Mauer, Pujols, Named MVPs

Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols each won the Most Valuable Player in their respective leagues.

Mauer earned American League honors with a near unanimous vote. Mauer started the year on the disabled list, but that didn't prevent him from receiving 27 of the 28 votes, totaling 387 points.

Mauer, 26, led the majors with a .365 batting average. He had a .444 on-base percentage, .587 slugging percentage, and a 1.031 OPS. He hammered a career high 28 home runs. He had 96 runs batted in.

Mauer becomes a free agent after the 2010 season, but the Twins are hoping to get a long term deal done by this Christmas.

Pujols won his third National League MVP award, and his second in a row. Pujols received a unanimous 32 first place votes totalling 448 points.

Pujols batted .327 and had a .443 on-base percentage. He led the majors with 47 home runs, a .658 slugging percentage, and a 1.101 OPS. He drove in 135 runs and stole 16 bases.

Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter finished second and third respectively in the AL. Hanley Ramirez finished second, and Ryan Howard finished third in the NL. There really was no debating that Mauer and Pujols deserved the awards.

Shaq Vs. Pujols

Shaquille O'Neal will be test his baseball skills in his new reality show, "Shaq Vs." In order to train for the upcoming NBA season, Shaq decided to test his abilities in other sports.

He'll be taking on Michael Phelps in swimming, Ben Roethlisberger in football, Oscar De La Hoya in boxing, Misty-May Treanor in volleyball, and Serena Williams in tennis. But perhaps the most entertaining one (at least to baseball fans) may be Shaq Vs. Albert Pujols in baseball.

Shaq's reality show will deut August 18 at 9 PM on ABC. I wonder who will win?

Call of the Day: Michael Bourn makes a nice catch in '07.

"Strokes this one to deep right field. And... What a great, great catch by
Michael Bourn."

Prince Fielder: Home Run King

Prince Fielder is the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby champion. Fielder edged out Nelson Cruz in the final round.

Fielder (1st round: 11), Cruz (11), Ryan Howard (7), and Albert Pujols (5) each made it to the semi-finals.

Pujols, Joe Mauer, and Carlos Pena took part in a Bat Off. Each of them hit five homers in the first round, but Pujols won the Bat Off with two homers.

Pujols, the heavy favorite, hit six in the semis, raising his total to 11. Ryan Howard's eight in the semis increased his total to 15 with the help of a "gold ball" rally. However, it wasn't enough. Cruz hit five homers and Fielder hit six in the semis.

The totals cleared in the final round. Cruz hit five in the finals, but Fielder followed with six, winning the derby. Cruz totaled 21 homers. Fielder totaled 23.

Fielder hit the longest homer of the night, a 503 shot to right-center.

HR Derby Prediction: Howard Wins It

Also featured on Phillies Nation.

Ryan Howard will be participating in the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby, and he has a good chance of winning. Howard won the derby in 2006 and lost in 2007.

The other contestants are Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, Joe Mauer, Brandon Inge, Carlos Pena, and Nelson Cruz. There will be competition and a large power display with these participants (mainly from the NL competitors), but I think Howard will win.

In front of his home crowd, Pujols is the favorite. All pressure is on him. But Howard will be in his home town, St. Louis. He has had success at Busch Stadium, and could bring that success into the derby.

In 2006, Howard hit eight in the first round, ten in the semi-finals, and five in the finals, totaling 23 home runs. Howard had an advantage by batting last, so he knew how many homers he needed.

Howard returned to the 2007 derby trying to protect his crown, but he hit only three home runs. However, the 2007 Home Run Debry was one of the worst in recent memory. AT&T Park, a pitcher's park, was not made for a home run competition.

At Busch Stadium, the dimensions are 336 in left, 390 in left center and right center, 400 in center, and 335 to right. It is a fair park, however Howard has 7 home runs in 63 at-bats at Busch. His best shot at winning is pulling it to right, and occasionally to straight-away centerfield. He may get into trouble if he starts hitting to the opposite field or right-center like he did in 2007.

Here are my predictions for Howard for each round:

Round One: 13 HR (On a side note, I'm predicting Mauer, Pujols, Fielder, and Howard to advance to semis)
Semi-Finals: 8 HR
Finals: 7 HR, Howard edges Pujols for win.

Remember, the first two rounds are added together, but the two finalist start fresh in the Finals.

I expect it to be much like 2006, with the only difference being that Ramon Henderson will not be pitching to Howard. Howard will be bringing his former high school coach, Deron Spink.

If you're worried about Howard falling into a slump after the derby, think again. Howard batted .355 with 30 HR and had a 1.206 OPS after the 2006 HR Derby. In 2007 he batted .280 with 26 HR and had a 1.016 OPS after the HR Derby.

Howard isn't going to break Josh Hamilton's record for most home runs in a round (28) or Abreu's record (41 total), however I expect him to a put on a show.

