David Freese, the 2011 National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player, was the most recent player to win both this award and the World Series MVP in the same season.

The second round of the Major League Baseball post-season is known as the League Championship Series (LCS). This series has a best-of-seven playoff format, and currently follows the Division Series,^[1] in which the three division champions and one wild card team from each league play against each other based on their regular-season records.^[a] The winners of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and the American League Championship Series (ALCS) advance to the World Series, Major League Baseball's championship.^[2] The 2009 LCS winners were the Philadelphia Phillies (National League)^[3] and the New York Yankees (American League).^[4]

The LCS Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the series.^[5] The award has been presented in the National League since 1977, and in the American League since 1980.^[1] Dusty Baker won the inaugural award in 1977 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Frank White won the first American League award in 1980 with the Kansas City Royals. The six Hall of Famers to win LCS MVPs include George Brett, Dennis Eckersley, Rickey Henderson, Kirby Puckett, Ozzie Smith, and Willie Stargell.

Three players have won the award twice: Steve Garvey (1978, 1984), Dave Stewart (1990, 1993), and Orel Hershiser (1988, 1995). Six players have gone on to win the World Series MVP Award in the same season in which they won the LCS MVP—all of them in the National League. Willie Stargell was the first to accomplish the feat, winning in 1979, and Darrell Porter won both in 1982. Hershiser notched his two wins in 1988, and Liván Hernández won both in 1997. Cole Hamels, the 2008 NLCS MVP, was the last to accomplish the double win, posting a 4–0 record (1.80 earned run average, 30 strikeouts) in the 2008 post-season.^[6] Three players have won while playing for the losing team in the series: Fred Lynn played for the 1982 California Angels;^[7] Mike Scott pitched for the 1986 Houston Astros;^[8] and Jeffrey Leonard played for the 1987 San Francisco Giants.^[9] Two players have shared the award in the same year once; Rob Dibble and Randy Myers combined for 4 saves and 17 strikeouts in 10²⁄₃ scoreless innings pitched out of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds' bullpen.

Many LCS MVPs have been presented to players who have exhibited rare or extraordinary statistical performances in the seven-game playoff series. Garvey, Leonard, and Albert Pujols hit four home runs in their winning series—Garvey in his first win.^[10][11][12] Adam Kennedy won the 2002 ALCS MVP for hitting 3 home runs in 5 games;^[13] he had hit 7 during the regular season and, as of the end of the 2009 season^[update], has hit 68 in his 11-year career.^[14] David Ortiz had 11 runs batted in (RBI) during the 2004 ALCS^[15] and Iván Rodríguez had 10 during the 2003 NLCS^[16]—the only two players to reach double-digit RBI in the series in the history of the award. From the pitcher's mound, Steve Avery threw 16¹⁄₃ innings without giving up a run in the 1991 NLCS,^[17] and John Smoltz amassed 19 strikeouts the following year.^[18] Liván Hernández won the 1997 NLCS MVP after winning his only start and earning a win out of the bullpen in relief; he struck out 16 in 10²⁄₃ innings.

Liván Hernández and his half-brother, Orlando Hernández, are the only family pair to have won the award.^[19]

Key[link]

American League winners[link]

Josh Hamilton (2010 ALCS MVP)

CC Sabathia (2009 ALCS MVP)

Matt Garza (2008 ALCS MVP)

Josh Beckett (2007 ALCS MVP)

National League winners[link]

Cody Ross (2010 NLCS MVP)

Ryan Howard (2009 NLCS MVP)

Cole Hamels (2008 NLCS and WS MVP)

Matt Holliday (2007 NLCS MVP)

Notes[link]

• ^a The three division leaders, along with the wild card team, are paired based on their win–loss record: the team with the best record (team 1) plays the wild card team (team 4), regardless of their record, while the other two division winners (teams 2 and 3) play each other. The only exception is if the wild-card team and team 1 are from the same division. In that case, team 1 plays team 3, and team 2 plays team 4.^[2]

References[link]

General

• "Post-Season Awards & All-Star Game MVP Award Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/postmvp.shtml. Retrieved September 5, 2009. 

