Sign up or login to track your favorite teams

Sign Up for Bleacher Report

As a registered user you can subscribe to your favorite teams, post comments, write your own articles, and much more.

You must register in order for that functionality to work!







Validating sign up form ...

Bleacher Report articles are written by fans like you

Do you want to cover your favorite sports, teams, and leagues?

Processing writing preferences ...

Great, , you're signed up!

i.e. Big 10, LeBron James, USC Football

Selected Tags:

Logging in ...

Yes, you read that headline right. And no, I haven't been drinking. Before you laugh this article off and consider it nonsense from an ignorant Mets' fan, I'll preface this piece by pointing ...

Jose Reyes: Your 2008 National League MVP?

by Andrew Mees (Analyst)

43

2169 reads

Opinion

August 18, 2008


Yes, you read that headline right.

And no, I haven't been drinking. Before you laugh this article off and consider it nonsense from an ignorant Mets' fan, I'll preface this piece by pointing out there may be no writer on this site that's been more critical of Jose than me. 

There have been points in 2008 where he's been a space cadet, in the field and on the bases, but if the Mets win the National League East, Reyes should be on the short list of candidates for the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

Trust me, I never thought I'd be writing a column dedicated to this topic after the month of May. Through the first two months, Reyes was driving Mets fans the world over towards their friendly, neighborhood drinking establishment.

But for the past two and a half months, this guy has been nothing short of the elite player we all thought he could be.

He has not only turned his season around, but he's become, without question, the most important player in the National League East race and the most important player to the "Amazin's" success. 

Still think I'm smoking the funny stuff? Let's take a look at how his numbers stack up with whom most believe is the front-runner in the MVP race: Mr. Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Through yesterday's games, Reyes' 161 hits are tops in the national league (Utley has 133). His .304 batting average is 10th in the league, and second among NL leadoff hitters by a single point (Utley's .284 average places him 30th). 

While Utley smokes Jose in homers (30 to 13), Reyes trails only Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins in homers among NL leadoff hitters, as well as RBI (Jose has 53). His 40 stolen bases make him second in the league (Utley is 33rd with 10), and his 14 triples are also tops in NL (Utley has three, putting him 23rd). 

You might say to yourself, "Well, Utley is a power-hitter, and Reyes is a contact hitter, so he's going to have more hits and a higher average." And while that's a fair argument, you can easily refute it by checking out their total bases for the season. 

Utley is only ahead of Reyes by three, 262 to 259, putting Jose fourth in the league. Reyes' 88 runs scored put him third in the NL, and he only trails Utley in doubles by two (33-31) and on-base percentage by .007 (.368 to .361).

After a shaky first few months in the field, Reyes has also raised his game defensively and, barring a terrible final two months with the glove, will be in serious consideration for the Gold Glove at shortstop. 

While all these numbers are pretty telling in determining who's more deserving of the hardware at this point in the season, the true measure of the Most Valuable Player—at least in my opinion—is how important he is to his team's success. 

Talk to any knowledgeable Mets' fan and they'll tell you Reyes is by far the most important position player to the team's success. He is the engine that makes the offense run—when he's getting on base, they are an extremely dangerous group.

Because of this, he has become (along with Hanley Ramirez) the player in the NL East that simply cannot go down with an injury if his team wants to make the playoffs. 

That, to me, is an MVP. 

I'm not saying Jose will win the trophy. Lance Berkmann is having an amazing season—he tops Jose in every offensive category except hits and triples. But his team isn't going anywhere, and if Jose keeps going at this pace, his team will still be playing come October.

All I'm saying is that as you watch the season wind down, keep in mind the season Reyes is putting together. What once seemed like it could be a lost year for Jose could become the one that ends with the MVP trophy coming to Queens.

Track this Article on My B/R
Flag This Article
Share This Article

43 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Brian 10 months ago

    Good read, and I happen to agree with you. Chase Utley has been horrible since the All-Star break, (I'm a Phillies fan, it's killing me) and Reyes is on fire. The Mets are playing perhaps more inspired baseball than anyone else in the National League over the last month or so...

    I don't think too may people are talking about Utley for MVP any more. At this point in the season either Reyes or Berkman (on a meaningless team) take the cake.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      Thanks for the comment Brian. I have heard Utley's name bounced around still for the MVP talk, but he'd have to get hot again to match Reyes or Berkman at this point.

