2003 Most Valuable Player Awards

It's just as well that ARod won it now, to curb any future debate about the worth/value of a player on a losing team, which I am dead tired of. Also, there wasn't anyone else compelling enough to stand up to ARod's offensive onslaught, so whatever for 2k3.

I won't predict the margin of Bonds's victory, but I'll eat everyone's bag of dix if Pujols wins.

I hate A-Rod. Were the voters just trying to stick it to Manny Ramirez for his September weirdness?

also if A-Rod gets traded to a good team and has another good season and takes said good team to the playoffs then giving him the award this year will look really dumb.

David Ortiz probably deserved MVP votes more than Manny.

A-Rod wins by default that he had the best year and no one else looks that outstanding on a winning team.

If Bonds loses, it is because he is a creep, not because of how he plays. He is perhaps the most despised athlete of his generation, which is saying something considering the REAL crimes committed by others. Having his trainer up on federal charges isn't going to win him any votes.

And the winner is... ...

;-D

i think Bonds was robbed in 2000, this could be his 4th in a row... amazing or not?

Bonds has awesome skills, but I cannot stand him. He has always been arrogant crab. I never liked him as a player and I lost any respect for him since that fight at spring training with Jim Leyland way back in the early 90s.

You would usually think the top player of a time period to bring viewers to watch a championship, but it says something about Bonds that the fact when SF was in the World Series, it got some of the worse TV ratings ever.

That being said, Bonds is an amazing hitter and has patience very rarely seen in someone with such power. I doubt that I will see another hitter so thoroughly pitched around again.

earlnash,

You bring up a good point; however, Jim Leyland was as much of an asshole as Bonds (and I love them both).

I think you're also overlooking that Bonds and Leyland forgot about that incident many years ago and are very, very close. I've seen Leyland in SF too many times to count. Bonds has always invited Leyland to every single milestone game. When Bonds hit #71, Leyland (as well as Bonilla who Barry insisted that the Mets give him the day off) came out on the field and stood by Barry's side (along with Bobby Bonds).

If Leyland can forgive Bonds for a fight 12 years ago, surely you can too?

Or is the media (which dwells way too much on off-field antics and who never forgets incidents such as these) too hard to ignore?

Yeah...I can see your point, he was pretty young then I suppose. But Bonds arrogance early in his career has led people to really have a long memory and great disdain.

It's weird...I don't know, some athletes can't work the media very well. I grew up in Indiana, graduated from IU, met Bobby Knight a couple of times and know about alot of the good things he has done, but his perception to most people is only going to be a complete lunatic bully. I know it is pretty much impossible to try and defend Knight to some people, so I can take your point about Bonds.

As I said, people dislike Bonds and really other than coming off as an ass or a whiner in some interviews, he really hasn't done anything that compares to the mistakes and indescretions of many athletes.

As an example, Bond's hasn't had an on-field incident that compares to Clemens beaning of Piazza.

Bonds probably would have just been better off early in his career completely shutting down his access to the media like Carlton or Eddie Murray, which might have worked somewhat, but probably would have been impossible during that crazy 73 HR year.

Bonds is definitely one person that signed a MAJOR contract and delivered every buck back in returns, that is for sure.

They were different times and to be honest he doesn't really compare off the field to this guy, but Bonds situation is probably somewhat similar to Ted Williams. The guy was loathed by many as a person (especially by Boston sportswriters), but was by far the best hitter of his time. Williams war with the writers in Boston supposedly started with supposedly appearing to cadillac a play in a game in his first or second year.

I think with time he will gain respect and definitely be held at that ultimate level of player in his later years. How gracious Bonds acts as he gets closer to Aaron's record will be a big determination of public perception of his career. Mind you, if it turns out he gets busted on steroids, all bets are off.

Put it this way, no player's stock has gone down more than Griffey, he went from "the kid" to the punk in record time. Unless he pulls out of his slide may become the first player with 500 HRs to not make the hall of fame (or at least not for awhile).

Back to the AL MVP... Bill Mueller with 45 points. Obviously someone here stole a couple ballots.

David Ortiz deserved the damn award. Bullshit.

bonds should tell sammy to put a cork in it.