This year's baseball MVPs?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m not sure what it’s looking like on the AL side of things, but the NL looks like a race between Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Luis Gonzalez, and Albert Pujols. Who do you think should get the MVP?

(Either league, I just don’t follow the AL that much, which is why the OP is about the NL.)

Bonds is on the verge of making history, but McGwire didn’t get MVP when he hit 70. Sosa got it in '98 for helping the Cubs reach the playoffs.

Sammy Sosa is putting on a one-man show in Chicago, but his team isn’t making the playoffs this year.

Luis Gonzalez is being overshadowed by the other two guys, and I don’t think he’ll get it based on his numbers when compared to Bonds’s and Sosa’s.

And Albert Pujols, who’s all but got the NL ROY already handed to him. My vote goes to him for two reasons:

  1. I’m a biased Cardinal fan
  2. The Cards, as of today holding the Wild Card spot and only 2 games behind Houston for the best record in the league, would not be where they are without the consistant play of Pujols.

Jim Edmonds was slipping at the plate with a bad shoulder, McGwire lost his ability to get base hits, JD Drew was out for weeks with a broken hand, and the pitching staff was weakened by Rick Ankiel’s meltdown (we didn’t get a good replacement for him until bringing Bud Smith up from the minors), Andy Benes’s bum knee, and Dustin Hermanson’s lackluster first half.

Through all this, the consistant play by rookie Albert Pujols kept the Cards competitive by batting .329 with 36 homers and 126 RBI. He did this while being a versatile defensive player, playing at 4 positions: 3rd base, left field, right field, and 1st base. He’s got the Cardinal team Triple Crown - the last Cardinal rookie to do that was Rogers Hornsby.

That said, if the Giants catch the D-backs and go to the playoffs, the same argument can be made for Bonds.

So who would you vote for and who do you think wil get it?

My vote goes to Albert Pujols, but I think Bonds will end up being this year’s MVP.

2

Crunchy one reason that Bonds deserves strong consideration is that his home runs have been very important in keeping the Giants in the NL West and Wildcard hunts. I have Sports Center in the background right now and they say something like 30+ of his home runs have given the team leads or been game winners or some such. He also has drawn a record number of walks and is overall having one of the top 5-10 (at least) offensive seasons ever. I think he might also crush the record for slugging currently held by Babe Ruth.

Big Mac seems like a nicer guy, but IMO his homeruns didn’t help his team nearly as much (save morale) and I don’t think he had nearly the on-base percentage that Bonds does. You will probably have to wait for another year for Pujols to get this one.

3

Oh, yeah, at the end I said I think Bonds will get it, but my sentimental vote - and that’s all it is (I said early I’m a biased Cardinal fan) - goes to the rookie. And I don’t think Mac’s homers helped as much either, since the Cards were out of contention early that year while the Giants are still in position to win their division.

4

I really think Gonzalez and Bonds are the only serious candidates in the NL. Gonzalez has slackened up a bit toward the end of the season, while Bonds has kept it up down the stretch and has posted one of the top four or five offensive seasons of all time – it’s not just that he’s hit 65+HR, but his OBP and Slugging Percentage are astronomical as well. He’s a big reason that the Giants are giving the DBacks a run for it in the West. If Gonzalez wins, it’ll be hard not to believe that the voters based their ballots on personality and not on performance – Gonzo seems to be one of the all-around best guys in the game, and Bonds doesn’t, though he’s managed to change the general perception of him for the better this year.

That being said, I don’t know how many people, even serious baseball fans, really appreciate how astounding Pujols’ season has been. The guy had one year of professional baseball experience before this one. Not one year of major league experience, one year of professional experience – most of it in Class A, in the Midwest League. Granted, he blew the doors off Triple-A pitching the the PCL playoffs last year for Memphis, but no one figured him to even make the Cardinals’ roster this spring, much less be a starter the whole year and put up offensive numbers that anyone short of Bonds, Sosa, or Gonzalez would envy. Casual sports fans, and even a lot of baseball fans, often don’t appreciate the amount of experience that’s typically required to be able to play the game at the major league level. There are so many facets of the game that rely on conditioned reflexes – reflexes that only develop with hundreds or even thousands of repetitions. Baseball ain’t basketball or football, where athleticism and talent can carry you straight from high school or one or two years of college into the big time. All of which makes Pujols’ season nearly as much of a wonder as Bonds’ – other rookies have had comparable seasons, but not many have done so without at least two or three minor league seasons under their belts.

