Hanley Loses Game 1 in NL MVP Face-Off
Playoffs? Probably not. MVP? Uh-uh. Marlins get the hook before the series ends
By JANIE CAMPBELL
Updated 6:45 AM EDT, Tue, Sep 15, 2009
Albert Pujols' National League MVP award was already all but in the bag heading into last night's matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and his closest challenger, Hanley Ramirez.
But this is America -- land of hopes, dreams, second chances, and come-from-behind victories -- and baseball her beloved pastime, so we supposed there was always a chance Pujols would be caught with a syringe in his butt or a hooker in his trunk or anything standardly All-American that might give our guy the edge.
Unfortunately for the Fish faithful, that upset dream has pretty much died along with the Marlins' playoff chances after an 11-6 loss in front of innocent Missourians and MVP voters. It's not that Ramirez was responsible (though going 1-for-4 didn't help), it's just that he couldn't do enough to overshadow Pujols' two hits and go-ahead sacrifice fly in a 3-run 4th.
Oh, and Hanley also hit a child with a bat by accident. Whoops!
It's shades of Wade-LeBron, perhaps, because when the numbers are close the hardware automatically goes to the guy with the better team. Ramirez is the National League's leading hitter with a .361 average, and also sports a .426 on-base percentage, 185 hits, 23 home runs and 99 RBIs. On the verge of his first 100-RBI season, he also became the 4th-quickest shortstop to reach 100 home runs and set a National League record for shortshops with homers in 10 consecutive games.
Pujols, who we're sure has never seen a needle or a hooker, really, has more impressive power numbers: 47 home runs, 124 RBIs, and a .327 batting average that's second only to Ramirez.
But like Wade, it's the South Florida guy who's doing more with less. "If Hanley hasn't done what he's done, as a team we wouldn't be in this position," said Fredi Gonzalez of the lowest payroll in baseball. "I think, for us, he's probably meant more for us than Pujols has for them."
If only that were a real consideration.
As for the team, Florida is now 7 games behind Philly in the East with a half-game lead over the third-place Braves, and stayed 5 1/2 back of the Rockies in the Wild Card race. With 18 games remaining, they must win 13 to avoid immediate elimination.
Looks like a dead end for both, in spite of a pretty good season.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Sep 15, 2009 1:38 AM EDT
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