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• Vote: Would you rather have Tim Lincecum or Zack Greinke for the next decade?
• Your Rankings: Which three pitchers would make your NL Cy Young ballot?
• Chat: Keith Law answers your questions today, 1 ET.

Tim Lincecum won the National League Cy Young for the second consecutive season, just as SportsNation voters suggested he should at the All-Star break and after the season.

So why are Chris Carpenter and Javier Vazquez at the center of a Cy Young controversy?

Lincecum won a close vote, edging the Cardinals duo of Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. That's noteworthy because two voters, including ESPN.com's Keith Law, didn't include Carpenter on their three-person ballots. Instead, Law put Vazquez second. Never one to bow to conventional wisdom or duck a question, Law explained on "AllNight" on ESPN Radio. But for SportsNation chatters, the news was hardly a surprise.

Jeremy (California)

I know you're not going to reveal your Cy Young ballot before the results are announced, but will you reveal it after the fact? I'm really curious. I know how I'd vote, but honestly I would be neither surprised nor angry at any three of Lincecum, Vazquez, Haren, Jimenez, Wainwright, and Carpenter, in any order.

Keith Law

That's pretty much my view. It's not a 3-man race; it's at least a 4-man race (Vazquez) and you could make a serious case for Haren. Full Oct. 1 transcript

John (AZ)

When you are voting for the Cy Young what is one stat that you highly value?

Keith Law

I'm looking at a mix -- VORP, FIP, xFIP, etc. At the end of the day, I'm not comfortable rewarding a pitcher for playing in front of a great defense, which ERA and even VORP do to some degree. Full Oct. 1 transcript

“

A starting pitchers job is to win games. That's it. Great pitchers win alot of games because they are great. I'm still shocked ANYONE would ever say wins aren't important. Look, Greinke and Lincecum are really good young pitchers. If they were on teams that could hit and score runs, they both would've probably won 20 games anyway. But I still believe if one of the contenders won 21,22 games this year, they would've won the CY in either league.

” -- bigbluepete

• Vote: Who gets your support for Cy Young and MVP in each league?

Sure, Zack Greinke isn't going to get to 20 wins. But the guy made a late September game against the Red Sox meaningful -- for the Royals. That's downright superhuman. Greinke's six shutout innings earned him win No. 15. Only 23 percent of SportsNation thought he had the Cy Young wrapped up before that effort, but another 34 percent -- more than enough to push him over the top -- thought last night clinched it.

When it comes to MVP, Albert Pujols' grip on the award makes "Mad Men" envious, but the AL race still has some intrigue. Most people seem to think it's down to Joe Mauer and Derek Jeter, but SportsNation blogger brianRuberti -- a Yankees fan, no less -- has Jeter fifth, Mauer second and another time at the top of his ballot.

• "If Miguel Cabrera wasn't in that lineup every night, do you thing that Minnesota would only be 2 games back? Try being 5 games up instead. He does it all in run production, and having a .994 fielding percentage doesn't hurt either." -- read the full post.

Darrell (Tennessee)

Please tell me that my Mariners King Felix will win the Cy Young. I'm tired of hearing about CC cause he plays in New York, this is a two horse race between Felix and Grienke.

Rob Neyer

You're not hearing about CC because he plays in New York. Well, maybe a little bit. But w/r/t to the Cy Young, you're hearing about him mostly because he's got a shot at winning 20 games; in fact he's the only pitcher who's got a shot at winning 20 games. Voters have always liked 20-game winners, and some of them still do. Full transcript

Nora (St. Louis)

Carpenter has given up 4 or more runs in a start only once. Lincecum has done that five times. I know Lincecum strikes everyone out, but Carp's only really had the one bad start. He's been so good so consistently.

