Only because
of the long-standing dispute over what the “Most Valuable Player” means and the
illogical voting patterns of the members of the Baseball Writers Association of
America (BBWAA) did the baseball fans of America have to anxiously wait until
the formal announcement on Monday afternoon to learn whether the man clearly
most deserving of the award, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols,
would get shafted again or instead would finally pick up his second MVP in his
eight years of National League dominance.
The rest of the baseball world had
already spoken loudly and with one voice as to the best player in the Senior
Circuit in 2008, not to mention the best man off the field,
too.
So far this off-season, Pujols had
already collected eight major awards, including The Dick Schaap Memorial Player
of the Year and National League Player of the Year Awards from the MLB Players
Alumni Association, the Roberto Clemente Award from MLB, the Players Choice
Player of the Year Award and NL Outstanding Player Award voted by his peer
players, the Oscar Charleston Legacy Award as the best player in the NL from The
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum along with the Sporting News MLB Player of the
Year – all taken by Pujols so far this off-season. Oh yeah, I forgot the NL
Silver Slugger Award at first base.
Albert’s primary competition,
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, has a piece of the World Series
trophy and some cheesy Subway sandwich commercials, but not much else to show
for his season.
Fortunately, the baseball writers
didn’t botch up the voting again, and made Pujols the winner of the 2008
National League Most Valuable Player Award over Howard in a race that was closer than it should have been. The latter also had a
fine season, but is a one-dimensional player, offering power, but little else.
Apparently that appeals to one-dimensional voters.
2008 NL MVP
Results
| Player |
Tm |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
Pts |
| Albert
Pujols |
StL |
18 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
369 |
| Ryan
Howard |
Phi |
12 |
8 |
6 |
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
308 |
| Ryan
Braun |
Mil |
|
2 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
139 |
| Manny
Ramirez |
LAD |
|
2 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
1 |
2 |
138 |
| Lance
Berkman |
Hou |
|
2 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
126 |
| CC
Sabathia |
Mil |
|
4 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
2 |
121 |
| David
Wright |
NYM |
|
2 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
115 |
| Brad
Lidge |
Phi |
2 |
|
2 |
|
4 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
104 |
| Carlos
Delgado |
NYM |
|
|
5 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
2 |
3 |
|
96 |
| Aramis
Ramirez |
ChC |
|
|
|
2 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
66 |
| Hanley
Ramirez |
Fla |
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
55 |
| Chipper
Jones |
Atl |
|
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
44 |
| Geovany
Soto |
ChC |
|
|
|
3 |
1 |
|
3 |
|
1 |
|
41 |
| Johan
Santana |
NYM |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
30 |
| Chase
Utley |
Phi |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
3 |
2 |
30 |
| Ryan
Ludwick |
StL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
17 |
| Brandon
Webb |
Ari |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
14 |
| Adrian
Gonzalez |
SD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
13 |
| Matt
Holliday |
Col |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
13 |
| Prince
Fielder |
Mil |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
| Derrek
Lee |
ChC |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
10 |
| Carlos
Beltran |
NYM |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
10 |
| Tim
Lincecum |
SF |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
9 |
| Jose
Reyes |
NYM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
3 |
| Jose
Valverde |
Hou |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
3 |
| Stephen
Drew |
Ari |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
| Nate
McLouth |
Pit |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
The voting
panel consists of two BBWAA members from each of the 16 chapters in National
League cities. Players receive five points for a first-place vote, three for a
second-place vote and one for a third-place vote. Balloting is conducted prior
to postseason play.
Pujols was
the only player mentioned on all 32 ballots. He was listed first on 18 ballots,
second on 10, third on two, fourth on one and one idiot voted Pujols seventh for
a total of 369 points, based on the scoring system that rewards 14 points for
first place, nine for second, eight for third and on down to one for 10th.
Howard was
not far back with 12 first-place votes as he finished second with 308 points. The
other two first-place votes incredibly went to Howard's teammate, relief pitcher
Brad Lidge, who placed eighth overall with 104 points. Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick came in 16th with 17 points.
Why Pujols
won: 18 of the 32 voters, or 56%, were able to look past the fact the Cardinals
missed the post-season to recognize the best player in the game, who put up
tremendous numbers while playing hurt the entire season.
Pujols ranked
second in the NL in batting average and on-base percentage and first in
intentional walks, total bases and slugging, with the latter supposedly Howard’s
forte. Albert’s OPS of 1.114 is not only the league-best, it is his personal
career-best.
For the
sabermetrically inclined, Pujols was first in Adjusted OPS+, Runs Created,
Adjusted Batting Runs, Batting Wins and Offensive Win Percentage.
Why Howard
lost: Lousy defender, poor average (.251) which was worse late
in the game, and he fanned 199 times, tying his own record for second most all-time, set in 2007. His OPS was a paltry (in
comparison to Pujols) .882. There is more to being a most valuable player than
leading the league in home runs and RBI.
It is also worth noting that in late September, the Philadelphia chapter of the BBWAA voted Lidge as the Phillies' 2008 team MVP, not Howard. Since they see the club every day all season long, that should speak volumes.
