Pujols wins NL MVP, Braun is 3rd

[fondybrewfan]

I don't understand how Ryan finished 3rd but I guess I won't complain. I wonder what kind of MVP escalators he has in his contract?

NEW YORK -- St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has won his second National League Most Valuable Player award.

Pujols won by a comfortable margin over Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun was third and Los Angeles outfielder Manny Ramirez came in fourth after playing just two months with the Dodgers. Pujols hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs despite playing much of the season with a sore right elbow. The Cardinals finished fourth in the NL Central. Pujols got 18 of the 32 first-place votes. He also won the award in 2005.

Link.

[Fatter than Joey]

I don't understand how Ryan finished 3rd but I guess I won't complain.

 

Braun probably would not have been 3rd on my ballot.

 

off the top of my head --

 

1. Pujols

2. Berkman

3. Ludwick

4. Utley.

5. Braun

 

I think Braun did better than he should have.

[patrickgpe]

sabathia was 6th as well. I am surprised that it didn't go to Howard and Braun finished about where I though.

[TooLiveBrew]

A 3rd-place finish seems like something Ryan should be very proud of accomplishing. Pujols is the kind of guy that other players almost just have to wait out until he really declines and/or retires to have any shot at the MVP. That guy is amazing.

 

And I agree with FtJ that Berkman is the guy that really got hosed. He had an incredible season.

 

 

EDIT: Los Angeles outfielder Manny Ramirez came in fourth after playing just two months with the Dodgers.

 

Ugh. Sportswriters can be so obnoxious. Why did you have to leave us, FJM.com?!

[Team Canada]

Howard isn't even his team's MVP.

 

At least they got the winner right though, can't complain about that. And congrats to Braun for such a high finish.

[brewerguy71]

I had the same thought about Braun being 3rd. Apparently drama meant more than substance this year for the voters.

 

I would have had him down near 10th if it was strictly on merit, but since he put up big numbers for a playoff team id put him 5th or so.

 

Pujols, Howard, Wright, Utley, Berkman, Braun, Manny, Beltran, Hanley, Ludwick

[fondybrewfan]

TH might have been showing a little homerism....

Pujols is MVP; Braun 3rd, Sabathia 6th

By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel

Nov. 17, 2008 1:07 p.m. |

St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols claimed his second NL MVP award today, collecting 18 of 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

 

Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, with 12 first-place votes, finished second in the balloting, with 308 points to Pujols' 369 points. A player is awarded 14 points for a first-place vote, 9 for second, 8 for third, etc.

 

Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun was third in the balloting with 139 points, one point ahead of Los Angeles left-fielder Manny Ramirez. Left-hander CC Sabathia was sixth with 121 despite playing only half a season with Milwaukee.

 

Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge, who didn't blow a save all year, claimed the other two first-place votes and finished eighth in the voting.

 

Pujols, who won even though St. Louis finished fourth in the NL Central, finished second in the NL with a .357 batting average to go with 37 homers, 116 RBI, 104 walks, a .462 on-base percentage, .653 slugging percentage and only 54 strikeouts in 633 plate appearances.

 

Howard led the majors with 46 homers and 146 RBI but also batted just .251 and struck out 199 times, second in the NL.

 

I had an MVP ballot and voted for Howard first because he almost single-handedly carried the Phillies to the playoffs by batting .352 with 11 homers and 32 RBI in September. I like to weight my voting to teams in the playoff hunt because I think that puts more pressure on players and separates the men from the boys. There's little pressure on players having big years if their teams aren't playing for anything at the end.

 

With the Cardinals finishing fourth, I voted Pujols seventh on my ballot. I don't consider MVP to be "the most outstanding player" award and therefore don't just go by who had the best stats. I like to credit players for lifting their teams to the post-season or at least keeping them in the race until the very end.

 

I understand that the Cardinals would not have been even close to the wild-card berth without Pujols, but I still like players who elevate their game in crunch time and lift their teams to new heights. And I thought Ryan Ludwick had just as much to do with keeping the Cards in the hunt as Pujols did.

 

It's a subjective vote and every writer has his own preferences. That's why I voted for Sabathia second and Ramirez third because even though they played in the league only half a season they were primarily responsible for putting their teams in the playoffs.

