As the National League Fellow of the Buck O'Neil Institute for Baseball Excellence, it is my distinct pleasure and honor to present the following analysis of the 2009 postseason awards for the Senior Circuit.
Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy, Colorado. This is one of two easy award selections. When Tracy took over the reins on May 29, the Rockies were 18-28, in last place in the NL West, 14.5 games back. Under his leadership, Colorado went an astounding 74-40 on its way to an unlikely wild card berth. Managers often get too much credit for a team's success and too much blame for failure - but this seems like a textbook case of a new manager finding a way to get the most out of his team, in a way his predecessor couldn't. Tracy did a terrific job and deserves all the accolades coming his way, no matter what happens during this "Rocktober". Runners-up: Tony LaRussa, St. Louis; Bobby Cox, Atlanta.
Rookie of the Year: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh. This is one of the two tough ones - there are four other worthy candidates for this award. But I'm going with McCutchen, who not only hit .286 with 12 HR, 54 RBI, and 22 SB in less than a full season, but also showed real skill with the glove. This gives him the nod over Florida's Chris Coghlan, who hit an impressive .321; McCutchen's teammate, Garrett Jones, who hit .293 with 21 homers in just three months; Atlanta's Tommy Hanson, who went 11-4 with a 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 116 Ks in only 127.2 innings; and J.A. Happ, whose first-half everybody knew about, and who finished 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA, and 1.23 WHIP. These numbers are all award-worthy, but McCutchen's prowess in the field seals the deal.
Cy Young Award: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis. Pundits everywhere are calling this the closest CYA race in years, if not in history. Carpenter was an incredible 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA and 1.01 WHIP - and was lights-out in the second half as the Redbirds steamed toward the playoffs. But he may not have even been the best pitcher on his team: Adam Wainwright led the NL with 19 wins, to go with a 2.63 ERA in a whopping 233 innings. He, too, was a huge part of his team's success. And then there's that Lincecum kid, who followed last year's Cy Young campaign with a 15-7 record, 2.48 ERA, and an amazing 261 Ks in 225.1 innings. Lincecum has the most electric stuff of this group, but I'm going with Carpenter because of his impact on the pennant race, and because Lincecum got a little weaker in September. Truth be told, any of these three is a terrific selection, and it's a shame they can't all be honored.
Most Valuable Player: Albert Pujols, St. Louis. The other easy selection. Prince Albert was just sick, again: .331 average, a league-leading 47 dingers, 135 RBI - oh, and he's actually a pretty good fielder, too. Every year there's a debate about whether the MVP should go to the guy who is most valuable to his team, or to the guy who has the best raw season. I usually go with the former, except in those years when one player is so head-and-shoulders better than the rest that there's no way to deny him the hardware. So it is with Pujols in 2009 - who, incidentally, may also qualify if one uses the "most valuable to his team" method. Runners-up: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee; Hanley Ramirez, Florida; Matt Kemp, Los Angeles.
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