Barry, Kerry ... and anybody but the Yankees

The election should prove to be the most argument-provoking election ever. No I'm not talking about all that political Bush/Kerry stuff, I am referring to the MVP race in Major League Baseball.

The National League poses an interesting question, should someone besides Barry Bonds win the Most Valuable Player award?

No doubt about it, he changes the course of a game more than anyone in history, but he's also watching the postseason from home. To me, the MVP award should go to someone who is actually playing in October, and whose team wouldn't be playing in October without him.

Barry is the obvious choice, but what about the others. What about the three headed monster of St. Louis Cardinals MVP contenders. And if Barry should be considered because he doesn't play with any other "superstars", what about Randy Johnson.

OK, Randy played for the worst team in baseball, but whether a team finishes one game out, or one hundred, neither the San Francisco Giants or the Arizona Diamondbacks made the playoffs, so count Randy and Barry out in my book.

One could also argue that the Cardinals would still be in the playoffs without Albert Pujols, Scott Rolaen or Jim Edmonds. That is a very astute observation, so count all of them out also.

So that leaves, at least in my eyes, Adrian Beltre of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Beltre was at the top of the league in most offensive categories. Los Angeles would not still be playing if it wasn't for Beltre, so let's give it to him. Why not?

The American League MVP race is also clouded with question.

Vladmir Guerrero led the Anaheim Angels to the West divisional crown. Should it be him?

What about Manny Ramirez or David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox?

Tori Hunter or Corie Koskie of the Minnesota Twins?

I am positive of one thing, it should NOT be a New York Yankee.

The Yankees should have won the East by August with as much talent as they have.

Maybe I can play for them next year, that wouldn't hurt too much, would it?

OK, I'm awake now.

If for some reason a Yankee does win, it would have to be Gary Scheffield. He continues to get better with age, and continues to put up MVP type numbers, but he is a Yankee. The team would have been there without half of the guys they do have, count them out, too.

So, to win the MVP award, you have to lead a team that would fail without you. You have to be a role model for a team that couldn't survive without your guidance.

So who should it be? Thank goodness I don't have to decide.

If I did have to pick a winner, rest easy, it wouldn't be a Yankee.