Gentlemen, bust out the tuxes. Ladies, crank up the credit card for a new Vera Wang. Walk with me down the red carpet, please bypass Joan and Melissa Rivers, as their lips are ready to explode at any given second, and let’s look back as we hand out some awards to Major League Baseball’s Best and Worst of 2007.
Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta is the poster child of how coaches sometimes perform miracles in order to achieve a mediocre record.
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The Back Up Your Smack Award
Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies
Rollins opened up his yapper in the beginning of the season stating that his squad, the Phillies, are "the team to beat in the (NL) East." Rollins’ words set off a firestorm among fans of division rival, the Mets, and New York sports talk shows.
Never backing down from his statement, Rollins reached 20 triples on the last day of the season, making him only the fourth player in history to record at least 20 doubles, triples, homers and steals in one season.
Philadelphia reached the postseason for the first time in 14 years.
Manager of the Year
Manny Acta, Washington Nationals
Feel free to take issue with a guy winning Manager of the Year on a record of 73-89, but Manny Acta deserves the accolade.
Acta’s Nationals won 73 games with 15 different starting pitchers, never regained their true first baseman from a year ago, lost their pitching ace for all but seven games of the season, worked with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, and constructed a rotation with the likes of Jason Bergman, Mike Bacsik and Matt Chico.
Ninety-eight percent of Nationals fans couldn’t spot Chico on the Downtown Mall if he was wearing a shirt that said, "HI, I’M MATT CHICO."
Acta showed this season that the puzzle is starting to fall in place in D.C ., as their win total bettered eight other teams in the league, including cross-market Baltimore.
Not bad for what was supposed to be the worst team in the history of baseball.
The Britney Spears Honorary Crumble From the Top Award
The Mets
Two weeks before the end of the season, the Mets held a 7.5 game lead over Philadelphia in the East. Then New York fell apart worse than Miss Spears’ stiletto heels at the MTV Video Music Awards.
The Mets went 5-12 down the stretch, including losing six of their last seven.
On the bright side, Spears has a new song out and manager Willie Randolph isn’t out of a job.
Moment of the Year
April 15—Jackie Robinson Day
Seeing so many baseball players petition to wear No. 42 reminded us about the courage of a great man.
Overrated Moment of the Year
Barry Bonds’ 756th home run
Bonds surpassed Henry Aaron on August 7 in a moment that many missed because it didn’t occur until almost midnight on the East Coast.
If you missed it, feel lucky. There hasn’t been that much fake emotion since Bush welcomed Pelosi at the State of the Union.
Awards Given In a Ceremony Held Earlier This Evening
Temper Tantrum Award: San Diego Padres’ Milton Bradley becomes so infuriated at an umpire on the last week of the season that his manager has to restrain him, and during the ruckus the outfielder fell to the ground, tearing his ACL. His team fails to make the postseason eight days later.
Milestone of the Year: The Phillies lose their 10,000th game. The only professional sports franchise ever to hit that heralded, um, unheralded mark.
Baseball Imitates Heaven Award: Roger Clemens ascends from the heavens ( O.K., just George Steinbrenner’s suite, but George does think he’s a god) at Yankee Stadium in early May to grace the Bronx and let them know he will be returning soon.
Wes McElroy hosts "The Final Round" on ESPN AM840. Monday-Friday, 4pm-6pm.