AND THE WINNER IS...AL

Now that the 2009 Season is into the playoffs, it's time for this commentator to make his choices for post-season awards.

American League

Cy Young

Zach Greinke was the year-long favorite and he did nothing to lessen it. He won 15 games on a team that lost 95. What's astonishing is that he lost 9 games that were decided by 2 runs or including two 1-0 and one 2-1 games. If he is lucky in even half those contests, he finishes with 20 wins. He sparkling 2.16 ERA was the lowest by an American League starter since Pedro Martinez posted a 1.74 for the 2000 Red Sox. Now before people say that he doesn't deserve it because he pitched on a bad team, remember those 9 two runs or less losses. Also, Steve Carlton won the 1972 award going 27-10 for a terrible Phillies team that won lost 97 games.

 

Honorable Mention goes to Felix Hernandez of the Mariners who quietly posted an exceptional season - 19-5, 2.49 ERA.

 

MVP

There was a reason the Yankees won over 100 games for the first time since 2004 and it wasn't only the stratospheric payroll.  They had seven players with over 20 home runs and Derek Jeter set the table with 212 hits and a .334 average, good for third place.But the MVP goes to Joe Mauer. He won his third batting title, the second in a row . He also for the first time added power (28HR/96RBI).  In 1942 the Boston Braves Ernie Lombardi won the title hitting.330. He is the only other catcher in the history of the game to win it. So it is indeed a remarkable accomplishment for a catcher to win three.

Honorable Mention goes to Derek Jeter who hit .334 and set the team's career hit record while being the catalyst in the Yankees drive fore the division title.

 

Rookie of the Year

Gordon Beckham of the White Sox gets the award by a slight margin over the Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold only because the latter ended the season on the DL. Both had similar lines so it is logical to assume that Reimold would have finished with better stats.

 

Honorable Mention goes to the Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus who at 21 played a critical position and hit a respectable .267.

 

 

Manager of the Year

Last year's choice was a no brainer - Joe Maddon. This year there's a group of skippers that are worthy.

Jim Leyland of the Tigers kept the team in the race until losing the play-in game.

Joe Girardi led the Yankees to a 100 win season in the pressure cooker that is New York.

Dan Wakamatsu steered the Mariners to a winning record after the team lost over 100 games last year.

But the award this year goes to Mike Scioscia of the Angels. Long overlooked because the team in on the left coast, Scioscia is a players manager who uses his talented roster to maximum efficiency.  All he has done is take the Angels to the playoffs in six of the last eight years. It's time to make amends.

Honorable Mention goes to Ron Gardenhire of the Twins who somehow finds a way to be in contention with a low budget team. This year they had more ups and downs than the stock market. They lost their cleanup hitter and two starters to injuries and still found a way to win. Gardenhire has taken a bargain basement team to the post-season in five of his eight years as manager.

In the next entry, I pick the National League's winnersHonor