Hmmm... Let's do awards

I don't have a lot of time today, so I'll take what I have to do something I rarely do, talk about baseball related things that aren't the Pirates. First up, my post-season award predictions

NL MVP:
Gotta be Albert Pujols. Guy puts up MVP numbers every year but hasn't won the award yet. The simple fact is that the Cardinals were ravaged by injuries this year and he carried them to the best record, again. Andruw Jones was good, but I think this is Pujols' year.

AL MVP:
David Ortiz. The debate is A-Rod and Ortiz here, like you didn't know. So let's take an easy question, who scares you the most with the game on the line in the Yankees lineup, A-Rod, Sheffield, or Giambi? I'd pitch to A-Rod before I'd pitch to either of the other two. In the Sox lineup is there a more petrifying sight than David Ortiz at the plate with the game on the line? No. The Red Sox aren't in the playoffs without him, so he's the MVP.

NL Cy Young:
This was Chris Carpenter in a runaway a month ago, and since the Cardinals weren't in a pennant race I don't think he'll be penalized too much for his bad last month, especially since Clemens struggled too (I mean he lost to us). Dontrelle Willis's hot finish makes this close, but I don't see a guy with 10 losses getting the Cy.

AL Cy Young:
This one is the toughest of the big four. It probably comes down to Mariano Rivera and Bartolo Colon. If I had a vote I'd vote for Colon, the ace of maybe the best team in the AL, but since Rivera's never won one and Colon will be penalized for appearence points (you know it's true) I'd say the voters are going for Mariano Rivera here. I just hate to see closers win this award.

NL Manager of the Year:
Most people will probably say Bobby Cox or Tony LaRussa for this one, but nothing their teams did should have surprised anyone. Instead, the award should go to the guy who's team was 16-31 on May 27th and finds himself in the playoffs now, yep, Phil Garner.

AL Manager of the Year:
The voters will probably give this one to Joe Torre. I say if your payroll is $200 million you damn well better make the playoffs and no one should be surprised enough to give you an award when you do. This one should go to Eric Wedge who brought his young, $42 million team out of nowhere in September to almost unseat the once uncatchable White Sox before falling a little short in the end.

NL Rookie of the Year:
I'm a little biased here and I clearly think Duke should win it, but realistically that ankle injury and those missed starts will probably cost him the award. Let the Jeff Francoeur love-fest continue.

AL Rookie of the Year:
5-1, 1.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 23 saves. Congratulations Huston Street, you'd probably win this award even if there was competition.

First round playoff predictions to come later.