I can’t claim to follow the AL as closely; A-Rod probably has the best numbers overall, and a good case could be made for Giambi as a repeat winner. I don’t think the press will be able to set aside their opinion of Bret Boone that’s been formed over the last several years, but he might have the best case of anyone in the AL, especially given Seattle’s amazing record this year – lots of guys have contributed to that (especially Ichiro), but it’s hard to argue that they’d be where they are without Boone’s 35 HR and 140 or so RBI.

5

Hey, my hubby votes for Ichiro.
Me? I barely follow sports. What do I know?

6

I left the United States in July of 1998, so I wasn’t around for the more exciting parts of the home run record chase. Keep that in mind as a disclaimer.

A couple days ago on the radio, one of the hosts was talking about McGwire, and said that during 1998, he was very surly and refused to speak with the media about the home run record. It was only when it became clear that Sosa was also in the hunt, and was such a nice guy and was having such a good time with it, that McGwire loosened up. The way the radio guy described it, Sosa shamed McGwire into being friendly. Maybe Crunchy Frog can elucidate, because I am sure he remembers that season lots better than I do. Additionally, the station I was listening to is the Giants flagship, so they are kind of biased. But from what I hear, McGwire had said a lot of contradictory things this season regarding Bonds and the recond. One day, he sounds like a class act, the next, like he’s got sour grapes. So I don’t know what to think.

I think Luis Gonzalez will win the NL MVP. He’s having a fabulous year, and Barry’s already won in three times. I don’t really follow the AL, but suppose Boone will win. Giambi won it last year, and the writers like to spread things out.

7

McGwire was very cranky in the thick of the home run race. He was tired of the media asking him non-stop about the homeruns while the team wasn’t winning. If a pitcher pitched a shutout in a game Mac homered, they talked to Mac and he would chide them for not talking to the pitcher who won the game by shutting out the other team.

McGwire entered St. Louis with a nice guy persona though, so that may have afforded him some leeway. He didn’t test the free agent market after being traded to the Cards mid-way through the '97 season, citing the fans and the city as his reason for wanting to stay a Cardinal. After he signed the contract, he immediately gave $1 million of his salary each year to set up a charity for abused children and broke into tears during the news conference when he announced it. So he already had a rep for being a good guy to the press before he got cranky during the homerun race.

But I do remember it was when Sosa started charming the press with his affable personality and Garret Morris impersonation, “Baseball been berry berry good to me” that Mac loosened up some.

8

For AL MVP - If there were no other strong candidates, I’d say Roger Clemens would get the Cy Young AND MVP, but I think Giambi will win it this year.

9

As a longtime Cardinals fan myself, I agree with Crunchy–I’d love to see Pujols win it, he’s been great, he’s never faltered, he’s been a tremendous story, etc., etc., etc.

But I have been an enthusiastic baseball rooter for thirty plus years now, and I have NEVER seen any hitter have a season like Bonds is having this year. It’s not just home runs–it’s walks and on base percentage and slugging percentage. Whether the Giants make the playoffs or not, Bonds has been a big reason why they are where they are…and that in a very tough division. Sosa’s been wonderful. So has Gonzalez. But their teams really aren’t any better than Bonds’s. And little things like a record-breaking slugging percentage and a .502 (!) OBP stand out after a while.

In the AL…hell if I know. I’d vote for Giambi, I guess, but like Crunchy I don’t follow the league closely enough. My guess is Ichiro will win.

10

I don’t know who’s going to win the AL MVP Award, but if they give it to Ichiro, he’ll be the worst MVP in the history of the American League.

11

Uhh…if you don’t mind me asking, RickJay, why is that?

12

Worse than <ahem> Zoilo Versalles in 1965???

My goodness.

13

Well, kinda opposite of the OP, I am not very involved in in the NL. But in the AL I am thinking a sure clinch for Ichiro as ROY, and definetly in contingency for MVP.