      The only other guy you could give it to would be Hanley, if the Marlins were to get into the playoffs. But other than those three guys, I just don't see a player in the National League who is really putting together an MVP-type year.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  2. Jameson Fleming 10 months ago

    Even as a Phillies fan, Utley doesn't deserve the MVP. He hasn't been a leader and can't hit to save his life when runners are in scoring position. Idk if Reyes is the best candidate, but there's a strong case he's more of a candidate than Utley.

    I'm personally on the Manny for MVP boat if he keeps up his insane numbers and the Dodgers win the west. It'd be unprecedented, but worthy.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      As a fellow Manny-Lover, seeing him win the MVP based on two months of work would be awesome.
      I'd have Berkman 1 and Reyes 2 right now if I had a vote for MVP, but you can never go wrong with voting ManRam for anything.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  3. Paul Boye 10 months ago

    Uh...I don't see Albert Pujols's name anywhere in this piece. Hm.

    Ok, tell me which player you'd rather have:

    .348/.459/.617 (182 OPS+) in 402 ABs with 26 HR, 77 RBI, 10.72 RF/9 (1.33 above lg. avg.), 110 runs created
    .304/.361/.490 (125 OPS+) in 529 ABs with 13 HR, 53 RBI, 3.91 RF/9 (0.52 below lg. avg.), 95.4 runs created

    In 127 fewer ABs, Pujols has 15 more runs created, not to mention he's a better fielder. If he had any sort of production getting on base ahead of him (Kennedy and Izturis have weak OBPs), Pujols's RBI numbers would be through the roof (one reason why RBI aren't a good gauge of talent or performance. see: Ryan Howard).

    I mean, Albert leads the Cardinals in SEVENTEEN different offensive categories. Reyes? He leads the Mets in 13, which is impressive too, but Pujols still has the edge.

    To not even mention Albert is silly. It's probably between he and Berkman, should the season end today.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Paul Boye 10 months ago

      And I hope the Manny Ramirez talk is tongue-in-cheek. Even if he plays every remaining game, that's only just under 200 NL ABs. Not nearly enough to match up with Berkman or Pujols or the like.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      Albert's got a great case for the MVP. Really he does. He could even end up winning it. But to lead your team in 13 offensive categories, as a leadoff hitter, in a lineup the caliber of the Met's lineup, isn't just impressive, it's incredible.

      Pujols probably should be second or even first in the voting, but let's face it, if his team doesn't get in the playoffs he's not going to win. It sucks, but that's the way it is.

      And of course the Manny talk is a joke.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Paul Boye 10 months ago

      The Mets have a team line of .268/.341/.416 which are numbers good for 3rd, 4th, and 9th among NL teams. The Cardinals have a team line of .277/.348/.429 which are numbers good for 2nd, 2nd, and 4th among NL teams.

      It remains more impressive that Pujols leads more categories, because he's actually part of a better overall line-up. It's easy to look at the names, but St. Louis has the edge in line-up.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Paul Boye 10 months ago

      I fail to see how an overachieving Kyle Lohse has anything to do with Albert Pujols having a phenomenal season. The 2003 Texas Rangers went 71-91, the year Alex Rodriguez won the MVP with them, and Ryan Howard won the 2006 MVP - questionably - on a 2006 Phillies team that missed the playoffs. And unless something strange happens, the Cardinals will finish above .500, missing the playoffs only because the two best teams in the NL play in the same division.

      How is that Pujols's fault, and why should that keep him from winning it?

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  4. Andrew Mees 10 months ago

    And while Pujol's numbers are outrageous, and he's putting together an incredible season, if you take a look at the national league leaderboards, Pujols is tenth in hits, second in batting average, fifteenth in RBI, eleventh in homers, twelvth in runs, first in slugging percentage and 18'th in doubles, and second in on-base % in the National League.

    Reyes: 1'st in hits, tenth in batting average, third in runs scored, eleventh in doubles, and 31'st in on-base percentage. You simply cannot factor in homers, rbi or slugging percentage when dealing with this debate because both players bring different games to the table. Reyes is a leadoff hitter, so while his on-base percentage doesn't compare, he's comparable in every other major offensive category. And then you factor in Reyes leading the lead in triples, having more doubles than Pujols, and being second in stolen bases, and I think the edge goes to Reyes, despite the awesome year Pujols is having.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Paul Boye 10 months ago

      Again, Reyes has 127 more ABs this season; that comes as a product of being a leadoff hitter. What isn't coming across is that Reyes has only walked 49 times in 578 PAs. Pujols has walked 82 times in 484 PAs.

