It is one of the many questions that makes the yearly Most Valuable Player discussion so compelling, so fascinating and so subjective: Should a pitcher win the MVP?

It is a hard argument to make for someone who plays in 35 games a year, but this season, several pitchers must be considered, including Curt Schilling. There is ample precedent on this matter.

MVP pitchers

Of the 20 times a pitcher won the MVP, his team finished in first 18 times. Lefty Grove, 1931 A's (1st) 31-4, 2.06, 27 CG, 5 saves Carl Hubbell, 1933 Giants (1st) 23-12, 1.66, 22 CG, 10 SHO Dizzy Dean, 1934 Cardinals (1st) 30-7, 2.66, 7 SHO, 7 saves Carl Hubbell, 1936 Giants (1st) 26-6, 2.31, 25 CG Bucky Walters, 1939 Reds (1st) 27-11, 2.29, 31 CG, hit .325 Mort Cooper, 1942 Cardinals (1st) 22-7, 1.78, 10 SHO Spud Chandler, 1943 Yankees (1st) 20-4, 1.64, 20 CG, 5 SHO Hal Newhouser, 1944 Tigers (2nd) 29-9, 2.22, 187 K's, 25 CG Hal Newhouser, 1945 Tigers (1st) 25-9, 1.81, 212 K's, 8 SHO Jim Konstanty, 1950 Phillies (1st) 16-7, 2.66, 22 saves Bobby Shantz, 1952 A's (4th) 24-7, 2.48, 27 CG Don Newcombe, 1956 Dodgers (1st) 27-7, 3.06, 18 CG, had 18 RBI Sandy Koufax, 1963 Dodgers (1st) 25-5, 1.88, 306 K's, 11 SHO Bob Gibson, 1968 Cardinals (1st) 22-9, 1.12 ERA, 268 K's, 13 SHO Denny McLain, 1968 Tigers (1st) 31-6, 1.96, 28 CG, 280 K's Vida Blue, 1971 A's (1st) 24-8, 1.82, 301 K's, 8 SHO Rollie Fingers, 1981 Brewers (1st) 6-3, 1.04, 28 saves Willie Hernandez, 1984 Tigers (1st) 9-3, 1.92, 32 saves Roger Clemens, 1986 Red Sox (1st) 24-4, 2.48, 238 K's Dennis Eckersley, 1992 A's (1st) 7-1, 1.91, 51 saves

A pitcher has been awarded the MVP 20 times -- more than catchers, second basemen, third basemen or shortstops. In 1931, the first year of the MVP in its current form (selected by the baseball writers), a pitcher, Lefty Grove, won in the American League because he went 31-4 with a 2.06 ERA for the pennant-winning Philadelphia A's. Teammate Al Simmons hit .390 with 22 homers and 128 RBIs that season and Babe Ruth of the second-place Yankees hit .373 with 46 homers and 163 RBIs.

In 1956, the first year in which pitchers got their own award, the Cy Young, pitcher Don Newcombe of the pennant-winning Dodgers won the National League MVP thanks to a 27-7 record and 3.06 ERA. Another pitcher, teammate Sal Maglie, finished second in the voting, Braves pitcher Warren Spahn finished fourth. Hank Aaron, whose Braves team finished one game behind the Dodgers, finished behind two pitchers even though he won the batting title, lead the league in hits, total bases and doubles, hit 26 homers, and drove in 92 runs.

Just because pitchers have their own award doesn't mean they shouldn't be considered for MVP. It takes a spectacular season by a special pitcher, although the last pitcher to win the MVP was Dennis Eckersley (51 saves, 1.91 ERA) of the 1992 A's. The last starting pitcher to win it was Roger Clemens (24-4) of the 1986 Red Sox. Pedro Martinez should have won it in 1999; his season -- 23-4, 2.07 ERA, 313 strikeouts and 37 walks -- was perhaps one of the five greatest ever. But two writers didn't put him in the top 10 on their ballots.

Now, Schilling is making his case. He is 18-4 (most wins in the game) with a 2.87 ERA, 230 strikeouts and 18 walks. He has as many wins as walks; Christy Mathewson had more wins than walks in 1913 and 1914 (Bret Saberhagen had 14 wins, 13 walks in the strike-shortened 1994). The Diamondbacks are 19-6 in Schilling's 25 starts. Any pitcher considered for MVP must be durable and Schilling has pitched at least six innings in every start, and at least seven in 22 starts. He is on pace for a 322-strikeout, 25-walk season, which would be the fewest walks in a 300-strikeout season. Schilling has done this for the leader in the NL West.

Value to a team? You win with pitching and you can't win without an ace at the top of the rotation. The Diamondbacks won the World Series last year because of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. Those two are the reason that they're in first place this year, they are the most indispensable players on the team, as is Pedro Martinez with the Red Sox. No one deals an ace when they have one, and everyone is looking for one. Why can't a pitcher be MVP?

Still, the only way for a pitcher to win the MVP is if no everyday player has a fabulous season. As great as center fielder Lance Berkman has been for the Astros, he is not hitting .300. Neither is the Cardinals' Albert Pujols or the Dodgers' Shawn Green. Sammy Sosa is hitting over .300 with power, but the Cubs have not been in the pennant race.

Then there is Barry Bonds. He is slugging .800, is on pace to break the record for the highest on-base percentage in a season, is second in the league in hitting and has 32 homers (one every 8.5 at-bats) for a team that has been in the pennant race all season. He's your MVP.

But the award is often determined in the final two months. If, say, Schilling finishes 25-5 with 320 strikeouts, the Diamondbacks win the division, the Giants finish 10 games out (unlikely) and no one else in the NL makes a tremendous run at the MVP, why couldn't Schilling be the MVP?

Of course, first he'll have to beat out Randy Johnson for the Cy Young.

Tim Kurkjian is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and a regular contributor to Baseball Tonight. E-mail tim.kurkjian@espnmag.com.