Handing out the postseason awards

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We all know that art and athletic performance are subjective in nature and just because one person thinks Dadaism best expresses the human condition or Matt Kemps performance can be measured by newfangled metrics, doesnt mean that everyone has to appreciate it.

Thats what makes the world go around.

Nevertheless, since the regular baseball season is all over the ledger sheets are properly balanced, it the perfect time of year to submit a non-votingBBWAA submission to the post-season award discussion. That is, if I were allowed to vote, this is the way it would go.

We can debate the works of Marcel Duchamp in a post to come. For now, the arts (National Leaguers only):

MVP
1. Matt Kemp, Dodgers
2. Ryan Braun, Brewers
3. Prince Fielder, Brewers
4. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
5. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
6. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
7. Cliff Lee, Phillies
8. Lance Berkman, Cardinals
9. Joey Votto, Reds
10. Michael Morse, NationalsGenerally when selecting these types of awards I prefer to eschew the stats and focus on the best player on the best team. As my good friend and producer of the Daily News Live program on CSN, Dan Roche, says, Wins are a fancy metric that explains which teams gets to go to the playoffs and which does not. So based on that astute (and usually correct) point, I offer an addendumSometimes theres a player who has a season so compelling and interesting that the perceived important things go out the window. Matt Kemp had that season in 2011.Kemp led the league in most of the traditional and the sabrmetric offensive categories, and came close to achieving some fun superlatives like 40-40 and the Triple Crown. The last time a player got the Triple Crown (league lead in homers, RBIs and average) was 1967 when Carl Yastrzemski put it all together. In the National League, the feat had not been accomplished since Joe Medwick of the Cardinals did it in 1937. In the modern era, the Triple Crown has only been accomplished 13 times by 11 men. In other words, it might be a once-in-a-lifetime feat.Plus, Kemp nearly won the Triple Crown a year after a horrible season where some wondered if he even wanted to play baseball at all.He showed them.

Cy Young
1. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
2. Cliff Lee, Phillies
3. Roy Halladay, Phillies

The Triple Crown for pitchers isnt quite as rare as it is for hitters. However, the quadruple crown (I just made that up) is pretty darned rare. To take the quadruple crown, Clayton Kershaw led the league in wins, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. Since 1965 when Sandy Koufax did it, only two pitchers in the National League have led the league in all four categoriesJake Peavy in 2007 and Kershaw this year. Not bad.Additionally, since 1969, only three pitchers had a second-half ERA as good as Kershaws 1.31, according to the Elias Sports Bureau: Roger Clemens (0.97 in 1990), Tom Seaver (1.10 in 1971) and Johan Santana (1.21 in 2004). Meanwhile, Kershaw became just the second lefthander to get 240-plus strikeouts in a season before the age of 24. Theres Kershaw and Vida Blue with the As in 1971.Not bad at all.

Rookie of the Year
1. Craig Kimbrel, Braves
2. Vance Worley, Phillies
3. Kenley Jansen, Dodgers

Forget the ending when Craig Kimbrel blew three saves in his last eight games, because the Braves rookie was unhittable for the first 71 appearances of the season with a 1.55 ERA. Yeah, a season is 162 games, but give the kid credit for setting the rookie record for saves in a season (46) in a bullpen that was the tops in the league until the last two weeks.
Manager of the Year
1. Charlie Manuel, Phillies
2. Kirk Gibson, Diamondbacks
3. Tony La Russa, Cardinals

The award is for manager of the year, not comeback team of the year. Often, the award goes to the manager of the team that recovered from a bad year to a good one. Thats nice and all, but maybe that has something to do with the players?In 2011, Charlie Manuel won the NL East for the fifth season in a row. Sure, he had the best pitching staff, but he also had his batting lineup together for less than two weeks of the season and still won 102 games.In winning 102 games, Manuel set the record for most wins by a Phillies manager and the most wins in a single season.One of these years Charlie Manuel should win the manager of the year award, and if there was a year to do it, 2011 seemed right. Its not going to happen, though. The award seems destined to go to Kirk Gibson, but as Manuel and the Phillies proved in 2011, sometimes winning 102 games isnt as easy as it looks.

In 1933, the Triple Crown was completed by a player in both leaguesthe only time it has ever occurred. Better yet, Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia As and Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies pulled off the rarest of Triple Crowns in that not only was it in both leagues, but also in the same city.

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