2007 LEAGUE AWARDS

Most Valuable Player:  Manny Ramirez, CLE

Cy Young:  Roy Halladay, LAA

Rolaids Relief Man:  Chad Cordero, KCR

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD
(Most Valuable Player nominees can be any player that had the biggest impact on the success of your season. A team may nominate up to two players.)

Lance Berkman, Minnesota Twins - Lance Berkman filled a large void in the Twins lineup when Alex Rodriguez was traded in the offseason.  His 13 homeruns (5th in league) and 41 RBIs (2nd in league) put him in an elite category of MSPSL run producers in 2007.  He also scored 27 runs and walked 23 times (T-10th in league) to give him a very well-rounded season  [.263 BA, 48 G, 160 AB, 42 H, 27 RS, 41 RBI, 6 DO, 1 TR, 13 HR, 23 BB].

Miguel Cabrera, Minnesota Twins - Miguel Cabrera was the quintessential #3 hitter for the NL champion Minnesota Twins in 2007.  While batting a cool .316 (7th in league), he amassed 60 hits and 23 walks.  His 35 RBIs ranked 5th in the league, his 13 doubles ranked 8th, and his 23 walks were good for 10th (tie)  [.316 BA, 53 G, 190 AB, 60 H, 25 RS, 35 RBI, 13 DO, 3 TR, 6 HR, 23 BB].

Carlos Delgado, Oakland Athletics - Carlos Delgado was the powerhouse of the Oakland A's.  He led his team in almost every possible offensive column with a monster OPS of 1.012.  He finished fourth in the league in homeruns and RBIs and placed very high in nearly every other column.  In game 50 of the season against the Mets, he hit a solo shot in the 10th inning to prevent a loss and set up for Toby Hall to hit a walkoff two run HR in the 12th inning.  In game 35 against the Twins, he prevented the game from going into extra innings by blasting a two run shot in the 8th off John Smoltz to make it 4-2, that's how the game ended.  [.299 BA, .372 OBP, .640 SLG, 164 AB, 32 R, 49 H, 36 RBI, 11 2B, 15 HR, 15 BB, 39 K, 4 HBP].

Ryan Howard, New York Mets - Ryan Howard led his team in hits (51), runs scored (32, T-9th in league), RBIs (29, T-10th), homeruns (12, 8th) and slugging pct (.527).  Considering the weak offensive lineup he was in (7th in team batting average, and tied for 6th, two from the bottom in homeruns) his statistics are more impressive since many teams chose to merely pitch around him, even early in the season when he was in a slump and not hitting well [.271 BA, .320 OBP, .527 SLG, 188 AB, 32 R, 51 H, 29 RBI, 8 DO, 2 TR, 12 HR, 13 BB, 63 K].

Nick Johnson, Seattle Mariners - Nick Johnson had an excellent season, getting on base at an impressive .424 clip and slugging at a very good .585 pace.  He led his team in homeruns (9) and RBIs (31) while leading the league in both doubles and walks.  He also finished second in runs scored [.289 BA, .424 OBP, .585 SLG, 159 AB, 36 R, 46 H, 31 RBI, 20 DO, 9 HR, 38 BB, 36 K, 2 SB].

Justin Morneau, Los Angeles Angels - .Justin Morneau had a breakout year in 2007 with 13 homeruns (T-5th in league) and 32 RBIs (T-6th in league).  He also scored 30 runs and walked 19 times [.268 BA, 50 G, 157 AB, 30 R, 42 H, 32 RBI, 6 DO, 1 TR, 13 HR, 19 BB, 33 K].

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox - .David Ortiz was by far the best player on a team that was in the playoff hunt up until the last series.  Big Papi led the league in homeruns with 18 and had many clutch hits, hitting cleanup in a lineup that was not as strong as most and still put up very good numbers [.261 BA, 188 AB, 35 R, 49 H, 39 RBI, 12 DO, 18 HR, 22 BB, 43 K].

Albert Pujols, Kansas City Royals - .Sir Albert hit .305 with 12 doubles and 13 homeruns while driving in 27 and scoring 33 runs.  What made Pujols' impact even greater was his .995 fielding percentage at first base.  He committed just two errors in 420 chances this season [.305 BA, 49 G, 177 AB, 33 R, 54 H, 27 RBI, 12 DO, 3 TR, 13 HR, 21 BB, 30 K, 2 SB].

Manny Ramirez, Cleveland Indians - Despite missing 10 games, seven of which were due to injury, Manny Ramirez drove in a league record 53 runs in 2007.  Proving to be  “The Key Bat” in a potent Cleveland lineup, Ramirez established himself as the top run producer in the MSPSL.  In addition to his record-setting RBI total, Manny also scored 33 runs (5^th in the league), slammed 17 Homers (2^nd  in the league) and drew 27 Bases on Balls (6^th in the League) [.277 BA, 44 G, 148 AB, 33 R, 41 H, 53 RBI, 3 DO, 2 TR, 17 HR, 27 BB].

