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

Fielder had asked for $8 million this season in salary arbitration. After this deal is up, he’ll again be eligible for arbitration.

Last season, Fielder played well but not as well as he did in 2007. In 2007, Fielder hit 50 homers and had 119 RBIs, 109 runs and a batting average of .288. Last season, Fielder had 34 homers to go along with 102 RBIs, 86 runs and a .276 batting average.

At 24, Fielder still has an extremely high ceiling. The son of former slugger Cecil Fielder, he could very well become the best slugger in the game over the next decade.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

4. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers were good before trading for CC Sabathia. However, now after adding Sabathia to their team and surviving an incident that saw Prince Fielder push a teammate, the Brewers are really rolling. Currently, the Brewers have won eight straight games. Sabathia has personally won seven straight games with the Brewers.

3. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays struggled heading into the All-Star break and many baseball experts were predicting the fairy tale could be over. But the Rays have bounced back and now have a healthy league in the American League West. Tampa Bay remains a longshot to win the whole thing — but this team has been proving experts wrong all season long.

2. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels have the best record in baseball and that is truly indicative of how well they’ve played this season. Adding Mark Teixeira in a trade was huge and that trade made the Angels even better. Right now, they have to be considered the favorite in the American League.

1. Chicago Cubs
While it is always dangerous putting the Cubs at the top of a power ranking, the Cubs have been on fire as of late. Winners of 13 of their last 16 games, Chicago looks like it has a real winner on its hands. Can the Cubs keep it up? History says no but the Cubs will try to prove history wrong.

Will the Chicago Cubs win the World Series to end their curse?

Photo: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Although no one associated with the Brewers has said specifically want started the fight, the leading rumor is that Fielder was mad that Parra was retreated to the clubhouse. The two exchanged words and a little physical contact before it was broken up. After the game, tempers appeared to be back in order.

Here is the video of the fight between Prince Fielder and Manny Parra:

Post from: Knuckle Curve

1. Boston Red Sox – The defending champions still the best in the business.
2. Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays are starting to look like they are for real.
3. Chicago Cubs – Could the 100-year curse finally be ready to die?
4. Los Angeles Angels – When they get hot, the Angels can beat anyone.
5. St. Louis Cardinals – With Pujols healthy, the Cardinals are good enough.
6. Chicago White Sox – The madder Ozzie Guillen gets, the better they play.
7. Philadelphia Phillies – Does any lineup in the majors have more talent?
8. New York Yankees – The Yankees have too much money to count out.
9. Minnesota Twins – The Twins are hot but it’ll be tough to keep it up.
10. Milwaukee Brewers – Braun and Fielder need to carry the load.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

His 2008 baseball season to date wasn’t as explosive. In his first 20 games, Fielder had only one homer. However, on Wednesday, Fielder hit a pair of homeruns to help his Milwaukee Brewers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 and improve the team’s record to 13-8.

“I have got a job to do,” said Fielder after the game. “No matter how I feel, I have got to try to just win that battle every time.”

Expect Fielder to hit many more homers as the season goes on. He started slowly last year as well, before hitting 44 homeruns after May 1.

If you’ve never read about Fielder’s relationship with his father, read this story about Prince and Cecil Fielder.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Post from: Knuckle Curve

• Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 12:40 p.m. PT — Hiroki Kuroda looked outstanding in his North American debut. I expected the funky delivery that is characteristic of pitchers who come over from Japan, but the velocity caught me by surprise. He was pumping 93-mph fastballs against the Padres. Micah Owings gets the call for Arizona. He dominated the Rockies in his first start of ‘08 (although he only went 1-for-4 at the plate, LOL). Wasn’t there talk that the Snakes might stick Owings in the field at some point? I think that’s crazy, but it would be pretty cool — you know, in the same way that handlebar moustaches are cool.
• Reds at Brewers, 5:05 p.m. PT — Like offense? Josh Fogg and David Bush hook up at Miller Park. The lineups will include guys like Ryan Braun, Adam Dunn, Prince Fielder, and Ken Griffey Jr. I’m going to set the over/under on home runs at seven.
• Yankees at Royals, 5:10 p.m. PT — Two promising young pitchers square off in this one. Zack Greinke seems to have gotten his career back on track, while Ian Kennedy is still trying to figure out how the Rays beat the snot out of him last week. The Royals are 5-2. Heck, the Orioles are 6-1. And people say the world isn’t going to hell in a handbasket.

Rock on, my peeps…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

–”All the Sad Young Men,” Tommy Wolf and Fran Landesman

I don’t think Wolf and Landesman were talking about baseball players, but the sentiment may apply. At least two young men whose contracts were up for renewal are sad because, well, their contracts got renewed.

Say wha’?

First up, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder:

I’m not happy about it at all. The fact I’ve had to be renewed two years in a row, I’m not happy about it because there’s a lot of guys who have the same amount of time that I do who have done a lot less and are getting paid a lot more.

But my time is going to come. It’s going to come quick, too.

Uh, okay. The thing is, that’s kind of how the system works. So the alternative is to… retire?

Meanwhile, in the pitchers’ corner, we have Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels:

I’m not angry. I just feel a little … I can’t think of a good word. I’m a little surprised. It’s about respect, and when people don’t show that to you, you’re caught off guard. I thought it was a low blow.

I don’t know about you, but nothing makes me respect someone more than when they play the respect card.

I’m also comforted by the words of Fielder and Hamels. You think the kids don’t get it? You think that when the old guys leave, nobody will step in and take their place? Sure, we may never see Roger Clemens open his mouth and say something stupid again (don’t count on it), but rest assured that this rich tradition will continue with the next generation.

Seriously. Show a little respect.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

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Your support is much appreciated! I’ve also gotten a fair amount of love from StumbleUpon. If you’re on SU, feel free to add me as a friend. If you’re not, why not give it a shot? (And no, nobody is paying me to say this; I just like their service.)

Anywho, you don’t come here for the acknowledgments, you come here for the baseball. Well, I hope anyway. (Incidentally, Roger Clemens is getting abused in that little poll we’re running.)

So, what was the point of this post? Crud, I forgot. Eat your vegetables? No, that’s not it.

Actually, it is. Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder has gone vegetarian. Quoth Fielder:

Beans, rice, tofu. You’ve got a lot of good food, baby!

I can’t top that so I won’t try. Happy Friday.

Post from: Knuckle Curve