Hallelujah! The Chicago Cubs led the league in wins, and made the playoffs for the first time since 1945, a span of 39 years of ineptitude. They were beaten in the playoffs by the Padres, who were also making the postseason for the first time after 15 years of ineptitude. The Cubs' best player was their MVP second baseman, Ryne Sandberg.

        The Cubs led the league in runs scored, and Sandberg was their offensive dynamo. Sandberg hit for average, for power, was an excellent baserunner and defensive player. He also just missed a rare triple-double (20+ doubles, triples, and homers in the same season). In the playoffs against San Diego, Sandberg did his job, hitting .368, though the Cubs lost in the series in the last few innings of the deciding game. Combine Ryno's performance on th field with his leadership, and he makes for a very good MVP selection.
        The Cubs acquired Sandberg (and shortstop Larry Bowa) from the Phillies in 1982 in exchange for Ivan DeJesus. He played the rest of his career in Chicago; they originally played him at third base, then shifted him to second, where he became one of the best defensive players ever to play the position. Sandberg won nine straight Gold Gloves, and set a record for consecutive errorless games played at second base.
        But he still hit like a third baseman, crunching 282 home runs in his career (and stealing more than 300 bases as well). After his big MVP season this season, Sandberg was a perennial All-Star; he led the Cubs to two division titles, and is one of very few second basemen ever to lead the league in home runs. He was a career .285 hitter who had over 2300 hits in his career. Sandberg's ability to combine power, speed and defense with a good batting average makes him one of the game's greatest second basemen.
        The best hitter of this group was probably Mike Schmidt; his Phillies also scored a lot of runs this season, but were betrayed by poor pitching. Gary Carter also had a wonderful season, his last for the Expos. Carter was supposed to be one of the cornerstones of a championship team in Montreal, but it never happened. He was traded after the season to the Mets, whom he helped lead to a World Series two years later.
        Keith Hernandez was another veteran player whom the Mets acquired to help them win the World Series. He had been tremendously popular in St. Louis, and a very good player, but his relationship soured with manager Whitey Herzog. Though Herzog took a lot of criticism for dealing Hernandez, it was later revealed that Keith had a drug problem, something that Whitey had no tolerance for. Hernandez cleaned up, and was a very forceful and popular player for the Mets.
        Hernandez was runner-up in the MVP vote, and it may not have been a bad choice. He was great, and the Mets won 90 games. But on the grounds that the San Diego Padres actually made the playoffs, I think I have to give the edge to Tony Gwynn, who had a fine year too.