Inline citations

Further reading[link]

• Lubbers, Jeff (October 29, 2011). "A New Way to Select Series MVPs". YardBarker.com. Baseball Daily Digest. http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/a_new_way_to_select_series_mvps/7734271. Retrieved 2011-10-30. 

External links[link]

• Playoff and World Series Stats at Baseball-Reference

v t e Major League Baseball awards and trophies Team Commissioner's Trophy (list of winners) Warren Giles Trophy (NL pennant winners) William Harridge Trophy (AL pennant winners) Individual Most Valuable Player (MVP) Cy Young Manager of the Year Rookie of the Year Roberto Clemente Hank Aaron Gold Glove Silver Slugger World Series MVP All-Star Game MVP Rolaids Relief Man Comeback Player of the Year League Championship Series MVP Major League Baseball Delivery Man Award Other Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award

Delmon Young
Detroit Tigers – No. 21
Outfielder
Born: (1985-09-14) September 14, 1985 (age 26) Montgomery, Alabama
Bats: right	Throws: right
MLB debut
August 29, 2006 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Career statistics (through May 31, 2012)
Batting average	.286
Hits	844
Home runs	75
Runs batted in	427
Stolen bases	34
Games played	773
Teams
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2006–2007) Minnesota Twins (2008–2011) Detroit Tigers (2011–present)
Career highlights and awards
AL Player of the Month (July 2010)

Delmon Damarcus Young (born September 14, 1985) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League. He is the younger brother of former major league outfielder and first baseman Dmitri Young. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama.

Young is known for having a strong and accurate throwing arm.^[1] Don Zimmer, now a consultant with the Rays, has compared Young's arm to that of Jesse Barfield or Raúl Mondesí. In terms of hitting ability, at 6'3", 205 pounds, he presents an intimidating and strong plate presence, and his potential has often been compared to that of Albert Belle.^[2][3][4]

Minor league career[link]

Young graduated from Adolfo Camarillo High School in 2003, located in Camarillo, California, whereupon he was drafted first overall in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft.^[5]

In 2005, Young hit .336 with 20 home runs, 71 RBI and an OPS of .968 in 2005, in 84 games with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits, winning the Southern League Most Valuable Player despite playing barely more than half the season. Young was promoted to the Triple-A Durham Bulls on July 15, 2005, where he batted .285 with six home runs and 28 RBIs in 52 games. After the season was over, he was named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year and its number one overall prospect for the 2006 season. Young finished his minor league career with a .318 batting average.

Umpire controversy and suspension[link]

On April 26, 2006, while playing for the Durham Bulls in a game against the Pawtucket Red Sox, Young threw his bat at the umpire after being called out on strikes. He stared at the umpire for some time and refused to leave the batter's box. He finally did, but then started to return to his dugout and the center field camera caught him throwing his bat underhand, end-over-end, toward the umpire. The bat hit the umpire on his chest and arm but he was not seriously hurt.^[6]

The next day, Young issued an apology through his agent, claiming that he had not intended for the bat to actually strike the umpire, but acknowledging that it was unacceptable to have thrown the bat at all. The International League suspended Young for 50 games, without pay. Young had the option to appeal the suspension, but chose not to do so. The suspension ended on June 19, 2006.^[7]

This altercation was not the first he had with an umpire during a game. In 2005, while playing for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits, Young received a three-game suspension for bumping an umpire.^[8]

Major league career[link]

Young with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2006–2007)[link]

On August 28, 2006, the Devil Rays called Young up to the major leagues^[9] after it was decided that Jonny Gomes had to undergo season-ending surgery. His first game at the Major League level was against the Chicago White Sox and occurred on August 29, 2006, ten years to the day after his older brother Dmitri played in his first major league game.^[10] In Delmon's first major league plate appearance, White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia hit Young with a first-pitch fastball. After striking out in his first official at-bat, Young stroked a curveball for a 412-foot (126 m) two-run home run, which was his first Major League hit.^[11]

As a 21-year-old in 2007, Young finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting to Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia,^[12] hitting .288 with 13 home runs and 93 RBIs. Young was also a unanimous selection to the 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team. The selection was the result of the 49th annual Topps balloting of Major League managers.^[13]