SEASON AWARDS: MVP, Fireman, Cy Young *********************************** MVP Awards: 3rd runner up: Alex Rodriguez, Whaleheads. Rodriguez put in one of the finest seasons ever by a shortstop (and one of the finest seasons by any player, period). Rodriguez had a 0.995 OPS, along with 142 runs scored and 100+ RBI's. Rodriguez also helped the Whaleheads to the second best record ever recorded by a team. 2nd runner up: Jim Thome, Coneheads. The Coneheads have many good batters, but Thome was *very* good. Thome was in the top ten in no less than 14 categories, leading or tying in OBA, SLG, and runs created per 27 outs. 1st runner up: Frank Thomas, Coneheads. Thome was great, but Thomas was near perfect. Thomas won the batting crown with a 0.367 average, and ranked in the leaders in many categories. Unlike Thome, Thomas was a pitcher killer vs any kind of pitcher. 1996 CFOD MVP: Mark McGwire, Thunder. McGwire wasn't just a good hitter. He was a *feared* hitter. His 48 intentional walks are significant. But they are even more significant when you consider that usually Wade Boggs and/or Randy Velarde would be on base, and that McGwire was walked so that the pitchers would face all-league Marquis "100+ runs, 100+ RBI, 35+ homers" Grissom. Many of Grissom's RBI's are in large part due to McGwire's presence. McGwire was third on the RBI list and first in homers, despite sitting out the last several weeks of the season. Most importantly, Mark McGwire *mattered*. The Thunder were not picked to do anything in 1996, but thanks to McGwire, the Thunder clinched a playoff spot. Chances are, if McGwire was playing on another team, the Thunder would have went home early. And that is why McGwire is the '96 CFOD MVP. ******************************* Fireman Award: There's no contest here. No runners up, even, since no one came close. Mariano Rivera was the top reliever in the CFOD in 1996, and possibly the best reliever there ever has been. Rivera was near the top in saves, with 35, and had a decent 7-2 record. What was amazing was the fact that Rivera had a 0.80 ERA and a sub-1 WHIP while pitching 123 1/3 innings (which puts in more in the 5th starter region than a reliever). Rivera would frequently take over at the beginning of the 8th inning with a slim lead, and the Dogs wouldn't have to score any more runs. And with the Dogs' sputtering offense, that was a good thing. Stick a mediocre reliever in there and the Dogs would not have come close to their 93 win season. Stick Rivera in there, and the game's outcome was a lock. *********************************** Cy Young Award: 2nd & 1st runners up: Alex Fernandez and John Smoltz, Coneheads. Just these guys' luck to be the 2nd and 3rd starters on a team and wind up being the 2nd and 3rd best pitchers in the league. Fernandez won 22 games, Smoltz 19. Each were innings monsters, pitching 250+ each. Each were in the top ten in ERA. And both were two reasons why the Coneheads set new records in wins, despite an offense that had holes and sub-par performances in several positions. Cy Young award: In recent years one pitcher made waves all season, making it apparent they were the best pitcher in baseball. Maddux did it in '94. Randy Johnson in '95. In '96 it was Tom Glavine of the Coneheads. Glavine did everything his two teammates did, and more. Glavine led the league in wins, with 24, and innings pitched, with 278 2/3. Glavine also had a better ERA of 2.87. Glavine was the ringleader of the best 1-2-3 pitching combo in CFOD history, and earned the Cy Young award for one of the best single season pitching performances in CFOD history.