He’s a lock for the NL Rookie of the Year award – only a drought of epic proportions will keep him from winning in a landslide – but, as ESPN pundit Peter Gammons mused earlier this week, is Geovany Soto, the Cubs’ first-year catcher, a legitimate candidate for the Most Valuable Player award, as well?
Gammons quotes an unnamed Cubs player as saying, “You should be talking up [Soto] as the MVP. Take his position, what our pitchers have done, his production ... who in the National League is more valuable?”
Although he doesn’t come out and hype Soto for the award, Gammons, a Hall of Famer, calls the suggestion “thought-provoking.”
Soto doesn’t believe he’s a candidate, but was flattered, nonetheless.
“Just to be mentioned like that ... I’m honored,”
he said Tuesday. “There are a lot of guys with big numbers and big names out there. Just the thought that they even think of me, just to be mentioned – it makes me think I’ve won [the MVP] already.”
Soto (.286, 18 HRs, 69 RBIs entering Tuesday) has to be in the discussion, if only for the reason that, at the moment, there isn’t a clear choice – or even a front-runner.
Gammons calls the NL MVP race “muddled.”
Even so, the rookie isn’t sure he belongs in the conversation.
“[Albert] Pujols is having an outstanding year,”
he said. “[Houston’s] Carlos Lee, although he is injured, he’s driven in 100 runs already. [Philadelphia’s] Chase Utley. There’s a lot of guys."
“So for [Gammons] to mention me, that’s really, really surprising.”
Soto stressed he was not about individual accolades, only team victories.
Jim Edmonds said the Cubs don’t really have an MVP — at least, a team MVP.
Soto, who tripled and scored in the fifth inning Tuesday, agreed.
“Every day it’s somebody different,”
he said.
Stay or leave
Edmonds, a free agent after the season, says he wants to return.
“I love it [in Chicago]. I love playing at home,”
he said. “There isn’t anything better than playing in an exciting city and having the fans come out and cheering you on.”
Extra innings
Tuesday marked the 39th anniversary of Ken Holtzman’s no-hitter against Atlanta at Wrigley Field ... 2008 first-round pick Andrew Cashner (Single-A Boise) recorded his first professional victory Tuesday night ... 2007 first-round pick Josh Vitters, also of Boise, has a 25-game hitting streak.
... Edmonds on expectations – “The unfortunate situation is that we’re in [a spot] now where only a championship will do, and that’s tough. It’ll be interesting to see how it comes along.”
