Miguel Tejada of the A’S and Barry

Bonds of the Giants should win the

MVP Awards in baseball this season.

How lucky are we to be living in the

Glory Days of baseball here in Bay Are

and to be talking about MVPs, when just a little over a month ago we were talking

about strike and contraction…

By Amaury Pi-GonzálezWith just a week left in the baseball

season, I have selected my individual

awards in both leagues. The Bay Area

could have the two MVP and the Cy Young.

MVP: In the American League I will give

it to A’S shortstop Miguel Tejada. Not only

he has become a star this year in the

whole nation and a place among Jeter,

Garciaparra and A-Rod, but he became

the third-hitter in lineup that A’s were very

in need after Jason Giambi packed his

bags for the Big Apple. Miguel has shown

leadership, maturity and he is my MVP.

Honorable mention to Alex Rodriguez,

a shortstop with close to 60 homeruns

and 140 RBI and around 10 erros has

to be considered but will not win this year.

National League: There is only one; Giants

Barry Bonds should win a record fifth

MVP unanimously. After hitting 73 homeruns

last year at age 37, Barry is going to win

a batting title. Are you kidding me? Close

to 200 bases on balls, on his way to .580

on-base-percentage, that would break the

record of .531 by Ted Williams set in 1941.

Could finish with a second consecutive

.800 plus slugging percentage. Only “The

Bambino” has done it twice.

Barry is about to become the oldest man

in history to win his first batting title.

There is nobody close to this guy in

either league at this time when it comes

to position players, specially hitting. Bonds

could finish season with more homeruns

than strikeouts…digest that for a minute !

Most pitchers would not rather pitch to

Bonds that any other player today.

CY YOUNG AWARD: American League. I will

give it to A’S Barry Zito, because no pitcher

was more dominant. Zito still very young

and I am afraid that Pedro Martínez of

the Red Sox might win it again this season.

When you say Pedro you said it all as far

as pitching is concerned. His reputation

is of excellence. This season Pedro has

the best winning percentage of any pitcher

in baseball and among the lowest in ERA.

National League: Arizona’s two-headed

monster, Schilling-Johnson. I will give it

to both. Curt Schilling is 23-6 with 3.02,

with 330 strikeouts. However, Livermore’s Randy Johnson is 23-5 with 2.40 strikeout

and closing in 250 strikeouts. Depends

what you like, this is like Pepsi vs. Coca-

Cola.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: American League I

would give it to ex-A’S farm hand third baseman

Eric Hinske. An everyday player with the

Toronto Blue Jays who last year spent the

whole season with Sacramento Rivercats

and hit .288 with 25 homeruns and 79

RBI. His numbers this year with Jays are

better than those in Sacto last season.

With an honorable mention to Orioles

starter Rodrigo López.

National League: To be a winning pitcher in

Colorado is a rarity. To be a young winning

pitcher is even more rare. Jason Jennings

of the Rockies is (at this time) 16-8 with

a 4.62 ERA. The Giants Ryan Jensen has

not been that good in second half but

is also a very good rookie, Dodgers Kazuhisa

Ishii got hurt but had a great season and

Atlanta Damian Moss. Interesting enough

that all these distinguished rookies are

pitchers.

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR: In the American

League I will give it to Billy Koch of the

A’S. Proved to be much better than Jason

Isrinhausen(Cards). Koch insists on having

the ball, recently pitching in five

consecutive games and only took a rest

because his manager would not use him

on a sixth day in a row. Koch over 40 saves.

Koch could receive a few votes also for MVP.

National League: This might be the toughest

this year. Greg Gagne was the biggest

surprise. I was at Pac Bell when this

righthander saved his first game of the

season. The Dodgers didn’t have a closer,

manager Jim Tracy said it was “bullpen

by committee”at the start of 2002 season.

Gagne has saved 49 of 53 this year with

a 2.12 ERA. But Braves 20-game winner

of a few years ago, John Smoltz has over

50 saves ! Hate to think where Braves would

be without him. But without Gagne, the

Dodgers will not be even close to a wild

card. Advantage Greg Gagne.

