With the season concluded, it’s time to look at the other awards.Cy Young. This award goes to the most dominating pitcher in the league. The guy who is on the mound to win the big game. Sometimes this award goes to a reliever. Rollie Fingers carried the Brewers and the A’s to the world series. Eck was automatic for the A’s in 1988-90. Not this year, however, this year the starters took center stage.

In the National League, the Atlanta Braves have had a lock on this award for the last decade. It was either Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, or John Smoltz picking up the trophy every November. When I think about who should get the Cy Young, I always ask myself, if I was picking one man to pitch the last game of the year to get my team in the postseason who would I choose.

This year Arizona was faced with that possibility. Heading into the final week, it looked like the Western Division crown would come down to either the Diamondbacks or the Giants. It might be decided on the last day of the regular season. Arizona manager, Bob Brenly had the choice of Randy Johnson or Curt Schilling to pitch that Sunday game. He chose Johnson and showed the world who the money pitcher is on his staff.

Johnson doesn’t lack for legitimate credentials even without Brenly’s endorsement. The Big Unit struck out 372 batters. If Arizona needed him on Sunday, he undoubtedly would have picked up the 12 strikeouts against the pathetic Brewers to break Nolan Ryan’s season strikeout record. What impressed me about Johnson’s season is that he threatened the Hall of Famer Ryan’s record in only 249.6 innings pitched, compared to the 320 innings it took Nolan to strike out 383 batters.

Johnson led the NL in ERA by more than one half a run better than the runner-up. He struck out 20 in a game.

Johnson also won 21 and lost only 6. Teammate Curt Schilling was terrific, but Randy Johnson, you are the man.

The American league presents a tougher choice. NY’s Roger Clemens, the A’s Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson, and the Mariners Freddie Garcia and Jamie Moyer.

Garcia is the most logical choice from a Seattle team that won 116 games. He led the league in ERA (3.05), innings pitched (238.6), tied with Hudson for fourth with 18 wins, and was fifth in winning percentage with a .750 mark. He is Lou Piniella’s go to guy. That counts alot this year.

Mark Mulder led the league with 21 wins, second behind Hudson with 34 starts, led the league with 4 shutouts, second to knukleballer Steve Sparks with 6 complete games, and led the league in home earned run average (2.69). He was Art Howe’s steadiest pitcher from game 1 through game 162. His team won 102 games and he is the opening pitcher against the Yankees in the ALDS.

Roger Clemens is the toughest to judge. He might be the Yankees MVP. The Rocket won 16 straight decisions, ending the seson with a 20-3 mark after losing two to the Devil Rays over the season’s last twelve days. His ERA, 3.51 trails Mulder, Hudson and Garcia. He received 5.9 runs per game support from theYankees. The Yankees won 27 of his 31 starts. If he would have beaten the Devil Rays the last two times, and ended the year 22-1, it would have been the best record ever for a starting pitcher. I just can’t penalize him for losing two games that didn’t matter to his team who already clinched the East. He starts game one against Mark Mulder in the ALDS.

When I weigh all the variables, Roger Clemens you win again. Freddie Garcia second, Mark Mulder third, Tim Hudson fourth, and Jamie Moyer fifth. The truth is they all had great seasons, but Clemens was the man almost every start for the Yankees. He made it look easy.

Rookie of the Year. I already picked Ichiro MVP so give him the rookie of the year as well in a landslide. C.C. Sabathia, the talented lefty of the Indians comes in second with an amazing 17 wins in his first big league season.

In the NL, the world will see Albert Pujols in the playoffs for the Cardinals. A truly dominating, all around player who will be a star for years. Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, the most dynamic rookie in baseball trails by only a slight margin to a player (Pujols) who could be a hall of famer if he stays healthy. It’s hard to believe Pujols is a rookie when you see him play. He singlehandedly carried the Cards into the playoffs.

Manager of the Year in the NL is easy. Larry Bowa took the Phillies to game 160 before being closed out by the Braves. Quick, name more than five players on the Phillies team. His undying spirit, his undoing in the past, worked this time around. Arizona scout Shooty Babbitt told me on Right Off The Bat that Bowa’s impact was so significant it seemed like he was a player on the field. High praise.

The AL presents a different picture. Art Howe was second guessed by everyone connected with the A’s during his team’s poor start. Never one to veer form the course, Howe knew he had the makings of a championship team and never succumbed to the temptation to blame others in the press for the team’s begining lull.

In June, he moved Johnny Damon to center, Terrance Long to right, put Jeremy Giambi in left field and third in the batting order, moved Eric Chavez back to eighth, and Miguel Tejada to fifth, and Jason Giambi to fourth. The team took off winning 65 of their last 85 games.

The A’s won 102 and trailed the Mariner’s by 14. There is no doubt in my mind that without the leadership of Art Howe this team would have never made the strides it did in winning the wild card.

Lou Piniella led his team to 116 wins tying the 1906 Cubs for the most wins in a major league season. He put the right team on the field every day and kept their focus for 162 games. He masterfully worked the best bull pen in the game. He never lost his cool as he has in the past. He regrouped this team without departed free agent Alex Rodriguez. The writers didn’t give Seattle much of a chance to beat the A’s. They did by 14. They also were 41 games better than Anaheim and 43 ahead of the Rangers. The Yankees trailed by 21.

Post Season Awards Continued…