2006 Thoughts on Sports MLB Awards
It is that time of year, the time when teams are fighting to play the next week, and the debates on who deserves what award continue until the winners are announced after the World Series ends. At the end of the regular season, we at Thoughts on Sports gave you our predictions for the playoffs. Now we reveal to you who we would vote for if we could.
Most Valuable Player:
My AL pick: Johan Santana
My comments: Derek Jeter had been my pick for most of September. The more I heard the case for Santana though, the more it made sense. The Twins' record in his starts was roughly 20 games over .500. The Twins finished 30 games over .500. Most arguments against his candidacy refer to the fact that he does not play everyday. I still think when a pitcher is that good (and not only was he good, he led the majors in innings pitched), his impact is felt on days other than the ones he pitches. He keeps the bullpen fresh and he takes pressure off of the other starters by preventing long losing streaks by himself. Jeter will probably win, and I would have a tough time arguing against him, but in a year when there are many offensive candidates that are tough to separate, Santana gets my vote.
Joe's AL pick: Justin Morneau
My NL pick: Ryan Howard
My comments: It comes down to two players, Howard and Albert Pujols. It is so very close, it is hard to pick one. Why did I pick Howard? The determining criteria for me was this - the Phillies outperformed expectations, while the Cardinals underperformed. Both teams dealt with adversity, but in the end, the Phillies were pleasantly surprised with their season, while the Cardinals backed into a division title. Howard was the biggest reason.
Joe's NL pick: Howard
Cy Young Award:
My AL pick: Santana
My comments: This really does not require an explaination. Three words can sum it up: Pitching's Quadruple Crown.
Joe's AL pick: Santana
My NL pick: Chris Carpenter
My comments: This is another tough call. Carpenter, Roy Oswalt, and Brandon Webb have all inserted themselves into the conversation (I am sorry, I do not thnk Trevor Hoffman is a contender). Oswalt led the league in ERA, but Carpenter struck out more batters, had more complete games, shutouts and wins (he tied Webb in all three). The deciding factor: the "oh crap" factor. In my opinion, opponents dreaded facing Carpenter more than the other pitchers.
Joe's NL pick: Oswalt
Rookie of the Year:
My AL pick: Justin Verlander
My comments: If Francisco Liriano and Jonathan Papelbon had stayed healthy and Jered Weaver had not spent too much time in the minors, there might be some doubt here. In the end though, 17 wins with solid peripheral numbers is hard to overlook.
Joe's AL pick: Verlander
My NL pick: Dan Uggla
My comments: The top three candidates, again, all bring a strong resume to the table. Ryan Zimmerman drove in more than 100 runs playing in tough hitter's ballpark and Hanley Ramirez hit 17 home runs and stole 51 bases. Uggla, however, hit 27 home runs (a rookie record for second basemen) and played solid defense as a Rule 5 draftee.
Joe's NL pick: Zimmerman
Manager of the Year:
My AL pick: Jim Leyland
My comments: The Tigers went from 71 wins to 95, fourth place in the AL Central to second place (including a wild card berth), and had their first winning season since 1993. What else needs to be said?
Joe's AL pick: Leyland
My NL pick: Joe Girardi
My comments: As with Leyland, this is not really a contest. The Marlins had a $15 million payroll, more rookies than veterans, and expectations of a 100-loss season. In contending for the wild card, the Marlins made this choice easy.
Joe's NL pick: Girardi
Comeback Player of the Year:
My AL pick: Jim Thome
My comments: Thome had a tremendous season considering he barely played last year and, when he did, he looked awful. Frank Thomas was very much in the discussion, but Thome has a better year in my opinion.
Joe's AL pick: Thomas
My NL pick: Carlos Beltran
My comments: Beltran did not miss as many games as Scott Rolen or Nomar Garciaparra, but his numbers were nearly as bad. This year, he was one of the top offensive players in the National League. That is quite a comeback to me.
Joe's NL pick: Garciaparra
Most Valuable Player:
My AL pick: Johan Santana
My comments: Derek Jeter had been my pick for most of September. The more I heard the case for Santana though, the more it made sense. The Twins' record in his starts was roughly 20 games over .500. The Twins finished 30 games over .500. Most arguments against his candidacy refer to the fact that he does not play everyday. I still think when a pitcher is that good (and not only was he good, he led the majors in innings pitched), his impact is felt on days other than the ones he pitches. He keeps the bullpen fresh and he takes pressure off of the other starters by preventing long losing streaks by himself. Jeter will probably win, and I would have a tough time arguing against him, but in a year when there are many offensive candidates that are tough to separate, Santana gets my vote.
Joe's AL pick: Justin Morneau
My NL pick: Ryan Howard
My comments: It comes down to two players, Howard and Albert Pujols. It is so very close, it is hard to pick one. Why did I pick Howard? The determining criteria for me was this - the Phillies outperformed expectations, while the Cardinals underperformed. Both teams dealt with adversity, but in the end, the Phillies were pleasantly surprised with their season, while the Cardinals backed into a division title. Howard was the biggest reason.
Joe's NL pick: Howard
Cy Young Award:
My AL pick: Santana
My comments: This really does not require an explaination. Three words can sum it up: Pitching's Quadruple Crown.
Joe's AL pick: Santana
My NL pick: Chris Carpenter
My comments: This is another tough call. Carpenter, Roy Oswalt, and Brandon Webb have all inserted themselves into the conversation (I am sorry, I do not thnk Trevor Hoffman is a contender). Oswalt led the league in ERA, but Carpenter struck out more batters, had more complete games, shutouts and wins (he tied Webb in all three). The deciding factor: the "oh crap" factor. In my opinion, opponents dreaded facing Carpenter more than the other pitchers.
Joe's NL pick: Oswalt
Rookie of the Year:
My AL pick: Justin Verlander
My comments: If Francisco Liriano and Jonathan Papelbon had stayed healthy and Jered Weaver had not spent too much time in the minors, there might be some doubt here. In the end though, 17 wins with solid peripheral numbers is hard to overlook.
Joe's AL pick: Verlander
My NL pick: Dan Uggla
My comments: The top three candidates, again, all bring a strong resume to the table. Ryan Zimmerman drove in more than 100 runs playing in tough hitter's ballpark and Hanley Ramirez hit 17 home runs and stole 51 bases. Uggla, however, hit 27 home runs (a rookie record for second basemen) and played solid defense as a Rule 5 draftee.
Joe's NL pick: Zimmerman
Manager of the Year:
My AL pick: Jim Leyland
My comments: The Tigers went from 71 wins to 95, fourth place in the AL Central to second place (including a wild card berth), and had their first winning season since 1993. What else needs to be said?
Joe's AL pick: Leyland
My NL pick: Joe Girardi
My comments: As with Leyland, this is not really a contest. The Marlins had a $15 million payroll, more rookies than veterans, and expectations of a 100-loss season. In contending for the wild card, the Marlins made this choice easy.
Joe's NL pick: Girardi
Comeback Player of the Year:
My AL pick: Jim Thome
My comments: Thome had a tremendous season considering he barely played last year and, when he did, he looked awful. Frank Thomas was very much in the discussion, but Thome has a better year in my opinion.
Joe's AL pick: Thomas
My NL pick: Carlos Beltran
My comments: Beltran did not miss as many games as Scott Rolen or Nomar Garciaparra, but his numbers were nearly as bad. This year, he was one of the top offensive players in the National League. That is quite a comeback to me.
Joe's NL pick: Garciaparra
posted by Josh at 10:07 AM
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