The National League presents a classic case of on-base versus slugging this week. Manny Ramirez led the majors in OBA with a .608 mark. He batted .480 and collected 12 hits and eight walks. It looks like the opposition is taking the bat out of Manny's hands as he only drove in eight runs. Prince Fielder responded to the managerial change in Milwaukee, smacking the ball all over the park. Fielder led the majors in slugging percentage last week, knocking out nine extra-base hits for a 1.038 SPCT. He drove in 11 runs and scored six. Given that Fielder also posted a high OBA (.533), he wins the Baseball Musings National League Hitter of the Week.

In the American League, Joe Mauer and Shin-soo Choo put everything together offensively. Choo hit three home runs and drove in ten runs in just five games. Mauer, however, played seven. He reached base in every game and collect every type of extra base hit as the Twins pushed for the AL Central title. It's a tough choice, but for his outstanding OBA Joe Mauer win the Baseball Musings AL Hitter of the Week.

A current and former Red Sox pitcher take honors in the AL and NL. Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched twice for Boston, winning both games and posting a 0.75 ERA. Most importantly, where Dice-K is concerned, he walked only four batter in 12 innings. Depsite the great overall ERA, walks are a problem for Matsuzaka this season, but going into the playoffs he appears to have brought them under control. For his great control, Daisuke Matsuzaka is the Baseball Musings AL Pitcher of the Week.

Derek Lowe continued his strong pitching that started in the middle of August. Only poor run support kept him from a 2-0 record last week as the Dodgers failed to score for his seven shutout innings on Sunday. He allowed just one run in 14 innings, walking three and striking out ten. For keeping runs off the board, Derek Lowe takes home Baseball Musings NL Pitcher of the Week honors.

The National League presents a tough choice this week. Both Ryan Howard and David Wright hit four home runs. Ryan drove in 12 runs while scoring eight. Wright drove in nine and scored seven, but in two fewer games. David also led the majors last week in on-base average and slugging percentage. He out-hit Howard 12 to 10 and even drew four walks to Howard's three. For generating so much offense in a short time, David Wright win the Baseball Musings NL Hitter of the Week.

Catchers compete for the honor in the American League. Taylor Teagarden and Kelly Shoppach finished 1-2 in the week in slugging percentage among AL hitters. Teagarden only collected six hits, but five of them went for extra bases. Shoppach was all or nothing at the plate. In his sixteen at bats he produced eight hits, six for extra bases, but also struck out seven times. Derek Jeter knocked out 12 hits, including three consecutive three hit games, but produced little power. For his combination of power and his ability to get on base, Kelly Shoppach receives recognition as the Baseball Musings American League Hitter of the Week.

Jon Lester and A.J. Burnett both made good cases for AL Pitcher of the Week. Each won two games, Burnett keeping Toronto's hope of a playoff berth alive, Lester helping seal a playoff appearance for the Red Sox. Burnett, however, was better in every aspect of the game. His strikeout rate came higher. His walk rate came in lower. Lester allowed one home run, Burnett none. That solo home run off Jon was the only run allowed between the two pitchers all week. For keeping the opposition off the board, A.J. Burnett earns the Baseball Musings AL Pitcher of the Week.

In the National League, it's a choice of a feat over longer term dominance. Tim Lincecum continued his push for the Cy Young award with two strong outings, including his first complete game and shutout. He fell two outs shy of two complete games, striking out 21 in 17 1/3 innings while allowing two runs, only one earned. He also helped put a nail in the Arizona coffin in a week that saw the Diamondbacks playoff hopes fade. The NL saved the best for last, however, as Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter Sunday night. The Cubs skipped Zambrano's last start due to an arm injury. His status worried Cub fans headed into the playoffs. On top of that, the team was playing a game twice rained out due to hurricane Ike in Milwaukee, a supposedly neutral site. Winners of 14 of their last 15 games, the Astros were the hottest team in baseball. Against all that, Zambrano allows just a walk and hit batter, erasing one of them with a double play. That gives him the first Cubs no hitter since 1972 and earns him Baseball Musings NL Pitcher of the Week honors.

Andre Ethier led the Dodgers into first place last week with an offensive explosion. The Dodgers outfielder collected 13 hits in six games, seven of those against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team Los Angeles swept to take the lead in the division. Andre also drew seven walks for a .741 OBA and six of his hits went for extra bases. Kelly Johnson of the Braves provided some competition as he drove in 10 runs with six doubles and two triples, but his averages just don't reach Ethier's level. Congratulations to Andre Ethier, the Baseball Musings NL Hitter of the Week.

