World Series MVP Vote

[Waninski]

My 2009 MLB league recently concluded its season, capped off by an excellent World Series between the Yankees and Braves that went seven games. The Yankees came back to win it all after trailing 3-1 in the Series.

I like to manually award players with the World Series MVP, but this one had some spectacular performances by several players. I really don't know quite who to give it to, so I thought I'd let others weigh in.

It comes down to three players: Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Brian McCann. Here's how each performed in the Series.

For reference, these were the game-by-game Series results:
Game 1: Yankees win, 5-3
Game 2: Braves win, 4-2
Game 3: Braves win, 17-7
Game 4: Braves win, 17-5
Game 5: Yankees win, 9-3
Game 6: Yankees win, 6-4
Game 7: Yankees win, 3-1

Thanks to all for voting.

Alex Rodriguez
9-30 (.300), 5 R, 10 RBI, 1 BB, 2 2B, 3 HR, 2 Player of the Game awards
Although Rodriguez chipped in with a double and an RBI in the Yankees' 5-3 Game 1 victory and collected an RBI each in the first four games of the Series, he left a team-high 12 runners on base from the clean-up spot, which sure didn't endear himself to Yankees fans in his first World Series in New York. The Yankees looked dead after losing Games 3 and 4 in the Bronx by scores of 17-7 and 17-5, respectively. But facing elimination in Game 5, Rodriguez stepped up when it mattered most.

One win away from wrapping up the Series, the Braves took a quick 3-0 lead in the first. And while Yankee Stadium sat back and waited for another Atlanta thrashing, Rodriguez brought new life to the Yankees with a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first to show that the Yankees weren't going down so easily in their own house. And from then on through the rest of the Series, the Yankees never really looked back. Rodriguez homered again in the seventh inning to seal the 9-3 Yankees victory and send the Series back to Atlanta.

In Game 6 in Atlanta, the Yankees found themselves trailing 4-3 late after blowing a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh. But with two out and two on in the top of the eighth, Rodriguez came through with the most dramatic hit of the entire Series. He belted a three-run homer off Buddy Carlyle into the left field seats, which proved to be the game winner. Just four outs away from the title, the Braves would never again hold a lead in the Series. The home run was Rodriguez's eighth of the postseason, tying the all-time mark set by Barry Bonds in 2002 and Carlos Beltran in 2004.

Rodriguez definitely set the tone for the Yankees going into Game 7. And though he went hitless the next night, the momentum had already shifted.

Mark Teixeira
15-29 (.517), 5 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 5 2B, 2 HR
No player was more consistent at the plate during the World Series than Mark Teixeira. His .517 Series average led all players and continued his trend of hot postseason hitting--a .439 overall average in 16 games--leading the Yankees' offensive romp to his first-ever World Series title. Teixeira contributed five multi-hit games in the Series and went 9-for-16 (.563) in the Yankees' four victories.

Teixeira can't claim any true marquee performances in the Series, like Rodriguez or McCann, but like A-Rod, he stepped up in Game 5 when the Yankees were staring World Series elimination in the face on their home field. Teixeira posted a 4-for-4 performance with an RBI, a double, and his second Series home run. He went 2-for-3 with another double and another run in the Yankees' Game 6 victory, but went silent with his first hitless performance of the Series in Game 7.

Brian McCann
13-31 (.419), 9 R, 17 RBI, 2 BB, 5 HR, 2 Player of the Game awards
Undoubtedly, Brian McCann shined as the best all-around hitter in the World Series, a performance that draws comparisons to the Yankees' Bobby Richardson in the 1960 Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a .419 average and 5 home runs, McCann drove in 17 RBI, smashing the previous World Series record of 12 set by Richardson in the Yankees' seven-game losing effort in 1960.

McCann led the Braves' charge into the Bronx. After evening up the Series at a game a piece with a 4-2 victory in Game 2 in Atlanta, the Braves took Yankee Stadium by storm, pounding out 17 runs on consecutive nights in Games 3 and 4 to take a 3-1 Series lead. McCann belted two home runs in Game 3 to go along with 5 RBI, and then amazingly did it again in Game 4, going 4-for-6 with two more homers and 5 more RBI.

But if somehow that weren't enough, McCann came out swinging again in Game 5, looking to carry the Braves to their first World Series championship since 1995. In the top of the first, he belted another home run, his fifth of the series, a three-run blast to give the Braves a quick 3-0 lead. It looked like McCann had set the tone for another big win for the Series clincher, but the rest of the Atlanta lineup had already cooled off.

In Game 6, it was McCann again who gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI ground out, not wanting the Series to go to a seventh game. But just like in Game 5, the Yankees came right back to take the lead. With the Braves trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh of Game 6, McCann delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single to take a 4-3 lead. With just six outs to go to wrap up the Series, it looked like McCann had finally sealed it for Atlanta, but Alex Rodriguez stole the show the next inning with his game-winning home run. McCann collected two more hits and scored the Braves' only run in Game 7, but he couldn't do it all himself. The Braves scored just five runs in the final 26 innings of the Series.

Like Teixeira, McCann posted five multi-hit games, from Game 3 through Game 7. He went 6-for-14 (.429) in the Braves' three wins, and 7-for-17 (.412) in their four losses.

Only one player in World Series history has won the MVP from the losing team. You guessed it--Bobby Richardson in 1960. Is Brian McCann going to be the second?

(Too bad the real '09 World Series wasn't this good. I love OOTP! )

[damientheomen3]

McCann got most of his great play done in the 3 wins for the Braves. Tex was great, but IRL A-Rod would most likely win it because of his clutch home runs, and thus I voted A-Rod.

[mrcoach00]

I voted for McCann. I know there are some out that don't believe that RBIs are big time stat, but anytime you knock in 17 in a seven game span you are in an unfathamable zone!