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: In the American

League I will give it to Art Howe of the

Athletics. Here is a guy that after last winter

reported to Spring Training minus his

lead off Johnny Damon(Boston)and minus

his best player, Jason Giambi(Yankees)and

here in the last week of the season Howe’s

A’S have a real chance at the best record

in all of baseball. After Howe I go with

Yankees Joe Torre. Many think is easy with

that talent, but Yankees pitching is breaking

down like an old Mercedes-Benz. Yet, Torre

in a town that has been crying for one year

since 9-11-01 has kept the Yankees afloat

and has won a fifth straight division title.

National League: Is there anybody that

deserves it more than Tony LaRussa?

The Cardinals skipper had to survive one

of the most unusual season’s in that historic

franchise. Veteran pitcher Darryl Kyle died,as well as great guy Hall of Fame announcer

Jack Buck. His pitching staff has never been

healthy, yet LaRussa clinched his division

10 days prior to season ending. I have to

give notable mention to: Braves Bobby Cox,

one of the great managers of the game

as well as Giants Dusty Baker with all that

controversy of Bonds vs. Kent. Dusty came

up like the real champ of the Giants dugout,

with class and dignity to spare.

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: A’s Billy Beane

had the “magic touch”all year. The trade

Jeremy Giambi for John Mabry was a big

hit, bringing lefty reliever Ricardo Rincón

late in season as well as leadoff Ray Durham.

This man should be employed in Washington

by the current administration as Secretary

of Economy. He does more with little money

than most General Managers. Only thing

I didn’t agree with him? I still think Carlos

Peña is going to develop into a very good

first baseman, a guy with close to .300

average and 30 to 40 homeruns and 100

RBI per year. National League: It has to be

the Dodger’s General Manager Dan Evans.

He on his first year in the job. He traded

Gary Sheffield(not happy in L.A)to the Braves,

a gutsy deal and got from Braves pitcher

Odalis Pérez and outfielder Brian Jordan,

signed Hideo Nomo who came back to the

Dodgers, his original team and also lefty

Omar Daal. He gave the job in center field

to Dave Roberts, one of the best leadoff

hitters this year in the NL.

BIGGEST DISSAPOINTMENT: Just another

four-letter-word. M-E-T-S. The New York

Mets had a payroll like General Electric,

but are fighting to finish out of the cellar.

Allegations of drug use in the toughest city

in the world to play. Mo Vaughn,Mike Piazza,

Edgardo Alfonso,Roberto Alomar,Rey

Ordoñez, they could not win at home.

A really incredible story, a team with this

type of talent. No wonder some people say

they were on drugs ! But…boy they brought

great comedic material to Late Show’s

David Letterman.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: The Anaheim Angels.

When they first visited the A’S (early season)

guys in Press Box were talking about

Mike Scoscia and how many days he might

have left as a manager. Well, the ONLY

California MLB team that has never made

it to a World Series, could be there this

season. Although the Oakland A’S might

win the West, anybody that plays the

Angels from now on in the Playoffs, it will

not be easy. When you mention the word

“team”in my book it translate to: Angels ’02.

———————————————————–

Amaury Pi-González is on his eight season

as Spanish Play by Play announcer of the

San Francisco Giants over KZSF 1370 AM

(La Caliente). Previously for 17 seasons with

the Oakland A’S as their Spanish Radio

Play by Play announcer. During Postseason

he is on staff of LBC Network of 400 radio

stations in USA and Latinamerica carrying

Playoffs and World Series. During past two

seasons Amaury has called in English the

Caribbean World Series for Fox Sports Inter-

national. Vice President of the Hispanic

Heritage Baseball Musuem, a non-profit

baseball organization founded in San Francisco

in 1999. Amaury’s biography was recently

selected by the prestigious Marquis Who’s

Who for their 57th edition coming in 2003.

You can read Amaury also on:

www.latinobaseball.com as well as in

other publications in US and abroad.