Pedroia Captures AL MVP

When Dustin Pedroia first came on to the scene early in the 2007 season he looked completely over matched. But GM Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona knew better. Pedroia went on to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award as well as a World Series title. Now he has an MVP award to go along with it.

We can't stand the little gnat, but we do respect the way he plays and it's that play that helped him beat out Justin Morneau for the MVP award. With David Ortiz banged up and Manny Ramierz being Manny, Pedroia helped lead the Red Sox back to the playoffs with a .326 average, 4 points less than the batting title winner, Joe Mauer.

Pedroia added 17 home runs, 83 RBI, 20 stolen bases and led the league in runs scored (118) and multi-hit games (61). He also became the fifth second baseman in baseball history with 200 hits, 50 doubles, 100 runs scored, and at least 15 home runs. He took 16 of the 28 first place votes.

Morneau, who we would have selected, carried an offensively inept Twins team for much of the season. The Twins came up short in the AL Central and Wild card races, but they wouldn't have been close without Morneau, who won the MVP award in 2006. The first baseman hit .300 with 23 home runs and a second league best 129 RBI. He received 7 first place votes and finished 60 votes behind Pedroia.

Kevin Youkilis and Joe Mauer each received 2 first place votes, while Francisco Rodriguez picked up 1. Alex Rodriguez was the top Yankees finisher with 45 votes, good enough for 8th place, while Mike Mussina finished 19th with 3 votes. How in the world did Mariano Rivera not get one vote?

As usual, our pre-season pick, Curtis Granderson, received no votes.

2008 AL MVP Award Voting
Player, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	Points
Dustin Pedroia, BOS	16	6	4	1							317
Justin Morneau, MIN	7	7	6	3	3	1	1				257
Kevin Youkilis, BOS	2	4	4	9	2	4	1	2			201
Joe Mauer, MIN	2	8	1	3	4	3	3	2	1		188
Carlos Quentin, CWS		1	4	8	4	4	4		1	1	160
Francisco Rodriguez, LAA	1	2	6	1	6		3	2		2	143
Josh Hamilton, TEX			2	2	3	7	3	2	4	3	112
Alex Rodriguez, NYY					1	1	4	1	4	7	45
Carlos Pena, TB			1		2		2	3	2	3	44
Grady Sizemore, CLE						2	1	5	6	1	42
Evan Longoria, TB						2	2	5	2	1	38
Cliff Lee, CLE				1	1	1	1		1		24
Miguel Cabrera, DET						1		1	4	1	17
Vladimir Guerrero, LAA							2	2	1		16
Jermaine Dye, CWS					1			2		2	14
Aubrey Huff, BAL						1			2	3	12
Milton Bradley, TEX						1	1				9
Jason Bartlett, TB					1						6
Mike Mussina, NYY								1			3
Raul Ibanez, SEA										1	1
Ian Kinsler, TEX										1	1
Ichiro Suzuki, SEA										1	1
Mark Teixeira, LAA										1	1

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Pujols Elbows out Howard for NL MVP

Albert Pujols played with a bad elbow all season that eventually led to surgery, but it didn't stop him from winning the second NL MVP award of his career. Pujols, who has finished in the top 10 in voting in all 8 years of his career, defeated the Phillies' Ryan Howard by 61 votes.

It was originally thought that Pujols would need Tommy John surgery on his left, non-throwing elbow, but it turned out doctors were able to simply move a nerve that was irritating the elbow. You wouldn't have known anything was wrong based on Pujols' numbers. He hit .357, the second highest average of career and put up a 1.115 OPS. Pujols slugged 37 doubles, 44 doubles, drove in 116 runs and scored 100. On top of walking 104 times, he struck out just 54 times. Pujols slugged .653, nearly 30 points higher than his career average.

Howard help drive the Phillies to their first World Championship in 28 years by driving in a major league leading 146 runs as well as hitting a high of 46 home runs. Last year's MVP also finished second to Pujols in 2006. Howard received 12 first place votes, while his teammate Brad Lidge received the remaining 2 first places votes.

Two American League players had a significant impact on the race, with LA's Manny Ramirez finishing 4th and CC Sabathia ending up 6th. Our pre-season prediction, Jose Reyes, finished third from the bottom with 3 votes.

