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Today’s announcement of Josh Hamilton as the American League’s Most Valuable Player means baseball’s annual end-of-season awards series is over.

Few times of year breed as much controversy and debate amongst baseball fans as awards season. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen countless arguments for who should win what and why, starting with Derek Jeter’s Gold Glove and running nonstop until now.

The Rookies of the Year, Cy Youngs and MVP are voted on by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America; in each league, two writers for each team cast their ballots for the league’s best players.

Now that all is said is done, it’s time to ask: How’d they do?

In this slideshow are my grades for both the BBWAA’s choices and their total votes for each award. What do you think—would they be proud to bring home this report card?

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Phillies starting pitcher Roy Halladay is no stranger to greatness on the mound during his career.

Recently, Halladay, or “Doc” (taken from the western gunslinger Doc Holliday) received his second Cy Young award for his utter dominance on the mound during the ’10 season.

However, to describe his efforts this past season as utter dominance is a large understatement when you take a look at some of his actual numbers that he put up throughout the course of the year.

Halladay won an NL leading 21 games and had an anemic ERA of 2.44, which was the second-lowest total of his stellar 13-year career.

The stat that sticks out the most about “Doc” from not only in the ’10 season, but also throughout his time in the majors, is his abnormally high number of complete games and shutouts that he manages to get each campaign.

For example, he has lead the major leagues in both of these categories over the last two seasons with, a whopping nine complete games and four shutouts during each of the two years.

From a career prospective, he has been first or second in his league seven different times in complete games, and also six different times in shutouts as a ML starter.

I don’t think that there are two stats that show more of how a pitcher just takes control of games and his opposition than complete games and shutouts, and Roy Halladay is the best in the game because he gets many of these each season.

Also, Roy lead the majors this year in innings pitched with 250.2 innings, and is as durable as ever after logging 220+ innings each of the last five years that he has taken the hill.

If you look further into his numbers, you will see he has been steadily improving each and every year, and is becoming more and more unhittable each and every time he toes the rubber.

Add all this together and you have a dominant starting pitching force that is still getting stronger and has catapulted his game up to the very best in his sport.

If you don’t believe me, re-watch Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS, where Halladay made a mockery of the Cincinnati Reds’ offense as he delivered only the second no-hitter in postseason history.

That game was Halladay at his best, getting ground balls, making hitter looks foolish, and not letting anyone get on base against him for nearly the entire night.

In a hitter-dominated league that exists today, Halladay shines brighter than others, as he not only had a no-hitter and perfect game during the 2010 season, but he also sets the standard for all pitchers that start for their respective teams today.

Halladay is simply the best there is today, and after this season, he put this argument to rest.

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Over the last four weeks, Bleacher Report’s Featured Columnists have released the results of our mock vote for every significant MLB award, from Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers to Rookies of the Year and Cy Youngs.

Yesterday, we reached the apex of our American League awards with the announcement of Josh Hamilton as our AL MVP. Today, our series comes to a close with our choice for the National League Most Valuable Player.

This time, the top 10 vote-getters are featured here, with commentary from the writers who chose them. The full list of results—featuring 41 players who were picked on our ballots—is after the No. 1 pick.

Thank you to all the writers who voted and contributed commentary. I hope it’s been as fun for all of you to read these as it’s been for me to write them. If you missed one of the previous 15 slideshows, the full list with links is at the end.

So read on, see how we did, and be sure to tell us what we got wrong!

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Philadelphia fans are among the most loyal in sports.  Though if you cross them, they will never forget it and make sure you won’t either.   But Philadelphia Phillies‘ GM Ruben Amaro Jr. won’t ever have to worry about this.  Amaro has been the catalyst behind the Phillies’ reign and has continuously put them in a position to succeed.  That’s right, year after year the Phillies are contenders and build upon the previous season.  A lot of this credit deservedly goes to Amaro, the conductor that steers the Phillies to league supremacy.  