      I'll agree to throw out homers and RBI. That's fine. But keep in mind those 127 extra ABs when I say this:

      Comparing Reyes to Pujols, Reyes has 21 more hits, one more double, scored 11 more runs, and has 11 more total bases. Pujols would have to hit just .165 with no doubles over his next 127 ABs to fail to equal Reyes's production at 529 ABs.

      Their home/away splits are pretty equal, but compare their splits in high leverage situations (as defined by WPA) on BaseballReference. There's really no comparison there, either.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  5. Andrew Mees 10 months ago

    Again, all fair points and they present your case great, but we're dealing with two completely different players with completely different games. Reyes has been the best in the national league this season at what he does, and Pujols has been the best in the league this season at what he does. A lot of stats point the argument in your favor, and there are stats that point the argument in mine. I stated in the article I never said Jose would win the award, and all your stats say Pujols is having the better year, but if he stays on this pace I think he's got a great chance to finish in the top two or three, maybe even ahead of Pujols depending on what the voters value and who makes the postseason.

    And Pujols should be hitting more doubles than Reyes, he's a power hitter hitting in the middle of the order. The walks are killing Reyes, if he was a little more patient his on-base percentage would be a lot higher which would end up making all his numbers higher. I think it's a great debate and it's going to be really interesting to see how it shakes out.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  6. PJ Edelman 10 months ago

    As a Mets' fan, I still think Pujols is more valuable to his TEAM than Reyes is to the Mets. Imagine St cards without Pujols. They would be last in their division. Besides Ludwick, there is no real star on that team.

    The Mets have David Wright, who can essentially split votes with Reyes (wright has double RBIs) as far as importance goes to a team

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      Wright has double the RBI's because Reyes has been on base as much as he has, and he hits in an RBI spot in the order. There isn't anybody for the big boys to drive in if Reyes isn't on base as much as he has been.

      Reyes makes the offense go. Don't get me wrong, I could be the president of the David Wright fan club, but if you take Reyes out of that lineup, the Mets go absolutely nowhere. Wright would be a huge loss, but delgado and beltran could pick up at least some of the slack. If Reyes goes down, it's over.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Vinny Gazzara 10 months ago

      Jose Reyes is as valuable to the Mets as Hanley is to Florida. All the Met's RBI are bloated because Reyes gets on and scores from first on a double

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • WVU Fan 9 months ago

      I think both Reyes and Wright are worthy candidates, but I think the most important player on the Met's team this season is Carlos Delgado. The first three months of the season, this guy was nowhere to be found, and the Mets were an average team that the Phillies could have put away. However, the last month and a half Delgado has carried this team. Don't get me wrong, Reyes and Wright have been doing their part, but it seems to me that this year, the team goes as Delgado goes. He is the reason the Mets are in first place.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  7. PJ Edelman 10 months ago

    I see. But who is more important to their team? Mets have Santana, Wagner, Delgado, Beltran, Wright...
    all former or present allstars.

    How many can you name on the Cards besides Pujols? He IS their team. Take him out of the equation, and there would be a much bigger difference in wins and losses for the Cards than if you took Reyes from the Mets

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      All true statements, but Ludwick has 30 homers already this year, so it's not like they have nobody, and as my esteemed colleague Paul pointed out, the Cards lineup is outperforming the Mets lineup this year, so even though there may not be the names, Pujols is playing with the better offensive group this year.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  8. Carl Stream 10 months ago

    The Cardinals have a better record than the Mets. If we're talking contending teams, the Cardinals are just unlucky to have the two best teams in the National League in their division.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  9. Scott Malone 10 months ago

    The Cardinals do have it rough with both the Cubs and Brewers in their division. However, I don't see Reyes winning MVP as he and Wright will probably split the votes in NY.

    Both Reyes and Pujols are incredibly valuable to their team. Reyes gets the Mets' offense started, and forces the pitcher to think more about him than the hitter at the plate. Pujols is truly the reason that guys like Ryan Ludwick and Troy Glaus are putting up good numbers this year, as opposing pitchers are just walking Pujols and as a result, give Ludwick and Glaus more pitches to hit.

    Pujols is slightly more likely to win than Reyes, just because there is nobody else on the Cardinals that will split the votes with him. However, the argument about Pujols not being on a winning team in the end is a good one, as in most cases the MVP comes from a winning team.

