Here are our top four MVP candidates in the National League for the 2009 season:

1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Is there any question who is at the top of the heap? Pujols has been great all season. Currently he’s hitting .324 with 36 homers, 85 runs and 97 RBIs. If he keeps it up, the NL MVP should be his.

2. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
Playing with the Marlins, Ramirez will never get a lot of notoriety. But this kid can hit. The native of the Dominican Republic is hitting an NL-leading .344 with 16 homers, 64 runs, 70 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. Ramirez has already had some great seasons but this may be the best of the best.

3. Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
Can the Home Run Derby champion add the MVP trophy to his mantle? He has a chance. The 25-year-old has turned into a great hitter — .302 batting average, 26 homers, 67 runs and 95 RBIs. A strong finish to the season could have him jump up the list.

4. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
Pitchers usually don’t enter into MVP talk but Lincecum can’t be ignored. He’s almost single-handedly keeping the Giants in the playoff race. Lincecum has a record of 12-3 to go along with a 2.18 ERA and a WHIP of 1.05.

Can Prince Fielder also win the 2009 NL MVP? (Image: Newscom)

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Here are the KnuckleCurve 2009 MLB awards predictions:

Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins

American League Rookie of the Year
Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles

American League Manager of the Year
Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles Angels

American League Cy Young
Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins

American League MVP
Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox

National League Rookie of the Year
James McDonald, Los Angeles Dodgers

National League Manager of the Year
Bob Melvin, Arizona Diamondbacks

National League Cy Young
Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

National League MVP
Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Once again the geniuses in the marketing department Of Major League Baseball have done it again. Now you can try and bid your hard earned cash on – you guessed it bug spray.

Yes, your eye’s aren’t playing tricks on you. You can bid on the bug spray that was used when the Yankees were taking on Cleveland during the American League Playoffs. So if you were trying to find that ‘hard to find’ gift for the Yankees fan who has everything look no further. They have some other things that they’ll be auctioning – but this seems to be the ‘hot ticket item’.

Yikes – I’ll have to pass on that one.

In other news, Jimmy Rollins is the National League MVP – just beating out Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies. Huh? Maybe I’m just not seeing it (which might be truer than you think..), but the guys who vote do. This was the closest vote since Terry Pendleton beat out Barry Bonds for the MVP award back in 1991. Honestly I was pretty darn sure that Matt Holliday would’ve walked away with the MVP with the kind of year he had.

Here’s what Rollins had to say:

“It never crossed my mind that I would go out there and win an MVP,” Rollins said on a conference call from California. “I had a real big smile on my face, to make it simple. I was excited but I wasn’t quite sure what to feel.”

This is also the first time teammates have won back to back MVP’s since Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds did it for the Giants in 2000 and 2001.

Post from: Knuckle Curve