But why exactly do fans tend to put all their trust into this man? 

Certainly, his efforts to keep the Phillies’ window open are admirable, but Amaro’s impact goes beyond this.  During his tenure as Phillies’ GM, they have become the face of the league and synonymous with the “team” dynamic.  Not only has Amaro created a top contender in Philadelphia, but perhaps equally as important, he’s formed the closest team in all of sports.  

The idea of “team” was what mattered most to Amaro in terms of building the Phillies.  He didn’t just go out and look for talent, but also role players that add to a championship team atmosphere.  With a homegrown mind like Amaro in the fold, Philadelphians feel comfortable with the direction of thier Phillies.  

Must Read: Top 10 Postseason Moments in Philadelphia Phillies History

Ruben Amaro Jr. hasn’t been held under any type of serious microscope as so many sports personalities are in Philadelphia.  The way fans see it, Amaro extends his freedoms as GM to make the team better, even if it means raising ticket prices annually.  One thing is for certain though, without Amaro, the past few years wouldn’t have been as successful.  

Even though Pat Gillick laid out the groundwork for Amaro beforehand, Amaro’s responded swiftly.  He’s taken the ball and sprinted with it.   Amaro’s ruthless pursuit of talent has gotten them into the exclusive elite club of MLB.

It’s clear that Philadelphia fans want a winner and so does Ruben Amaro Jr.  With Amaro at the helm, fans are safe in their feelings that he knows what it takes to produce a winning product year in and year out.  The trust that they have instilled in Amaro has become more than just from a fan standpoint though.  Most of these fans have a vested interest in this team.  

As stated earlier, the Phillies raise ticket prices every year and fans expect a better product because of this.  It’s no secret that the Phillies have ruled over the NL the last few seasons and look to continue to do so in the future.  Without Amaro’s gutsy efforts through free-agency and in-season deals, this wouldn’t be possible.  

The Phillies now look to continue to go to work with their gunslinger GM.  Whether you agree with some of his deals is up to you, but Amaro’s ballsy approach can’t be denied.  The Cliff Lee deal was one thing.  Highway robbery was just about the only thing that could describe that.  However, when he followed it up by moving Lee to get his original Plan A Roy Halladay, Amaro had done the unthinkable.  Though he’d traded a fan favorite in Lee, and a top-of-the-rotation ace to boot, he acquired an even better pitcher in Halladay.

Halladay, a man who pitched nearly two perfect games this past season, is in a prime position for an even better 2011.  Amaro wouldn’t stop there though.  By the 2010 trade deadline, he would acquire another ace from Houston in Roy Oswalt.  This gave him the fantastic H2O trio that we know today.  These were all steals in one way or another at the time in which they happened and have helped Amaro’s legacy grow.  

Agree with him or not, Ruben Amaro Jr. is the best GM this town’s seen in quite some time.  There are so many reasons to trust him with the Philadelphia Phillies.   

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Roy Halladay effectively killed whatever drama might have been attached to the announcement of the 2010 National League Cy Young Award winner.

It’s no secret that the Philadelphia Phillies’ ace ran away with the thing once Josh Johnson got shelved while Ubaldo Jimenez and Adam Wainwright blinked in the second half of the season.

The Florida Marlin didn’t miss too many games and neither the Colorado Rockie, nor the better of the two St. Louis Cardinal untouchables struggled badly or for very long, but Halladay simply gave the other horses no margin for error:

33 GS, 250.2 IP, 21-10, 2.44 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 7.30 K/BB, .245/.271/.373

Further sweetening the pot were Doc’s league-leading nine complete games, league-leading four shutouts, the perfect game and the no-hitter in his playoff debut (though that one didn’t happen in time for the voting).

How’s that for your first year with a new club?

The second “Year of the Pitcher” gave us brilliance from those mentioned along with Tim Hudson, Roy Oswalt and Mat Latos, but none was as blinding as Roy Halladay.

