I think everyone knows that Albert Pujols and Joey Votto are both on the urge of historic seasons in pursuit of the first Triple Crown since 1967.

I think everyone knows that Adam Wainwright and Roy Halladay are trying to become the first starting pitchers since 2000 to record sub 2 ERAs.

CC Sabathia is looking for his second Cy Young Award, Miguel Cabrera is trying to win his first MVP, Jose Bautista is trying to hit 50 home runs, blah, blah, blah.

Does anyone care about a guy like Mark Reynolds, who is looking to break the major league baseball strikeout record at the plate of 223 set by himself last season?

Or how Cesar Izturis’s .271 slugging percentage would put him amongst some of the lowest totals in baseball history?

Remember the summer of 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had their legendary runs at Roger Maris’ home run record of 61? Does the battle in the desert going on between two teammates in Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy for the major league lead in wild pitches not give you the same goose bumps that the home run race in ’98 did?

We have all these awards and accolades for the superstars of baseball, yet we don’t have any hardware for the other 99% of players not named “Pujols”, “Jeter”, or “Mauer”.

Consider this an early Christmas gift as I present the contenders for this year’s “not so” valuable awards.

Least Valuable Player – worst everyday player

Contenders:

Aaron Hill, second base, Toronto Blue Jays

Commissioner Bud Selig might have to think about possibly making Hill give back his 2009 Silver Slugger Award after Hill’s collapse at the plate this year. Hill ranks dead last in the major leagues in batting average at .208. I feel like a little kid again rushing to get the newspaper every morning so I can read the box scores and see if Hill has broken .200 yet. Hill has been hovering at the “Mendoza Line” ever since the opening day of the season and didn’t bat .200 for a month until July. Aaron’s current quest for .200 seems to be the only thing the Blue Jays fans will be paying attention to for the rest of the season.

Jeff Francoeur, right field, New York Mets

Francoeur seemed like a bright prospect after his second season saw him hit 29 home runs and knock in 103, but his power has slowly decreased every year since 2006. Francoeur has to be a hitting coach’s worst nightmare as he possesses practically no discipline at the plate. In 411 plate appearances this season, he’s struck out 70 times and only walked 28 times. For someone with some pop in his bat (99 career home runs), his .230 batting average and .286 on-base percentage are abysmal. The big righty is hitting .034 with an 0-2 count, and .138 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. Talk about a real headache for Mets fans.

Chone Figgins, second base, Seattle Mariners

With Figgins’ batting average hovering around .250 and making $ 8.5 million this season for last place Seattle; you have to be somewhat surprised that a scuffle with Manager Don Wakamatsu waited until late July to occur. The July 24th altercation started when Figgins failed to backup a play at second base that had sailed over the cutoff man’s head, dribbling past second base allowing the runner to take third base. Wakamatsu, heated over Figgins' lack of hustle on the play, than removed Figgins from the game. This sparred what could have been a messy dugout debacle as half a dozen teammates had to intervene, separating the irate player and manager.

You would think an event like that might put a little spark into Figgins for the rest of the year, but it's only gotten worse. Hitting in the top portion of the Mariners lineup, Figgins’ on-base percentage is 60 points lower than it was last year. He leads the majors in errors at the second base position with 12, and has only mustered 18 extra-base hits all season.

“Sigh” Young Award – worst starting pitcher

Contenders:

Scott Kazmir, Anaheim Angels

It’s hard to believe that this former Tampa Bay ace is still only 26-years-old considering his path to irrelevance this past season in Anaheim. The same guy who led the major leagues in strikeouts in 2007 is looking like he has completely lost any type of feel for the game of baseball. Kazmir started the season on the disabled list before going back on it July 18th with shoulder fatigue, the same injury that had plagued him for much of spring training. You still have to wonder if Kazmir was put on the disabled list because he was experiencing “shoulder fatigue” or the fact that he had just given up 13 earned runs to the Oakland Athletics eight days before. The most runs given up by any pitcher in the majors since 2006. Giving up 13 runs to one of the least prolific offenses in the American League is a good reason to stop playing baseball. Kazmir has the second highest ERA (6.33), and fifth highest WHIP (1.60) in baseball among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched.

