05-05-2009, 03:36 PM
Bench certainly was in 1970 and 1972.
However, teammate Pete Rose won the NL '73 MVP, and Joe Morgan won it in '74 and '75, and George Foster won it in '77.
<b>It'd be tough to argue that Bench was the best player on his team in those years, when 3 different teammates were considered the best player in the whole<i> league</i>.</b>
The point is this: it doesn't mean jack-shit whether or not you happen to be "the best player on your team."
However, teammate Pete Rose won the NL '73 MVP, and Joe Morgan won it in '74 and '75, and George Foster won it in '77.
<b>It'd be tough to argue that Bench was the best player on his team in those years, when 3 different teammates were considered the best player in the whole<i> league</i>.</b>
The point is this: it doesn't mean jack-shit whether or not you happen to be "the best player on your team."
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance