Monday, October 02, 2006

Bob Klapisch: Jeter, Howard Best; Then There's Pavano

October 1, 2006
Bergen County Record

A dizzying finish to the 2006 season has made it impossible to stop, exhale and distinguish the winners from the losers. With unfinished business in both leagues, it's (almost) unfair to decide on the big-ticket items such as the MVP and Cy Young awards. But someone has to handle life's tougher chores.

To wit:

AL Most Valuable Player: Derek Jeter

Despite what David Ortiz said or implied, this coronation is bestowed on those who most greatly influence a successful team's journey to the postseason. Big Papi was great, but his Red Sox were not. Jeter, on the other hand, batted .412 in July, when the Yankees were in the midst of a pennant race, and batted a crazy .388 with runners in scoring position.
Runners-up: Johan Santana, Justin Morneau

NL Most Valuable Player: Ryan Howard

The Phillies thrilled even their cynical fan base in September, taking their pursuit of the wild-card berth until the final weekend of the regular season. For that, they can thank Howard, the National League's most prodigious home run hitter since Barry Bonds -- minus the steroids, we all presume. Think the NL wasn't scared? Howard drew 16 intentional walks in September.
Runners-up: Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes

AL Cy Young Award: Johan Santana

This is mother of all no-brainers, considering the Twins' ace led the American League in wins, strikeouts, ERA and innings. You could make an equally strong case for Santana winning the MVP, as well. The Twins won nearly 85 percent of the games Santana started; without him, they were merely a .500 team. That's the definition of invaluable.
Runners-up: Chien-Ming Wang, Roy Halladay

NL Cy Young Award: Trevor Hoffman

Plenty of qualified starters here (Brandon Webb, Chris Carpenter, among others), but we have a soft spot for the Padres' closer, who led NL relievers with a 1.92 ERA and 44 saves. Hoffman has flourished for a decade as a non-strikeout artist, relying on illusion (his change-up) over power (a sub-90 mph fastball). Hoffman is as big a reason as any for the Padres' journey to the postseason.
Runners-up: Webb, Carpenter, Carlos Zambrano

AL Rookie of the Year: Jon Papelbon

Might've blossomed into baseball's greatest closer in what eventually will be the post-Mariano Rivera era. But the Red Sox overused their 26-year-old star and will pay a heavy price. Papelbon will become a starter in 2007, leaving a huge void in Boston's bullpen. Still, there's no diminishing Papelbon's achievements: his 0.92 ERA, .167 opponents' average and 75 strikeouts in 681/3 innings were all better than Rivera's. But we'll never know if Papelbon would've come close to the great Yankee closer's career path.
Runners-up: Justin Verlander, Francisco Liriano

NL Rookie of the Year: Ryan Zimmerman

We knew there was something special about the Nationals' third baseman when he clubbed a ninth-inning home run off Billy Wagner in the third game of the season, turning what should've been a 5-4 Mets victory into an eventual 9-5 defeat. Those 110 RBI were no coincidence.
Runners-up: Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez, Matt Cain

AL Manager of the Year: Jim Leyland

They say it's impossible to personally motivate the professional athlete in this day and age; only money will accomplish that. Leyland disproved that theory, rallying the Tigers in a way that Alan Trammell, his predecessor and a legend in Tigers' country, could not. The 61-year-old Leyland, who spent six years in blissful retirement before returning to the dugout, proved that there's no such thing as an age gap if you're smart and fair and treat players with respect.
Runner-up: Ron Gardenhire

NL Manager of the Year: Joe Girardi

Girardi may or may not get fired in a few weeks (we're betting he's history), but not even Marlins ownership will be able to minimize the way Girardi mobilized a roster that used as many as 22 rookies. Florida lost 31 of its first 42 games, yet managed to insert itself into the wild-card race all the way into late September. And now Girardi may be forced to look for another job (probably replacing Dusty Baker in Chicago). Go figure.
Runners-up: Willie Randolph, Grady Little

AL flop of the year (team): Orioles

Guess luring Leo Mazzone away from the Braves didn't help all that much. The O's finished next to last with a 5.32 ERA.

NL flop of the year, (team): Braves

Only remaining question is: Will Bobby Cox be back in 2007?

AL manager on the hot seat: Buck Showalter

That's four straight years of the Rangers finishing out of the running in the Central Division, three of which have been under .500.

NL manager on the hot seat: Dusty Baker

Right there with Girardi in terms of shaky job security. The Cubs have turned into a National League joke, 30 games under .500, having been on a fast decline ever since winning the Central Division in 2003.

AL story line to watch in 2007: Manny Ramirez

Only the Red Sox' slugger knows in his heart whether he tanked the month of September with a knee injury. Regardless of how hurt Ramirez was (or wasn't), the Sox finally may have had enough. Look for Ramirez to be traded this winter.

NL story line to watch in 2007: Pedro Martinez

The more the doctors probe, the more they realize how dramatically the Mets' ace has fallen apart. From the hip, to the toe, to the calf and now the most devastating injury of all, a torn rotator cuff. It's not impossible to think we've seen the last of Pedro.

Good guy of the year: Torii Hunter.

For appointing Timii Graupe of Blairstown as the team's batboy when the Twins were in town last month. Graupe suffers from neurofibromatosis, and became such a fan of the Twins' center fielder, he changed the spelling of his name from Tim to Timii.

Weasel of the year: Carl Pavano.

Forget all the injuries and the money he's nevertheless accepted from the Yankees, the right-hander fired his agent for falling $50,000 short in the pursuit of a $40 million contract. Not only did Pavano can Scott Shapiro, he refused to pay the commission on the $39.55 million he did get from the Yankees.

* * *

By the numbers

36
Home run differential between Ryan Howard's output in 2005 and 2006 (going into the final weekend of the season). The record for a one-year uptick is 38, set by Davey Johnson, who hit five HRs in 1971, then blasted 43 the following season.

79
Fruit baskets landed on Tommy Lasorda's doorstep on Sept. 22, helping to commemorate his 79th birthday. Identical baskets were sent by 79 of his former players with a personal message from each of them. Lasorda donated the gifts to a children's hospital.

157
Postseason contests have been played in Yankee Stadium, tops in the big leagues. Second on the list is Fenway with 59, followed by 53 at the now-defunct Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

14
Players who have held the National League career home run record, the most recent of which is Barry Bonds with 734. He passed Hank Aaron's previous mark on Sept. 23.

2
Managers have yet to be ejected from a game this season: Willie Randolph and the A's Ken Macha.

* * *

Power rankings

1. Yankees: The greatest offensive assembly of the Joe Torre era -- and maybe beyond.
2. A's: Rich Harden is back, which is another way of saying: Beware the AL's best rotation.
3. Mets: If they lose in the first round, would the season be considered a failure?
4. Dodgers: Impressive turnaround for a franchise that was all but dead a year ago.
5. Twins: It's a one-man universe in the Metrodome: Santana and prayer for the AL Division Series.

* * *

This date in baseball

1973: In the first game of a scheduled makeup doubleheader at Wrigley Field in front of only 1,913 fans, a day after the regular season ends, the Mets beat the Cubs, 6-4, to grab the NL East flag. The Mets, who were 11½ games behind Aug. 5, nevertheless clinch in their 82nd victory, which along with the Padres in 2005 remains the lowest number of wins ever to win a title.

They said it

"My contract status, right now, I could care less about it. I might retire. I don't know. It's a big option. I'm not going to be a middle bullpen, 5 ERA guy. Either I can come back and be a dominant pitcher, or I'll take it to the house."

-- Red Sox reliever Keith Foulke, telling the Boston Globe about the possibility of retirement.

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