Ron Gardenhire has again done a tremendous job of getting the Twins to play hard day in, day out, helping his team exceed all expectations with the departure of Torii Hunter and Johan Santana. But my pick is Joe Maddon, who has instituted a culture of winning into the Rays’ clubhouse. Every move, it seems, has worked out for him this year, as the Rays have gone from the joke of the league to AL East champions. He did a heck of a job, really, and was able to motivate his players to buy into the 9=8 concept, meaning that nine players—a team, essentially—will help the Rays become one of eight playoff teams. Well, though he received some tremendous help by a front office that provided him with a much-improved roster designed to shine at run prevention, he did exactly that.
Fittingly enough, Gardenhire and Maddon may square off on Thursday, if the Twins end up winning the Central division, in the opening round of the Division Series at Tropicana Field. Each team has a similar style of play, and is much better at home, in a domed environment, than on the road. Which should be an interesting matchup, with two managers who have been excellent at getting the most out of their respective clubs.
My picks:
1. Joe Maddon
2. Ron Gardenhire
3. Terry Francona
4. Mike Scioscia
National League:
Most Valuable Player:
The term valuable is interpreted loosely when it comes to baseball, and many people think that a player must play for a contending team to garner attention for the award. After all, a last-place club could still finish last even if their star first baseman did not mash 50 homers, right? I do not necessarily agree with that mindset, though, as often times too many legitimate candidates miss out on winning awards like this because of the poor performances of their teammates.
With that being said, it is hard not to seriously think about naming CC Sabathia the MVP in the National League after his masterful performance on Sunday. Although Sabathia has not spent even half of a season in the league, he has been sensational (insert hyperbolic word here) in his new surroundings by going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA. Not only that, he has practically resurrected the Brewers’ quest to reach the postseason for the first time since 1982 on his own. If it was not for Sabathia giving so many quality innings to Milwaukee, it is hard to imagine them even sniffing the Wild Card down the stretch. Sure, he has only been around since July and only gets to pitch every (for him, third perhaps) fifth day, but the larger-than-life lefty has been otherworldly. How many times can a pitcher deliver on three days’ rest? Hey, we may find out this postseason.
Although the Brewers parted ways with top hitting prospect Matt LaPorta
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