This is a difficult year from which to pick the top four MVP candidates, because there are about two dozen guys whose credentials were mostly the same. The actual winner was Vida Blue, a powerful 22-year-old left-handed starter who won 24 games with the Athletics. Among the players, I think that the best choice was Bobby Murcer.

         For several decades, the Yankees were able to produce great outfielders at will; Babe Ruth was replaced by Joe DiMaggio, who in turn was replaced by Mickey Mantle. As Mantle grew older, fans started looking for the Next One. The two players who received the most attention were Tom Tresh and Bobby Murcer, but neither worked out as was hoped.
        But wait a minute. Tresh was a good player, for a short time. And while Murcer wasn't Joe DiMaggio, he was a very good player — and the league's best this year, leading the American League in OPS and runs produced. Murcer debuted with the Yankees when he was 19 years old; his career was delayed by a two-year stint in the army, but when he came back he was a terrific player for a few seasons. Murcer played 17 years in total; past age 30, his career was mostly a long decline, but he was a .277 hitter who hit 252 home runs. Today, he works as a broadcaster for the Yankees.
        I'm certain that Murcer was the best hitter in the league, and was probably the best player. After that, things become murky. There just aren't many guys who stand out this season. The league leaders in doubles and homers each had 33, not an outstanding total. Frank Robinson had a terrific year, and helped the Orioles win the pennant. Don Buford also played well for Baltimore. Reggie Jackson helped the Athletics win their division. Tony Oliva was great, but was hurt a lot.
        But after Murcer, I think the best player from the above group was Amos Otis. His hitting stats were good, though not quite as good as Robinson's or Buford's. Otis had a great year base stealing as well; he was caught only eight times. Otis also won a Gold Glove, and helped the Royals to a second-place finish in just their third year of existence.
        In 1970, the New York Mets traded Amos Otis to the Royals for a third baseman named Joe Foy. That didn't work out, so a year later they traded Nolan Ryan to the Angels for another third baseman, Jim Fregosi. Hey, where did the Mets get all of these good young players? And why did they trade them away? Amos Otis played for 17 years, most of them with the Royals. He was a multi-skilled player who pounded out over 2000 career hits, but also had 193 homers and 341 stolen bases. He also twice led the league in doubles, and won three Gold Glove Awards. Amos was one of the better players of the 1970's, a consistent performer who helped the Royals win five division titles.
        There were lots of pretty good third basemen in the league, though I'm not sure who the best one was. Bill Melton was an unlikely homer king; Brooks Robinson and Graig Nettles were very good defensive players. Sal Bando was runner-up in the actual MVP vote, and he was a good hitter, though not a strong defensive player. He did play for the Athletics, who had a great year.
        This was Brooks Robinson's last good year; Brooks was reluctant to quit, and the Orioles were reluctant to retire him, so he hung around for six more years despite not playing very well. He played 23 years in all, all for the same team. He won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves, and established a reputation as perhaps the best defensive third baseman ever.
        For a time, some people considered Brooks the best all-around third baseman ever, though Mike Schmidt now holds that title pretty firmly. Still, there haven't been too many players more consistent than Brooks for a such a long period of time, and he played for a lot of winners. He is a deserving Hall Of Famer.
        As for this year, I guess I'll take Melton, who was a pretty good slugger. His career lasted only ten years, though he was usually a pretty good player. After Melton, I'm picking Robinson's double play partner, Davey Johnson. Johnson had a fine year at the plate, and won a Gold Glove. I think he was clearly the best of the middle infielders.