Article:The Sport Crack/ArmchairGM Collaborative Tri-Season MLB Awards

In case you hadn’t noticed due to whatever reason, the baseball season is about one third complete. If your like me and have absolutely no patience at all, than your already prognosticating about the end of season awards. Then it hit me! Let’s dish out some third of the way through the season awards!

You’ll see your standard MVP’s and Cy Young’s here, but I’ve also added a lot of other awards which the MLB should definitely consider making official. Fantasy team killer awards anyone? Some of the awards are meant to be commendable while others point out a harsh truth in the guise of an award. Unlike the MLB, there are no AL and NL versions of each award. This is because it would have probably been way too long especially considering I’m including runners up.

Instead of just basing the awards on my own opinion, which is often wrong and biased, I’ve decided to post the nominees and let everyone vote in the comments. I already have an idea of who I’m going to go with and it won’t be a by the numbers winner, but I will definitely take the massive amounts of feedback into account. Oh the suspense! Let's get started -- the award and a brief description comes first, followed by the nominees.

Better off without them award: ‘Awarded’ to the player whose team would likely have been better off had they never stepped on the field this year.

The nominees:

Barry Zito (SP - SFG) Nick Swisher (OF - CHW) Jarrod Washburn (SP - SEA) Khalil Greene (SS - SDG)

Flashback to draft day award: Awarded to the player who would be unanimously picked #1 if everyone could go back in time and re-pick their fantasy teams.

The nominees (batters):

Chipper Jones (3B - ATL) Lance Berkman (1B - HOU) Chase Utley (2B - PHI) Josh Hamilton (OF - TEX)

The nominees (pitchers):

Edinson Volquez (SP - CIN) Brandon Webb (SP - ARI) Cliff Lee (SP - CLE) Roy Halladay (SP - TOR)

Failure to live up to expectations team award: ‘Awarded’ to the team who has failed miserably in regards to living up to their preseason hype.

The nominees:

Detroit Tigers Colorado Rockies New York Mets

The steroid blues award: ‘Awarded’ to the player who has been on a suspicious decline now that the steroid testing rules have become more strict.

The nominees:

Eric Gagne (RP - MIL) Gary Matthews Jr. (OF - LAA) Ivan Rodriguez (C - DET) Jason Giambi (1B - NYY) Roger Clemens (SP - N/A) [Sorry, I had too]

The MVP award: Awarded to the player who is the best player on his team and was a major part in getting them to the point they are currently at.

The nominees:

Chase Utley (2B - PHI) Josh Hamilton (OF - TEX) Lance Berkman (1B - HOU) Chipper Jones (3B - ATL) Dan Uggla (2B - FLA)

The ace award: Awarded to the most dominant starting pitcher in the entire league.

The nominees:

Brandon Webb (SP - ARI) Edinson Volquez (SP - CIN) Cliff Lee (SP - CLE) Joe Saunders (SP - LAA) Carlos Zambrano (SP - CHI) Daisuke Matsuzaka (SP - BOS)

The shutdown award: Awarded to the two most dominant closers in the entire  league.

The nominees:

Francisco Rodriguez (RP - LAA) George Sherrill (RP - BAL) Jonathan Papelbon (RP - BOS) Joe Nathan (RP - MIN) Mariano Rivera (RP - NYY)

Failure to live up to expectations player award (Also known as the fantasy team killer award): ‘Awarded’ to the player who has failed miserably in regards to living up to their potential and thus has done immeasurable damage to fantasy baseball teams nation wide.

The nominees:

Johan Santana (SP - NYM) Robinson Cano (2B - NYY) Josh Beckett (SP - BOS) Erik Bedard (SP - SEA) Miguel Cabrera (3B - DET)

The packed bandwagon award: Awarded to the team whose bandwagon has gotten a lot more crowded than it was at the start of the season.

The nominees:

Tampa Bay Rays Florida Marlins Arizona Diamondbacks Chicago Cubs

Soon to be a sporting household name: Awarded to the player who was relatively unknown (save for KD) in the minors and projects to be a future superstar.

Jay Bruce (CF - CIN) Geovany Soto  (C - CHC) Yunel Escobar (2B - ATL) Evan Longoria (3B - TAM)

Let the debates begin!