Okay, so possibly no one cares except for me, but I thought I’d just throw the winners out for discussion if anyone was interested in talking about the much debated two ‘biggie’ awards.
Cy Young (AL) - C.C. Sabathia
The only real surprise to me—and it was a shocker—was Sabathia’s win over Josh Beckett for the Cy. Unlike past years, it really does seem like the voters took more into account than the usual cursory win total, and just in case anyone was still concerned that voting really was completed at the end of the season, this race should put it to rest. Despite clearly being second-best in the playoffs, Sabathia’s stellar season was enough to earn him the award. Although, I wouldn’t have protested a Beckett victory, C.C. was my horse from mid-season on, when it became apparent that Danny Haren was not going to match his first half.
MVP (AL) – Alex Rodriguez
Is anyone surprised? I mean really. Is anyone? I was reasonably sure that A-Rod was in line for a monster year, and he delivered in spades. All you need to know about A-Rod’s season can be summed up by looking at the numbers of his runner up, Magglio Ordonez: BA .363, HR 28, RBI 139. How good do you have to be to be considered a no-brainer pick over that?
Cy Young (NL) – Jake Peavy
What else is there to say? Best pitcher in the league this year, and he won the award. Slam dunk vote.
MVP (AL) – Jimmy Rollins
What? Not big Price Fielder? Or America’s darling Matt Holliday, of the surprising Colorado Rockies? This one was a close race; Rollins barely squeaking out the victory. Should he have?
I don’t feel like there is the usual injustice to write about this year. That actually makes me kind of sad. How can I pick apart the voting choices when they are probably what I would have chosen myself? What is the baseball world coming to?