Why wait for one last game? It's awards time, so without further adieu....
MVP, full season division: Carlos Ruiz. This one was easy. Without Chooch the Phils finish in the deep end of the Panama Canal.
MVP, second half division: Kyle Kendrick. Without him the Phils would be looking for another starter this off-season when, frankly, they have more pressing needs. He solidified his spot as a number four.
Cy Young, team division: Cole Hamels. He signed a big contract and got even better. A stellar campaign topped off by a career-high 17 wins.
Special Mention I: Michael "Mini Mart" Martinez. With only one game remaining, the Mini one cannot hit below .100 for the season, but hitting below his weight is a distinct possibility.All he has to do is stop getting cheap hits like last night. C'mon, Mini, you can do it! Had Martinez cooperated a little more he could have achieved baseball immortality by topping (or is it "bottoming"?) the Mendoza line. The "Martinez line" doesn't quite roll off the tongue, but it was the Mini One's only shot at fame.
Special Mention II: Dom Brown has clearly demonstrated he is a lousy fielder. His poor defense makes you wonder what player the scouts were watching as he came up through the minors as a highly touted prospect. Last night, he leaped at the fence in vain for a home run off the bat of Adam LaRoche and, as Gary Matthews pointed out, was about three or four feet to the side from where the ball cleared. It's one thing to leap and fail to snare a fly ball that sails over your glove; it's quite another to be in a different zip code at the time. Brown also overran a foul ball later in the game and looked quite awkward in the process. Can Brown outplay Darin Ruff in the field? Inquiring reporters want to know.
Special Mention III: Jimmy Rollins finished with a career high 62 walks, something fans have been pleading with him to do for years, and still had his lowest OBP in many a season. Jimmy gets the special Topsy Turvy Award for an up-and-down season marked by achieving 2000 hits and being benched for failing to run out a pop up.
Special Mention IV: Kevin Frandsen had two more hits last night. He still doesn't get any respect, however.
