Ain't No Party Like An MVP Party

'Cause in Philly the MVP party don't stop: J-Roll makes it two in a row for the Phillies.

Mr. Team to Beat definitely deserved this award, not just for his offense or defense but for giving the Phils something they haven't had in well over a decade: a true emotional leader. There are shades here of the part in You Can't Lose 'Em All! when Pete Rose arrives in Philly and basically tells everyone regardless of their stats or contract to put up or shut up. Likewise, I think Jimmy knew that he had to scare everyone brainless and call out the Mets months before the season--he's so respected that the Phils didn't want to look stupid if they fell short of J-Roll's expectations.

I know that's mighty anecdotal and intangible-y to submit as MVP credentials. Screw it. I'm not going to be all elitist and (still) butt-hurt over Albert Pujols like Rob Neyer (ESPN Insider alert...oddly fitting). Sabermetric ratios and park-adjusted HRs and weird defensive stats and whatnot are a big part of what makes a great player, but it's not the only part, Robbie.

Really, Jimmy is "not a good defensive shortstop and didn't deserve his Gold Glove"? MVP IN YO FACE! And who's not a good defensive NL shortstop these days? That's like saying Prince sucks because Bob Dylan is from Minnesota too.

The Philly fan in me must also point out that although three of our guys finished in the top eight in MVP voting, they were still bounced from the playoffs rather quickly. This year's division title was a nice respite from all those years of disappointment but the franchise as a whole is still underachieving. Meanwhile, the consummate overachiever, Aaron Rowand, makes a cameo on the final voting tally as well. Hey, he's a lot more plausible as ballot-filler than some of the other guys on the list (Brandon Phillips? Carlos Marmol?).

This kind of makes me more relieved about the Phillies' cold-stove offseason thus far. Though could you imagine Mike Lowell at third? I'd forgive him for being a former Teal Bastard, unless they had to start charging for ketchup or something to honor that $50 million contract. C'mon Gillick! You're not fooling anyone. You might as well blow that money on somebody. Mark Prior perhaps?

And Chase--you've got your work cut out for you in '08. Congrats Jimmy!