Albert Pujols of the Cardinals … MVP?

Nice, numbers? Sure.

But how did his team finish up? Did St. Louis make the playoffs? Yeah, didn’t think so.

They wouldn’t have made the playoffs with or without him.

You, me, and everyone we know all knows that the NL MVP this season was Ryan Howard.

Period.

He was the best player in the majors in September, down the stretch, helping the Phillies pass the Mets and win the NL East.

Repeat: Hottest player in September in crunch time (while Pujols and the Cardinals were fading fast). Win the NL East.

Oh yeah, and he led the majors in homers and RBI. And no, I don’t care that he hit .250 and struck out 200 times. So what. Check the numbers: The guy was mucho clutch with runners in scoring position, and he was a beast in the middle of the lineup down the stretch when it counted most … when the Phillies were winning the East — and Pujols was going 2-for-4 with a solo homer in a completely meaningless game against the Pirates. Woo-hoo.

The voters missed this one by a mile … make that a mile and a half.

Sorry — had to get that off my chest.