Alfonso Soriano, Kansas City Royals - Soriano was the Royals' primary leadoff hitter and demonstrated great run production with 16 homeruns and 31 RBIs.  He also hit 11 doubles and was tied for the league lead with 11 stolen bases.  Soriano added 30 runs scored and hit .324 with runners in scoring position [.286 BA, 48 G, 189 AB, 30 R, 54 H, 31 RBI, 12 DO, 16 HR, 8 BB, 48 K, 11 SB].

CY YOUNG AWARD
(Cy Young nominees can be any pitcher that had the biggest impact on the success of your season. A team may nominate up to two players.)

Chad Cordero, Kansas City Royals - In a season where the Royals rotation was very average and the bullpen not very good, Chad Cordero was the lone bright spot across the board.  In 19 innings pitched, he allowed just seven hits and walks and had an ERA of 1.42.  Couple this with being a perfect 5-5 in save opportunities.  He even won a game while working in extra innings.  Cordero did not allow an inherited runner to score all season nor did he allow a homerun.  He certainly made the most of limited usage opportunities [1-0, 1.42 ERA, 5 SV, 3 HA, 4 BB, 15 K].

Roy Halladay, Los Angeles Angels - Roy Halladay had a terrific year for the Angels, winning six out of his ten starts.  He posted the third best ERA in the league [6-3, 2.70 ERA, 10 GS, 73.1 IP, 69 HA, 8 HRA, 16 BB, 41 K, 3 CG].

Greg Maddux, Cleveland Indians - Acquired just before the start of the season, Greg Maddux provided the Cleveland starting pitching staff much needed consistency and stability.  Coming out the gate strong, Maddux won four of his first five decisions.  Maddux also tied for the league lead in wins with 7, posting a 7-3 won loss record.  Maddux made 11 starts, pitching 7 innings in 7 of those starts, issuing only 13 free passes and 5 homeruns in 70 innings of pitching [7-3, 4.52 ERA, 69.2 IP, 76 HA, 5 HRA, 13 BB, 59 K].

Matt Morris, Oakland Athletics - The young pitcher finished with the second best ERA on the team (2.76) and a team-best 5-2 record with three complete games (two were wins).  His ERA was good for fourth in the league.  Matt Morris contributed big time to the 20-34 record that the A's scraped away.  While he may not be considered all-star material, he performed as such all season.  Oakland management knew that when Morris' turn came up in the rotation, they could count on a solid outing [5-2, 2.76 ERA, 65.1 IP, 61 HA, 16 BB, 36 K, 20 ER, 28 R].

Mike Mussina, Minnesota Twins - Mike Mussina posted an impressive 6-2 record over 10 starts this season.  He also recorded a nice 3.92 ERA with 50 strikeouts over 64.1 innings [6-2, 3.92 ERA, 10 GS, 64.1 IP, 65 HA, 4 HRA, 20 BB, 50 K].

Chris Ray, New York Mets - On a team with only 21 wins, Chris Ray was dominant.  He saved 10 of the team's 21 wins, posted an ERA of 1.29, a WHIP of 0.81, and allowed an opponent batting average of .123 (8-65).  He did not lose a game all season [0-0, 1.29 ERA, 10 SV, 21 IP, 8 HA, 9 BB, 10 K].

Johan Santana, Los Angeles Angels - Johan Santana proved to be the winningest pitcher in the league again in 2007, posting an impressive 7-2 record.  He also led the league in strikeouts with 80 and pitched one shutout [7-2, 4.15 ERA, 11 GS, 78.0 IP, 69 HA, 13 HRA, 26 BB, 80 K, 2 CG, 1 SH].

John Smoltz, Minnesota Twins - John Smoltz was the staff ace and workhorse for the Minnesota Twins in 2007.  While logging six wins over 12 starts, he posted an ERA of 3.72 and averaged a strikeout per inning.  His 75 strikeouts was good for second in the league [6-4, 3.72 ERA, 12 GS, 1 CG, 75.0 IP, 77 HA, 8 HRA, 28 BB, 75 K].

Chien-Ming Wang, Seattle Mariners - Chien-Ming Wang had a fine year, winning six out of eight decisions and posting a solid 4.11 ERA in over 70 innings of work [6-2, 4.11 ERA, 11 GS, 72.1 IP, 80 HA, 20 BB, 15 K].

Carlos Zambrano, Boston Red Sox - Carlos Zambrano was a big-time starter for Boston who always kept his team in the game and did a very good job at shutting down opponents.  He had a knack for giving the bullpen the night off [4-2, 2.15 ERA, 71.0 IP, 46 HA, 42 BB, 66 K].

ROLAIDS RELIEF MAN AWARD
(Rolaids Relief Man nominees can be any pitcher who appeared strictly in a relief role all season. Nominees are NOT limited to closers. A team may nominate up to two players.)