The lowest
batting average in history for an MVP winner was posted by the Cardinals’
shortstop Marty Marion, who hit .267 back in 1944, a season in which the Cards
won 105 regular season games and took the World Series over the Browns. The man
known as “The Octopus” won the award for his defensive wizardry, a term that
will never come up in any credible analysis of Howard’s game.
Past MVP
results for Pujols: (results by
year with Pujols’ ranking, number of first-place votes out of 32, his total
votes out of a possible 448, the winner and commentary)
| Year |
Pujols |
1st
votes |
Pts |
Winner |
Notes |
| 2001 |
fourth |
none |
222 |
Bonds |
Pujols
Rookie of Year |
| 2002 |
second |
none |
276 |
Bonds |
Not an
All-Star! |
| 2003 |
second |
three |
303 |
Bonds |
Cards
miss playoffs |
| 2004 |
third |
one |
247 |
Bonds |
MV3
voter confusion |
| 2005 |
first |
18 |
378 |
Pujols |
|
| 2006 |
second |
12 |
347 |
Howard |
Phils
miss playoffs |
| 2007 |
ninth |
none |
50 |
Rollins |
|
This was the eighth
consecutive top-10 finish in MVP voting for Pujols, 28, who became the 25th
multiple winner of the award. Barry Bonds is the all-time record holder with
seven MVP Awards. Eight players won three times, and Pujols is the 16th two-time
winner. Pujols is also only the fifth former Rookie of the Year Award winner to
go on to win two MVPs, joining fellow National Leaguers Willie Mays and Johnny
Bench, American Leaguer Cal Ripken Jr. and Frank Robinson, the only player to
win the MVP Award in both leagues.
It marked the 16th
time a Cardinals player has been honored. St. Louis' total of MVP winners is the
most in the NL and second only to the New York Yankees' 20 in the AL. Stan
Musial was a three-time MVP for the Cardinals, as an outfielder in 1943 and 1948
and as a first baseman in 1946. Other Cardinals winners were second baseman
Frankie Frisch in 1931, pitcher Dizzy Dean in 1934, left fielder Joe Medwick in
1937, pitcher Mort Cooper in 1942, shortstop Marty Marion in 1944, third baseman
Ken Boyer in 1964, first baseman Orlando Cepeda in 1967, pitcher Bob Gibson in
1968, third baseman Joe Torre in 1971, first baseman Keith Hernandez (co-winner
with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Willie Stargell) in 1979 and center fielder Willie
McGee in 1985.
Some
redemption
The 2008 win
was a bit of a reversal of fortune for Pujols, who was widely considered the
legitimate winner in 2003, but was discounted by many voters due to the fact the
Cardinals missed out on post-season play. Despite that, with the 2006 Cardinals
on the way to the World Championship, Pujols lost out to Howard from a Phillies
club that didn’t play any October ball. Go figure.
In another
indication of how screwed up the season awards process is, the Cy Young Award is
given to the "best" pitcher as opposed to the "most valuable" one. This enables
voters to ignore the respective team records when casting their ballots and pick
the pitcher that put together the best season.
As a result,
a deserving hurler such as Tim Lincecum won the 2008 NL Cy Young Award despite
toiling on a sub-.500 San Francisco club and no
one complains.
Instead for
the MVP, the ambiguity as to the definition of “most valuable” always leads to
confusion and too often, bad results, yet the BBWAA doesn’t seem to care. If
they allow pitchers to be eligible for MVP, why aren’t hitters considered for
the Cy Young Award? Better yet, if they can’t decide, create a “best player”
award equivalent to the Cy Young Award. Pretty absurd all the way around.
These are
supposed to be the writers most knowledgeable about the game. Yet, this same
insular gene pool of “experts” has yet to universally agree that any player in the
history of the game has deserved Hall of Fame recognition.
Specifically,
16% of these accredited writers or 64 individuals didn’t feel that Bob Gibson
deserved a spot in the Hall. Say what? Stan Musial and Ozzie Smith were passed
over by almost 7% and 8% of the voters, respectively. More recently, almost 2.5%
didn’t think Tony Gwynn was worthy. Incredibly, even Cal Ripken was snubbed by
1.5% of these ever-so-knowledgeable experts.
Do these guys
watch the game at all or have they been asleep for years, like some
typewriter-toting Rip Van Winkles? The self-respecting members of the BBWAA
should root out these fools and ship them off to the retirement home. But they
don’t and won’t.
Remember,
a different subset of 32 of the most active and deserving members are selected to vote on each of the
yearly major awards, including the MVP. Certainly they should know what is going
on, right?
Clearly not. How could anyone honestly defend voting Pujols seventh or leaving Howard off their ballot entirely, for that matter?
Some of the
more outspoken members of their own community strike out at the rampant
ignorance among them, yet nothing positive results from it. One such example is
the Post-Dispatch’s Bernie Miklasz, who just this past
weekend labeled his peers focused on the Cardinals’ fourth-place finish as the
reason to downgrade Pujols’ candidacy as “dim-bulb voters”.
Fortunately,
there was just enough candlelight in the baseball writers’ basements this year to
enable them to see clearly enough to elect the right man.
Congratulations to the 2008 National League Most Valuable
Player, Albert Pujols.
Brian Walton
can be reached via email at brwalton@earthlink.net.
© 2008
stlcardinals.scout.com. All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.