2008 awards: Too many top players, not enough winners

Grab some popcorn and pull up a chair. Today, please make it Newman's Own popcorn. And now is a perfect time to remember that the great Paul Newman was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, but won only once.

Winning isn't so easy when there are so many great performances out there.

With that, my 2008 awards. ...

Most Valuable Player

American League

1. Dustin Pedroia, Boston. Curt Schilling? Gone. Manny Ramirez? Gone. David Ortiz? Bothered by nagging wrist and knee injuries. Boston's game changed subtly this season -- had to -- and the Red Sox remained beastly because Pedroia was sensational wherever he hit in the lineup. Including cleanup. The little fella led the AL in runs scored, tied Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki for the league lead in hits, racked up the second-most doubles ever for an AL second baseman behind Detroit's Charlie Gehringer and led the majors in batting after June 14.

Justin Morneau is more than worthy of an MVP. (US Presswire)

2. Justin Morneau, Minnesota. Here's one definition of an MVP: Toward season's end in Tampa Bay, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire wanted to get Joe Mauer out from behind the plate and was considering slotting the catcher as the designated hitter. He asked Morneau, who started every game this year, if he needed a rest or if he was good to go at first base. Morneau's answer: "Whatever is going to keep Joe Mauer in the lineup." Morneau played first that day. The last couple of weeks weren't kind to him. However, he didn't homer after Sept. 9, and dipped into a 3-for-27 swoon heading into Tuesday's one-game playoff with the White Sox.

3. Joe Mauer, Minnesota. Tough to determine whether Mauer or Morneau is MVP of the Twins, let alone the AL.

4. Kevin Youkilis, Boston. An OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) monster and if Pedroia's the heart of the Red Sox, Youk might be the soul.

5. Carlos Quentin, White Sox. When you miss the final few weeks of the season because of a self-inflicted injury, you get some serious demerit points in MVP balloting.

6. Josh Hamilton, Texas. Screenwriters are furiously scribbling away as one of the greatest baseball comeback stories perhaps of all time takes root in Texas.

7. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees. There was a time when Madonna wouldn't have settled for anything but the AL MVP.

8. Milton Bradley, Texas. Maybe an AL OPS title and a relatively healthy year will be enough for Bradley to find love, happiness and a multi-year contract somewhere out there.

9. Francisco Rodriguez, Angels. Nobody played more one-run games than the Angels and, if not for K-Rod, manager Mike Scioscia might have needed to add Maalox to his entertaining Howard's Appliance endorsements (let's just say, in the ads, his acting doesn't exactly rival Newman's).

10. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit. First in homers, third in RBI -- and last in the AL Central.

Thanks for playing: Aubrey Huff, Baltimore; Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle; Magglio Ordonez, Detroit; Ian Kinsler, Texas.

National League

Albert Pujols proves he's still the same 'ol beast. (US Presswire)

1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis. At first glance, this could have gone one of about five different directions. But, with apologies to Philadelphia's Ryan Howard (so close), Los Angeles' Manny Ramirez (so two months), Milwaukee's CC Sabathia (nearly went there after his final three starts), Philadelphia's Brad Lidge (what a season) and the rest, Pujols clearly is The Man. His OPS blows everyone -- including Howard -- out of the water. It's true the Cardinals aren't going to the playoffs, but because of Pujols, they remained in contention into September with a team that, on paper, wasn't a contender. If you were starting a club today, Pujols is the guy you'd pick first. His bat is savage, he runs the bases fiercely and he never lets up. "Pujols is a frickin' baseball player," Padres general manager Kevin Towers says. Amen.

2. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia. In this estimation, his stretch-run heroics nearly lift him into multiple MVP status (he won the NL award in 2006). But just as you credit Howard for lifting the Phillies to the NL East title, you must also view his slow start as one reason it took the Phillies a while to take off. His season was utterly unique, what with an NL-leading 48 homers and 146 RBI coupled with a non-MVP-like .251 batting average and a gazillion strikeouts. Close, but second.

