Curve full of "Most Valuable Player" options

The balance on this year’s Curve squad is perhaps best exemplified by the number of players with a legitimate claim to the team Most Valuable Player honor

Some seasons, it’s been tough finding one 'MVP' candidate (Shaun Skrehot in 2001, anybody?)

This season, any one of four players would be a good choice

OF Vic Butter

He ranks sixth in the Eastern League in hitting (.295), is tied for third in hits (116) and leads all of minor league baseball in triples (14)
He has five homers, 48 runs, 50 RBIs and 20 steals, making him only the third player in Curve history with at least 50 RBIs and 20 steals in one season

OF/1B Brett Roneberg

He’s second on the team in RBIs (63) despite missing the first three weeks of the season with a back injury
He’s also 11th in the EL in hitting (.292), second on the team in runs (57) and has eight homers

1B/3B Simon Pond

He leads the team and ranks fourth in the EL in RBIs (66)
He’s also tops on the club in runs (58) and homers (12) and is batting .267

LHP Shane Youman

He set the Curve single-season record with a 1.51 ERA while going 7-2
The starting pitcher in the EL All-Star Game, he also showed his versatility by making 11 starts and 12 relief appearances before getting promoted to Triple-A two weeks ago

The team MVP will be named prior to the regular season finale Sept. 4, with Curve coaches, front office personnel and the media having input in the decision

If it were left up to the players, though, the clear frontrunner right now would be Buttler

“My vote would definitely go for Vic” Roneberg said
“He plays every day in center field, defense, offense, steals bags, he’s what you call a complete player
He’s got everything
He’d be my vote easily
Every time he gets on he ignites us, gets us going”

Pond cracked a smile and said, “Can I give a little disclaimer saying, first of all, I wouldn’t vote and blah, blah, they’re all great players, blah blah”
He then agreed with Roneberg’s choice
“I’ll have to say Vic Buttler because he’s doing it on defense every day and making great catches” Pond said
“He’s got that great arm out there which stops runs at the plate, so defensively he’s a force
And offensively, he steals bases, gets a lot of extra-base hits and he can disrupt the game when he’s on the basepath”

Buttler shied away from singling out anyone for 'MVP', instead giving a more politically correct answer - manager Tim Leiper
“Man, that’s a tough question because each of those three guys are definitely assets to the team, and if we were missing any one of those guys, it would definitely be a difference-maker” Buttler said
“I would have to say the team 'MVP' is Leip”

That’s maybe not a bad choice considering the job Leiper has done keeping the players on the same page despite an ever-changing roster
Leiper, though, always backs away from taking any credit and heaps all of it on his players
Leiper may have to pick one 'MVP' player at season’s end, but when asked his frontrunner now, he just smiled and politely declined to answer

Several Curve followers recently said they see Roneberg as the 'MVP' favorite given his RBI numbers and consistency
He disagrees

“I’d be honored, of course” Roneberg said, “but I don’t honestly think in my mind I deserve it. I didn’t play the first month of the season
Vic’s got all the tools, and I don’t quite have all of them
I can’t play defense like he can, I can’t run balls down in the outfield and throw guys out
To me, he’s our MVP”

Youman appears to be a longshot in the 'MVP' race despite his amazing 1.51 ERA
He won’t be with the team the final five weeks of the season, hurting his chances

His former teammates agreed, however, there’s nothing wrong with a pitcher winning an 'MVP' award
“No, absolutely not” Pond said
“Pitchers are the biggest part of the game
The biggest influence on the game is the starting pitcher”