 

Here's the way I voted:

 

1. Ryan Howard, Phil

 

2. CC Sabathia, Mil

 

3. Manny Ramirez, LA

 

4. Carlos Delgado, NY

 

5. Aramis Ramirez, Chi

 

6. Prince Fielder, Mil

 

7. Albert Pujols, Stl

 

8. Ryan Ludwick, Stl

 

9. Ryan Braun, Mil

 

10. David Wright, NY

 

I voted Fielder higher than Braun because Fielder had a much better September when the Brewers were clawing to get in the playoffs. Braun was ailing, as we discovered, and did have the homer that put the Brewers in the playoffs, but I just felt Fielder did more down the stretch.

 

This is an inexact science. With 10 names on the ballot, you could move guys around and drive yourself nuts putting them in the spot you feel is best. But that's the way I voted.

(offset quoted material; added link --1992)

[Team Canada]

I had an MVP ballot and voted for Howard first because he almost single-handedly carried the Phillies to the playoffs by batting .352 with 11 homers and 32 RBI in September. I like to weight my voting to teams in the playoff hunt because I think that puts more pressure on players and separates the men from the boys. There's little pressure on players having big years if their teams aren't playing for anything at the end.

 

With the Cardinals finishing fourth, I voted Pujols seventh on my ballot. I don't consider MVP to be "the most outstanding player" award and therefore don't just go by who had the best stats. I like to credit players for lifting their teams to the post-season or at least keeping them in the race until the very end.

 

Dear God. Now I'm really sad that FJM is gone. They couldn't have written sample fodder any better.

[fondybrewfan]

I just thought I would add TH was the only voter to vote Pujols lower than 4th and TH put Pujols 7th. That is just nuts. To think Pujols only served a 7th place finish and that 6 players were better including Prince Fielder is beyond lunacy.

[jjfanec]

How dpes Handicourt justify Delgado ahead of Pujols, if his logic is that Albert's team did not make the playoffs? It just does not make sense to me. He also had Aramis Ramirez ahead of Braun which does not seem right to me.

 

Braun also received a $50,000 bonus for his finish according to espn

[nate82]

When Pujols was snubbed when Howard won the MVP award Pujols commented about how someone who didn't make the playoffs shouldn't win the MVP. I wonder if Pujols still thinks this is true? Not taking away from anything that Pujols did this year but I think Lance Berkman really got snubbed this year and should have won the MVP award.

[RyDogg66]

Wow, TH, that is a horrible ballot. Sure, MVP may not be most outstanding player, but the Cards were in it for most of the year due to a large part of Albert Pujols. What an embarrassment.

[CportBadger]

Anybody that votes Prince Fielder above Albert Pujols after the years they just had should lose their vote.

[TooLiveBrew]

"I like to weight my voting to teams in the playoff hunt because I think that puts more pressure on players and separates the men from the boys."

 

TH: Proud sponsor of BIG-BOY TIME

 

 

"This is an inexact science. With 10 names on the ballot, you could move guys around and drive yourself nuts putting them in the spot you feel is best. But that's the way I voted."

 

"Inexact science" is putting what you did mildy, Tom. You should be ashamed of every aspect of your 'methodology' in your 'scientific process'

 

 

"I voted Fielder higher than Braun because Fielder had a much better September when the Brewers were clawing to get in the playoffs. Braun was ailing, as we discovered, and did have the homer that put the Brewers in the playoffs, but I just felt Fielder did more down the stretch."

 

I wonder how many other sportswriters voted with Tom for MVPDTSWHTIC (Most Valuable Player Down the Stretch with his Team in Contention). Yay for an arbitrary one-month ballot!

[nate82]

The ones who vote for this shouldn't be able to vote for a player in the 1st or 2nd slot that plays for a team that they cover. Fielder shouldn't have been in that list at all. Howard shouldn't have been in the top 5 either one month doesn't equal a MVP award.

[logan82]

Time to revive the TH thread for this crap. He really doesn't seem to know baseball very well no matter what he says. That ballot is just horrible.

[rluzinski]

Until reporters can agree what the criteria for being an MVP even is, I'm going to continue ignoring it.

