2008 Woodie Awards
PCI
Erin Redihan '08 & Drew Goucher '08
Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: Sports
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As a diehard Cubs fan, I have the utmost confidence that Carlos Zambrano will take home the National League Cy Young this year-and rightfully so. What I'm not sure about is who's going to win the MVP in each league. Any thoughts?
-Brendan Maloy '07
For the National League, there's no doubt in my mind that it's Ryan Howard of the Phillies. How do you ignore a player who has hit 57 home runs (so far) and helped to keep his team in the wildcard race, saving a season that seemed to be over two months ago? Without Howard, the Phillies would be in a fight with the Braves for third place in the NL East. In his first season as an everyday player, and only his third season in the majors, the Phillies first baseman is batting .314 with 140 RBI in addition to the home runs. Albert Pujols seemed to have the award wrapped up early but once he went on the disabled list, Howard took over as the NL's best player.
As for the AL: As a diehard Red Sox fan, I'm more than a little biased toward David Ortiz. Until early August, I probably would have put him beside Ryan Howard in the definite winner category. But now that the Sox have fallen off, the race is a lot less clear-cut than the NL. If the Indians were in contention, I would go with centerfielder Grady Sizemore; however, with Minnesota battling the Tigers for the Central Division and the White Sox for the wildcard, I think Joe Mauer is the best candidate. Mauer leads the majors in batting and, along with Justin Morneau, has been a huge part of the Twins' second half success both offensively and behind the plate, guiding the Twins' young ritation. Though he's not a huge power hitter (11 HR), he hits to all fields and should only improve with experience.
-Erin Redihan '08
In the American League, Derek Jeter has produced more runs this season than anyone in baseball (191), including David Ortiz (187), who is on pace to drive in 100 and score 120, and is vying for the AL batting title at .339. Ortiz is not even batting .300. Jeter is also hitting close to .400 with runners in scoring position and is arguably the best baserunner in the game. Jermaine Dye, Joe Mauer, and Vladimir Guerrero all have produced far fewer runs than Jeter, while Justin Morneau has produced only slightly fewer but is less than elite while fielding or running the bases. Add Jeter's leadership qualities, and this one is a no brainer. Oh, and Jeter is playing Gold Glove defense too.
-Brendan Maloy '07
For the National League, there's no doubt in my mind that it's Ryan Howard of the Phillies. How do you ignore a player who has hit 57 home runs (so far) and helped to keep his team in the wildcard race, saving a season that seemed to be over two months ago? Without Howard, the Phillies would be in a fight with the Braves for third place in the NL East. In his first season as an everyday player, and only his third season in the majors, the Phillies first baseman is batting .314 with 140 RBI in addition to the home runs. Albert Pujols seemed to have the award wrapped up early but once he went on the disabled list, Howard took over as the NL's best player.
As for the AL: As a diehard Red Sox fan, I'm more than a little biased toward David Ortiz. Until early August, I probably would have put him beside Ryan Howard in the definite winner category. But now that the Sox have fallen off, the race is a lot less clear-cut than the NL. If the Indians were in contention, I would go with centerfielder Grady Sizemore; however, with Minnesota battling the Tigers for the Central Division and the White Sox for the wildcard, I think Joe Mauer is the best candidate. Mauer leads the majors in batting and, along with Justin Morneau, has been a huge part of the Twins' second half success both offensively and behind the plate, guiding the Twins' young ritation. Though he's not a huge power hitter (11 HR), he hits to all fields and should only improve with experience.
-Erin Redihan '08
In the American League, Derek Jeter has produced more runs this season than anyone in baseball (191), including David Ortiz (187), who is on pace to drive in 100 and score 120, and is vying for the AL batting title at .339. Ortiz is not even batting .300. Jeter is also hitting close to .400 with runners in scoring position and is arguably the best baserunner in the game. Jermaine Dye, Joe Mauer, and Vladimir Guerrero all have produced far fewer runs than Jeter, while Justin Morneau has produced only slightly fewer but is less than elite while fielding or running the bases. Add Jeter's leadership qualities, and this one is a no brainer. Oh, and Jeter is playing Gold Glove defense too.