3. Manny Ramirez, Dodgers. If not for Manny, the Dodgers would be doing what they usually do in October: Playing golf and watching the playoffs on TV. No midseason acquisition since the Cubs' Hank Sauer in 1949 hit 14 homers and racked up 40 RBI in his first 40 games, and Ramirez wound up batting .396, with 17 homers and 53 RBI in 53 games for the Dodgers. I know one of the suggested MVP guidelines is how many games a player played for his team, but Manny's value clearly exceeded the 53 games he played in L.A.

4. CC Sabathia, Brewers. If not for Sabathia, the Brewers would be doing what they usually do in October: planning next year's rebuilding project. What an effort down the stretch (2-0, 0.83 ERA in three starts, all on short rest).

5. Brad Lidge, Philadelphia. Manager Charlie Manuel actually didn't have to take his heart medication before the ninth innings this season. Imagine.

6. Lance Berkman, Houston. If Berkman walks up to Houston owner Drayton McLane and scolds him for selfish and greedy behavior in remaining obstinate while baseball was attempting to move the Astros-Cubs series with Hurricane Ike bearing down, I'll move him up several slots in the MVP discussion immediately.

7. Carlos Delgado, Mets. Nice finish, but where were you early in the season?

8. Geovany Soto, Cubs. It's a testament to the Cubs' depth of talent that they could win 97 games and not have an MVP candidate ranked higher than this. That's no knock on Soto or any of the other Cubs. Soto gave them consistent offense and was underrated as a catcher all year. This guy is going to be a great one.

9. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee. A rib-cage strain slowed him down the stretch. Gee, tell that to the Mets, who watched him help eliminate them with a couple of enormous home runs in the final week.

10. Aramis Ramirez, Cubs; and Chase Utley, Phillies (tie). The number of NL MVP candidates this season is simply amazing. Look at the list of those who couldn't even crack the top 10 (next paragraph).

Thanks for playing: Chipper Jones, Atlanta; Hanley Ramirez, Florida; Matt Holliday, Colorado; David Wright, Mets; Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego; Ryan Ludwick, St. Louis.

Cy Young

American League

No pitcher dominated more than Cliff Lee. (US Presswire)

1. Cliff Lee, Indians. Tops in the AL in winning percentage (22-3), ERA (2.54) and second in complete games (four). The only thing Lee didn't accomplish was convincing the Indians not to trade CC Sabathia in early July. The way the White Sox and Twins shifted into reverse, Cleveland fans can only wonder, what if? They finished just seven games behind the Twins. Think "CC you in the playoffs" (the hip phrase in Milwaukee over the weekend) would have worked in Cleveland had they kept him?

2. Roy Halladay, Toronto. So tempted to list an old-school guy with nine complete games as No. 1. But Lee's numbers make this an easy one.

3. Francisco Rodriguez, Angels. K-Rod finished with a record-setting 62 saves. And that signature point-to-the-sky after each one of them? Picture him right here, pointing up at Lee.

National League

1. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco. The Freak finished with a flourish, obtaining his first nine outs on strikeouts Sunday against the Dodgers to win the NL strikeout title. His 18 wins represent a touch under 25 percent of the Giants' 70 victories, and had the bullpen not blown five saves he likely would have had at least two or three more wins (you can't guarantee he would have won all five of those games). He led the majors in strikeouts, led the NL in winning percentage (18-5) and his opponents batting average (.221) led the NL and ranked second in the majors. You can make a strong case for the Mets' Johan Santana -- I agonized over the final 48 hours on this one, and I sure wish CC Sabathia had made just a few more NL starts because it's a crime that he'll get no award -- but nobody was more dominant than Lincecum.

The Mets' bullpen hurt Johan Santana's win total. (US Presswire)

2. Johan Santana, Mets. Raced past Lincecum for the NL ERA title in season's last weeks (2.53) and didn't lose after June 28. Worked in pressure-filled games, especially while throwing that sparkling shutout on short rest on the season's final Saturday to keep the Mets alive. Had the Mets' blewpen, er, bullpen, not blown seven saves in Santana's starts this season, the lefty would have far more than 16 wins.

3. Brandon Webb, Arizona. Yes, he won 22 games. But I can't get past that three-start stretch against the Dodgers (twice) and Padres late in the season in which he was pummeled for 22 hits and 21 runs (19 earned) over only 13 2/3 innings as the Diamondbacks' season was swirling down the drain. This is not meant to sound as harsh as it might, because Webb is an obvious ace and perennial Cy Young contender, but just when a team fighting for the playoffs needed its stopper most, Webb came up small.