[endaround]

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised that there were enough intelligent writers to give Pujols the award. The fact that Howard finished 2nd and Braun 3rd isn't quite enough to take my happiness away. TH shows himself to be as clueless as expected.

[JJHardy7]

I don't think it matters that Braun finished 3rd. He just got a few 2nd and 3rd place votes. Now if he received some first place votes that'd be a different story.

[monty57]

I understand that the Cardinals would not have been even close to the wild-card berth without Pujols, but I still like players who elevate their game in crunch time and lift their teams to new heights. And I thought Ryan Ludwick had just as much to do with keeping the Cards in the hunt as Pujols did.

 

Of course, Howard didn't have any help with the likes of last year's MVP (Rollins), Utley, Burrell, etc. I'd say head-to-toe Philly's offense is much better than St. Louis', so if the criteria is that other players helped them, then Howard was helped much more than Pujols. What St. Louis did this year, with the roster they started with and the injuries they had, was pretty amazing.

 

When Pujols was snubbed when Howard won the MVP award Pujols commented about how someone who didn't make the playoffs shouldn't win the MVP. I wonder if Pujols still thinks this is true?

 

Great point, Nate. Pujols is one of the best players in the game today, but he definitely seems to be in the "if I benefit, it's okay; if someone else benefits it's not okay" category.

[fondybrewfan]

How could anyone possibly vote on the MVP using August-September as the only metric? This isn't the Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Year Award. It is seriously mind-boggling who he thought Fielder's September was reason enough to say he was more deserving the MVP than Albert Pujols. The guy had a 1.114 OPS for god sakes, no one else besides Chipper Jones was even close. Hell Prince Fielder's OPS in September was only .998. Pujols worst OPS month was .978 in July. This just doesn't make any sense at all, no matter what kind of justification he tried to use.

[dlk9s]

I had an MVP ballot and voted for Howard first because he almost single-handedly carried the Phillies to the playoffs by batting .352 with 11 homers and 32 RBI in September. I like to weight my voting to teams in the playoff hunt because I think that puts more pressure on players and separates the men from the boys. There's little pressure on players having big years if their teams aren't playing for anything at the end.

 

With the Cardinals finishing fourth, I voted Pujols seventh on my ballot. I don't consider MVP to be "the most outstanding player" award and therefore don't just go by who had the best stats. I like to credit players for lifting their teams to the post-season or at least keeping them in the race until the very end.

 

I understand that the Cardinals would not have been even close to the wild-card berth without Pujols, but I still like players who elevate their game in crunch time and lift their teams to new heights. And I thought Ryan Ludwick had just as much to do with keeping the Cards in the hunt as Pujols did.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/439/fuknogf9pr7.gif

[Crewin06]

How could anyone possibly vote on the MVP using August-September as the only metric? This isn't the Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Year Award. It is seriously mind-boggling who he thought Fielder's September was reason enough to say he was more deserving the MVP than Albert Pujols. The guy had a 1.114 OPS for god sakes, no one else besides Chipper Jones was even close. Hell Prince Fielder's OPS in September was only .998. Pujols worst OPS month was .978 in July. This just doesn't make any sense at all, no matter what kind of justification he tried to use.

Could you imagine How good the Brewers would have been if you replace Pujols with Prince? This is how I would determine the MVP vote if I had a ballot. Pujols is better at every facet of the game. How don't you vote for Pujols over Prince?

[brewerguy71]

I think a good September and being in contention are valuable things to look at when voting for MVP.

 

If I were a voter this year it would have been hard for me to vote Pujols number one even though I believe he was the best player in the NL this year. My vote would have been for Howard. When looking at the merits of an MVP candidate, I do not consider pitchers, and I only look at players that play for teams that are above .500.

 

This is what my ballot would have looked like if it were simply number based:

Pujols

Berkman

Wright

Ramirez

Ludwick

Howard

Beltran

Utley

Delgado

Reyes

 

And if you weigh in playoffs, etc:

Howard

Wright

Pujols

Utley

Braun

Aramis Ramirez

Berkman

Hanley Ramirez

Beltran

Ludwick

[TSack27]

You guys are overanalyzing this, once you consider everything & put all the numbers together, the choice was obvious. Way to stay humble - "I wasn't surprised at all," Pujols said. "You have to consider everything. You have to put all the numbers together."