However, as good as the burly right-hander’s campaign was, it still wasn’t quite dandy enough to crack this petrified nut. Without further ado, here are the top 15 NL Cy Youngs in the history of the award.

Enjoy.

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The man they call Doc Halladay had a mighty impressive first season in the National League, and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) certainly took notice.

Roy Halladay, the ace of aces for the Philadelphia Phillies, won the National League Cy Young Award unanimously, taking home all 32 first place votes. He easily outdistanced Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez— who seemed like a lock to win it when he arrived at the All-Star Game with a 15-1 record.

Tim Hudson, of the Atlanta Braves, and the Florida Marlins’ Josh Johnson (the NL’s ERA leader) rounded out the top five.

Halladay made his first NL campaign a most memorable one, as he led the senior circuit in wins (with a 21-10 record), complete games (nine), shutouts (four) and innings pitched (250.2). He anchored a terrific starting rotation that led the Phillies to the best record in all of baseball during the regular season.

The Phillies’ ace was both spectacular and steady. His most spectacular outing, of course, was his May 29 perfect game at Florida, in a game where the Phillies could only manage one unearned run against Josh Johnson.

Other highlights included Halladay’s 4-0 record with an 0.82 ERA and two complete games in his four starts of the season, and his last regular season start of the season which may have clinched the “Cy.”  Pitching in Washington against the pesky Nationals, he hurled a two-hit shutout without yielding a single walk.

His spectacular performances in 2010 included his first-ever postseason action, even if the postseason does not figure into the balloting. Facing a potent lineup in Game 1 of the NLDS, all Doc did was throw the second no-hitter in MLB postseason history. He was one walk away from a perfecto.

Doc also kept the season alive by winning Game 5 of the NLCS versus Tim Lincecum and the eventual world champion San Francisco Giants. That he did so pitching on one good leg only added to his legend.

Halladay was steady as well as spectacular. In his 33 starts, he failed to pitch at least seven innings only four times. His shortest outing was 5.2 innings in an 8-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox. His next outing:  the perfecto versus the Marlins.

The 6’6” future Hall of Famer, one of the most obscure superstars in the game entering the 2010 season, posted spectacular stats, and continued to do so in a way that furthered his reputation as the ultimate competitor, a workout fiend, and a terrific teammate.

The 33 year-old, still looking to add a World Series title to his trophy case that now boasts two Cy Young Awards (his first was achieved in 2003 while pitching in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform) would appear to have a few prime seasons left and it would surprise nobody in baseball if he authors another Cy-worthy campaign in 2011.

Every now and then, the baseball writers get it right, even if Halladay made it eminently easy for them to do the right thing.

GOLD NOTES:

Halladay is just the fourth Phils pitcher to be honored with this award, along with Steve Bedrosian (1987), John Denny (1983) and Steve Carlton (a four-time winner in 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1982).

Doc is now the fifth pitcher in MLB history to win a Cy in both leagues, joining Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Gaylord Perry.

Halladay went seven years between Cys, tying the Braves’ Tom Glavine for the longest gap between awards.

New teammate Roy Oswalt finished sixth in the balloting.

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, other writings and appearances, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com

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My Preseason National League Cy Young Pick: Roy Halladay

2010 National League Cy Young winner: Roy Halladay

At the All Star break, Colorado Rockies’ ace Ubaldo Jimenez was the odds on favorite to win the NL Cy Young award. He was 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and even had a no-hitter to his credit.

Halladay, who had a lower ERA than Jimenez (2.19), seemed to be lying in the background. And just like Zenyatta, Halladay made a furious run in the second half to win his second Cy Young.

He received all 32 first-place votes as he joined Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez and Gaylord Perry as the only pitchers to win a Cy Young award in both leagues.

Halladay is really in a league by himself. I always believed Greg Maddux was the best pure pitcher I had ever seen, but what Halladay has been able to do over the last couple years is making me re-think my belief.