2008 NL MVP Award Voting
Player, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	Points
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

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Lee Cruises to AL CY Young

To no one's surprise, the Cleveland Indians' Cliff Lee captured the 2008 AL CY Young Award announced today by the Baseball Writer's Association (BBWA). Lee, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency in his career, blew away the competition in '08. He compiled a 22-3 mark, a league best 2.54 ERA, and had the third highest winning percentage for a 20-game winner.

It was a big turn around for Lee who spent part of the '07 season in the minor leagues. He's the first Indians pitcher to win the CY Young since Gaylord Perry took home the hardware in 1974.

Lee garnered 24 of the 28 first place votes, with Toronto's Roy Halladay picking up the other four votes to help him finish in second place. Mariano Rivera finished in fourth place with 3 votes and Mike Mussina finished tied for fifth with 2 votes.

2008 AL Cy Young Award Voting
Pitcher, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Cliff Lee, CLE	24	4		132
Roy Halladay, TOR	4	15	6	71
Francisco Rodriguez, LAA		7	11	32
Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS		2	4	10
Mariano Rivera, NYY			3	3
Mike Mussina, NYY			2	2
Ervin Santana, LAA			2	2

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Lincecum Grabs NL CY

San Francisco Giants second year pitcher Tim Lincecum is this year's winner of the National League CY Young Award. Lincecum finished the regular season with an 18-5 record to go along with a 2.62 ERA and a league best 265 strikeouts. The 24-yr old, who looks no more than 14, is just the second Giants pitcher to win the award. Mike McCormick was the other winner in 1967.

Lincecum beat out our choice for the award, Brandon Webb, by 64 votes and picked up 23 first place votes. In his first season in Flushing, two time AL winner Johan Santana finished third. Our pre-season pick, Jake Peavy, didn't receiving any votes. It's still a better pick than our AL choice of Erik Bedard.

2008 NL Cy Young Award Voting
Pitcher, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Tim Lincecum, SF	23	7	1	137
Brandon Webb, ARI	4	15	8	73
Johan Santana, NYM	4	8	11	55
Brad Lidge, PHI		1	7	10
CC Sabathia, MIL	1	1	1	9
Ryan Dempster, CHC			4	4

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Longoria and Soto Capture Rookie Honors

Evan Longoria, who helped the Rays to their first playoff appearance and catcher Geovanny Soto of the NL Central champion Cubs have been named the 2008 AL and NL Rookies of the Year.

Longoria was the guy that came with all the hype this year and our pre-season prediction. Alexei Ramirez was an unknown, a Cuban defector not expected to make an impact. Joba Chamberlain, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Clay Buchholz were all hyped up by the media based on the prior year's impact.

Of the rookies not named Longoria, Ramirez made the biggest splash, helping drive the White Sox to the AL West division crown. The 27-yr old finished at .277-21-90 and hit .333 from June 1st thru August 31st. Ramirez was clutch, hitting .398 with runners in scoring position and was versatile in the field, playing 121 games at second base, 16 games at shortstop, 11 games in center field, and 1 at third base.

Joba Chamberlain enjoyed a good season between the bullpen and starting rotation, though he didn't blow everyone away as a starter. Jacoby Ellsbury had a good season as well, stealing 50 bases, but he went through a prolonged slump before finishing at .280. Buchholz was a major disappointment. After throwing a no-hitter last September, Buchholz was hammered over 15 starts to the tune of a 6.75 ERA and some trips to the minor leagues where he finished the season.

But it was the superstar in the making, Longoria, who captured the baseball nation's attention. He hit .272-27-85 in 122 games and made the All-Star team in July. Longoria added 31 doubles, 2 triples, 7 stolen bases, and an .874 OPS. His glove work at third base was also solid.

