Come To Think of It...Part III: MLB's MVP Award Bias, What about Pitchers?

This is the third, and final, report in a three-part series on the biases used by sportswriters when voting on MLB's Most Valuable Player award.  

This argument focuses on whether you feel pitchers should continue to be eligible for the MVP award.

It is fairly rare, but sometimes pitchers do win the MVP. Since 1967, when each league adopted a Cy Young award, there have been seven such winners. The most recent having been Dennis Eckersley in 1992.

Those who are in favor of pitchers being eligible probably follow Yogi Berra's old saying that pitching is 90 percent of 50 percent of the game. Of course, Yogi also said that pitchers are liars and crybabies. But I digress.

Those against it argue that pitchers have their own award: the Cy Young. Position players certainly aren't eligible for that award.

Additionally, the argument against pitcher eligibility for the MVP award extends to the fact that starting pitchers only play every fifth day on average, while position players must have more value because they play every day.

Perhaps that explains why relief pitchers, especially closers, have won the MVP award.

Personally, a pitcher would have to be truly outstanding, while all position players from winning teams would need to be very ordinary in a given year for me to vote for a pitcher for MVP. Not that I have a vote, mind you.

CC Sabathia comes to mind. He has been exceptional thus far since being acquired by the Brewers in July. Undefeated, with a 7-0 record, and having pitched four complete games and two shutouts, the big left-hander has certainly given Milwaukee a much better shot at the NL Central title.

However, much like Manny Ramirez with the Dodgers, Sabathia hasn't been with his team all season. So, putting the bias aside for a moment, it would still be a long-shot for him to get the vote, even if he were not to lose another game all season.

So what do you think—would a pitcher ever get your vote as the league's MVP, or do you think the award should be reserved for the everyday player?

Come to think of it, make your "pitch"...