I have never been a fan of how these MLB awards are dished out.
I consider myself a member of the media (not because I write here), and I honestly could never imagine being qualified enough to be a deciding person of who deserves what.
The players should be allowed to choose. I've heard people say that most players would vote for themselves or teammates, but honestly, that's a childish statement. Have the writers choose the candidates and allow the guys who play with or against them all year to decide.
There really has been a lot of noise around this year's NL MVP winner, Albert Pujols. It was down to him and Ryan Howard, and it really was a tough decision.
Pujols has stated that the MVP should go to a player who made it into the playoffs and I 100 percent agree with him. An MVP should be a guy who carries his team and helps them succeed, not keep their playoff hopes alive. The MVP for any league should be a carrier, the guy who gets the team hot and that is Ryan Howard.
But then look at the numbers. Prince Albert was more consistent that Howard, had better OBP numbers and a much better batting average. He is also a better fielder than Ryan Howard will ever be, which supports my theory that Howard would do much better for himself as a DH on an American League team, but that's neither here nor there.
I really thought that Howard would get it, just because he carried his team through September and helped the Phillies win the World Series. That and his offensive numbers; 48 HR and 146 RBI's. Compare that to Albert's 37 homers and 116 RBI's.
This really came down the players' patience at the plate. Pujols went down on strikes just 54 times compared to Howard's 129. That, and Pujols' slugging and on-base percentage were much higher than Ryan's.
Honestly, the writers chickened out on this one. Like always, it was a numbers choice. The batting average was much higher just like the OBP and K's, but there is an intangible quality to an MVP.
When Ryan Howard gets hot, the entire lineup does. There was no better lineup in the NL than a hot Philadelphia batting crew.
If I have a team that needs a spark, I will take Ryan Howard first. But, if I have the tying run on and two outs, I would lean towards Pujols. With Howard, your gambling. There is a big chance he will strike out. Albert has the better chance of driving him in.
So does Albert deserve the award? Yes.
Does Ryan Howard? Yes.
I'm a person who will take the intangibles over the numbers any day, so I would give it to Ryan Howard first. He has something that every manager wants—he can carry an entire team on his back.
Howard was the sole reason Philadelphia won the division. Which is why the writers cannot be given this responsibility. There is more to baseball, and sports in general, than numbers.
9 comments Last one added 5 months ago — Leave a Comment
Justin Cocchiola 7 months ago
It's tough not giving the MVP award to to a player that helped lead his team to the playoffs, but really what it comes down to is who is the most valuable player to his team. In Philadelphia you have guys like Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pat Burrell just to name a few that protect Howard in the lineup and give him a lot of support.
At the beginning of the season nobody expected St. Louis to be in the hunt for the playoffs, and many though Pujols might miss a large portion of the season. His play carried the Cardinals to a very successful season, considering their roster. Pujols just makes people better. For example, when he hurt his calf and went on the DL Ryan Ludwick's average dropped from over .330 with Pujols in the lineup to just .181 with Pujols out of it. On top of it, Howard hit only .251.
It's a tough point to argue, but MVP shouldn't always have to go to a player on one of the top eight teams.
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Colin Coulahan 7 months ago
yea, it really is hard to argue that, but pujols has said thats the way it should be. either howard or pujols would have been a fine choice. like i said, i lean toward the leaders and the guys who can get the entire team going
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Brandon Heikoop 7 months ago
So you believe that Howard's hot second half was more valuable then Utley's hot first half?
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Colin Coulahan 7 months ago
absolutely. utley got hurt, but he still contributed as much as he could. you can have an ok first half, and then get hot in the second half to make the playoffs. yea, utley helped give them a cushion going into the break, but howard was the guy who made sure they clinched.
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Brandon Heikoop 7 months ago
Colin,
So a win in April is worth less then a win in September? A home run to win a game in May is worth less then a home run to win a game in August?
Had the team been without Utley, the Phillies would have been fighting the Nationals for the worst record in the National League, that's how much Utley meant to the Phillies in the first half, while Howard was hovering around the Mendoza line. Yes, Howard was incredibly valuable down the stretch, but it was Utley's bat in the first half that allowed Howard's hot September to matter.
The fact is, if a team is all 'okay' in the first half, even an incredibly hot second half won't get them into the playoffs.
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Derek Coffelt 7 months ago
Pujols' numbers were obviously affected by the huge resurgence in his teammate Ryan Ludwick. He hit as many home runs and nearly as many RBI's and had a team high 104 runs scored.
Obviously with those numbers it's going to take chances away for Albert to drive in anyone. Regardless of the Cardinals not making the playoffs, Pujols deserved this award. I've said it before and I'll say it again..even if your team makes the playoffs..you can't give an MVP award to someone who can't managed to bat over. 260 on the season and strike out more times than a drunk college student at a bar.
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Colin Coulahan 7 months ago
i was never saying he didnt deserve it. he really did. but i personally, tend to lean towards the intangibles of players, the things that you cannot put on stat sheets. But of course on the day i wrote this Pedroia of the Red Sox won the AL MVP. i really do believe that pujols deserved the award, and so did howard. it was really a tough choice, either guy would've been the right choice.
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cody grubbs 7 months ago
the whole reason pujols didn't have the rbis is because we don't have a legitimate 1-2 hitter that can get on for pujols. we need some one with a .300 average that can get on base, steal bases and hit doubles, triples.
Howard had Victorino and Rollins no dought they're scoring machines.
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Gabe Simonds 5 months ago
for the record Pujols deserved the award because....
when he said it should go to a team that makes the playoffs, it was because it went to a person who didn't over Pujols so i think its good karma that he got it when he didn't make the playoffs
not like you said he didn't deserve it
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