Yes, its that time of year, as the baseball season winds down and the playoff match-ups begin to get clearer my mind begins to drift to who will win the various awards in each league. This year, there are some no-brainer choices and some very interesting debates. <u><b>National League</b></u> <b>MVP - Barry Bonds</b> : This is a no-brainer, there are no other correct choices, anyone who chooses someone else has spent the last several months in an alien penal colony in another galaxy. Sammy Sosa and Luis Gonzales have had excellent seasons, but neither deserves this award over Bonds. <b>Cy Young - Randy Johnson</b> : Another relatively easy choice. Schilling has also been good, but Johnson is the better of the two. <b>Rookie of the Year - Albert Pujols</b> : While I think that Roy Oswalt is the better player, Pujols has put up superior numbers for the Cardinals, he deserves this award. <b>Manager of the Year - Larry Bowa</b> : I don't care how much he pissed off Scott Rolen, the Phillies don't have that much talent, and they've managed to be contenders for a playoff spot(though part of that is due to the absolutely pathetic division they play in). <u><b>American League</b></u> <b>MVP - Jason Giambi</b> : This is a very tightly contested race, but I think that Giambi has been the most valuable player in the Al. His scary plate discipline and power hitting are the engine that makes the A's offense go. There is serious room for debate on this award however. <b>Cy Young - Freddy Garcia</b> : No, Clemens has not been the best pitcher in the AL. IN fact, he hasn't been the best pitcher on his own team. Garcia is the winner here. Joe Mays might get some consideration, but unless Garcia has a real disaster start his last time out, he's the winner. <b>Rookie of the Year - Ichiro Suzuki</b> : I'm not really sure its appropriate to call a guy who's spent as many years as he has playing in a professional league a rookie, but major league baseball is. So he wins. <b>Manager of the Year - Lou Piniella</b> : His team is challenging for the all-time record in wins, so this one is easy.
Awards: NL MVP: Barry Bonds. He's had one of the top 5 offensive seasons ever, and is on pace to shatter the NL slugging % record. Nobody's even close. Cy Young: Randy Johnson: Easily the best ERA in the NL. I'd need a very good reason to vote against the guy with the best ERA. Rookie of the Year: This might be a homer pick, but I'd still go with Oswalt. Oswalt has played better than Pujols, imo, while he's been in the majors. Pujols has had the more productive season due to greater playing time, but I don't think the RoY should be determined simply by opportunity. IMO, 2.50 ERA pitchers are more valuable than a guy who hits well but mostly plays OF. Incidentally, if Pujols played more 3B this season, I'd go with him. Manager: Can't decide this one yet. It'll depend on the pennants. More than any other award, this one's about winning. AL: MVP: Roberto Alomar - lots of other players having great seasons, but Alomar's a 2b. You can't find another 2b with similar production. There is a SS, who I was actually tempted to go with, but his team simply stank too much. Sorry A-Rod, come again in 2002. Cy Young: Freddy Garcia - until recently, I was learning towards Hudson or Buerhle, but Garcia has performed down the stretch. Clemens has won a lot of games, but that's not so difficult when you're getting 7+ runs per game in support. RoY: CC Sabathia - Sorry, Ichiro, you've just played too much professional ball to get my vote. This one was hard to decide. Manager of the year: Lou Piniella. Already decided in the AL. Lou's gone from being a young-pitcher-killer to challenging for the best record ever.
My awards NL MVP-Barry Bonds-no question here one of the best seasons in history NL ROY-Roy Oswalt-he has embraced the ace role on the best team in the NL, without him the astros might be looking on the outside of the postseason festivities looking in(runner ups pujols,jimmy rollins) NL Manager of Yr-Larry Dierker, relying on more young pitching than anyone dierker has his team with the best in the NL, one yr after last place(bowa,baylor,brenly,runners up) AL MVP-Giambi, he is the heart and soul of that team and i dont expect him to leave in the offseason AL ROY- Ichiro Suzuki, without him seattle is just avg slightly above avg, he is their spark AL Manager of Yr-Art Howe, he brought a team many had wrought for dead early into a runaway in the wildcard and has them with the best record in the AL in the 2nd half, runner up-piniella
You are forgetting Brett Boone Avg-.333 R-113 2b-36 HR-35 RBI-135 SLG-.583 OPS-.956 Alomar Avg-.336 R-109 2b-33 HR-20 RBI-100 SLG-.548 OPS-.961
Bobfinn: Silly me. You're right. Boone has had a similar season. But Alomar has still played better. But Alomar still has better defense... and has boone actually played at 2b all year? I thought I read somewhere that he hadn't. Alomar also has a higher OBP, which is somehwat more important than slugging %. And he's a better baserunners. I know it's not fair, but I'd also be hesitant to name a guy my MVP who had a fluke season.
Jeff Kent won the MVP last year with a fluke season. I am not saying I think Boone should win MVP but he will get some votes for sure. Giambi is the odds on favorite to win it in the AL.
I predict, deserved or not (though I do feel it is deserved, you can't put together the win-loss record that he has for about two years without pitching preety damn well) the Rocket wins the AL CY Young.
