My 2006 Baseball Awards Ballot

It looks like I'm too late to vote in this year's Internet Baseball Awards, like I did last year. With the same caveats as last year, and without further ado, here are my picks:


American League Most Valuable Player

1. BOS David Ortiz
2. CLE Travis Hafner
3. BOS Manny Ramirez
4. MIN Joe Mauer
5. NYA Derek Jeter
6. MIN Johan Santana
7. CHA Jermaine Dye
8. CHA Jim Thome
9. CLE Grady Sizemore
10. NYA Alex Rodriguez

Hafner probably would have been the MVP had he not missed the last month or so of the season and put up numbers at the same rate for 10 or 20 more than the 129 games that he played. Manny had another season of "Just Being Manny." That is, he is still one of the top hitters in baseball, and is approaching "All-Time Great" status. He played in 130 games. Like Hafner, had he played in maybe 10 more at the same rate, he would have been my MVP. This leaves us with Big Papi to win the award by default. Not that there's anything wrong with that! The Red Sox have had some good hitters in the past, including one that some consider the best hitter ever (before Bonds at least) and none have hit more homers in a season than Ortiz this year. Mauer and Jeter get definite "bonus points" for the positions they play on the field, but not quite enough to be my MVP. If Jeter had hit about 25 homers, he probably would have been my choice for MVP. If (when) Mauer hits 20, he'll be MVP. Also, how'd you like your third baseman to smack 35 homers and have 121 RBI in an off year? Yep, ARod sure stinks. I wish he were stinking on my team!


Americal League Cy Young Award

1. MIN Johan Santana
2. BOS Jonathan Papelbon
3. TOR Roy Halladay
4. NYA Chien-Ming Wang
5. CAL John Lackey

Question: How much do you penalize Papelbon for missing the stretch run? My answer: None for Cy Voting, but maybe some for MVP if you'd like. I came close to voting Papelbon #1 here, but Johan Santana gets my vote.


National League Most Valuable Player

1. STL Albert Pujols
2. PHI Ryan Howard
3. HOU Lance Berkman
4. FLA Miguel Cabrera
5. NYN Carlos Beltran
6. COL Garrett Atkins
7. PIT Jason Bay
8. PHI Chase Utley
9. ATL Chipper Jones
10. NYN David Wright

My numbers show that Pujols and Howard are in a virtual tie for the top spot in the Senior Circuit. Albert was a little better when he played, but Ryan played more. In this case, I'm going with quality over quantity. Pujols gets my vote. Miguel Cabrera is the top of a number of very good third basemen in the NL. Barry Bonds was close to getting a vote. I have his offensive season as the twelvth best in the league this year. That this year was so far below his standards shows how high those standards are. (Of course, his defence would also knock him down a bit in the MVP voting.)


National League Cy Young Award

1. ARI Brandon Webb
2. HOU Roy Oswalt
3. CIN Bronson Arroyo
4. STL Chris Carpenter
5. ATL John Smoltz

In my opinion, none of the top 4 really stand out here. I could see an argument for Webb, Oswalt, Arroyo, or Carpenter. Had Roger Clemens pitched as many innings as these guys at the same rate he pitched when he did, he'd be #1. For like the thirty-seventh time. It's harder to compare pitchers across eras than it is hitters. But if you're not already, you may need to give consideration to Rocket as the Best. Pitcher. Ever.