Get out your hankies for Shin-Soo Choo. He posted the highest batting average and OBA in the American League last week, batting .611 with three walks. He didn't do much damage with that batting average however. Alex Rios, however, picked up eight extra-base hits, driving in eight runs. His outburst helped the Blue Jays sweep playoff contenders Minnesota and Tampa Bay as Toronto played spoilers. Right on his heels was Magglio Ordonez, with a slightly lower slugging percentage but a better OBA and one more run scored. This is a tough call, but I'm going with the bat of Alex Rios, who helped transform a lack luster offense into one that defeated two teams with very good pitching. Alex Rios wins the honor of Baseball Musings AL Hitter of the week.

Roy Oswalt tossed a one-hitter at Coors Field, one of three low hit games pitched at that stadium. In addition, he shutout the Cubs for 8 1/3 innings, coming two out away from two complete games for the week. In 17 1/3 innings, Roy allowed just five hits and his comeback from his early season woes has Houston fans wondering about a comeback miracle. Roy's control was great as well, walking just two batters in the two starts. Oswalt takes home the Baseball Musings NL Pitcher of the Week award.

Cliff Lee solidified his Cy Young credentials with another two brilliant starts. He faced teams at both ends of the division, pitching a shutout against the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox and allowing the Kansas City Royals just one run. Cliff kept his trade mark for this season intact as well, walking just one batter in the two starts. Cliff Lee wins the Baseball Musings AL Pitcher of the Week.

Jayson Werth blasted away for the Phillies all week. In the last seven days, Werth led the National League in both on base average and slugging percentage. Seven of his twelve hits went for extra bases. He led the NL in RBI with nine, came in second in runs scored with eight, drew seven walks and even stole a base. Ty Wigginton with five homers and nine RBI draws some notice, but his week was one dimensional. Manny Ramirez collected 14 hits, seven for extra bases, but didn't match Werth in the walk department. For doing everything on offense well, Jayson Werth is the Baseball Musings NL Hitter of the Week.

The American League is a tougher call. Three Red Sox players produced a ton of offense this week. David Ortiz led the AL in OBA at .586. Just behind him was Dustin Pedroia at .567, but Pedroia slugged 80 points higher than Ortiz. While Pedroia tied with Akinori Iwamura for the most AL runs scored last week, Jason Bay drove in eleven runs with just six hits. He picked up four hits with runners in scoring position, three of them doubles.

The award, however, goes to the second baseman, Dustin Pedroia. The middle infielder's power exploits earned him the promotion to the clean-up slot in the lineup and the Baseball Musings AL Hitter of the Week honor.

Among NL pitchers, CC Sabathia made a strong case Sunday for pitcher of the week with his near, and quite possibly future, no-hitter. The designation of the one hit is under review. That, however, was the only game CC pitched as the Brewers gave him six days rest between starts. Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers started twice, however, and both pitched extremely well. Rodriguez struck out 14 in 12 2/3 innings, posting an 0.71 ERA. Myers pitched 14 innings in his two starts, striking out 16 for a 1.29 ERA. Wandy walked one, Brett three, and neither allowed a homer. Myers, however, faced the tougher competition as the Dodgers and Cubs are both teams that remain in playoff contention. The Baseball Musings Pitcher of the Week award goes to Brett Myers of the Phillies.

Just as with the batters, the American League offers a difficult choice among the pitchers.. Dallas Braden and Francisco Liriano allowed just two runs over 13 innings, but neither picked up two wins despite their great pitching. Kevin Millwood won both his starts, as did Gavin Floyd, with slightly higher ERAs than Braden and Liriano. In the end, it comes down to quality of competition as Dallas Braden pitched well against two potential playoff teams, the Angels and Twins. For his low ERA against tough opponents, Dallas Braden is the Baseball Musings AL Pitcher of the Week.

Two White Sox hitters rose to the top of the American League last week. Alexei Ramirez drove in 11 runs, the most in the majors. His eight hits included a triple and three home runs. Nick Swisher led the AL with four home runs in four consecutive games. Unlike Ramirez, he also drew three walks, giving him a better OBA and slugging percentage. He also scored more runs. Grady Sizemore posted a pretty good week, helping Cleveland to extend their winning streak to seven. Seven of his ten RBI came in one game however. So for hitting all week, and doing more things well, Nick Swisher is the Baseball Musings AL Hitter of the Week.

In the National League, Albert Pujols made the choice easy. He posted the highest OBA and Slugging percentage in the majors. He did get a little competition from Mark DeRosa, who hit four home runs. Albert, however, used the week to catch up to Chipper Jones in the race for the NL batting title. Both players are now listed with a .359 BA, although Chipper's is a bit better out to four decimal places. With 11 hits, six for extra bases, four walks and only one strikeout, Albert Pujols wins the Baseball Musings NL Hitter of the Week.

