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Pujols' third MVP season could be his finest

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Jon Paul Morosi

Jon Paul Morosi is a national MLB writer for FOXSports.com. He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan. Follow him on Twitter.

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Updated Nov 24, 2009 8:57 PM ET
     
 
Big news Tuesday in the National League Most Valuable Player balloting. Hanley Ramirez won. As in, he finished second — the highest place available to mere mortals. Albert Pujols, of course, was the NL MVP in 2009. Just like he was in 2008. Just like he was in 2005. I suspect he will continue winning the award, with some regularity, until his bat slows or he takes leave of St. Louis to navigate The Other League.
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Pujols was a unanimous choice this time, as he should have been. He was first on 32 of 32 ballots. The NL boasts some terrific young hitters, but they weren't in shouting range of the Cardinals' first baseman this year. Imagine how Ramirez must feel. While playing perhaps the second-most demanding position on the diamond, he won the batting title with a .342 average. His 106 RBIs were the most of any shortstop in the majors. He hit 24 home runs. He stole 27 bases. He dropped his error total from 22 to 10. It wasn't enough. Ramirez was a complete player this year. Pujols was simply more complete than anyone else. Pujols led the league with 47 home runs — and also topped the runs scored, on-base percentage and slugging percentage categories. The 135 RBIs were the second-most of his career. He acknowledged Tuesday that this might have been the "most consistent year" of his career, which is a little like saying, "This is the coolest Ferrari I've ever had." "If Hanley were in another league, he might get a few MVPs," said Tommy Hutton, the former big leaguer and current Marlins television analyst. "But it's going to be tough, if they're both in the same league. "Maybe someday Hanley will have a terrific season and Albert will have an off year ... like .310 with 28 homers." Oh, it's not as if Pujols wins every year. Ryan Howard (2006) and Jimmy Rollins (2007) have received the award since Pujols claimed it for the first time. But we're now reaching the stage where big hitters across the NL report to spring training knowing that the MVP is Pujols' to lose. As was once the case with Greg Maddux and Ivan Rodriguez and the Gold Glove awards in their respective leagues, someone will need to clearly outperform the champ in order to win the NL MVP. The same was true for Barry Bonds. We can argue plenty about how history will view his achievements, in light of his link to performance-enhancing drugs. But there is little doubt as to the identity of the NL's preeminent hitter from 1990 through 2004 — the years that Bonds won the first and last of his seven MVPs. Bonds didn't win every year. But he did so often enough to take unofficial ownership of the award. Ramirez has to hope that he's not about to become the modern hitting equivalent of Juan Marichal. The Hall of Fame pitcher never won a Cy Young award despite seasons of 25, 25 and 26 wins. A couple guys named Koufax and Gibson stopped that from happening. When asked Tuesday if he saw another player in the league who might prevent him from winning the award with the regularity that Bonds once did, Pujols replied, "I don't think like that. I take it one year at a time. There's so many great players in the National League. When I go through spring training, I ask God to keep me healthy ... and help the Cardinals get to the World Series." Pujols' three MVPs tie him with Stan Musial, an impressive and symbolic feat. Musial, with his seven batting titles and 3,630 hits, is the most accomplished hitter in Cardinals history. Pujols could one day assume that title ... provided he stays in St. Louis.
Pujols is under contract through 2011, with the likelihood of Alex Rodriguez-type riches thereafter. The Cardinals would like to extend their superstar's contract right now, but a source familiar with Pujols' plans told FOXSports.com senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal in October that the chances of a deal in the near term are "slim and none." Before he signs any long-term contract, Pujols will likely want assurances that the Cardinals will spend enough money to remain competitive into the future. Toward that end, St. Louis fans would be pleased to learn that Pujols noted during Tuesday's teleconference that the Cardinals have reached the playoffs in six of his nine seasons. "This organization has always been about winning, about putting the best ballclub (on the field) to win," he said. To me, one of the most impressive aspects of Pujols' MVP trifecta is that he won each award under very different circumstances. In 2005, the team relied on him more than usual, because Scott Rolen was out for most of the year. The Cardinals made it all the way to the NLCS. In 2008, he benefited from the lineup protection of surprising All-Star Ryan Ludwick, whose power numbers nearly mirrored his own. Pujols batted .357, but the Cardinals were a fourth-place team. This year, Pujols was part of a division-winning lineup that received a midseason boost from the acquisition of Matt Holliday. He played 160 games despite suffering from a painful elbow injury that forced him to undergo offseason surgery. (He expects to be ready by the start of spring training.) It's worth noting, though, that Pujols had a higher OPS before the Cardinals acquired Holliday than afterward. That's not to disparage Holliday. It's just to point out that Pujols hits, no matter what. Each time Pujols won the MVP, he had a different hitter behind him: Jim Edmonds in '05, Rick Ankiel and Ludwick in '08, Ludwick and ultimately Holliday this year. The cast could change again next year, with Holliday now a coveted free agent. "I had a talk with Matt during the season," Pujols said. "He was asking me for advice. I said, 'Listen, you need to worry about you and your family, what's best for you and your family.' "The whole city of St. Louis wants Matt back — and myself. He was a key part of our success, a great player. He came in right when we needed it and helped us make the playoffs. At the same time, I don't like to get involved in players' contracts. I (would) wish him the best, if he decides to go somewhere else." Time will tell if Pujols will encounter a similar decision in two years' time. Until then, Ramirez may have to wait to get his MVP.
Tagged: Matt Holliday, Ivan Rodriguez, Rick Ankiel, Marlins, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Ludwick, Scott Rolen, Alex Rodriguez, Reds, Yankees, Ryan Howard, Phillies, Cardinals

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