Major League Baseball Awards

With the end of the regular season in Major League Baseball, its time for
“The Grandeur” to hand it end-of-year awards. The usual awards of MVP, Cy Young and Manager will be presented first followed by this own column’s personal awards. With the all the pointed sarcasm intended.
American League MVP: Derek Jeter (New York). He has been a winner his whole career by playing solid baseball everyday and being a great team leader and he has continued to do that this year with the Yankees winning the East. He finished with a .342 batting average with 118 runs and 33 stolen bases. He is the heart and soul of the league’s best team.
National League MVP: Ryan Howard (Philadelphia). His team may have just barely missed the playoffs but it wasn’t from a lack of production from the big first baseman. He led the majors in homeruns with 58 and RBI with 148. By August he was doing a great Barry Bonds impression with pitchers refusing to pitch to him. He is still a young guy on a young team. If the Phillies can stay together he should lead them to big things.
American League Cy Young: Johan Santana (Minnesota). A no-brainer on this one as he led the Twins on a late season charge to win the A.L. Central. He led the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA. As long as he is pitching well the Twins will always have a chance in this year’s playoffs.
National League Cy Young: Brad Penny (Los Angeles). No one really stood out this year but the righthander was one of the big reasons his team clinched the wild card spot. If the Dodgers are going to make to far in the playoffs he is going to have to pitch very well.
American League Manager of the Year: Jim Leyland (Detroit). How has this man not been immortalized year? He led the Marlins out of nowhere to win the World Series in 2003 and now he lifts the bottom feeder Tigers to a 95 win season and the playoffs. He motivates his players unlike anybody else and all with amazing grace and class; a true ambassador of the game.
National League Manager of the Year: Willie Randolph (New York). The man that finally toppled Atlanta after so many division titles. He has put together an incredibly talented squad that plays with great team unity all while dealing with the pressures of New York City. Even people who don’t like the Mets have to tip their hat to work he is done with his club.
Feel Good Story of the Year: Detroit Tigers. So they lost the division in the final week after leading the whole year but whatever, the Tigers are in the playoffs. A team that is full of guys on paper who are either too young, too old or just not talented have played some great baseball. If you like underdog teams then is about as a good as you will find.
Disaster of the Year: Boston Red Sox. They had a four game lead in mid August and then lost five of six to the Devil Rays and the Royals. Then the wheels really came off. They got swept in a five-game series by the Yankees in Boston, David Ortiz had heart problems and the pitching staff resembled a little league team. They eventually finished eleven games out of first, some one please make sure Theo Epstein doesn’t jump off the Green Monster.
Joke of the Year: Jose Canseco. After writing a book accusing everybody and their brother of using steroids, why to go about cleaning up this mess with professionalism and class, he starts pitching for some independent team. Yes it was ugly and yes again, it drew highlights on SportsCenter. For humanity’s sake Jose, just go away.
Play of the Year: Aaron Roward (Philadelphia). With all due respect to Gary Matthews’ Superman-like homerun robbery, the centerfielder from the Phillies catch was just awesome. Runs full speed to make a great catch all while smashing into the wall to break his nose. And the best part about it was how he froze in mid air against the wall, almost as if the force of the impact stuck him to the wall for a split second. Classic. Give me a guy like that on my team any day.
Idiot of the Year: Joe Mikulik (Ashville Tourists). Okay so he is only a minor league manager but his tantrum was a case of some major stupidity. Taking bases out of the ground, spitting water and sliding into home plate. Complete insanity. I think Steve Phillips of ESPN was spot on with his take of the situation: minor league managers main objective is teach young guys about how to be major league ball players. His display was completely acceptable of a man who is supposed to be teaching guys how to play the game right.
Man of the Year: Frank Robinson (Washington Nationals). So his club didn’t have a great year but it was great to give him one last round of appreciation as he retired after the last game of the season. He was a great player, manager and humanitarian. Only player to win the MVP in both leagues, World Series MVP and Triple Crown Champion and the first African-American man to manage a major league baseball team. One of baseball’s greatest sons and someone who will be missed. Thanks for everything Frank.
By the handing out of the end of season awards only one thing is left: October Magic. So get ready for the show to begin.