Chad Cordero, Kansas City Royals - In a season where the Royals rotation was very average and the bullpen not very good, Chad Cordero was the lone bright spot across the board.  In 19 innings pitched, he allowed just seven hits and walks and had an ERA of 1.42.  Couple this with being a perfect 5-5 in save opportunities.  He even won a game while working in extra innings.  Cordero did not allow an inherited runner to score all season nor did he allow a homerun.  He certainly made the most of limited usage opportunities [1-0, 1.42 ERA, 5 SV, 19.0 IP, 3 HA, 4 BB, 15 K].

Justin Duchscherer, Cleveland Indians - Former set-up man Justin Duchscherer was called upon to fill a huge hole as closer for the Cleveland Indians.  Duchscherer provided stellar work all season long converting 13 of 14 save opportunities.  Also, Duchscherer allowed only 4 runs all season while posting a 2.12 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP [0-0, 2.12 ERA, 12 SV, 17.0 IP, 14 HA, 1 HRA, 3 BB, 21 K].

Aaron Heilman, Cleveland Indians - With former setup partner Justin Duchscherer in the closer's role this year, Aaron Heilman proved to be the key performer in the Cleveland bullpen.  Pitching in both setup and middle relief roles, Heilman pitched two or more innings in six of his 18 relief appearances.  Heilman posted a very good 2.51 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP [2-1, 2.51 ERA, 28.2 IP, 21 HA, 3 HRA, 6 BB, 23 K].

Trevor Hoffman, Seattle Mariners - Trevor Hoffman had an amazing year in middle relief, allowing only 14 base runners in 21 innings of work, while striking out 20 and giving up only one run for a minuscule 0.43 ERA [1-1, 0.43 ERA, 0 SV, 21.0 IP, 10 HA, 4 BB, 20 K].

Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins - Francisco Liriano was a lights out workhorse out of the pen for the Twins this season.  Appearing in 19 games, he logged an eye-popping 39.2 high quality innings.  Liriano won two games and saved one game.  What is even more impressive is that his 57 strikeouts just missed a spot on the top ten leader board for the league!  He posted a very respectable 3.18 ERA and allowed just 27 hits all season [2-2, 3.18 ERA, 1 SV, 39.2 IP, 27 HA, 4 HRA, 14 BB, 57 K].

Joe Nathan, Seattle Mariners - Joe Nathan had an excellent year, compiling a 3-1 record with 11 saves in 18 appearances.  He struck out 33 in 22 innings and posted a 2.45 ERA [3-1, 2.45 ERA, 11 SV, 22.0 IP, 16 HA, 4 BB, 33 K].

Akinori Otsuka, Oakland Athletics - With the best stats and the coolest name on the Oakland roster, Akinori Otsuka wins my vote for Rolaids Relief Man.  Leading the relief pitchers in wins, innings, earned runs, and runs, and finishing second in everything else.  Shutting out the Mets to win the final games in the season to secure GM Adam Markon's first 20-win season, would tie with Jonathon Papelbon for best candidate [2-0, 0.90 ERA, 0 SV, 20.0 IP, 17 HA, 3 BB, 12 K, 2 ER, 2 R].

Jonathan Papelbon, Oakland Athletics - As a setup, long reliever, and closer for the Oakland A's, Papelbon led the relievers in saves and runs given up and came in second in literally every other category.  As the most frequently used closer for the A's, he fit the job well going four for five in save chances, blowing one save against the Angels.  He also finished third in wins among all of the pitchers on the major league staff.  Making 16 appearances averaging 1.2 IP per start, he was without a doubt the best reliever on the Oakland staff [2-1, 1.83 ERA, 4 SV, 19.2 IP, 14 HA, 4 BB, 23 K, 4 ER, 4 R].

Chris Ray, New York Mets - On a team with only 21 wins, Chris Ray was dominant.  He saved 10 of the team's 21 wins, posted an ERA of 1.29, a WHIP of 0.81, and allowed an opponent batting average of .123 (8-65).  He did not lose a game all season [0-0, 1.29 ERA, 10 SV, 21 IP, 8 HA, 9 BB, 10 K].

Mariano Rivera, Los Angeles Angels - Mariano Rivera led the league in saves with 15 [1-1, 2.86 ERA, 15 SV, 22.0 IP, 22 HA, 2 HRA, 3 BB, 16 K].

Takashi Saito, Minnesota Twins - With his team using a closer-by-committee philosophy, Saito may not have had the most save opportunities, but he certainly had a very positive impact on his team's success in 2007.  In 24 innings, Saito allowed just 13 hits and six walks while posting an impressive 2.63 ERA.  He allowed just one homerun all year and recorded 31 strikeouts.  His eight saves were tied for fifth in the league [1-1, 2.63 ERA, 8 SV, 24.0 IP, 13 HA, 1 HRA, 6 BB, 31 K].

Scot Shields, Boston Red Sox - Scot Shields was by far the best reliever for the Red Sox in 2007.  He could always be counted on to get the tough outs and was a big part of the success when things went right [1-2, 3.41 ERA, 0 SV, 29.0 IP, 15 HA, 6 BB, 25 K].

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Last modified:  Saturday, April 24, 2010