My second-guessing comes because Halladay is doing something these days that almost no other pitcher is doing on a consistent basis—throwing complete games. In an era where the complete game is almost nonexistent, Halladay does it without breaking a sweat.

Over the past three years, Halladay has 27 complete games. During that span, no other pitcher has over 20. “Doc” has complete mastery of his craft.

Halladay lead the National League in wins (21), IP (250.2), Complete Games (nine), Shutouts (4), BB/9 (1.1), K’s/BB (7.3), and WAR (6.6). He also finished second in K’s (219) and WHIP (1.04).

Halladay’s two shining moments during the season were his perfect game against the Florida Marlins on May 29th and, of course, his no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds. That was a game for the ages.

It’s very rare that an accomplishment in sports captivates non-sports fans. I manage 12 females during my day job (no, I don’t work at a strip club) and trust me when I tell you, sports conversation is not on the agenda during the day.

However, I did have two of the members of my team come up to me the next day and ask me if I watched the Halladay game last night—it was that kind of sports moment.

Congratulations to Halladay on winning the Cy Young. I would say he is the odds on favorite to win the award next year, as well.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @theghostofmlg

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Roy Halladay was named the winner of the NL Cy Young award and he received all 32 first place votes.

Halladay is the fifth pitcher in the history of baseball to win the Cy Young award in both the American and National leagues. It was the obvious choice and one the writers made correctly. Halladay was the best pitcher in the National League and one of the best in all of baseball.

Inside is a recap of Halladay’s season and the runners up for the award.

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In a move that surprised no one, Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay unanimously won his second career Cy Young award—his first in the National League—beating out Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright for the most prestigious prize in pitching.

Halladay had a Cinderella first season in Philadelphia, going 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA and 219 strikeouts, all among the best in the league. Halladay threw his first career perfect game on May 29th, and the second All-Time playoff no-hitter in the NLDS against San Diego.

The Phillies ace lead the league in complete games for the sixth time in his last eight seasons, approaching career bests in both wins and ERA, though falling short of his 22 win 2003 season.

That 2003 season was Halladay’s first Cy Young campaign. Halladay set a career low in ERA in 2005, when he was 28 years old.

Other contenders for the award included Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, who finished second in 2009, Florida ace Josh Johnson, and Ubaldo Jimenez, who appeared the overwhelming favorite for much of the first half of the season.

Jimenez faded down the stretch and Halladay finished strong, leading the league in wins, K/BB rate, innings, complete games, shutouts, and walk rate, finishing second in WHIP and strikeouts, and third in ERA.

This second Cy Young award puts Halladay in a select group of pitchers. Only two pitchers with multiple Cy Young awards have been eligible for the Hall of Fame and failed to gain entry, and with three 20 win seasons, a perfect game, and a playoff no-hitter, Halladay looks like a near lock.

At 33 years old, Halladay is among the league’s best pitchers, and seems to have a lot left in the tank. This past year was arguably Hallday’s best, and over the past four years he has finished third, fifth, second, and fifth in Cy Young voting. Only time will tell if he can repeat this incredible season, but I wouldn’t bet against him.

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Today, the Baseball Writers Association of America will unveil its choice for the 2010 National League Cy Young Award, making this the first time in the more than three weeks since Bleacher Report’s featured columnists began to release the results of our end-of-season awards poll that Major League Baseball has had the decency to coordinate their announcement with ours.

Yesterday, we did the AL Cy Young, they did the Rookies of the Year. Last week, they announced the Silver Sluggers and Gold Gloves, a full fortnight after we did. And while we’ll be all done by Thursday, they’re going to drag their results out until just before Thanksgiving.

But I digress—here are the results of B/R’s NL Cy Young vote.

As always, the top five vote-getters are featured here, with commentary from the writers who chose them. The full list of results is at the end.

So read on, see how we did, and be sure to tell us what we got wrong!

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