Manager of the Year

American League

1. Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay. The man in the funky, chunky glasses is a master of creative thinking and fresh approaches. And anytime a manager orders an intentional walk to Texas' Josh Hamilton with the bases loaded, forcing in a run, and still wins that game and the AL East, he's on a roll.

2. Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota. The Twins traded ace Johan Santana, re-made their infield on the fly and nurse-maided an inexperienced rotation through an entire season. Plus, he's almost as funny as Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin. No wonder he said last week he's more mentally drained now than at the end of any other season.

Mike Scioscia has been a steady force in L.A. (US Presswire)

3. Mike Scioscia, Angels. Nobody is more steady, has a better grasp of the game and uses his entire roster better than the Rally Monkey's favorite skipper.

National League

1. Lou Piniella, Cubs. Yes, he has talent that stacks as high as the Sears Tower plus a sky-high payroll, but Piniella's authoritative presence and strong decisions helped push this Cubs team beyond where it otherwise might have gone. Those 97 victories? No Cubs team had won that many games in 63 years, since 1945.

2. Fredi Gonzalez, Florida. If his butter-fingered Marlins could catch the baseball, no telling what would have been possible. Playing in October, for starters. Still, for a team from which zero was expected, a tip of the cap.

3. Cecil Cooper, Houston. Now if he can reverse the Astros' long-standing tradition of playing crappy from opening day until the All-Star break. ...

Rookie of the Year

American League

Evan Longoria is a loaded weapon for T.B. (US Presswire)

1. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay. More than one opponent looked at the Rays' rookie third baseman this season and saw ... Alex Rodriguez? Yes. Longoria -- powerful bat, strong arm -- is a star in the making, and this October could become his stage. Not only did he lead all AL rookies in RBI, total bases and extra-base hits, he posted the second-highest slugging percentage of any rookie third baseman in major league history, behind only Cleveland's Al Rosen in 1950.

2. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox. Best athlete on Ozzie Guillen's team, and the kid not only is terrific at second base, he has a knack for the big hit (four grand slams this season).

3. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston. Watch him at first base. No, watch him more closely than that. I'm telling you -- whoops, too late. He's standing on second.

National League

Geovany Soto has impressed Lou. 'Nuff said. (US Presswire)

1. Geovany Soto, Cubs. The way he has taken charge both at the plate and behind the plate it seems like he has been the Cubs' catcher for years. He led all NL rookies with 86 RBI, 35 doubles, 60 extra-base hits and a .504 slugging percentage. And most impressively, he passed the Lou Test with flying colors. It's not easy to be Piniella's fiery catcher, you know.

2. Joey Votto, Cincinnati. Combined with teammate Jay Bruce to ...

3. Jay Bruce, Cincinnati ... smash 45 home runs, most by two rookies on one team in the majors this year, and a welcome turn of the page for 2009 from the Adam Dunn/Ken Griffey Jr. Reds.

Executive of the Year

American League

1. Andrew Friedman, Tampa Bay. You could double it and give Friedman a Lifetime Achievement Award for fixing the decade-old wreckage that was the (Devil no more) Rays.

2. Kenny Williams, White Sox. Acquiring Carlos Quentin from Arizona was an absolute steal. And signing Alexei Ramirez as a free agent in January was almost as good.

3. Theo Epstein, Boston. Aided by his own wits and his brilliant staff, Epstein could win this award every year.

National League

1. Doug Melvin, Milwaukee. In striking a blow for small-market franchises everywhere, the early July acquisition of CC Sabathia was stunning, perfectly timed and expertly aggressive. And look what it got Melvin and the Brewers: Their first postseason appearance since Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Ben Oglivie were playing for the Brew Crew.

2. Ned Colletti, Dodgers. With Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake and even Angel Berroa aboard -- all obtained for zero dollars as the Red Sox, Indians and Royals agreed to pay the salaries in the trades -- you hardly hear anything about those unfortunate contracts of Andruw Jones and Jason Schmidt anymore.

3. Pat Gillick, Philadelphia. Had he not traded for closer Brad Lidge, the Phillies might be home singing the Billy Wagner New York Mets Bullpen Blues.