The Most Valuable Player award, for example, has come to be based on something other than a strict definition of "value" -- something many critics of the BBWAA fail to understand. The way I explain it is that the MVP goes to the player who has the greatest impact on the outcome of the league as a whole. That's my way of tailoring the definition to the way the voting has evolved: giving the award to the player on a playoff team who has the best season, unless none stands out (i.e., Alex Rodriguez in 2003).
Likewise, the Cy Young Award voting continues to evolve. As recently as 2004, Roger Clemens won the National League version by going 18-4 -- second in wins and first in winning percentage -- while not finishing in the top four in innings, strikeouts or WHIP.
After all, the award is named for a guy who had 511 wins.
But in the past five years, BBWAA voters have de-emphasized wins. In 2007, 18-game winner Tim Lincecum beat out 22-game winner Brandon Webb in the NL, and last year, Lincecum and Zack Greinke won the award with 15 and 16 wins, respectively.
Which brings us to this year's race. Felix Hernandez has clearly been the best pitcher in the AL. He leads in ERA and innings and is second in strikeouts. But he also plays for the worst offensive team since the 1981 Blue Jays, and thus his record is only 12-12.
Snooki Karissa Shannon Kirsten Dunst Victoria Beckham Kim Kardashian Carey Mulligan Emma Roberts
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