With expanded interleague play next year, ? about awards

[JoeMcKim]

With them having interleague games every day of next season is it time they start moving away from having MVP, rookie of the year and Cy Young winners for each league and just do 1 award for MVP of MLB, Cy Young of MLB and Rookie of the Year of MLB? I guess you can also do a smaller award after MVP for player of the year in AL and NL, with the MVP obviously winning his PotY award for his respective league.

[Jmodene]

Nah, they'll keep the separate awards until they do away with the leagues altogether. Although it should be noted that ROY only dates to 1947 and CYA only dates to 1955 or thereabouts - and they only had one CYA for both leagues until 1967. I suspect they expanded CYA that year because Jim Kaat won 25 games for the Twins in 1966 and didn't get a single CYA vote - because Sandy Koufax won 27 for the Dodgers and won the award 20 votes to none (they didn't go to the MVP-style weighted voting system until 1970, after Denny McLain and Mike Cuellar tied for the AL CYA in 1969).

[dmarx114]

I didn't think interleague play was expanded. I just thought the 15-18 games played against the other league are now spread out over the course of the season.

[Fat Strat]

I really like the awards for both leagues.

[JoeMcKim]

I still think each league should award a player player of the year, pitcher of the year and so on. And should leave the golden glove and silver sluggers alone. But the MVP and Cy Young awards should be for MLB overall. That way the player of the year awards can be totally based on the production of that player himself and not give a lesser player the award for player of the year just because his team is higher in the standings. So it would be conceivable that a player could win MVP of MLB but not be the player of the year of his respective league.

[Jmodene]

I still think each league should award a player player of the year, pitcher of the year and so on. And should leave the golden glove and silver sluggers alone. But the MVP and Cy Young awards should be for MLB overall. That way the player of the year awards can be totally based on the production of that player himself and not give a lesser player the award for player of the year just because his team is higher in the standings. So it would be conceivable that a player could win MVP of MLB but not be the player of the year of his respective league.

Yes - like when Lou Brock was player of the year in 1974 but didn't win MVP (he lost to Steve Garvey).

[a_smith]

Hank Aaron and the award named for him of being the best hitter in each league want some recognition.