You can’t rush into the second half of the season without taking a quick look back at the first. And sometimes, it’s better to do so with a hand over your eyes.
 
Most Valuable Player: The argument starts and ends with Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer. He leads the majors with a .373 average. He’s totaled 13 doubles, 15 homers and 49 RBIs. He’s sporting a 1.069 OPS. He’s more than just solid behind the plate. And he’s the only player who could keep the award from teammate Justin Morneau (.311, 21 homers, 70 RBIs). Is there a better swing in baseball?

Cy Young: Zack Greinke tailed off a little in the first half, which only means he let the occasional runner cross home plate. But not many. Greinke, once on the verge of being labeled a bust in Kansas City, has blossomed in 2009. His 2.12 ERA ranks second in the majors. He’s 10-5 with five complete games — which means that Greinke also has the power to turn back the clock. Nobody finishes what they started anymore. He’s walked 21 and struck out 129. And that’s good enough to edge out Toronto’s Roy Halladay (10-3, 2.85 ERA, 17 walks, 106 strikeouts, three complete games).

Rookie of the Year: Toronto made Ricky Romero the sixth-overall pick in 2005. Now he’s living up to the hype. Romero is 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 87 innings, with 30 walks and 69 strikeouts. And his timing is just as good, with the Blue Jays’ rotation ravaged by injuries. Serious consideration also was given to Baltimore Orioles right-hander Brad Bergesen, who’s 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA, 25 walks and 53 strikeouts in 104 1/3 innings. Detroit’s Rick Porcello (8-6, 4.14 ERA, 31 walks, 47 strikeouts  in 87 innings) also has turned heads.

Manager of the Year: The award doesn’t usually go to the manager of a third-place team, but the Seattle Mariners are four games above .500 under Don Wakamatsu. They were 61-101 last year. It might be time to build a statue of Wakamatsu outside Safeco Field. Or consider making him Rookie of the Year, too. And it’s probably a good idea to recognize him as more than just the first Asian American manager in the majors.

Best Free Agent Signing: Nobody noticed when the Mariners signed first baseman Russell Branyan unless they shared the same last name. Outside the family, the news barely caused a ripple in baseball’s waters. But Branyan’s 22 home runs rank second in the AL, and he’s also posted a .573 slugging percentage. He’s gone from top prospect to journeyman to key contributor on one of the league’s most surprising teams. Branyan also deserves a little love for being the first player to hit a ball off the Mohegan Sun Restaurant in center field at the new Yankee Stadium.

Worst Free Agent Signing: The Tampa Bay Rays inked Pat Burrell to a two-year, $16 million deal over the winter. Have they gotten their money’s worth so far? You be the judge. He’s batting .232 with four homers, 28 RBIs and a .688 OPS in 57 games. He was 1-for-14 in the World Series. Weren’t the Rays paying attention?

Biggest Bust: If you guessed Jessica Simpson, you confused this category with “Who just got dumped by Tony Romo?” I predicted that Grady Sizemore would be MVP this season, but Cleveland’s multi-talented center fielder is hitting .235 with 13 homers and 47 RBIs in 66 games. He’s been hurt. And he’s been a major disappointment. David Ortiz also deserves a nod — or a smack behind the head.

Biggest Wind Tunnel: It’s no longer Chris Berman. Baseballs are flying out of the new Yankee Stadium, most of them to right field, which is being blamed on the faulty design. The stadium is on pace to threaten Coores Field’s single-season record of 303 home runs allowed in 1999. No wonder Mark Teixeira always wanted to wear pinstripes. He must have known this was coming.

Hottest Seat: It’s found in the home dugout at Jacobs Field, and Indians manager Eric Wedge is sitting on it. He should have griddle marks on his butt. Cleveland owns the worst record in the AL at 35-54. The Indians are 2 ½ games behind the Kansas City Royals, who must have a collective nose bleed from being that high up in the standings. Is it time to bring back Mike Hargrove? Only if Albert Belle doesn't come with him. Speaking of the Royals, Trey Hillman might not want to send out his laundry. And the Orioles will need to avoid another second-half collapse if Dave Trembley is going to return in 2010.

Worst All-Star Snub: Ian Kinsler has 20 home runs and 55 RBIs. He’s 18-for-20 in stolen bases. He hit for the cycle this year, finishing with six hits. He was leading all AL second baseman in voting on June 30 until Dustin Pedroia passed him. He was one of the five finalists for the last spot on the roster, but Brandon Inge beat him out. And manager Joe Maddon didn’t pick him as a reserve. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Adam Lind also lost out to Inge in the finalist voting, and he’s hitting .306 with 19 homers and 59 RBIs. But at least Josh Hamilton made it.

Del.icio.us | Digg it | Athlon Sports RSS Feeds