EDITORIAL: Rarified air

As Kris Bryant raced toward a soft grounder off the bat of the Cleveland Indians’ Michael Martinez, the joy of the moment was in clear view and palpable. A smile began creasing across the third baseman’s face as he realized he would handle the routine play to end an era that had become far too routine: more than a century of Chicago Cubs frustration.

Mr. Bryant, a former Bonanza High School and University of San Diego star, fielded the ball cleanly, hurled it to first baseman Anthony Rizzo and — just like that — Chicago was the World Series champion for the first time since 1908. The Cubs beat the host Indians 8-7 in a thrilling Game 7, capping an amazing season for the team and an almost unrivaled two-year stretch for Bryant.

Well, almost capping. As if winning the World Series wasn’t enough, Mr. Bryant on Thursday, as expected, was named National League Most Valuable Player. The Las Vegas product won the award in a landslide, garnering 29 of 30 first-place votes, with Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy landing the only other first-place tally from the Baseball Writers Association of America.

The honor came almost a year to the day after Mr. Bryant won the National League Rookie of the Year award, and as the Review-Journal’s Ron Kantowski pointed out, that put the Cubs star in very rarefied air. Only three other players have been named Rookie of the Year and MVP in consecutive years. You may have heard of them: Baltimore Orioles iron man Cal Ripken (1983-84); the Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard (2006-07); and Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox (2007-08).

It was a well-deserved double dip. In the 2016 regular season — the award doesn’t count the postseason, though if it had, Mr. Bryant certainly didn’t hurt himself there — the 24-year-old batted .292 with 39 home runs and 102 runs batted in. He also scored a league-leading 121 runs and, as Mr. Kantowski noted, displayed remarkable versatility, regularly playing four positions: third base, left field, right field and first base.

The award is just another feather in the cap of Southern Nevada baseball and in fact keeps the NL MVP right here in Las Vegas. Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper, a Las Vegas High and College of Southern Nevada standout, won the honor last year.

Mr. Bryant put a huge smile on the face of long-suffering Chicago Cubs fans everywhere, and he should take great pride in his incredible achievements, particularly so early in his career. And the Las Vegas Valley can also take pride in the achievements of this humble Vegas native.