NGU Skyliner

Cory Guinn
Copy Editor

The Major League baseball regular season has come to an end and the official post-season will begin shortly. In the meantime, awards for the season will be given out to the players in the National League who have stood out above the crowd and proven that they belong at the major league level. The following awards have not been given officially, and it should be noted that these are only my predictions and my opinion as to why each person deserves to take home the hardware at the end of the season.

MVP: Albert Pujols, first baseman, St. Louis Cardinals

This is the easiest choice of all the awards. Pujols is on a totally different level than any other player out there, and his numbers show why: .386 batting average, 47 home runs, 135 RBI, 122 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. There is no one else on the planet who is able to rival these numbers, giving Pujols the unofficial title of “greatest player on earth.”

Cy Young: Adam Wainwright, pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals

This decision may the toughest of all, coming down to a toss up between two teammates — Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. However, Wainwright does get the edge with a 19-8 record and 2.63 ERA while striking out 212 batters.

Rookie of the Year: Tommy Hanson, pitcher, Atlanta Braves

In another close race, the ROY award should go to Tommy Hanson. One of the most highly thought-of rookies in recent history, Hanson was called up just before the All-Star break and showed why all the experts were so high on him and his talents. Hanson posted a 11-4 record with a 2.89 ERA and 116 strikeouts in just 21 games.

Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies

Tracy took over a struggling Colorado team in late May and began a quick rebuilding process. Tracy went back to the basics and stuck with a lineup he believed would produce and get results. The Rockies won 17 of 18 games after Tracy came on board and finished the season with a club record 91 wins leading them to the playoffs once again.

Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 5

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 and is filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.