Hanley Ramirez and the MVP

    While covering the World Series, several MVP voters told me they had given Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez their second-place vote, and second is where I expect Ramirez to finish when the results are revealed later today. The Cardinals' Albert Pujols is a lock to win his second consecutive MVP title and third overall. It might even be unanimous.

    They say finishing second is like.....well, I'll let you provide your own favorite analogy. But Ramirez should end up with the highest MVP placing ever by a Marlins player in the franchise's 17 years of existence.  Only seven times previously has a Marlin so much as cracked the Top 10 in NL MVP voting, with Miguel Cabrera's back-to-back fifth-place showings in 2005 and '06 serving as the high-water marks.

   The other Marlins producing Top 10 finishes were Gary Sheffield (tied fo 7th in 1996), Moises Alou (10th in 1997), Juan Pierre (10th in 2003), Carlos Delgado (6th in 2005) and Ramirez (10th in 2007).

   Florida isn't the only NL team that has yet to produce the league MVP, as decided by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The Brewers, Diamondbacks, Rockies and Mets are still waiting for one, as well.