All Star Updates

Jimmy Rollins has dropped to second place in the all star balloting behind Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Rollins trails by only 154,000 votes. Derek Jeter has a steady lead in the American League

Chase Utley is no longer the National League’s overall leader. Albert Pujols has the most votes with 2,934,794, edging Utley who has 2,922,796. Utley continues to lead all second baseman, leading Orlando Hudson by about a million votes. Ian Kinsler leads all AL second baseman, but Dustin Pedroia is catching up, only 200,000 votes behind.

Ryan Howard remains second about a million votes behind Pujols. Adrian Gonzalez drops to fourth among first baseman. Kevin Youkilis took the lead over Mark Teixeira for the AL first baseman.

Also Raul Ibanez continues to lead all NL outfielders with 2,465,539 votes. Ryan Braun and Carlos Beltran are also the other outfield leaders. Shane Victorino remains in fifth place and Jayson Werth remains in ninth place. Victorino is only about 400,000 votes behind third outfielder Carlos Beltran. Jason Bay, Josh Hamilton, and Ichiro Suzuki lead AL outfielders. Carl Crawford is only trailing Ichiro by about 100,000 votes.

Pedro Feliz remains in fourth place about 700,000 votes behind leader David Wright. Evan Longoria leads all AL third baseman.

Yadier Molina and Joe Mauer continue to lead catchers. Carlos Ruiz drops from fourth place to fifth place.

Click the picture to vote for your favorite players or who you think deserves to play in the mid-summer classic!

NL MVP

In mid September, Swing and a Long Drive discussed who should win the National League MVP. Similar to our NL Cy Young breakdown, the stats have altered a little, but not nearly enough to change minds. Our pick was Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, and he was named the 2008 Most Valuable Player.

The race was closer than it probably should have, but Pujols won and that is all that matters. Pujols' 369 total points, 18 first place votes, beat out the Phillies Ryan Howard who totaled 308 points with 12 first place votes. Also like the NL Cy Young Award, other players should have been ranked higher or lower on the list. However, Pujols is the winner.

Pujols finished the 2008 season with a .357 AVG, 37 HR, and 116 RBI. He had a .462 OBP, .653 SLG, and a Major League leading 1.114 OPS. He scored 100 runs and only struck out 54 times.

In 2006, Pujols led his team to a World Championship while Ryan Howard's Phillies just missed the playoffs. Instead of Pujol's taking the MVP trophy home, Howard took it. This year, Howard and Pujols switch roles.

After Howard was named the MVP, Pujols stated this:

"I see it this way: Someone who doesn't take his team to the playoffs doesn't
deserve to win the MVP."

Well, I guess Albert changed his mind. Either way, he was totally deserving of the MVP.

QUOTE SOURCE: AOL.com

The Real MVP

Could the Phillies go back-to-back-to-back in the Most Valuable Player Award? Chase Utley was the favorite earlier in the year, but Ryan Howard's name is the one that keeps being mentioned. Could Ryan Howard win the MVP? Yeah. Should it happen? Absolutely not.

Look, I'm a die hard Phillies and Ryan Howard fan, but I'd be the first one to tell you that Ryan Howard does not deserve the MVP Award in 2008.

New York Met, Carlos Delgado's name has also been coming up in the MVP talks. Well, to tell you the truth, nor Howard or Delgado are even the MVP on their own team.

If Ryan Howard were to win the MVP Award, it would not be the first time a Phillie undeservedly won MVP. Jimmy Rollins undeservedly won the MVP last year. I'm happy for Jimmy, but no way he deserved it over Matt Holliday or even David Wright.

Ryan Howard won the award in 2006. In 2006, I believe he deserved it rightfully so, although many folks disagreed and felt Pujols should have won it.

A similar outcome could happen this year. Ryan Howard winning the MVP, and Pujols getting snubbed once again.

Give credit to Howard, he is on a roll right now. Same with Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado. They have both gotten hot at the right time. However, neither should be named MVP. The season started in April, not after the All Star Break. Pujols has been good all year.

The first debate that usually comes up in MVP talks is the letter "V". Valuable. Since Pujols' Cardinals might not make the playoffs, why should he be MVP? Is Pujols hurting the Cardinals? Certainly not. Is it Albert's fault his teammates aren't preforming and doing their job? Certainly not. The Phillies missed out on the playoffs in 2006, and Howard still won it. Playoffs shouldn't matter.

Ryan Howard has a Major League leading 45 homeruns and league leading 136 RBIs. That's about the only case you can make for Howard. Howard beats Delgado, who has 35 homeruns with 104 RBI. He also beats Pujols, who has 31 homeruns and 101 RBI.

There's a huge downside to using RBIs on determining how good a player is. RBIs are a team stat. In order to get more RBIs, you need more men on base. Is it a certain players fault if he doesn't have as many RBIs because his teammates are not on base for him?

Runs work the same way. Howard has scored 95 runs compared to Pujols' 91 and Delgado's 85. However, each have to rely on their teammates to get a hit so they can score.

