Ringolsby: Lidge a strong NL MVP choice

Philadelphia reliever Brad Lidge never blinked.

His mental toughness questioned in Houston, where he became the scapegoat for former manager Phil Garner's failures, Lidge embraced the challenge of Philadelphia this season, winning over fans that take pride in an image of booing Santa Claus.

He not only put together arguably the most consistent season ever for a closer but also was integral in the Phillies' quest to win a second consecutive National League East title and provided a starting point for manager Charlie Manuel.

How consistent has Lidge's season been?

The right-hander enters the final weekend of the regular season having converted all 40 of his save opportunities. He has not allowed a run in 59 of 70 appearances. His 1.87 ERA is the lowest of any closer in the NL and the lowest among NL relievers with at least 40 innings of work. He also has struck out 89 in 671/3 innings.

Given the inconsistent season of some offensive players playing for legitimate NL contenders, Lidge has had an MVP-caliber season.

Give St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols his due -- .353 average, 35 home runs and 112 RBI. In player-of-the-year terms, he is No. 1, but when it comes to having value on a postseason-bound team, Lidge stands out.

His selection as the MVP would create controversy. He would be only the 10th pitcher to win the NL award since the inception in 1911, the first since Bob Gibson in 1968, and the first NL reliever ever.

Pitchers have won the AL award 12 times, including Hal Newhouser of Detroit, who earned back-to-back MVPs in 1944 and 1945. A reliever has earned the AL honor three of the past four times it has gone to a pitcher - Dennis Eckersley in 1992, Willie Hernandez in 1984 and Rollie Fingers in 1981.

Roger Clemens was the AL MVP in 1986.

INFIELD CHATTER

-- Even with a desire to give first base prospect Chris Davis a shot, Texas could exercise its $6.2 million option on Hank Blalock's contract instead of paying a $250,000 buyout, figuring he would have value on the trade market, or could be moved back to third, his original position.

-- Toronto right-hander A.J. Burnett plans to exercise the out clause in his contract, which guarantees him $12 million each of the next two years. Word is he's looking for $15 million annually and more than two years.

-- Phillies general manager Pat Gillick could wind up with Toronto or Seattle. It's worth noting he announced he is "retiring as a general manager," not from baseball.

THE ROTATION

With the nod to Lidge as the NL MVP, a look at other postseason awards:

-- AL MVP: First baseman Justin Morneau, Twins. Never blinked despite a lack of impact support in the lineup.

-- NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks. Goes into his Saturday start with a chance to become the NL's fourth 23-game winner in 20 years.

-- AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee, Indians. Went from a minor league demotion last year to a 22-3 record headed into the final weekend.

-- NL Rookie: Catcher Geovany Soto, Cubs. Has had an MVP-potential season playing a key defensive position.

-- AL Rookie: Third baseman Evan Longoria, Rays. Arrival in big leagues provided final piece to lineup and defense to win a division title.

-- NL Manager: Manuel, Phillies. Behind the aw-shucks personality is a baseball genius.

-- AL Manager: Joe Maddon, Rays. Team has no pitcher with 15 wins or a starter with an ERA below 3.60, one hitter with 100 RBI, no hitter with a .300 average and the second-lowest payroll in baseball but finished ahead of the Red Sox and Yankees.

OUT IN LEFT FIELD

How bad are things in Washington? The Nationals had the smallest attendance for a first-year ballpark among the 17 teams that have opened new stadiums since Baltimore's Camden Yards changed the face of parks in 1992. The television ratings are less than than 10,000 per game. The radio ratings are less than 20,000 a game.

CLOSING STATEMENT

The battle over the legality of the contract that first-round draft choice Pedro Alvarez signed with the Pirates wasn't about money. Wink, wink. But when the Pirates agreed to give Alvarez a bit more money, surprise, surprise, the Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to drop the grievance.

The claim was the Pirates violated major league rules by signing Alvarez to a $6 million bonus shortly after the midnight Aug. 15 deadline. But when the Pirates agreed to a four-year major league deal worth nearly $6.4 million -- that allowed agent Scott Boras to claim his client received a bigger deal than the $6.2 million the Giants gave Buster Posey -- nobody seemed to care that it was more than a month after the deadline.

The negotiations also underscored the lack of credibility of Pirates president Frank Coonelly, who, in his previous position with Major League Baseball, threatened teams that did not follow guidelines created by the commissioner's office for signing bonuses.

The irony is that instead of having to shell out the $6 million within 12 months, the Pirates actually save money because they can spread out the $6.4 million over four years, which means that, while Alvarez may brag about getting the biggest bonus in the draft, his greed actually resulted in less actual spending money.

NUMBERS GAME

-- 5,473: The drop in average attendance for the Texas Rangers, the largest decline in the majors. The Rangers' average attendance of 24,323 was the franchise's lowest in 20 years.

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE

If the Cubs were to win the World Series, they would end a 100-year franchise drought and lefty Neal Cotts would become the first player to earn a World Series ring with the Cubs and White Sox. He was a reliever with the 2005 White Sox when they ended their 88-year championship drought.

HE SAID IT

"It's a step forward that we need to take and build on. We want to finish strong. That way, we have some good, positive momentum going into the offseason."

-- John Buck, catcher, on the Royals recording their second winning September in 20 years and having a chance to avoid a last-place finish for the first time since 2003.

(Tracy Ringolsby writes for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colo. E-mail ringolsbyt(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)