The Great Debate: National League MVP Voting for 1998

Strategic Insights -

The 1998 National League MVP voting is on the horizon, with Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa emerging as top contenders for Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61. However, the real debate revolves around the National League Most Valuable Player award, with multiple players having a strong case. The voting process is subjective, and the guidelines are vague, leaving room for controversy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The National League MVP award voting is set to begin, with McGwire, Sosa, and Houston's Moises Alou emerging as top contenders.
  • The guidelines for voting are vague, leaving voters to decide on the "actual value of a player to their team," "number of games played," "general character, disposition, loyalty, and effort," and other factors.
  • The voting process has little precedent for this year's situation, as there is no previous instance where a player broke the single-season home run record while their team was not in a winning position.
  • McGwire's Cardinals are currently third in the NL Central, six games below .500, while Sosa's Cubs are a game ahead of the New York Mets in the NL wild-card race.
  • Alou and his Astros have a 10-game lead in the NL Central, making their case for MVP strong, despite being 19 home runs behind McGwire.
  • The voting process will be influenced by how much weight the voters give to individual accomplishment, such as breaking the single-season home run record.
  • The 1998 MVP voting will be a Most Volatile Proposition, with multiple players having a strong case and the outcome still uncertain.

Statistics:

  • The average attendance for games involving the Cardinals is about 5,000 higher this season.
  • Television ratings soar when McGwire swings a bat.
  • McGwire went into Wednesday with an NL-record 57 home runs.
  • McGwire's Cardinals are six games below .500 (66-72) and 20 1/2 games behind the first-place Astros.
  • Sosa's Cubs are a game ahead of the New York Mets in the NL wild-card race.

Sources:

  • Rocky Mountain News, date not specified
  • Letter sent to Baseball Writers Association of America voters, 1931, (no date specified)
  • Baseball Writers Association of America website, no date specified