Pedroia left off one MVP ballot: Why the indignation?

The Boston Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia was named American League MVP, capping the awards season with probably the most interesting vote of the season.

The baseball writers - two per city - gave the award to an AL second baseman for the first time since 1959. It wasn't a landslide for Pedroia, but he did have the majority of first-place votes. And two teams that didn't win their division had players in the top four spots (Pedroia and third-place Kevin Youkiulis of the Red Sox and second-place Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins).

And pity poor Evan Grant, who didn't vote for Pedroia in his top 10. And before you claim an anti-Boston bias, take note that the Dallas Morning News writer voted Youkilis first. He spent all day Tuesday on the talk-show circuit defending his ballot, and said in retrospect that he was wrong and he should have had Pedroia in the top five.

But he's still a little feisty on the topic. From Grant's blog:

I will have you know that Pedroia was 18th in OPS, 27th in RBIs, 30th in batting average with runners in scoring position and 53rd in on-base percentage with runners in scoring percentage. I am aware he tied for the league lead in hits, led in runs scored and was second in batting average. But in the stats that to me suggest production and clutch hitting, he was dwarfed by the other players on the list.

Give him a break, Boston fans. He might have gotten a little too cute with his ballot and his analysis was a little skewed, but he did it honestly. (I personally would have voted for Francisco Rodriguez, and only one writer agreed with me. Pedroia would have been in my top five, however.) And keep in mind that it didn't cost Pedroia the award.

Grant responded to Masslive.com in an e-mail about his ordeal.

I know it won't be satisfactory to a lot of people, but all I'd ask is that people read it and consider my thinking. They are all free to disagree with me. But, in general, I think I'm a fairly well-informed baseball writers who takes my responsibility seriously. Doesn't mean I can't have an out-of-left-field opinion sometimes and clearly this one was deep, deep in the alley compared to my colleagues.