Buster Olney

Nora: And Carpenter has made fewer starts, too, because of that early-season injury. But believe me, I'm not saying there is a clear-cut choice... If Carpenter throws well in his last couple of outings, and Lincecum has another stinker, I think Carpenter will win. If Lincecum and Carpenter labor the next two times out and Wainwright throws well and finishes with 20 wins, I think that'll really help Wainwright's chances. Total toss-up right now. Full transcript

• MLB Awards: Pick your winners for AL/ NL Cy Young and AL/NL MVP.

Tim Lincecum's gem against the Rockies Monday night may yet make a race out of the NL wild card, the lone prospect for any sort of September drama in the standings. But if the Giants ace eventually captures his second consecutive Cy Young, Monday's line -- 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 11 K -- may go down as the clincher.

Lincecum has been out in front of the SportsNation voting most of the season. He dominated the midseason Cy Young rankings and had a 46-percent lead on his closest competition, Chris Carpenter, as recently as two weeks ago. But between Lincecum's bad back and Carpenter's amazing second half, the gap had closed to 20 percent last week.

• Your Power Rankings: How many of the top five teams are in the American League?
• Chats: Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, 11 a.m. ET | SweetSpot blogger Rob Neyer, 12 p.m. ET

Ryan (Detroit)

What would it take for Verlander to win the Cy Young?

Peter Gammons

I think he'd have to reel off dominant starts from here until the end of the season. As of now Zack Greinke's ERA, quality starts and strikeouts make him very difficult to beat. But Verlander, Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia are right in the mix. Full transcript

• Vote: Who is the favorite to inherit Lee's crown as AL Cy Young winner?

We didn't plan on starting with one-on-one debates two days in a row, but then again, the Diamondbacks probably didn't plan on looking like a Double-A team against Cliff Lee last night (although Arizona fans forced to endure this season might tell us that's an upgrade).

Lee has been sensational in his first four starts for the team, running up a 4-0 record and 0.82 ERA and leading to inevitable comparisons with last season's big-ticket pitching acquisition, CC Sabathia. But that's not necessarily the comparison on our mind.

• Cliff Lee: 11-9, 2.72 ERA, 185 IP, 141 K, 39 BB, 5 CG (overall)
• Tim Lincecum: 12-3, 2.37 ERA, 178.1 IP, 207 K, 46 BB, 4 CG

The National League has a unique situation on its hands with both reigning Cy Young winners in its ranks and in the pennant race. SportsNation voters have been pretty clear that they expect Lincecum to make it two awards in a row, and given his late arrival, Lee's not going to change that.

But if it came down to one big game, which pitcher are you handing the ball to?

“

Notice anything funny lately? Cliff Lee is 4-0 and nobody in Philadelphia seems to even remember who Roy Halladay is.

” -- tcf098

“

I think it has more to do with the teams just ain't familiar with Lee. I think the same with Happ, too. I mean, don't get me wrong - they both have outstanding stuff. I just think the inexperience of the other teams with Happ and Lee is giving other teams' fits. I wonder, though, if Lee will end up being like Sabathia in the playoffs.

” -- this_is_chris

Sometimes we all need a little extra space to vent. ESPN profiles give fans space to post their own blog entries and go toe-to-toe with commenters.

• pieman12347: Short and sweet. Tim Lincecum and Dan Haren will propel the National League to an All-Star Game win.
• allikskat: Stephon Marbury playing Europe? allikskat notes the separate paths Starbury and KG have travelled and suggests the New York native would do well to stay on this side of the Atlantic in Boston.
• dslake84: The drumbeat for a college football playoff among college football fans should form its own marching band. Only tradition stands in the way, according to dslake84.
• ADEVARTS: Brett Favre is wrong for Minnesota. Didn't the Vikings learn anything from the New York Jets' mistakes, asks ADEVARTS.
• SportsCenter: Allen Iverson is no longer the answer, blogs Cindy Brunson. Nike and LeBron need to lighten up, blogs Jay Harris.
• sirigina: And for a fast finish, sirigina explains why a budget cap would benefit Formula One.

