Oh, to sum up the first half. Well, the Mets stink, yet the Tigers just might be the 1962 Mets. George Steinbrenner and Joe Torre really dislike each other, but how about this for a new sitcom: “Everyone Loves Dontrelle?” Neither SARS in Toronto nor disinterest in Montreal has prevented Canada’s two baseball teams from contending.
At midseason, it was possible to believe the Cubs could win the World Series, the Royals could make the playoffs, and Melvin Mora could capture the AL batting title. What a game.
The least offensive thing in baseball is Los Angeles’ offense. The most offensive is two Vaughns (Greg and Mo) combining to make about $24 million from the Devil Rays and Mets, respectively, not to play for them.
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Edgar Martinez, Jamie Moyer and David Wells are timeless. Ellis Burks, Tom Glavine, Al Leiter and Greg Maddux look like they are running out of time. And no one wanted to give Rickey Henderson the time of day.
It is about time for the first-half awards:
AL MVP: 1. Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays. 2. Nomar Garciaparra, Red Sox. 3. Bret Boone, Mariners. 4. Frank Thomas, White Sox. 5. Vernon Wells, Blue Jays.
Delgado has gone from an available, overpaid slugger to a threat to have 100 RBIs by the All-Star break.
AL ANTI-MVP: Paul Konerko, White Sox. From .304, 27 homers, 104 RBIs to the bench.
NL MVP: 1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals. 2. Barry Bonds, Giants. 3. Gary Sheffield, Braves. 4. Luis Gonzalez, Diamondbacks. 5. Mike Lowell, Marlins.
Pujols is playing great, Bonds is in a supposedly down year, and Pujols has just a slight edge over Bonds. Even in a down year, the Giant left fielder ranks with greatness.
NL ANTI-MVP: Pat Burrell, Phillies. Flirting with .200 is no way for a supposed MVP candidate to behave.
AL CY YOUNG: 1. Esteban Loaiza, White Sox. 2. Roy Halladay, Blue Jays. 3. Jamie Moyer, Mariners. 4. Pedro Martinez, Red Sox. 5. Brendan Donnelly, Angels.
Loaiza, 11-2 by early July, never had won more than 11 games in a journeyman career. Before anyone scoffs at Donnelly, look at the numbers.
AL ANTI-CY YOUNG: Jeff Weaver, Yankees. In a slight edge over Minnesota’s Joe Mays, Weaver gets the nod for bad body language and worse pitching.
NL CY YOUNG: 1. Jason Schmidt, Giants. 2. Kevin Brown, Dodgers. 3. Mark Prior, Cubs. 4. John Smoltz, Braves. 5. Eric Gagne, Dodgers.
With five complete games and three shutouts, Schmidt has emerged as a dominating horse. Prior probably will have a mantle full of these awards before long.
NL ANTI-CY YOUNG: Glendon Rusch, Brewers. Remember when he had a future? Now he is at Triple-A after going 1-11, 8.61.
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 1. Hideki Matsui, Yankees. 2. Rocco Baldelli, Devil Rays. 3. Mike MacDougal, Royals. 4. Reed Johnson, Blue Jays. 5. Francisco Rodriguez, Angels.
Matsui’s success highlights a great first half for Japanese imports with Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, and the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo and Kaz Ishii all legitimate All-Star considerations.
ANTI-AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jose Contreras, Yankees. The only Hideki he is reminding anyone of is Irabu.
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 1. Dontrelle Willis, Marlins. 2. Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks. 3. Scott Podsednik, Brewers. 4. Brad Lidge, Astros. 5. Claudio Vargas, Expos.
This has been a great year for NL rookies with Willis emerging as one of the most exciting players to break into the majors in years. Webb fronts an Arizona rookie flock (Robby Hammock, Matt Kata, Lyle Overbay, Stephen Randolph, Jose Valverde, Oscar Villareal) that helped the D’backs get back into the race while Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling were injured.
ANTI-NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Marlon Byrd, Phillies. Came on in June, but the hope was he could do the job, not have to share it with Ricky Ledee.
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: 1. Bob Melvin, Mariners. 2. Tony Pena, Royals. 3. Carlos Tosca, Blue Jays.
Seattle looked like a team sliding last year, in Melvin’s rookie season they look like their 116-win team of 2001.
ANTI-AL MANAGER: Alan Trammell, Tigers. It’s not fair because he has so little talent, but how do you ignore this kind of losing?
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: 1. Bobby Cox, Braves. 2. Jim Tracy, Dodgers. 3. Bob Brenly, Diamondbacks.
There have been a lot of terrific jobs done in the NL, but it is about time to recognize how Cox takes continually changing casts and spins greatness.
ANTI-NL MANAGER: Jeff Torborg, Marlins. This is emeritus – he’s already been fired. But for taking talent and doing the least with it – and possibly getting key pitchers hurt with overwork – Torborg deserves yet another blemish.