Howard's batting average is .249. He has raised it a lot since the beginning of the year when he was batting under the Mendoza line. Delgado is batting .263.

Let's also not forget Howard's 190 strikeouts compared to Pujols' 51. A 139 difference! Sure, an out is an out, but when you make contact you have a better chance to get on base in case of an error or miscue by the fielder. Delgado is up there in strikeouts with 114.

Also, Howard's on-base-percentage is .335. Delgado has an OBP of .345. That's extremely low. Pujols' overall average is higher than both of their on base percentages. Pujols' average is .357 and his OBP is .461.

Pujols' .645 slugging percentage is greater than Howard's .537 SLG and Delgado's .508 SLG.

Put OBP and SLG together and you get OPS. Pujols OPS is a MLB leading 1.106. Howard's OPS is .873 and Delgado is at .854.

Each aren't a threat to steal bases, but Pujols has 6 steals compared to Howard and Delgado's one steal each.

Remember how I said Howard and Delgado aren't even the Most Valuable Players on their own team? That is because Utley of the Phillies and David Wright of the Mets have both been better. You can even make a case for Jose Reyes.

Utley and Wright are even, or close to even in almost every category.

Utley has been inconsistant all year, but has put up better numbers than Howard. He is batting .289 with 31 HR, and 95 RBI. His OBP is .377. His SLG is .533. His OPS is .910.

Wright is batting .290 with 31 HR, and 114 RBI. His OBP is .386. His SLG is .534. His OPS is .920.

Both are putting up better numbers than Delgado and Howard, outside of run production.

Factor in defense, and all the players I mentioned have better defense than Howard.

Personally, I don't like to use errors because you have to get to the ball to make an error. Some players will range over to get to a ball, miss it, resulting in an error. On the other hand, another player won't even make an attempt at the ball. Since the fielder did not get any leather on the ball, he will not be charged with an error. Would you rather have a guy who makes an effort all the time, and makes a mistake here and there? Or would you want a guy who doesn't make an effort?

Errors are a judgemental stats. The official scorer determines whether to give the guy an error or not. It's simply an opinion.

However, from watching both play, Pujols' Gold Glove type defense is much better than Howards. Pujols' throws to second are almost always on the money.

There are even more players I'd put ahead of Howard and Delgado. Lance Berkman should be second behind Pujols.

Berkman has a .322 AVG, with 28 HR and 100 RBI. Berkman has a .426 OBP and .586 SLG. His OPS is 1.012.

Matt Holliday should also be in contention.

Holliday is hitting .325 woth 25 HR and 84 RBI. Holliday has a .411 OBP, and .546 SLG. His OPS is .957.

Compare those guys to Howard, and each have Howard beat.

There are plenty of others you can make a case here, but my case is done. I'm not trying to bust on Howard. He has improved all year, and has put together a solid year. However, there are players who have been better. Howard is not the 2008 Most Valuable Player.

Keeping the Lead

2-1, Philadelphia. Bottom of the 9th. Brad Lidge on the mound. Albert Pujols, Ryan Ludwick, and Troy Glaus due up. Albert Pujols. Brad Ligde. They go way back.

In the 2005 playoffs, Albert Pujols took Brad Lidge deep. After that, Lidge just wasn't the same. That was until he came to Philadelphia.

Lidge got Pujols to ground out to shortstop Jimmy Rollins. He would strike out Ludwick. Two outs. Glaus worked a walk to represent the tying run, and bring up the winning run. Rick Ankiel came in to pinch hit for Yadier Molina. Ankiel has been sidelined due to abdominal pain. But he would come into pinch hit.

The Cardinal crowd roared hoping for a walk off. The intensity rose. Nerves jittered throughout both Philadelphia and St. Louis fans. The 2-2 pitch...

Struck him out! Brad Lidge completed his 27th consecutive save as a Phillie.

There was a game before the 9th inning though. And Joe Blanton dominated. He earned the win lasting 7.0 innings. He would only give up 1 earned run, a solo homerun to Ryan Ludwick in the 7th inning. He gave up 4 hits, walked 2 and struck out 5. His first win as a Phillie was an impressing one.

J.C Romero and Chad Durbin got through some trouble in the 8th to set it up for Lidge. Romero walked a batter, but with one out, Durbin came in and got the double play ball. Durbin has been excellent for the Phillies. His ERA is a minuscule 1.65.

The Phillies received their only run support by solo homeruns by Greg Dobbs and Ryan Howard.

There's no place like home, and that's the case for Ryan Howard. Howard just tears apart his hometown Cardinals. With family and friends in the stands, Howard does not disappoint.

Additionally, the Phillies top prospect, Carlos Carrasco, is a step closer to the Major Leagues. Carrasco was promoted to AAA Leigh-High Valley. He has pitched 114.2 innings with an ERA of 4.32 in AA Reading. The Phillies feel that he ready to pitch against higher competition, so he can make a run for a spot in the 2009 rotation.