Back when the season began, voters ranked the Colorado Rockies No. 22 in SportsNation's Power Rankings. Which seems like a bit of a bucket of cold water on the whole "hope springs eternal" thing until you consider they ranked the Giants No. 28, ahead of only the Astros and Nationals. If divisions were restuarants, the NL West was the one that wouldn't survive the next visit from the health inspector.

So maybe it's understandable that despite waking up Friday morning with the Giants and Rockies atop the wild-card standings in the National League, the 'Nation as a whole, and especially the parts to the right side of the Rocky Mountains, remains skeptical that the West will produce two playoff teams.

Then again, when you've got the two best pitchers in the National League through the first half of the season, maybe optimism is lurking like the fog rolling in off the Bay.

• Half of the country -- the half not in the middle -- likes Dodgers for World Series.
• And while far from unanimous, most think the Dodgers can count on Manny.
• More midseason reviews: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL Central | NL East
• Groups: Dodgers Fan Club | Padres | Brandon Webb Fans

“

[Mark Reynolds]? you wanna lead? catch the ball when it is thrown to you..on the fly...by an infielder....and hits you in the chest (or more exact - the glove). you wanna lead? dont strikeout a zillion times. sure you hit some bombs but id rather have you with 10-12 hrs and getting hits with runners in scoring position more rather than waving at the ball as it goes by. you wanna lead? try not being a dolt on the basepaths....10 year olds run the bases better than you most times.

” -- droppin bombs

“

For all you rockies fan and people that have jumped on thier bandwagon I would remind you all your still in 3rd place. Doesnt matter how good the rockies are if they can't beat the dodgers they are not going anywhere. So just settle down there kiddies!

” -- michaeldavies0

“

What I do like is the fact that Manny and Juan are platooning in left field, now that makes sense to keep both of them happy while playing, hitting & contributing to another divisional title, this year with consistent hitting and good pitching the Dodgers might make it to the World Series.... time will tell... Thinking positive without a cocky attitude will afford many wins and good karma.

” -- tmohr48

“

Earlier in the year, I thought I recall reading that the plan with Evereth [Cabrera] was to have him come up and get some experience, protect him , then have him go to A or AA next year. Is there any remote chance that this guy will ever see another day in the minor leagues anytime soon? He is one reason to have hope for the near future. If we can get some value for Peavy, Kouz, et al, we should be in decent shape within 2 or 3 years...

” -- claykirby1969

“

Tim Lincecum is the best pitcher on the face of the Earth

” -- vikg43

• Rank the NL Cy Young contenders, now featuring genuine Rockies!

We salute NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for summiting Mount Rainier, although running a league that includes the Bengals does give him at least a little experience with things that tend to erupt and leave a swath of destruction in their wake. But as the MLB All-Star Game approaches, Goodell's trip takes second place to the high-altitude exploits of Rockies pitcher Jason Marquis.

Passing the still-frozen bodies of Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle (proverbially speaking, of course) on his way to the summit, Marquis is a legitimate Cy Young contender with 11 wins. We get that the humidor makes Coors Field slightly less ominous than the setting for the next "Saw" for pitchers these days, but there's still not exactly a line forming to go face batters a mile above sea level.

• Continuing the self-proclaimed third annual "Half-way Awards," blogger whitstatman hands out hardware in the NL, where a familiar (baby) face loses out to a teammate in the Cy Young race and the Mets ... stink.
• SN midseason awards: Rank AL MVP contenders | Rank AL Cy Young contenders
• Groups: ROCKIES ROCK!! | The Arizona Diamondbacks | National league

“

Vazquez is, and has been, an over-rated bum his whole career. Can't win with run support, can't win without it. There's a reason why his career numbers hover around .500, and its nothing to do with the rest of any team he's been on.

” -- JeffSigmaChi

“

Start Tim Lincecum for the NL. The man is a serious freak of nature and an amazing picture. Just ask the last 3 teams he has pitched against.

” -- jaws2355