We're So Lucky To Have MVPs Kershaw, Trout

By Mitch Chortkoff

Sports Editor

Out of all the major league baseball players on teams throughout the land the MVPs have been chosen and they both play in Southern California.

If you're a baseball fan here you can join me in congratulating Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers and Mike Trout of the Angels.

Neither one was able to lead their team to much playoff success in the 2014 season, but their individual accomplishments could not be questioned in the regular season, and these awards are based on regular season play, not the playoffs.

They were simply the best.

Although I have never voted for a pitcher for MVP, I can't disagree with Kershaw's victory for the National League award. He was 23-4 and deserved to join former Dodgers Sandy Koufax, Don Newcombe and Dazzy Vance along with Bob Gibson as the only ones to win both MVP and the Cy Young award in the same season.

I have always voted for everyday players for MVP, reasoning that they can help a team day after day rather than one day out of five.

Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton of the Florida Marlins, for example, was a worthy challenger to Kershaw, but I understand he lost some voter support after being hit in the face with a pitch one month before the season ended and couldn't play anymore.

Trout was dominant for the Angels and deserved to finish first in his third major league season after he finished second the previous two years to Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers.

Trout, 23, became the third youngest player to become American league MVP. Only Vida Blue and Cal Ripken Jr. were younger.

Trout and Mickey Mantle are the only ones to be MVP after being runnerup the previous two years.

Trout is also a superb outfielder. He's so good the Angels felt secure in trading Peter Bourgos, who often played center last year while Trout played left.

Although Kershaw and Trout can be very proud of their accomplishments both have added incentive for next season, to lead their teams to playoff success.

Particularly Kershaw. Despite his great work in the regular season he was overshadowed in the playoffs by Madison Bumgarner of the arch rival San Francisco Giants, who has the lowest Era in World Series history at 0.25.

Bumgarner was awesome in leading the Giants to their World Series triumph over the Kansas City Royals.

Well, we'll see what happens next season.

I know some people who thought he should have been MVP over Kershaw, but they didn't understand the playoffs fall into another category for awards.