On the pitching side, it's mighty tough to argue with Rich Harden. The recent addition to the Cubs rotation won two games in a powerful fashion. Harden struck out 21 batters in 14 innings without issuing a walk. He only allowed two hits in each of his seven inning performances, and the only run came on a solo homer. For devastating the opposition, Rich Harden wins the Baseball Musings NL Pitcher of the Week.

The pick for AL Pitcher of the Week proved more difficult. Kevin Slowey and Anthony Reyes posted the best ERAs among pitchers with 10 or more innings. Slowey, despite allowing 13 hits in 14 innings, showed the better control, striking out 17 and walking none. Reyes kept the ball in the park, while Kevin allowed two long balls.

Francisco Rodriguez picked up three more saves, bringing his season total to 50. He reached that plateau two weeks earlier than Bobby Thigpen in 1990, who recorded his 50th save Sept. 15th. (The season started a week later in 1990 due to the lockout.) Frankie did not have a perfect week, however, giving up a hit in each outing.

Taking everything into consideration, Kevin Slowey gets the nod. His great strikeout and walk numbers, combined with his low ERA makes him the Baseball Musings AL Pitcher of the Week.

Two hitters stood out this week for their hitting prowess, their power, and their scoring. Ty Wigginton took up the mantle of the fallen Carlos Lee, collecting hits in all seven Astros games. In six of those games, Ty knocked out multiple hits, 16 in all. Seven of those went for extra bases, including four home runs. With his high on-base average and phenomenal power, Wigginton scored nine runs and drove in eleven. He's the Baseball Musings NL Hitter of the Week.

Melvin Mora played a nearly identical week for the Orioles. He started off with an 0 for 4 and a sacrifice fly, but then reeled off six straight multi-hit games, three three-hit games and a five hit game. Mora also hit for power, with eight of his eighteen hits resulting in extra bases. Like Ty, he scored nine runs, but did Wigginton two RBI better with 13. Melvin Mora earns the nod as the Baseball Musings AL Hitter of the week.

With the White Sox locked in a tight battle with the Twins for the AL Central title, Javier Vazquez stepped up his game last week. He made two starts, last eight innings in each game and gave up a total of one run. His eighteen strikeouts reduced his opponents balls in play and his one walk allowed kept the nine hits against him from doing much damage. His 0.56 ERA for the week earns him Baseball Musings Pitcher of the Week honors.

In the NL, four pitchers make the choice tough. Edinson Volquez appears to be over his rough patch, posting a 0.66 ERA in two starts. His low strikeout and high walk total, however, knocks him down a bit. Tim Lincecum struck out 17 batters in 12 innings, but also walked six. Roy Oswalt threw the best game of the week on Sunday, but his first outing wasn't that impressive. That leaves Johan Santana. Two wins, sixteen innings pitched, a shutout, eleven hits and just two walks moves him to the top. With 13 strikeouts, he K'd as many as he allowed on base, and his two wins helped propel the Mets to the top of the NL East. Johan Santana wins the Baseball Musings NL Pitcher of the Week.

The National League offers a tough choice this week among hitters. Albert Pujols hit three home runs, posted a .556 OBA and a .955 slugging percentage. Carlos Lee matched the home runs with better averages, but only played five games and may be out for the season with a broken finger. There's also Dan Murphy of the Mets, who's getting on base, but without the runs scored and RBI of Lee and Pujols. My NL Hitter of the Week goes to Carlos Lee. He hit better than Pujols, and his injury inspired the Astros to keep playing well, going 5-2 this week.

In the American League, Marlon Byrd knocked out six multi-hit games and two four-RBI games. Carlos Pena started to show the kind of hitting that made him a star in 2007, posting a .545 OBA and an .826 slugging percentage. Carlos Quentin doesn't quite hold the averages of the other two, but hit four home runs and took some for the team as he was hit by a pitch in four straight games. It's a tough call. Despite Byrd's great performance, Texas played poorly as a team. Pena helped the Rays extend their lead in the AL East, and the White Sox took two out of three from the Red Sox. Texas's team play can't hide the fact that Byrd hit like a machine this week, so the AL Hitter of the week goes to Marlon Byrd.

Pitchers of the week are a bit easier to establish. Leading Cy Young candidates Brandon Webb and Cliff Lee started twice, pitched well twice and won twice. Webb allowed two walks in fifteen innings, as did Lee. Webb allowed 15 hits, but only one of those, a double, went for extra bases. Lee was almost as good. With few strikeouts, 16 balls in play went for hits, but just two were doubles. Brandon Webb wins NL Pitcher of the Week honors while Cliff Lee takes the title for AL Pitcher of the Week.

Monday, Baseball Musings starts a new feature sponsored by the US Army, the Baseball Musings Players of the Week. Every Monday I'll list the best players of the previous seven days. If you'd like to help, feel free to nominate someone for something other than their stats. If someone showed leadership on or off the field, feel free to send me an email or add a comment. Watch for it tomorrow.