Year End Awards

While the season is over for all but 4 teams, there are some competitions left unresolved. Several impressive players are hoping to pick up a piece of hardware thanks to the prestigious season-end awards. It's not always obvious who will walk away with these trophies, as the decision rests on the votes of the GMs and not on pure numbers (which are subjective anyway). But, your fearless blog is ready to call each race.

AL Rookie of the Year: This one is really a 2-horse race between the Chicago Gangsta' Chimps' 2B James Martin and the Memphis Blues' CF Pablo Suarez. The case for Martin seems pretty strong until fielding percentage is brought into the equation. While both play premiere defensive spots on the field, Martin's .965 fielding percentage is an unsightly blemish on an otherwise fantastic campaign. But, even so, there's no denying the impact and consistency Martin brought to the Chimps' lineup, and his gaudy numbers, including a 1.032 OPS, should bring in the votes.


NL Rookie of the Year: Unlike the American League, the National League Rookie of the Year race features some pitchers in the conversation. Montgomery Biscuits SP Brian Nickle won 17 games and kept his ERA equally impressive at 3.28. With the exception of wins and ERA, though, Fargo Fightin' Sioux SP Clem Doyle had even better numbers across the board. But it is impossible to pass over Arizona Flip-Floppers' 1B Joe Thompson's thunderous bat. He turned around opposing pitchers 56 times and drove in 143 runs. This 22-year-old will be a menace at the plate for years to come, and will likely earn best rookie distinction in the National League this year.

AL Cy Young: I've never been a fan of giving the Cy Young to a closer, unless they have 50+ saves and never blew a save opportunity. So while CP Albert Benitez, of the Hartford Hartattacks, might draw some votes, I don't think he'll be able to best the impressive class of starters in the running for the AL Cy Young. Huntington Guyandottes SP Coco Casey chewed up more innings per start than any of his fellow nominees, and to make his case stronger he went 23-9 with a 2.96 in an offense-happy American League. At $343K, he's also great bang for the buck, though that obviously doesn't factor into the voting. He is the clear frontrunner and should breeze by his competition to win this award.

NL Cy Young: With only one 20-win pitcher in the field, the competition for the NL Cy Young is a little tighter. But if you're looking for an upset pick, you still won't find it here. Montreal Expos SP Christian Casey won 80% of his decisions, nearly kept his WHIP below 1 at 1.01, and even has the best strikeout ratio of the nominees. There's no doubt in my mind that a Casey is going to win the Cy Young in both leagues this year, making Papa Casey one proud father.




AL Most Valuable Player: With 3 Tucson Pilots in the running, one of them has to win it, right? This is a talented field, but again the clea choice is obvious. It's not Huntington Guyandottes' 1B Ivan DeSoto, who led all of the majors in home runs with 67. It's not Nashville Sounds' 2B Danny Brunette, a "total package" player who hit .328 with 46 home runs and 46 stolen bases. So which Pilot is it? It's RF Felipe Espinoza. He led the majors in batting average by a full 17 points at .360. He was also the majors' leader in OPS at 1.163. He hit 51 home runs and drove in 140 Pilots. He stole 24 bases. He performed CPR on a baby dying of heat exhaustion in the Tucson area. The scary thing for AL pitchers? Only one of those things is false...

NL Most Valuable Player: I really hate giving one player two awards, but how do you not in this case? Previously mentioned 1B Joe Thompson of the Arizona Flip-Floppers is the obvious choice for Most Valuable Player, much as he is for Rookie of the Year. No disrespect to Los Angeles Dodgers' LF Mandy Chace, who resurrected his career this season after being ripped up by Los Angeles media a year ago for a disappointing season, but his numbers weren't good enough. And even though Joe Thompson doesn't play a premiere defensive position, of the nominees, only Louisville Sluggers' CF Daryl Van Hekken does. And with a bat in his hand, he just cannot match worldbeater Thompson. Sure he didn't play on a playoff team, but he had Arizona in contention in a difficult NL West after they were an also-ran a year ago. Joe Thompson, you are our big winner, taking home both National League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.