Last week, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins was awarded the 2007 National League Most Valuable Player award. When I hit refresh on MLB.com at exactly 2:00 PM and was presented with this reality, I fired a mug across my basement, adding another dent to my wall of baseball frustration.

As if 2007 couldn’t get worse for us Mets fans; after a monumental collapse down the stretch, our arch-rival Phillies snuck into the playoffs, making Rollins look like the man, supposedly backing up a Spring Training claim that the Phillies were the “team to beat.” Now, Jimmy Rollins was the MVP.
Let it be known, Jimmy Rollins won the MVP when he made that statement two months before the season even began.

Did “J-Roll” have an outstanding season? Yes. But, he was barely even the third best player on his own team. Batting right behind him were batting title contender Chase Utley and 2006 NL MVP Ryan Howard.

The “most valuable player” is obviously supposed to be awarded to the player who is deemed the most valuable to their team. Frankly, I don’t see how a guy who plays on a team with that kind of talent around him can be the most valuable player. He didn’t carry the team on his back like several other candidates, and he certainly didn’t change the way opponents played, like his teammate Howard did.

I could go into statistical analysis, but that’s a waste and I’ll get back to my original point that he only won the award for his boasting. The media loves guys who talk (see Owens, Terrell). And naturally, media personnel are the ones who vote for the award.

I have to give it to Rollins. He set himself up nicely in February. There was no way he could lose out. If the Phillies didn’t beat out the Mets, then it was alright because back then everyone thought the Mets were a better team. And then if the Phils somehow won the division, he’d look like Joe Namath. All eyes were on him, that’s how he wanted it, and it surely worked out well for him in the end.

Well if Rollins wasn’t the MVP, then who was? My vote would have gone to Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday. Holliday posted ridiculous numbers and did not have nearly as much of a supporting cast as Rollins did. He led the underdog Rockies to the postseason, overcoming nearly as large a deficit as Rollins’ Phillies had to deal with late in September.

What hurt Holliday was that he kept quiet, and flew under the radar unlike Rollins.
Yes I’m a jealous, bitter Mets fan. But no, Jimmy Rollins was not the most valuable player in the National League. He just has a big mouth.

- Jesse Yomtov