New MLB Awards

I've decided to create two new MLB Awards to be handed out at the end of every season, along with the Most Valuable Player & Cy Young Awards. As a person as influential as I am, I'm sure MLB will catch on rather quickly, and by the end of the 2006 season, they will be certified awards.

It's actually only one award, given out twice. One in the American League, one in the National League. And it's something the NFL has been doing for years, because they're the only professional league in America that has any idea of how to run a sport correctly.

It's the "Offensive Player of the Year" Award. Or "Batter of the Year." Or whatever you want to call it. I have a name for it, but we'll save that for later.

This award is being created this year for one reason & one reason only, so Andruw Jones get's the recognition he deserves. Right now the Offensive Player of the Year & the MVP are virtually the same award. Well, that's unfair. Albert Pujols is likely going to win the MVP award this year. Why? The answer everyone will say is simple: look at his numbers.

So here's my question. Instead of asking why, I ask what do numbers have to do with value? Sure, Andruw Jones only batted .255 or something this season, but look beyond his numbers. If he wasn't on that Braves team, do you think they would have won the NL East yet again? When Chipper was on the DL in the spring, he hit 15 home runs in a 30 game span. When young guys like Wilson Betemit & Jeff Francoeur were getting adjusted to the MLB level of play (granted it didn't take them long to get adjusted), Jones was counted on to carry the team. This is a team that started a 60 year old for most of the season. Rafael Furcal did a stint on the DL. Chipper came back for about 3 weeks and then spent another month on the DL. But all the while, the Braves were winning, because Andruw Jones refused to quit. Now that's a Most Valuable Player.

Don't get me wrong, Albert Pujols is extremely valuable. Most other years, he'd win the MVP in my book, but not this year. If, say, it was Albert Pujols that was lost for the year in April, and Scott Rolen who played healthy all year & hit his 38 homers & 125 RBI's, do you not think the Cardinals would still win 100 games? I'm sure they would. That team is just that good. It's more then just pieces.

So there you have it. Andruw Jones is your 2005 NL MVP. And no offense to Derrek Lee, but Albert Pujols is the "Batter of the Year."

In the American League, Alex Rodriguez is the "Batter of the Year," and David Ortiz is the most valuable player, because without him, the Red Sox are fighting to go .500 this year. Without A-Rod, the Yankees are trading for someone else & still winning the AL East.

Now, doesn't that feel better. Everyone who deserves to get recognized is getting recognized. Sure, in most years, the MVP & BoY will be the same person. But for times when they aren't, it's good we have both awards.

Now, onto naming the awards, since BoY just doesn't do. Usually awards only get named by players who have long since retired. But for this one, we'll waive that rule. Because there are two people, one in each league, who stand for everything the BoY stands for. Great numbers, and a huge lack of value.

The National League BoY award is now known as the Bobby Abreu Award. Congrats to Albert Pujols for being the first Bobby Abreu winner.

And obviously, the American League BoY is the Alex Rodriguez award. If this award was created 6 years ago, he'd probably have 5 or 6 of these things, so it's only fitting he wins the first one. He'll get plenty more to add to his mantelpiece before he retires.