From the Windup: FanHouse Is Proud to Present a Whole New Set of Baseball Awards

From the Windup is FanHouse's daily, extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.

It's the end of the year for baseball. That means we get to talk about MVP and Cy Young Awards. Yay. Because, really, nothing says "important post-season awards" like a group of journalists who don't actually watch every team in baseball putting together a vote for which player(s) deserve to be recognized based primarily on their proximity -- in a team sport -- to the playoffs.

That's somewhat sarcastic of course, but in essence, it is what the MVP and Cy Young awards (both registered trademarks of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA)!) have become. They are meaningful, because our country has allowed them to become that way.

But the primary problem with these awards is that they are not fairly established -- in terms of voters -- and are most certainly misguided -- in terms of qualifications. Enough so that we are all, for the most part, very confused about what the MVP award should mean.

Another fine example of the MVP confusion can be found in Biz of Baseball's recent interview with Denver Post writer and BBWAA member Tracy Ringolsby, and his discussion of the award within.

I am giving strong consideration to Brad Lidge for the NL MVP. From a standpoint of consistency and impact on the mental aspect of a team, I don't know if many have ever done the job Lidge has done, and he has not been affected by the threat of his home park in Philadelphia.

Surely, sir, you jest. Or mistyped. Ah. I see. You did not. (Emphasis mine.)

As for Lidge, I didn't say I was voting for him, but I said I am leaning in that direciton and can see the possiblity in light of the fact the offensive players have all had sporadic times. Curiously, who and why is a better candidate? Not arguing, just asking, but the why is critical. I might add I am one of the people who puts a value on the term Valuable. It is not Player of the Year.

Of course, I give a very hearty +1 for Ringolsby in coming back online and answering the commenters' questions. Even if it did -- via the emphasis -- kind of answer mine. See, it should be Player of the Year. The most prestigious award handed out at the end of every season should go the best player in each league.



Or, at the very least, we should have new awards, and there shouldn't be some horribly ridiculous requirement that whoever is voting attends XXX games, even when that number isn't actually monitored by the hippest group in America (your .HTML knowledge aside gentlemen, lime green was soooo last year).

With that in mind, FanHouse is pleased to present a new set of baseball awards. You, wonderful internet folk and non-baseball game attenders, may vote on them. All you have to do is prove to us that you in some manner can intelligently cover baseball and that you avidly follow the game with some sense of intelligence.

In turn, you will get to vote on a number of different awards. For starters, no MVP. That's right -- again, it's trademarked. Instead, we will have a MOP, standing for the "Most Outstanding Player". Standings don't matter. Just a player's performance. You know, because it should matter that Grady Sizemore's team isn't playing well.

But just to make sure we get all the traditionalists covered, we'll have a MIPPP, which stands for Most Important Playoff Picture Player. Because, after all, one person's impact on an entirely team based sport that revolves around the performance of many individuals is important.

And naturally, the pitchers will receive awards as well. For starters, there will be the BBBPB (also known as the Banny Blyleven Best Pitcher in Baseball Award, and commonly referred to as "the beebee") handed out to the pitcher who, well, pitches the best throughout an entire season. This will be based not entirely on wins and will take into account an intelligent thought process as it relates to statistical analysis. In lieu a true front runner, the award will likely be given to the pitcher who wears the funniest t-shirt over the course of the season.

The ABC (Always Be Closing) Award will be presented to the best closer. It will not be sponsored by heartburn medicine.

The Josh Hamilton Story Award will not take the place of the Comeback POY; it will be the coolest story of someone overcoming drugs to resurrect their major league career. In the event that such a story is unavailable, it will be awarded to the player who made the biggest "leap" in terms of his previous season to the next. We could probably skip the rehab jokes and just call it the Breakout Award.

And of course, we'll have the Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year Awards. They aren't trademarked or ridiculous enough to consider changing just now. If you're interested in joining the group of baseball writing enthusiasts that will be voting on these awards, and if you're excited to see them eventually overthrow the the BBWA and their sometimes petty decisions to be exclusive, then please email me and let me know.

Internet, print and really any knowledgeable (and provable) media peeps are welcome. It might be the Baseball Blogger Awards though, so if you're not down with that sort of evil, nerdy classification, well, you might want to rethink jumping into this pool of sensibility.