But, RickJay [insert sacasim]certainly makes a good point, and he backs it up very well. [end sarcasim] Why do you think that? He has certainly had a very good season, and there is no doubt that he has helped the Mariners have such a wonderful season. He is going to get the batting title, and that team will most likely have a pretty good post-season run. Do you think that he’ll be the “worst ever” because he is Japanese, or because he is a rookie? Or are you a Yankees fan, and you hate to see another team do as well as your beloved 1998 team?

either way, I am thinking that Bonds will get the NL, and Ichiro as AL. Though I really couldn’t care less about the NL winner, it is kinda interesting to see Bonds getting less coverage than McGwire, though his team is actually doing well this year.

What about Cy Youngs? I think Roger Clemmons is a definte for the AL, and probably Schilling for the NL. I really would like to see Schilling win it, because as far as I have been informed, he has never won before…

14

Bonds ought to win the NL NVP award. For the AL, three of my Indians (Alomar, Gonzalez and Thome) will split the vote allowing Ichiro to win it.

But when the Indians oust the Mariners from the playoffs the MVP vote won’t matter.

15

Because he not only isn’t the league’s most valuable player, he isn’t even CLOSE to being the league’s most valuable player. He’s a very good player, but he’s not one of the ten best players in the league. He’s not even one of Seattle’s three best players.

Suzuki is certainly the Rookie of the Year (and I don’t buy into this silliness about Japanese players not being real rookies) but let’s be honest; he’s not even in Jason Giambi’s zip code.

Let’s talk hitting first. A partial list of American Leaguers who are clearly better hitters, this year, would include

Jason Giambi
Alex Rodriguez
Roberto Alomar
Juan Gonzalez
Bret Boone
Jim Thome
Troy Glaus
Bernie Williams
Carlos Delgado
Rafael Palmiero
Manny Ramirez
Maggio Ordonez
Mike Sweeney
Edgar Martinez

Other players who are more or less even with Ichiro would include John Olerud, Trot Nixon, Carlos Beltran, Mike Cameron, Corey Koskie, Eric Chavez, and maybe a few others I’m missing.

Even if you give Suzuki big credit for being a very good defensive right fielder, he’s not even in the zip code of guys like Alomar, Giambi, Thome, Rodriguez, and his own teammate, Bret Boone. If you throw in the league’s best pitchers into the mix (And they’re eligible for the MVP Award, so they must be considered) you can probably put a few more names ahead of Ichiro.

Suzuki is a very good player, but he just isn’t anywhere near to being the best player in the league.

Take it individually, if you want. What does Ichiro have that Roberto Alomar doesn’t have more of? Alomar gets on base more, has more power, and plays a more important defensive position pretty well. Runs the bases pretty well, too. Why would you vote for Suzuki but not Alomar? Alex Rodriguez is even better, though he doesn’t play for a winning team - but it isn’t a result of his lack of value that the Rangers can’t pitch. Suzuki’s own teammate, Bret Boone, gets on base just a little less but has vastly more power AND plays a great second base. Jason Giambi is miles ahead of Ichiro offensively, just out of sight.

Suzuki is 14th in the AL in on base percentage, which is pretty good, but certainly not the best or even close to it. Of the 13 guys above him, ALL except Jeff Conine have more power. Many of them are way, way ahead. Suzuki is 41st in the league in slugging. You’d have to do a lot of explaining to demonstrate to my satisfaction why a guy who’s ranked #30 in the league in OPS is in fact the league’s most valuable player - and I don’t think stolen bases make up that much ground. Exciting though they may be, steals aren’t as valuable as home runs and getting on base. Throw in his defense and he moves up more, but then the middle infielders like Rodriguez, Alomar and Jeter move further ahead, and Mike Cameron is no slouch with the glove, either, so why not Cameron for MVP?

I find the Suzuki-for-MVP comments really, really strange. He’s a fun, spectacular player to watch, but his contribution isn’t anywhere near the best in the league. I can’t ever remember a player with such slim credentials getting serious MVP talk. He’s not even the best player on his team. Why would he be MVP of the league?

What the hell are you talking about? I love the Mariners.

16

When considering a player’s MVP credentials, one rule of thumb could be “Would the team have done just as well this year without that player’s performance?”

The Mariners without Ichiro? Maybe.
The Yankees without Clemens? No way.
The A’s without Giambi? Doubt it.
The Rangers without A-Rod? Yup. (Of course, a team’s poor showing in the standings doesn’t ALWAYS matter to MVP voters. See: Ernie Banks)