MILWAUKEE -- Gabe Kapler still has a chance to take home some hardware for what was pretty clearly the Brewers' catch of the year.

Kapler is one of the Brewers' nominees for a This Year in Baseball Award, which honors top performers in 13 different categories. Kapler ranks high in fan balloting for "Top Play," for his fabulous leaping catch in Los Angeles.

The ballot boxes will close at 10:59 p.m. CT on Dec. 8. In 2007, a record 9.6 million votes were cast for the TYIB Awards, and that figure could be surpassed this time around as fans weigh in on the year's top hitter, manager and oddity, among others. The results of the voting will be revealed during the week of Dec. 15-19.

In addition to Kapler in the top play category, Brewers nominees include Ryan Braun for best hitter and top moment (his go-ahead home run in the regular-season finale against the Cubs), CC Sabathia for best starter and best performance (for his complete-game win in the regular-season finale) and general manager Doug Melvin for top executive.

Kapler has plenty of National League Central rivals vying for top play honors, including the Cubs' Reed Johnson, whose diving catch in Washington on April 25 is a top contender. But Kapler's grab was just as memorable, a well-timed leap into the left-field seats at Dodger Stadium to pull back what would have been a Russell Martin home run. Center fielder Mike Cameron and right fielder Corey Hart made highlight-reel grabs in the same game, an eventual 4-3, 10-inning win on Aug. 16.

Kapler, who became a free agent at season's end, was typically understated after the game.

"Some days you have an opportunity to make a play, and today was one of those plays," Kapler said. "A lot of that has to do with getting there at the right time. ... What a good win for us."

The same could be said for Sept. 28 against the Cubs, the regular-season finale. The Brewers entered the afternoon tied with the New York Mets for the National League Wild Card lead.

Sabathia delivered one of the most clutch performances in franchise history, going all nine innings and limiting Chicago to one run on four hits in his third consecutive start on three days' rest. Braun provided the go-ahead blow with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, but as the Brewers celebrated a Mets loss and thus a berth in the postseason, Braun gave credit to the big left-hander.

"It's unbelievable what he has done for the guys on this team, this organization and this city," Braun said. "He's revived baseball in Milwaukee. He took whatever expectation we had and destroyed it."

After moving from Cleveland to Milwaukee in a July 7 trade, Sabathia went 11-2 in 17 Brewers starts, with a 1.65 ERA and seven complete games. He was 17-10 overall with a 2.70 ERA to earn a TYIB nomination for best starter.

Braun batted .285 with 37 homers and 106 RBIs for a best hitter nomination.

Melvin, the architect of the team, also garnered a well-deserved nomination for executive of the year. He signed a three-year contract extension after the season.