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The Wee Ones, Dustin Pedroia and Tim Lincecum, both of whom could easily be mistaken for bat boys in 28 major league parks not named Fenway or AT&T, carry not only the hopes of the Red Sox and Giants, respectively. With the Baseball Writers' Association of America doling out its season awards beginning today, Pedroia and Lincecum also tote the big league dreams of Woodland in particular, Northern California in general.
Pedroia, Boston's scrappy second baseman, can become the first Sacramento-area player to be named MVP, and Lincecum, the sudden face of San Francisco, might be the second Giant to win a Cy Young Award. As such, I've come up with my own list of award winners.
Keep in mind, these selections, like those made by the BBWAA, were made before the playoffs.
So where do the Wee Ones rank in my honors system? Drumroll, please ...
AL MVP
Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (.326, 17 HRs, 83 RBIs)
-- Others to consider: Los Angeles Angels RH closer Francisco Rodriguez (MLB-record 62 saves), Chicago White Sox LF Carlos Quentin (.288, 36 HRs, 100 RBIs).
-- Midseason pick: Rodriguez.
-- The skinny: A little love for the local kid? Maybe, but there's no doubting what the Woodland scrapper brought to Boston in becoming an overnight New England legend. The diminutive Pedroia, listed generously at 5-foot-9, carried the Red Sox after Manny Ramirez was traded in the summer and led them to a wild-card berth. Pedroia also led the A.L. in runs (118) and doubles (54), was tied for the league lead in hits (213), was second in hitting and fourth in total bases (322). Batting all over the Red Sox's lineup and playing Gold Glove defense, the Pride of Woodland should be Boston's 11th MVP.
NL MVP
Philadelphia Phillies 1B Ryan Howard (.251, MLB-leading 48 HRs and MLB-best 146 RBIs)
-- Others to consider: Los Angeles Dodgers LF Manny Ramirez (.396, 17 HRs, 53 RBIs in 53 games with L.A.), Milwaukee Brewers LH starter CC Sabathia (11-2, 1.65 ERA in 17 starts with Brewers).
-- Midseason pick: Phillies 2B Chase Utley.
-- The skinny: St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols probably will win, but his monster season (.357, 37 HRs, 116 RBIs) came for a fourth-place team. How valuable is that? Howard strikes out too much and his average was down, but he lifted the Phillies into the postseason in hitting .352 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in September. The Dodgers and Brewers would not have sniffed the playoffs without Ramirez and Sabathia, respectively.
AL Cy Young
Cleveland Indians LHP Cliff Lee (22-3, 2.54 ERA)
-- Others to consider: Los Angeles Angels RH closer Francisco Rodriguez (62 saves), Toronto Blue Jays RH starter Roy Halladay (20-11, 2.78 ERA).
-- Midseason pick: Lee.
-- The skinny: K-Rod made history for the team that finished with the best record in baseball, and Halladay helped end the New York Yankees' 13-year playoff run by beating them five times. But Lee's season was truly ridiculous. The All-Star Game starter led the A.L. in wins, ERA and winning percentage (.880), and his 11-game winning streak was the longest in the big leagues. The left-hander was also second in the A.L. in innings (223 1/3) and complete games (four), all for a team that finished .500.
NL Cy Young
Giants RHP Tim Lincecum (18-5, 2.62 ERA, MLB-leading 265 strikeouts)
-- Others to consider: Arizona RH starter Brandon Webb (22-7, 3.30 ERA), Philadelphia Phillies RH closer Brad Lidge (41 saves in 41 opportunities).
-- Midseason pick: Cincinnati Reds RH starter Edinson Volquez.
-- The skinny: Not only was Lincecum the most electrifying hurler in the N.L., he also led the bigs in strikeouts (setting a San Francisco record), had the N.L.'s lowest road ERA (2.22), lowest opponent batting average (.221) and its best winning percentage (.783). Lincecum was also second in the N.L. in ERA (2.62) and quality starts (26). And he did it for a team that finished 18 games under .500. Lincecum, nicknamed "the Freak" because of his slight build, should be just the second Giant to claim the Cy Young Award, joining the unlikely Mike McCormick, who won in 1967.
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