2008 AL Rookie of the Year Voting
Player, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Evan Longoria, TB	28			140
Alexei Ramirez, CWS		18	5	59
Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS		7	5	26
Mike Aviles, KC		2	3	9
Armando Galarraga, DET			9	9
Joey Devine, OAK		1		3
Denard Span, MIN			3	3
Nick Blackburn, MIN			1	1
Joba Chamberlain, NYY			1	1
Brad Ziegler, OAK			1	1

The Cincinnati Reds' young stud outfielder Jay Bruce and the Cubs Japanese import, and our pre-season prediction, Kusoke Fukodome, both came with even more hype than Soto, and Bruce's Cincy teammates Johnny Cuerto and Homer Bailey were also highly thought of (as it turned out another Red, Joey Votto, had a better year than all of them).

But Soto's impressive rookie season was made even more impressive by the position he plays. In addition to taking his daily swings, he had to call and manage the team's pitchers, including the always volatile Carlos Zambrano. The Cubs starters had a good season and that reflected well on Soto's defensive game.

The 25-yr old hit .285-23-86 in over 500 plate appearances. He added 35 doubles, 2 triples, and an .872 OPS. (His numbers were remarkably similiar to Longoria's). Behind the plate Soto threw out 26.5% of all base stealers and put up a .995 defensive mark.

2008 NL Rookie of the Year Voting
Player, Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Points
Geovany Soto, CHC	31	1		158
Joey Votto, CIN	1	21	8	76
Jair Jurrjens, ATL		6	16	34
Edinson Volquez, CIN*		3		9
Jay Bruce, CIN			7	7
Kosuke Fukudome, CHC		1	1	4

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2008 Award Predictions

Ah, that time of year again where we can look anywhere from really good to really stupid. Time to predict the award winners in each league.

American League Cy Young

C.C. SabathiaJosh Beckett was last season's winner, beating out C.C. Sabathia Josh Beckett, Fausto Carmona and Chien-Ming Wang among others. Things are a little more wide open now with Johan Santana out of the AL.
The Contenders

Josh Beckett
Fausto Carmona
Erik Bedard
C.C. Sabathia
Chien-Ming Wang
Justin Verlander
John Lackey

and the winner is....Erik Bedard. We went back and forth between Bedard and Verlander, neither of whom was outstanding in their season opener yesterday. But we feel Bedard in a pitcher's ball park will excel.
Our pick: Erik Bedard


American League MVP

Alex Rodriguez easily grabbed this award with a monster season. Magglio Ordonez would have won it in any other season. There are a lot of contenders for this award, so we're not even going to bother to name all of them. Many people it will be Grady Sizemore, who we think is not quite on par with his hype. But we do agree a centerfielder will win the award.

Our pick: Curtis Granderson


American League Rookie of the Year

Dustin Pedroia, that little..., grabbed the award last year. Joba Chamberlain, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Clay Bucholz are grabbing most of the attention. But just like the NL's winner last year, we think it's going to be a 3rd Baseman who started the season in the minors.

Our pick: Evan Longoria


American League Manager of the Year

Seattle's John McLaren is an early favorite as big things are expected of the M's. But the winner will be from a team not expected to do anything at all.

Our pick: Trey Hillman


National League Cy Young

Jake Peavy won last year's award. We always like Carlos Zambrano as one of the favorites. Then you've got Santana, Chris Young, Brandon Webb, Cole Hamels and others.

But this year we like to, quote John Sterling, "go a back-to-back, and a belly-to-belly".

Our pick: Jake Peavy


National League MVP

We were so close last year. We took Chase Utley and it was his DP partner Jimmy Rollins who won it. Again, too many contenders to mention. The guy we're going with had a rough 2nd half, but we think he'll take it over his teammate on the left side of the infield.

Our pick: Jose Reyes


National League Manager of the Year

Joe Torre could very well grab this his 1st year in LA, but we're not as impressed with the Dodgers as some. Willie Randolph has the hot seat and a favored team, which makes it difficult to win the award. Our pick is an old favorite.

Our pick: Dusty Baker

National League Rookie of the Year
Jay Bruce, Homer Bailey, J.R. Towles, Geovany Soto, and Johnny Cueto are among the names being bandied about. But we think this year's winner won't fall prey to the writer bias that hit Hideki Matsui in 2003.

Our pick: Kosuke Fukudome

We can't even think of anyone in the AL right now, but our pick for Comeback Player of the Year in the NL is Pedro Martinez.

So there you have it. We'll probably know by the All-Star Break whether or not we're crazy.

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