I'm sure Pujols will win but it should go to Ryan Howard. Anyone winning the MVP playing on a team that doesn't go to the playoffs is a crock of shit.

i dont get or agree with the argument that the most valuable player can only play on a playoff team. why cant a great player on a good or even horrible team win MVP?

Yeah it is an award about the regular season, not the playoffs.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

It's not the best player award. It's an award for the player that plays the best under pressure. It's alot easier to come to the ballpark everyday and put up huge numbers if there's nothing on the line. The Phillies were in a dog fight with the Mets and every at bat mattered. Howard hit .352 11 HR's 32 RBI and 26 runs scored in September! He carried his team into the post season and there is nothing more VALUABLE than that.

it is totally a best player award. the best player in September award is called "Player of the Month - September". this is a case of trying to change what the meaning of the MVP award is. it has nothing to do with who is the best clutch hitter in september, it rewards a season of excellence.

If it were a best player award it would be called the 'Babe Ruth award' or the 'Hank Aaron award' (oh wait they already have that!). Nobody is denying that Pujols is a great player but the Cards suck with or without him. This used to be a unique award but the stupid lazy sportswriters put an end to that.

It's not the best player award. It's not an award for the best player on the best team. It's not an award for the best player under pressure. Or is it one of those? WTF is this award? The fact is, it's all of them and none of them. It depends what year it is. If it's the best player on the best team award then why would anyone on a team that doesn't make the playoffs even get a vote? If it's an award for the best player under pressure then why have players won the award with less than stellar Septembers?
This award, along with the Heisman (although I think this award is "supposed" to be for the most outstanding college player...but it's not), has as many explanations for winning the award as there are voters for the award. Having a clear idea what the award is presented for wouldn't eliminate debate but it would eliminate the confusion. And since the writers are also the voters, I don't see anything being done about it ever since the way it is now gives writers much more to write about. Plus, since there's no clear criteria, writers are free to vote with hometown/regional biases and used whatever justification they choose. I think Rick Telander voted for the a backup running back at Miami and an incoming freshman running back at Miami one year just so he'd have something to write about (plus he's a hack and an arrogant prick). The awards are nice but the process is a joke.

i have no problem with ryan howard - he is a great player, and he put up unbelievable power numbers, but pujols was consistently excellent for the entire season. each month he put up excellent numbers and was able to keep his team afloat pretty deep into the season, before they collapsed in late august and early september. it would not be an outrage or a crock of shit for him to win MVP.

If the Cy Young were called the Most Valuable Pitchers award would Tim Lincecum still win?

i agree with everything mike just said. it is a problem when nobody knows what the award means anymore. too many people have forced their own criteria onto an award that used to quite simply reward the player that had the best season. now it is a mish-mosh of people complicating it by constantly trying to re-define what valuable means: is it value to the team? value to the league? value in crunch time? nobody knows.

whatever you call it, brad lidge would be my still be my winner. hard to beat perfect at what you do.

I think this was simply a regular season award, but I thought the Phillies' Ryan Howard was a lot more valuable to the new World Champions than Albert Pujols was for a Cardinals team that was out of the race around Labor Day.

again, i have no argument with ryan howard - he may well win and deserve it, but due to the confusion about what the award should be awarding, in some cases i think pujols is more deserving. yes, his team was done by labor day, but it was largely because of him that they were in it THAT long, and he never had a huge slump where he was killing his team with K's like howard had, he has constantly hitting and hitting and hitting. howard was KILLING his team early in the year. he came up big in september, absolutely, when it counts, and he derves accolades for that, but to me that doesnt completely overshadow his horrible start, especially when you have another guy who brought it day after day constantly.