World Series Coverage   Monday John Donovan: Rox, Sox built to last Albert Chen: Ellsbury an unlikely hero Joe Sheehan: Scenes, notes from clincher Red Sox celebrate World Series victory Sunday Sox clip Rockies 4-3 to win World Series John Donovan's Report Card for Game 4 Jon Heyman's 15 Greatest Mr. Octobers Lowell takes home Series MVP honors Dynasty in the making for Red Sox? Clock strikes midnight for Rockies' ride Time.com: Red Sox are the new Yankees Saturday Red Sox down Rockies 10-5, take 3-0 lead John Donovan's Report Card for Game 3 Tom Verducci: The Sox are superior John Donovan: The Coors Field factor Jon Heyman: Four keys to Game 3 Friday Melissa Segura: Corpas gets his wish John Donovan: Rockies' lumber slumber Jon Heyman: How the Sox got Beckett Joe Sheehan: Electric night at Fenway Thursday Schilling, bullpen shut down Rockies 2-1 John Donovan's Report Card for Game 2 Tom Verducci's five cuts for Thursday Albert Chen on the Red Sox's bullpen John Donovan: Rockies turn to a rookie Joe Sheehan: Postseason drama lacking Tale of the Tape: Rockies vs. Red Sox World Series Fungoes Joe Lemire on Rockies-Red Sox Schedule/Box Scores Game 1: Red Sox 13, Rockies 1 Game 2: Red Sox 2, Rockies 1 Game 3: Red Sox 10, Rockies 5 Game 4: Red Sox 4, Rockies 3

Now back to my own thoughts ...

Herewith, my NL MVP choices, and all the rest of my other choices, too (including some dubious distinctions):

NL MVP

1. Rollins. See above.
2. Hollday. Ditto.
3. Prince Fielder. Probably has only an outside chance despite hitting 50 homers and leading the pack most of the way.
4. David Wright. Team's choke job cost him a shot at the top spot.
5. Chipper Jones. Getting better with age.
6. Chase Utley. The injury cost him a chance.
7. Troy Tulowitzki. Hard to believe he's a rookie.
8. Alfonso Soriano. Worth the $136 million investment ... so far, anyway.
9. Jake Peavy. Superb stopper was great until very late.
10. Ryan Howard. Can't ignore 47 homers for playoff team.

NL LVP (Least Valuable Player): Nomar Garciaparra. Andruw Jones gave it a run, but Garciaparra may be done.

AL MVP

1. Alex Rodriguez. Best legit season in sometime with crazy pressure on him.
2. Magglio Ordonez. In any other year ...
3. Vladimir Guerrero. Angels' one true power threat seems to be enough.
4. Jorge Posada. Had his best offensive year at the right time, his walk year.
5. David Ortiz. Everyone up in Boston says Lowell's their MVP, but not on the numbers he isn't.
6. Ichiro Suzuki. A $90 million bargain (at least by my accounting).
7. Mike Lowell. Another big season for a free agent.
8. C.C. Sabathia. Not just a big pitcher but a big-game pitcher.
9. Victor Martinez. Great offensive catcher key for Indians.
10. Josh Beckett. Not too many 20-game winners these days.

AL LVP: Vernon Wells. For this they paid $126 million? Even with the improved exchange rate for Canada, not worth it.

NL Cy Young

1. Jake Peavy. Should be unanimous.
2. Brandon Webb. Underrated ace.
3. Cole Hamels. Considering the injury and the ballpark, has hellacious numbers.

NL Cy Old: Chris Capuano. Barry Zito certainly deserves it on a curve. But I can't ignore the fellow whose pennant-contending team lost his last 17 starts. Unimpressive.

AL Cy Young

1. C.C. Sabathia. Gets the nod for big wins down the stretch.
2. Josh Beckett. Tremendous all year, a close second.
3. John Lackey. Great deeds go unnoticed, year after year.

AL Cy Old: Jose Contreras. The ace of the World Champions only two years ago, his fall was spectacular.

AL Rookie of the Year

1. Dustin Pedroia. Sparkplug of baseball's best team.
2. Daisuke Matsuzaka. Hit a wall late, but still won 15.
3. Brian Bannister. A 12-9 record for K.C., not too shabby.

NL Rookie of the Year

1. Troy Tulowitzki. Besides the numbers, fields the heck out of shortstop.
2. Ryan Braun. Awesome stats but still overtaken late.
3. Yovani Gallardo. Poised kid beats 98-mph-throwing Tim Linecum.

AL Manager of the Year

1. Eric Wedge. Challenged the team's toughness at their one critical juncture, and it responded.
2. Mike Scioscia. Great every year.
3. Terry Francona. Handles a tough clubhouse, year after year.

Maury Wills Award (Worst AL Manager): Ozzie Guillen. Got to give it to him for the full year, though late comers Dave Trembley and John McLaren certainly made their cases late.

NL Manager of the Year

1. Bob Melvin. Team never folded like many expected.
2. Clint Hurdle. Strategic questions, but hey, they are here.
3. Charlie Manuel. Let's hear it for the hick.

Bud Harrelson Award (Worst NL Manager): Grady Little. Never came close to bridging the generation gap in the Dodgers' clubhouse.

AL Executive of the Year Award

1. Mark Shapiro. Superb young nucleus could win for years.
2. Theo Epstein. Not bad, even with J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo not worth $136 million combined.
3. Brian Cashman. Quite a rise from "Worst Exec' at midyear. My apologies (the call is forthcoming).

Hawk Harrelson Award (Worst AL Executive): Ken Williams. Trades of Freddy Garcia and Brandon McCarthy didn't hurt, but the guys who stayed didn't do anything, either.

NL Executive of the Year Award

1. Dan O'Dowd. Patience pays off, as he proves detractors wrong.
2. Josh Byrnes. Made trade for Doug Davis and smaller moves pay off.
3. Jim Hendry. Spent that $300 million pretty wisely, it turns out.

Ed Wade Award (Worst NL Executive): Ned Colletti. (Side note: The award has been called that for years, and it's just a coincidence that Wade has actually been hired to be a GM, in Houston, a tragic coincidence for the Astros.) A lot of big-name candidates here, but free-agent signings of Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, Luis Gonzalez and re-signing of Nomar Garciaparra didn't quite do the trick.

Battle of the ballparks

Pat Burrell's home run in Game 1 was a Citizens' Bank special. "This ballpark's a joke,'' one Rockies person said. "That wouldn't have gone out in our park.'' That Rockie meant to say "even'' in our park, of course, the notorious Coors Field.

His comment was seconded by a scout. "This park is absurd,'' the scout said. 'They'll never get any pitchers to come here as free agents. Never.

One Rockie on the Rocky

Philly's most famous Rocky, was of course, a hometown hero named Rocky Balboa. Noting the name similarities, Holliday joked that they'd celebrate their Game 1 victory in the appropriate manner. "We'll climb the stairs later,'' Holliday said.