yards in the last three games.

The Academy's Alabama Athlete of the Month is selected by a voting committee comprising former Alabama athletes, members of the statewide media and representatives of Alabama sports organizations. Each winner is automatically added to the Alabama Athlete of the Year ballot at the end of the calendar year.

The Alabama Athlete of the Year Award is given to an athlete beyond the high school level who was either born in Alabama, is currently playing in the state, or has previously participated in sports at any level within Alabama.