MV3

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MV3 is a Major League Baseball related acronym referring to the trio of Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds during their time as teammates on the St. Louis Cardinals. The term is a play on the acronym MVP used to describe the Most Valuable Player in baseball, suggesting that each player in the trio is of MVP-caliber. The MV3 era of Cardinal baseball began on July 29, 2002, when Rolen was traded to the Cardinals from Philadelphia.^[1] The MV3 trio hit their peak during the Cardinal's 2004 season, and the era continued until the offseason following the 2007 season, when St. Louis traded both Edmonds and Rolen to different teams.^[2]^[3]^[4]

1 Background
2 2004 Season Statistics
3 2004 MLB Postseason
4 2004 Postseason Awards
5 2004 NL MVP Results
6 Current State of MV3
7 See also
8 External links
9 References

[edit] Background

Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds were all members of the St. Louis Cardinals and each had career-caliber offensive statistics that season.^[5] This led to the common belief among fans and media that no one player of the three would win the MLB MVP award, as each would be taking votes away from each other.

Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds batted 3,4,5 in the Cardinals 2004 lineup, respectively. The presence of Edgar Rentería in the 6th spot and the late season acquisition of Larry Walker from the Colorado Rockies to bat 2nd, along with the MV3s, resulted in one of the best offenses ever on a Cardinals team.^[6] This powerful lineup finished the season with the best record in the MLB at 105 wins.^[7]

[edit] 2004 Season Statistics

PLAYER	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	SF	SH	HBP	IW	GIDP	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
PUJOLS	154	592	133	196	51	2	46	123	389	84	52	5	9	0	7	12	21	.331	.415	.657	1.072
ROLEN	142	500	109	157	32	4	34	124	299	72	92	4	7	1	13	5	8	.314	.409	.598	1.057
EDMONDS	153	498	102	150	38	3	42	111	320	101	150	8	8	0	5	12	4	.301	.418	.643	1.061

[edit] 2004 MLB Postseason

The Cardinals reached the World Series for the first time since 1987, but were swept by the Boston Red Sox.^[8]^[9] This disappointment was later overcome when the Cardinals, including all three members of the MV3, returned to the World Series in 2006 and defeated the Detroit Tigers in five games.^[10]^[11]

[edit] 2004 Postseason Awards

Albert Pujols, playing first base during the season, was awarded the National League Silver Slugger Award.^[12] Scott Rolen, playing third base during the season, was awarded the National League Gold Glove.^[13] Jim Edmonds, playing center field during the season, was awarded both the National League Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger Award.^[14]

[edit] 2004 NL MVP Results

The MVP that season was eventually awarded to Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, who received 24 first-place votes.^[15] The voting was not as close as previously anticipated, as Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the MVP vote, with Adrian Beltre of the Los Angeles Dodgers finishing second.^[16]

Pujols would go on to win the MVP award, however, the following year in 2005, becoming the first Cardinal since Willie McGee in 1985 to win the award.^[17]

[edit] Current State of MV3

Jim Edmonds was traded to the San Diego Padres during the 2007-2008 offseason, making him the first of the MV3 to leave the team.^[18] Scott Rolen was traded soon thereafter, to the Toronto Blue Jays, in exchange for fellow third baseman Troy Glaus.^[19] Jim was subsequently released by the Padres, but signed with the rival Chicago Cubs on May 14th. Most sources state the primary reason for the trade was Rolen's rising resentment for Cardinals team manager Tony LaRussa. This leaves only Albert Pujols as the last remaining member of the MV3 on the Cardinals.^[20]^[21]