    If the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres had been in contention for the NL West this season, we would also have to consider Matt Holliday and Adrian Gonzalez.

    Holliday currently sits behind only Pujols and Chipper Jones in BA with a .339 mark. He has also hit 23 HR, with 72 RBI, 87 R, 19 SB, and a .427 OBP as a three hole hitter on a losing team.

    Gonzalez has flown under the radar being in San Diego this season, but has put up solid numbers despite being in one of the Majors' worst offenses. He has hit .277, with 28 HR, 89 RBI, 72 R, and a .354 OBP, yet again on a losing team.

    In a sure to be tight MVP race, I think Pujols edges out Reyes, but not by much.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      I agree Scott, they'd both be in contention if there teams weren't so far out of it. The NL MVP race will certainly be tough, there are probably four guys (Berkman, Pujols, Reyes, Wright) who could win it right now, and two more (Hanley, Utley) who have a legitimate shot if they get hot and their teams get in the playoffs. Should certainly be interesting.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  10. Tommy 10 months ago

    Great article. I'm a die-hard Met fan and up until the all-star break I was pretty much saying that I hated (yes, hated) Jose Reyes, because of the lackadaisical performances he was putting out there. Now, he is our backbone, and he has incredible stats.

    To me, Utley isn't even a power hitter: he's a 15-20 HR a year playing in a small ballpark. Pujols should get it over him any day of the week.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  11. Carl Stream 10 months ago

    Utley's home/away splits:

    Home: .271/.340/.570/.910
    Away: .294/.392/.548/.940

    Ya, he's definitely just getting lucky from his home ballpark.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  12. Brian Napier 10 months ago

    You certainly have some great points. although Hanley Ramirez is just as big if not bigger to the marlins success this season. and C.C. Sabathia has to be thrown into that running, despite being a pitcher, he has been very VALUABLE to the Brewers succes. Ryan Braun? Berkman as you mentioned and Chipper Jones even? but i think that if the mets win the NL east. He deserves the MVP award.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  13. Carl Stream 10 months ago

    Utley's HR splits by year starting in 05:

    Home: 12/16/14/18
    Away: 16/16/8/12

    So over 4 years he's hit 60 at home, and 52 on the road. Ya, he's not getting lucky from playing in a small ballpark.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  14. Mike Marchetti 10 months ago

    this paul guy is mad gay. but what about ryan braun? I'm a mets fan and i realize he's a ligit contender on a surging team likely to make the playoffs

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      Mike, Ryan Braun is also a solid choice, but right now, he's not even the best candidate on his own team. That would have to go to Mr. CC.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  15. Aaron Alyea 10 months ago

    Take a closer look at team stats and you tell me if it's overachieving or just a good team. Ludwick has never played a full year so how do you know what he's capable of. Glaus is batting his usual .275. Their defense is second in the majors in fielding percentage, but at the same time they lead in blown saves. We wouldn't have this conversation if the Cards win half of those ballgames. The starting pitching has been awesome, mainly in part to Dave Duncan. This guy has the knack for taking a washed up veteran and turning him into a star. The Cards also lead in batting average thanks in part to that .359 Pujols currently has. Their lineup just plays ball day in and day out and people are pissed cause they do it without overblown salaries and egos.

    As far as the case for Pujols, when are people going to give him credit he truly deserves. He's doing now what he's doing every year except he hasn't had near the supporting case the last two. The year Howard won it, Albert had better stats in all but 2 categories, rbi and homeruns. Bet you didn't know that. Howard did have considerable more stats in those 2 categories, but Pujols had the same type of lead in the other many other categories, especially in walks and strikeouts. This is without even mentioning that two other Phillies had MVP votes, suggesting that he should have had more rbi with way more opportunities. Fielding percentage should be figured in as well if your talking about an all around player. Pujols won the Gold Glove and has the lead again this year. Where was Howard in 2006... .991, Pujols .996 Oh, and the Cardinal won the World Series that year. Where were the Phillies...that's right they didn't make the playoffs. So all these arguments against him right now should be null and void based upon what's happened in the past.

    Besides the Cards do have a better record and should have the best record in baseball if you give them a solid closer.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      Sure did know that Aaron, thanks for the comment. Wasn't Pujols the guy who when Ryan Howard won the MVP he said he thought the award should go to someone whose team makes the playoffs? So he'll have no problem not winning it this year then if the Cards don't get in, right?

