MLB Mlb Awards

Hideki Matsui was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2009 World Series after a record-setting performance in the decisive Game 6.

Matsui drove in six of the Yankees' seven runs in their World Series-clinching victory, staking New York to an early lead with a two-run homer off of Pedro Martinez in the second inning and falling a triple short of the cycle. His six RBI were the most by any player in a World Series clincher. Five others -- including Reggie Jackson -- held the record of five RBI previously.

"It's awesome," Matsui said through a translator of his achievement. "Unbelievable. I'm surprised myself.

While the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies are busy battling for the meaningless title of World Series champion Arizona reliever Clay Zavada was in St. Louis to receive some real hardware. Yes, after much debate throughout the country and campaigns that cost American taxpayers millions of dollars, Zavada was named the "Mustached American of the Year" by the American Mustache Institute on Sunday night.

We shall all now bow to the power of Zavada's Rollie Fingers-esque mustache, and hope that through the will of being too lazy to shave, we too can one day achieve such greatness for ourselves.

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Ron Gardenhire was asked how teams try to pitch Joe Mauer.

"I can't give you all that information," Gardenhire, the Twins manager, said of his No. 3 hitter. "You'll write it and then other people might figure it out."

So you know, Ron, how to get him out?

"Hell, no, I don't! That's why I don't want to say anything.

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Cody Ross blames his mom.

"My dad was a really good athlete (Kenny Ross, who played safety at New Mexico in the late 1960s)," said Ross, the Marlins' right fielder. "My dad was all right[-handed]. My mom's a lefty, so maybe I got that gene from her."

Ross and St. Louis' Ryan Ludwick are the only two active position players who throw left and bat right. Just 14 such players in baseball history have gotten as many as 1,000 at-bats -- and that list now includes a Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson.

"He kind of put us on the map," Ross said.

By mid-September, there is usually a favorite for most of the MLB regular season awards. Looking around this year, there are clear frontrunners in the races for the AL MVP (Joe Mauer), AL Cy Young (Zack Greinke), NL MVP (Albert Pujols). But, even with less than 3 1/2 weeks remaining in the regular season, the race for the National League Cy Young remains muddled.

NEW YORK -- On the day the Marlins told Chris Coghlan he was getting the call to the majors, they asked him to play one more day in Triple-A.

That's not standard procedure -- why risk an injury? -- but Florida had a good reason.

The Marlins wanted Coghlan to get one career game in left field under his belt before asking him to do it in the big leagues.

In fact, Coghlan has been asked to do two things this year he had never done before. Besides moving from second base to left, Coghlan has become a leadoff hitter.

And while that might seem like piling on, asking a youngster to learn two new jobs at the same time he adjusts to the major leagues, Coghlan has handled it all calmly and well.

I have a theory about Cy Young voting. I don't believe that the Cy Young Award goes to the "most valuable pitcher" or the "best pitcher." It goes to the pitcher who had the best year, regardless of how his team did.

In order to judge that, I think you judge the pitcher based on how effectively he did his job. And a pitcher's job is very simple, on three different layers. Get outs. Prevent runs. Win games. Everything else is trivia.

Opponents' on-base percentage and earned run average are great ways to evaluate the first two, but win-loss record is a problematic stat for a lot of reasons. That's why I've figured out a new way to more fairly judge a pitcher's record.

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

The most remarkable thing about this season as we hit the not-halfway halfway point of the All-Star break isn't Albert Pujols' RBI total. Or Zack Greinke's ERA. Or the PED suspension of one of the game's biggest stars.

It's the standings. And they not only reflect the season so far, they give us a clue as to the weeks head leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline.

The Phillies and Dodgers are the only first-place team with a lead of more than 2 1/2 games. And 21 of the 30 teams are within 7 1/2 games of a playoff spot: nine of 14 in the AL and 12 of 16 in the NL.

Voters "turned out" online in record-shattering numbers to help send Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino and Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge to next Tuesday's All-Star Game in St. Louis in the fans' final vote.

Voting was done exclusively on MLB.com and the number of votes cast was astonishing. For both the American and National League teams, the fans cast 68.6 million votes to send first-time All-Stars, in Inge and Victorino, to play in the 80th All-Star Game.

Inge outlasted Ian Kinsler, who finished the close race in second place ahead of Chone Figgins, Carlos Pena and Adam Lind.

Victorino finished just ahead of Pablo Sandoval, Mark Reynolds, Matt Kemp and Cristian Guzmanto to earn his place on the National League squad.

It hasn't been the greatest week for Cubs manager Lou Piniella. Not only is he feeling the heat of the Chicago media with the Cubs scuffling, but he's also gotten into an argument with Milton Bradley in which he called his right fielder a "piece of [expletive]." Regardless of whether the exchange should have ever left the clubhouse or not, it's not exactly the type of thing you want the world to know about.

All of this was done after a recent poll by Sports Illustrated in which Major League players were asked anonymously which manager in baseball they would least like to play for, and which one they'd most like to play for. Guess which one Sweet Lou emerged "victorious" in.