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Five Best (And Worst) Bets To Win MLB MVP

By BetOnline | View all Posts
Posted Wednesday, October 22, 2008 02:49 PM   0 comments
For 27 teams across Major League Baseball, and more than 1080 players, the sportsbooks are closed and the season is over. Only the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies collectively have a chance at some hardware, but for the rest of the league, their chances at a trophy rest in the hands of the sportswriters. Never mind MLB lines – with one swift stroke of the pen, one of the esteemed writers given the privilege to vote on MLB awards can immortalize a player forever. For the sake of the MLB betting public, we’ll take a look at the top five MVP candidates, and similarly, with swift keystrokes, will forever sentence five players to career long mediocrity without any hardware.

Top Five MVP Candidates

5. Carlos Delgado

It was thought that the former Blue Jays one-bagger was over the hill, but cheery ol’ Carlos burst out with 38 home runs and 118 RBI, pleasing baseball betting aficionados everywhere. Perhaps it was a change of scenery that was needed for Delgado, as he tore the cover off the ball under new manager Jerry Manuel, particularly down the stretch. Why does he deserve the MVP? Well, nobody else on the Mets did anything for the final month of the season…again.

4. Josh Hamilton

There’s no better feel-good story in the major leagues than one about a recovering heroin addict developing an uncanny ability to blast home runs. Come on, sportswriters, there’s no candidate on this list that would make for a better story the following day. Why does he deserve the MVP? Come on, the man was waking up in alleys and dumpsters just last year!

3. Francisco Rodriguez

With the brand of baseball the Angels employ, they absolutely needed K-Rod to get to where they were. One and two run games don’t close themselves out, so the man with the Gibson-esque follow-through was there to save the day…62 times. Why does he deserve the MVP? He wears goggles, and “four-eyed” kids always deserve sympathy.

2. Ryan Howard

There’s no scarier site for major league pitchers currently than when Ryan Howard steps into the box. Howard’s picture-perfect home run swing allows him to belt taters off virtually any pitch, and he put that stroke to good use this season, blasting 48 homers and a whopping 148 RBI. Why does he deserve the MVP?  Howard employed a Babe Ruth-like strategy and swung for the fences. Who cares if you hit .256 if you can hit dingers?

1. Albert Pujols

Face it, the Cardinals are bad. Even during their World Series season in 2006, they were bad. Pujols is almost automatically on base, and any professional team can bunt someone around the bases four times a game. Without Pujols, the Cardinals are nothing. Why does he deserve the MVP?  Despite battling injuries, Pujols hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI.
Now, if you’re into MLB betting, here’s five guys to absolutely steer clear from…

5. Barry Zito

Baseball fans don’t need to be reminded of how expensive a bust Zito is. Thankfully though, the yoga master never seems to get worked up about it.

4. Richie Sexson

Big, tall, and bad. Sexson is the epitome of poor plate mechanics—a severe uppercut that stops short of his lead shoulder on the follow-through. You’re eight feet tall, man…swing the bat, it’ll go out of the park.

3. Jonny Gomes

Gomes’ horrendous performance and frequent strikeouts drove an injured Rocco Baldelli to press forward and remain in the Rays’ lineup, which is one of the main reasons why they’ve enjoyed so much success heading into the 2008 World Series.

2. Billy Wagner

This loudmouth closer likes to deflect blame on his teammates, despite his apparent lack of command and pitching IQ. Mets fans can thank him for yet another late season collapse.

1. Frank Thomas

The Toronto Blue Jays decided they no longer required his services. Enough said.
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