So the National League and American League MVP awards have been handed out, let the debate begin. Just so we are clear on what the MVP stands for, this is the definition from the online encyclopedia Wikipedia “The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award) is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America”
The key phrase there is “one outstanding player in each league.” Not the person that was the one outstanding player in each league for a team that made it to the playoffs.
I never agreed with the idea that an MVP has to come from a team that made the playoffs. That is why I thought Mark McGwire should have won the MVP in 1998. That is why I thought Albert Pujols should have nabbed at least one MVP award between 2001-2004 when Barry Bonds won four straight.
Pujols and Dustin Pedroia both are deserving of the award because of what they did for their own team and the numbers they put together.
On a side note, the St. Louis Cardinals now have had 19 MVP’s in the history of the franchise, second most in baseball behind the New York Yankees (22).
I never understood why the Cardinals don’t get a lot of attention from the national media because they are THE team in the National League. They have the most World Series Titles and the most MVP’s in National League history. Second most behind the Yankees.
The Cards have won 17 pennants and have had 16 players go into the Hall of Fame.
That is a pretty long, rich and succesful history. I guess it’s because they are located in middle America and market 21.
The key phrase there is “one outstanding player in each league.” Not the person that was the one outstanding player in each league for a team that made it to the playoffs.
I never agreed with the idea that an MVP has to come from a team that made the playoffs. That is why I thought Mark McGwire should have won the MVP in 1998. That is why I thought Albert Pujols should have nabbed at least one MVP award between 2001-2004 when Barry Bonds won four straight.
Pujols and Dustin Pedroia both are deserving of the award because of what they did for their own team and the numbers they put together.
On a side note, the St. Louis Cardinals now have had 19 MVP’s in the history of the franchise, second most in baseball behind the New York Yankees (22).
I never understood why the Cardinals don’t get a lot of attention from the national media because they are THE team in the National League. They have the most World Series Titles and the most MVP’s in National League history. Second most behind the Yankees.
The Cards have won 17 pennants and have had 16 players go into the Hall of Fame.
That is a pretty long, rich and succesful history. I guess it’s because they are located in middle America and market 21.
- Graphic at the top of this article was designed by Nick Barrale
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