      I agreed with all the comments above that said Pujols had a great chance to win it.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  1. Craig Brockman 10 months ago

    If Reyes continues his hot hitting into the first couple of weeks this month, and the Mets make it into the playoffs, then is a surety that Reyes gets the title. However, if he cools down and Wright slams a few more RBI's and HR's, and the Mets make it in - then it's Wright. Outside of that Braun still stands a chance as well.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  2. Craig Brockman 10 months ago

    As I read a little further into the comments here - it is apparent that certain persons do not understand the choice for MVP - aside from the statitical portion they have to understand that an MVP is a person that gave substantial contributions to the team. You cannot just go on numbers alone. Is that was the case Dave Kingman could have been an MVP - however his numbers were contrasting all over the place. If it was all about the numbers and not the quality of numbers - meaning RISP averages, LOB averages included.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      Thanks for the comments Craig, that was part of the basis for my column here. In my opinion Reyes has the numbers, and the impact on his team that warrants serious MVP consideration.

      As Sweet Lou Piniella once said... "Stats are like a bikini. They show a lot, but they don't show you everything."

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  3. John Fennelly 10 months ago

    Delgado has a better shot than Reyes right now

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      You're right about that John, but at the time this article was written Reyes was in front in my opinion. So is the 162-game season.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  4. Jordan Stovall 10 months ago

    Pujols should have the MVP locked up. He's hitting above .360, and is playing his best baseball right now. Two more mind boggling stats are his OBP and OPS. Two very underrated stats that should be paid more attention to. And he's by far # 1 is both these categories. In fact, it's not even close. If Pujols doesn't win, the MVP award is an absolute joke.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Andrew Mees 10 months ago

      I believe it was Albert Pujols who said that "the MVP award should go to someone who gets their team to the playoffs". He said this when Ryan Howard won the MVP and the Phillies didn't make the playoffs.

      So Mr. Pujols shouldn't have any problems when he doesn't win it this year, because his team isn't making the playoffs...right?

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  5. Kerry 9 months ago

    Just happened to come across this in a google search, so I thought I'd chime in. Great points made all around, but I don't think it's even close as I type this on September 9. Pujols deserves the MVP, hands down. He's the best player in the NL by far. It's not even close. And he's been the best player in the NL this year. The Cards don't have to make the playoffs, and I'm sure they won't. They've been in contention right up until September 1, and they're only 4 1/2 out now. Certainly close enough to get a MVP award.

    Pujols leads in avg, OBP and OPS by a long shot. He's only going to K around 50 times this year and hit around 35 bombs. That's unreal!! Plus, he'll walk 100 times. He is without a doubt the most important player to any lineup in the NL. Name me one other player in the NL, that if he were hitting behind Albert, you'd rather pitch to Pujols. Really, there's not one there.

    Reyes is a wonderful player, but he's not the MVP over Albert. Heck, I'd probably consider Braun over Reyes right now. And we haven't even gone into the defensive factor. According to the Bill James publication heading into this year, Pujols was the single best defensive player at any position in baseball, based on a number of defensive categories. Pretty impressive for a first baseman.

    AP got jobbed in '06 when Howard won it over him. I'm hoping it doesn't happen again. Good luck to the Mets.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  6. WVU Fan 9 months ago

    Albert Pujols is the best player in the game. But as a Mets fan, I am pulling for Reyes or Wright. I feel that the Mets are due some success, both individual and team. I remember 2 years ago, the Mets were the best team in baseball all year, however, in the playoffs, the .500 playing Cardinals beat them in 7 games. In my opinion, that was terrible. I think the same goes for the MVP voting this season. Pujols may be the best player, but Reyes or Wright might steal it away!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  7. billy t 9 months ago

    personally after the second half delgado is having the three top contenders in the nl mvp voting are probably delgado,reyes,pujols the reason wright shouldnt even be considered any more is for his horrible slump hes been in of late even though hes still second in rbis he still hasnt been the reason the mets have been winning, the reason for the mets winning is obvioulsy reyes always being on base and delgados massive second half now im a die hard mets fan but for sum reason all our opinions wont matter bc the league is going to end up pickin the wrong guy lik they did last year by picking crappy jimmy rollins

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  8. Willy J 9 months ago

    Pujols is killing everybody

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

Leave a Comment

  • You must register to post a comment.

    • Want to write for Bleacher Report

    We are a community of fans who write about sports. And we're growing.

    Learn More and Sign Up »

    Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Getty Images.
    Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited.