The Ballpark Guys First-Ever Postseason Awards
The Ballpark Guys are pleased to announce the Ballpark Guys 2000
Awards. The outstanding performances of the 2000 major-league season
will be honored in the balloting conducted by a coterie of Ballpark
Guys from around the United States and Canada. The 2000 awards mark
the introduction of the Babe Ruth Award for the player of the year
in each league. Other awards will be presented in all of the traditional
categories, except Executive of the Year, which is a lame award.
The Ballpark Guys 2000 Awards:
The Babe Ruth Award is something that Major League Baseball should
have adopted long ago to honor the memory of the greatest player
who ever lived. Often the finest player in the league is not the
most valuable player. There is no better example of that than 1998,
the year of the great home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy
Sosa. McGwire was clearly the league's best player, yet Sosa was
clearly the MVP. In a similar scenario, the Babe Ruth Award will
recognize and honor both players. The Babe Ruth Award is being introduced
by the Ballpark Guys to honor the player of the year in each league,
irrespective of the position he plays and the value he has to a
team's winning effort.
The Most Valuable Player Award is traditionally voted on before
the postseason begins. In this age of playoffs that involve eight
teams, it's safe to assume that the most valuable player in each
league would come from one of those eight playoff teams. It is also
fair to expect the most valuable player to contribute to his team's
success in the postseason. Because of the Ballpark Guys' introduction
of the Babe Ruth Award for the player of the year in each league,
the Most Valuable Player Award can now be voted on at the conclusion
of the postseason, which can ensure that the proper man is awarded
in what would otherwise be a close regular season race.
The Cy Young Award is presented to the finest pitcher in each league.
It is based solely on regular season performance.
The Rookie of the Year Award is named in honor of its first recipient.
It is presented to the outstanding first-year player in each league.
The Manager of the Year Award is presented to the manager in each
league who guided his team to its finest performance possible. It
is an award that can be voted on based solely on regular season
performance.
Comeback Player of the Year Award
The Comeback Player of the Year is the man who
overcame the most difficult obstacle to return and play, the man
who had the most significant improvement from an off year, or a
man who overcame the most difficult obstacle to make the most significant
improvement from an off year.
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