MVPs are for EVERYDAY players... not pitchers

Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox was voted American League MVP and Albert Pujols of the Cardinals won his second National League MVP award this year. I have no qualms about that and I never will have a qualm with everyday players getting an MVP award.

Tim Lincecum of the Giants and Cliff Lee of the Indians were the Cy Young Award winners in each league. I have no reservations about those picks. Both were very worthy and probably the obvious picks. Here is my beef, though.

I think that MVP awards are for everyday players and Cy Youngs are for pitchers. I make a distinct division between the two. Cy Young Awards were "invented" for pitchers because they were not getting enough recognition in the MVP vote back in the 1950s. Yet, somehow, they can win both an MVP and the Cy Young in the same season while everyday players like Pedroia and Pujols can't simply because they don't pitch.

Here's what is really weird. While Lee won the Cy Young Award in the AL with his sparkling 22-3 record, he garnered less votes for the MVP award than Francisco Rodriquez of the Angels, the astoundingly talented relief pitcher who set an MLB-record with 62 saves in 2008. F-Rod, in fact, came in THIRD for this year's Cy Young Award in the Junior Circuit behind Toronto's Roy Halladay...

THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AT ALL!!!

Here's the solution: give the MVP award to the most valuable everyday player in each league and give Cy Youngs to the most valuable pitcher in each league. It's just not fair. I know the pitcher is probably the most important position on the field simply because he delivers the ball and starts every play in motion with his delivery.

But, why do we have to endure the option of possibly having a pitcher win both important awards at the same time. I say avoid any further confusion and nonsense and make Cy Youngs for pitchers and MVPs for everyday players ONLY. I just don't think guys like Roger Clemens, Dennis Eckersley, Don Newcombe, Bob Gibson, Denny McLain, Vida Blue, and Rollie Fingers should win both awards.

Goalies in hockey have their own awards and other players on a hockey team have their own awards to try and win. The NFL has all sorts of accolades to pass out to various offensive and defensive players. Same with the NBA basketball giants... let's get this situation resolved in baseball and dictate that pitchers can win Cy Young Awards ONLY! I just think MVPs should be the guys who play the majority of the schedule everyday... not just jumping on the bump every fourth or fifth day.