Kevin Millwood, Baltimore Orioles

As the 35-year-old Millwood finishes out his five-year, $60 million contract with Baltimore, you have to wonder where Millwood will be pitching next year, or whether he will even be pitching at all. At his pace this season, Millwood would be projected to lose more games than the winless, 0-16 2008-2009 Detroit Lions. By the time Millwood got his first win this season on June 19th, Baltimore had already played 68 games. The same guy, who will be earning $ 12 million this season, leads the American League in losses (14), earned runs (95), and hits allowed (188). Millwood makes more money than Baltimore’s entire pitching staff combined and has only contributed two wins, to Baltimore’s current 45-win campaign.

Ryan Rowland-Smith, Seattle Mariners

When Rowland-Smith first appeared in a major league uniform in 2007, he became the first player in major league history to have a hyphenated name on the back of his jersey. It’s nice to see Rowland-Smith be known throughout baseball for something pleasant, rather than people look at his gruesome numbers in 2010. Numbers so bad that not even MTV would be calling for an offer to play “Rock n’ Jock” baseball. Rowland-Smith might be one of those guys you label a “limo guy”. The type of guy you will go out of your way for to assure his safe transportation to the park that day. Batters are hitting a staggering .315 against Rowland- Smith this year. Just think, if you could face Rowland-Smith every time at the plate your entire career, you would have a higher career batting average than Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken Jr., and Jackie Robinson. Rowland-Smith has given up 129 hits in 98 1/3 innings while striking out only 39. He’s 1-10 with a 6.96 ERA, giving up home runs at a more prolific pace than any pitcher in the league. I’m not going to say I was happy Rowland-Smith went on the DL on July 28th, but I definitely wasn’t disappointed.

The Heartburn Award – worst closer

Contenders:

Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee Brewers

I feel like I’m watching another version of the movie “Mr. 3000”, as I watch Hoffman’s incredibly graceless pursuit to become the first player in major league history to save 600 games. I don’t even think Stan Ross could have looked as bad as Hoffman has this year. The 42-year-old, famous for his entrance song from the bullpen to AC/DC’s “Hells Bells”, should maybe think about coming out to Pat Benator’s “Hit me with your best shot” track. Hoffman lost his closer’s role just a month into the season after he blew four saves the first three weeks of the season. It wasn’t him blowing the saves that was so bad, but rather the way in which he was blowing them that made it so painful to watch. As May ended, Hoffman had given up 19 earned runs and seven home runs in only 16 innings. Brewers Manager Ken Macha has promised to let Hoffman see action in the ninth inning every once in awhile as Hoffman remains only two saves shy of the milestone. Unlike Stan Ross' hitting numbers, I hope the baseball historians can correctly register Hoffman's 600 saves once he retires, because I don’t think Hoffman could even strikeout Michael Jordan at this point.

Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets

From hero (MLB record 62 saves in 2008), to zero (pending assault charges).

It’s been quite a tumultuous last two weeks for the star closer, as his pending misdemeanor assault charges stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend’s father, were met with the news that the Mets were attempting to void his guaranteed 3-year, $37 million deal. Talk about a double-whammy. Rodriguez’s numbers didn’t tell most of the story, as he would often walk the tight-rope on his way to recording saves. Rodriguez would get himself into trouble, and find ways to get himself out of the jam, totaling very high pitch counts in the process. Most of the New York fans had had enough with Rodriguez by the time the news hit of his trouble with the law. Rodriguez has long been criticized by players, and managers for his colorful celebrations on the mound after recording the final outs of game, sometimes girating and chest pounding like he was Russel Crowe's character in "Gladiator". Maybe Rodriguez’s girlfriend’s father ran into one of “K-Rod’s” famous fist pumps after Rodriguez had seen that there was still a Polio string cheese left in the refrigerator.

Sorry, but we are not "entertained" Francisco.

Chad Qualls, Tampa Bay Rays

Even though Qualls spent most of the season with last place Arizona, it’s hard to excuse his statistics that look like the types of numbers you see from the pitcher in little league who hated baseball and was only playing because his father made him. Qualls is putting nearly 2 base runners on base every inning, with his 69 hits, and 20 walks in only 47 1/3 innings. In 22 of his 54 appearances he's given up at least one run, and blown 5 of his 13 save opportunities. You have to wonder what interest Tampa Bay had with Qualls who has an ERA (7.80) that even Kirstie Alley would call bloated.