Clayton Kershaw’s winning the National League Cy Young Award today — he had 27 first, three second and two third place votes among the 32 total — has its benefits.
Within minutes of the official announcement this morning, two other press releases were issued:
== Regal Books, a Christian-based publisher in Ventura, announced the release of “Arise: Live Out Your Faith and Dreams on Whatever Field You Field Yourself,” which Kershaw co-authored with his wife, Ellen, set to be released in January, 2012 after the two return from a trip to Zambia to break new ground on a children’s home. This is related to the Kershaw’s Challenge (www.kershawschallenge.org) where he gives $100 for ever batter he struck out in 2011 to build the new home in Zambia, working with the charity Arise Africa (www.ariseafrica.org). Amazon.com is already taking pre-orders at $17.99 (linked here).
== Legends Memorabilia Collection signed Kershaw to an “exclusive memorabilia arrangement.” LMC is the memorabilia division of Major League Alumni Marketing (MLAM), the for-profit subsidiary of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA).