Dear Voter:
There is no clear-cut definition of what Most Valuable means. It is up to the individual voter to decide who was the Most Valuable Player in each league to his team. The MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier.

The rules of the voting remain the same as they were written on the first ballot in 1931:
1. Actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offense and defense.
2. Number of games played.
3. General character, disposition, loyalty and effort.
4. Former winners are eligible.
5. Members of the committee may vote for more than one member of a team.

You are also urged to give serious consideration to all your selections, from 1 to 10. A 10th-place vote can influence the outcome of an election. You must fill in all 10 places on your ballot.

Keep in mind that all players are eligible for MVP, and that includes pitchers and designated hitters.

Only regular-season performances are to be taken into consideration.”

I figured, it’s nice of them to let me vote, since I’m not a member of the BWAA, nor do I treat them with anything less then distain.

Now of course, I don’t get a real vote, just rants on a web site, but this is my hill, and these are my beans.

Also, don’t you think it’s kind of shortsighted not to let people that write primarily for internet sites to join the BWAA. Not only is it not accepting the new technology, but its snobbish. No one can rationally tell me that George King deserves a vote, and Rob Neyer doesn’t..

NL MVP
10. Brian Giles PIT/SDP .299-20-88 .425/.511/.937
Giles is the most unrecognized player in baseball, for too many years by my estimation. He was often overshadowed in Pittsburgh, due to Pittsburgh being small, and him not being Barry Bonds. He was acquired in one of the more lopsided trades in baseball history, as Cleveland traded him for Ricardo Rincon. Imagine how that trade would be talked about if the Pirates haven’t won a World Series since the 1910s.

9. Edgar Renteria STL .330-13-100 .394/.480/.874
Normally, I don’t look at RBI when I decide the MVP. Sportswriters love it, without really recognizing that RBI are based as much on opportunity as it is on skill. I really don’t think that I can rationally discount a leadoff hitter getting 100 RBI in the National League. Edgar Renteria is having a pretty good year with the glove too.

8. Vladimir Guerrero MON .328-25-79 .424/.585/1.009
When he was younger, Vladimir Guerrero was Randel Simon without the extra 80lbs. Now, he’s Sammy Sosa Redux. Guerrero is the hitter that Garciaparra was before the wrist injury. He would probably rank higher on this list if not for the whole missing games thing.

7. Mark Prior CHC 18-6 2.43 10.43 k/9 70.178 runs sved
Prior is the only pitcher on the list. I just as easily could have listed Schmidt or Gagne also, but didn’t. Gagne pitched in 5.7% of his team’s innings, and as dominant as he has been, I don’t think that anyone can truly make the case that Gagne’s innings are more valuable then say, Guerrero’s. Schmidt has pitched excellently too, but he hasn’t pitched any better then Prior has, and the Giant had the best pitcher’s park in baseball to help him. Plus, if the Cubs lost Prior, who then would Dusty Baker abuse?

6. Jim Thome PHI .268-47-131 .388/.577/.964
I still have nightmares of Thome hitting against Mike Timlin and Jason Shiell. Imagine how good the Phillies would have been if they had more then Thome, Abreu, Shrinking Pat Burrell, and 5 various others. Actually that’s not accurate, Marlon Byrd hit a little bit too, and Lieberthal and Polanco had very good years. I guess it really is Bowa and Wade’s fault. Also, David Bell hit a robust .195. Nice pickup. My friend Tony from Jersey is a big Phillies fan. He helped with this report through slugs of Jack Daniel’s and f-bombs.

5. Todd Helton COL .358-33-117 .457/.630/1.087
Some remember my giving of the Silver Slugger to Thome. Helton’s among the best glove men, and its just enough to push him over Thome in the MVP race. Todd Helton might have one of the prettiest swings in baseball, and my mom assures me that he is quite the looker. If I was from Denver, there is a very good chance that my blog would be called “The House that Todd Built”. One of those quite, unassuming superstars that people dismiss because he plays in a launching pad. Because of that, people forget just how good a player he is.

4. Gary Sheffield ATL .329-39-131 .419/.606/1.025
Early in his career, Sheffield had an almost Bondsian distain for the media. He’s grown up a lot since then. Sheffield will be the #2 free agent next year, after Vlad. Atlanta apparently will try like hell to sign him again. If anyone reading hasn’t gotten a chance to see Sheffield hit, his stance is one of the most interesting that I’ve seen. Think Kevin Millar on amphetamines.

3. Javy Lopez ATL .327-43-109 .377/.687/1.063
Probably the most surprising season since Caminiti’s 1996 MVP campaign. Is it me or does it seem like there are an awful lot of catchers having good years on the north side of 30 this year. Posada, Varitek, Ivan Rodriguez, and Lopez are all having excellent seasons with the bat. Javy Lopez is going to be a free agent, and someone will probably overpay for him drastically. Javy has had a hell of a year, but come on, how many catcher hit when they are 33?

2.Albert Pujols STL .358-43-124 .440/.667/1.107
See below

1. Barry Bonds SFG .339-45-89 .528/.747/1.275
To see why this race isn’t even close takes a measure of sophistication. Albert Pujols probably would be the MVP of the American League, for what its worth. Pujols is a Triple Crown threat, Bonds isn’t. Pujols has played more the Bonds. Other then that, there is no way I can accept anyone thinking about Pujols as the National League MVP.

First the subjective. I generally don’t buy this argument, but it is used to explain why someone shouldn’t win the award. Wouldn’t the Cardinals finish in 3rd place without Pujols? Not only are there two Cardinals on the MVP list, but Jim Edmonds is also having his typical huge year. It doesn’t hurt Pujols, but it does Alex Rodriguez? The hypocrisy is probably tied up in dollar signs, and media savvy. Again, I’m just ranting here, I don’t actually want to use that as an argument.

If you go by the numbers, the counting stats seem to favor Albert. The rate stats are swung so far in Bonds’ favor it is unreal. Bonds gets on base over half the time. When he does put the ball in play, he gets five bases for every six at bats. He is doing it in the best pitchers park in the majors. If you take a team of nine Barry Bonds’ this year, and have them hit, this team of Bonds’ should be expected to score 2195 runs. If you give him league average pitching, then the team’s record should be 154-8. If you Team Bonds replacement level pitching, he should still finish 123-39. Pujols is just not in Barry’s league.

Now sentiment. Barry Bonds’ body is breaking down. He has faced a personal hell, with the death of his father. And through it all, he is still the best hitter in baseball.

Bonds isn’t cordial. He is more likely to tell a writer to go to hell then he is to drop clichés on what he needs to do to fight through slumps. When Bonds opens his mouth, he comes across as an arrogant prick. I probably would too if my entire career I had to answer questions about my father (Bobby Bonds) or my godfather (Willie Mays). Joe Baseball player might be compared to other Joe Baseball players. Barry Bonds has been compared to legends since he debuted in 1986. All he want to be compared too is Barry Bonds. People forget that Gods have tempers, wants and needs. Because Barry beat to his own drum, some media types and fans think that he the arrogant prick that he was in his youth. They are too busy crapping on Barry the Ballplayer, they fail to see Barry the Man.

Bonds probably won’t win. Sometimes writers can’t see past the leather chair and the accusations of Jeff Kent enough to see the contributions on the field, the words of Dusty Baker and Jim Leyland and JT Snow, and just about every other teammate he’s had. It is a shame that baseball won’t really be able to appreciate Bonds’ greatness until he’s gone.