Last week a panel of guest columnists chose their candidates for the Hanover Division first half MVP. This week a different group choose their man for the Morris Division MVP of the first half.

Marty Cook, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The answer is Barry Bonds. The question is which stat do you want to use? Barry is among the league-leaders in just about every offensive category: .339 batting average (sixth), .457 on-base percentage (third), .748 slugging percentage (first), 96 RBIs (fourth) and 34 homeruns (tied for first). Bonds also leads the league in on-base plus slugging (1.205), runs created per 27 outs (14.6), isolated power (.409), total average (1.485), secondary average (.645), AB/HR (8.9)... He's had a monster season, and is well on his way to his first Kevin Mitchell Award for most valuable batter.

Billy Reed, Kentucky.com Sports
Vlad Guerrero finally won a Player of the Week Award, and now people are beginning to talk about him as a Mitchell candidate. And all I can say is, "Where have you been, people?" Somehow, on this team that's seen 27 different batters, Guerrero has been Mr. Consistency: .307 BA, .620 SLG, 24 2B, 8 3B, 31 HR, 96 RBI. And he's only 25 years old! There's no player in the league worth more to his team, this year and for the future, than No. 27.

Jim Edmonds' Mother
There's one team that's got everyone's attention now and that's the Carolina Mudcats! And I might be a little biased, but I think the player who has taken them back into the wild card lead is no other than my own Jimmy Edmonds. Jimmy leads the team in OPS, which I'm told is very good, and also homeruns, even though he missed all those games with a boo-boo. Some of the other mothers say Rondell White, Travis Fryman or even Carlos Lee is Carolina's best player, but my Jimmy tries his hardest every game. He's my most valuable player!

Jim Rome, syndicated radio host, "The Jungle"
Edgar Martinez is the bomb. Of that there is no doubt. The man can flat-out mash. He leads the Vancouver Iron Fist in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. But there's one guy you can't take away from this team, and that's Jeff Kent. The clones out there know I'm no fan of the Van- Men, but Kent can do it all as a second baseman. He can take a walk, he can smack the longball, he's a RBI freak and he plays every game. If Edgar goes down, the Fist can plug in Ken Griffey, Jeff Conine or go get Jay Buhner. But who if "Clark" Kent comes across some kryptonite, who's going to play second base -- Dante Bichette? I think not. Take away J.K. and this team is battling Carolina for the wild-card instead of leading the division. Let's forget the suspense and give Kent his due and his Mitch. Out!

Bob Spear, The State
Any MVP talk has to begin and end with Columbia's Frank Thomas. The Big Hurt has had a tremendous comeback year, as his numbers attest to (.295-.425-.530). He's drilled 24 HRs, scored 72 runs and knocked in 67 RBIs -- for the second-to-worst offensive team in baseball! These other candidates are putting up gaudy numbers surrounded by all-star lineups, but Thomas has done all this while drawing 88 walks. I shudder to think how bad the Crusaders would be without Frank going out there, day after day. Thomas has put this team on his back and carried it into the wild card hunt. He truly is the most valuable player to his team.

"Big Daddy" Graham, WIP Sports Radio (610 AM)
Some believe a player from a last-place team can't win an MVP award -- like Branch Rickey said, the team could finish last without him. But Scott Rolen presents the case that even the worst team in baseball can field its most valuable player. Rolen has played in 431 consecutive games... and counting, the longest active streak in baseball. He hasn't missed a game since Opening Day, 1999, and in fact has missed just two games in his career! The All-Star third baseman is hitting .292 with 26 2B, 28 HR, 70 R and 78 RBI -- more production than some teams are getting from their designated hitters! Branch Rickey might be spinning in his grave, but Scott Rolen is the DMBL MVP.

Bishop Vincent De Paul Breen, The Catholic Spirit
All season long, it's been the Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado show. Both have played in every game this year. Both have put up eye-popping numbers. Both were All-Stars. This team -- virtually the same squad that lost 111 games in Hillsborough last season -- wouldn't be a playoff contender without both superstars. But if the award can only go to one of these sluggers, it has to be A- Rod, who plays the more demanding defensive position. But truly, in the spirit of Christian charity, these two players deserve to share the award.