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My MLB Awards

Discussion in 'Sports Forum' started by TomVols, Oct 2, 2008.

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  1. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    AL Mgr of Year: Joe Maddon. How can it be anyone else?

    NL Mgr of Year: Lou Pinella. I suppose he wins by default.

    NL MVP: Albert Pujols. Without him, the Cards would be at least as bad as the Pirates. Man Ram did not help the Dodgers that much.

    AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee. Anyone who votes for anyone else should never be allowed to vote for an award ever again.

    AL MVP: I honestly can't make up my mind. A-Rod put up unreal numbers. I think he carried this team. Dustin Pedroia is quietly powering the Red Sox. Morneau at times carries the Twins, but his late slump hurt them. Josh Hamilton is the sentimental favorite but wore out down the stretch. So pick one. Can't go wrong. Just don't make it a P. You can't trot someone out once every 3-4 games and say he's more valuable than a guy who plays 150 times a year. K-Rod is impressive, but that impressive? And one more name: Youklis. This guy is just a banger.

    Okay- I'll take A-Rod over K-Rod. But this is my weakest pick. If Morneau hadn't faltered, he'd be my pick (and Andy's head just exploded).

    NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, by a nose over Dempster and a full body over Webb. Webb just faltered too much down the stretch for my taste.

    NL ROY: Geovany Soto, Cubs. Probably the most consistent. The Reds' Joey Votto was very good at times and deserves a mention. The writer who mentioned Jeff Samardzija of the Cubs is a Notre Dame homer on crack. Sorry...I watched this guy pitch in AA since he did it just down the road from my house. This guy wasn't even the best pitcher on his AA staff, let alone the best rookie in the NL. If you want a ROY P, Jurrens of the Braves is a better pick.

    AL ROY: Evan Longoria, Rays. Need I say more?

    Okay: tell me where I went wrong :)
     
    #1 TomVols, Oct 2, 2008
  2. Andy T.

    Andy T. Active Member

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    An interesting dynamic could play out in the AL MVP voting. It's possible that Mauer and Morneau will get their votes split being on the same team. Same with Youkilis and Pedroia. This could pave the way for K-Rod getting the MVP, because I imagine he will get some votes, and there really isn't another Angel to split his vote. And you can make a decent argument for K-Rod, because the Angels won so many close games this year and he closed a lot (most) of them.

    However, I think Cliff Lee is a lock for the Cy Young (or at least he should be). So wouldn't that be interesting if K-Rod gets the MVP but doesn't win the Cy Young?
     
    #2 Andy T., Oct 2, 2008
  3. Andy T.

    Andy T. Active Member

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    FYI, I agree with all your picks except for AL MVP - it's so close I would have to look at the stats closer, which I haven't done, but I don't think I would pick A-Rod this year.
     
    #3 Andy T., Oct 2, 2008
  4. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    I don't think I looked at them extremely close. However, he had a great year and I believe he was extremely valuable to that team. Without A-Rod, the Yankees were probably nowhere near as good as they were. I'm not married to A-Rod as a pick, btw.


    As to your thoughts on K-Rod, I thought you believed relievers were overrated? Was he the reason they won the close games? Maybe. But still, is he the most valuable player to his team in the AL? You're right about Cy Young. If K-Rod isn't the best pitcher in his league, how can anyone argue he was the best player/most valuable to his team? I think there's a difference, but the two get blurred.

    Which begs the question: is the MVP the best player in the league, or the most valuable to his team?

    Off to watch Palin v. Biden (& Ifill) :laugh:
     
    #4 TomVols, Oct 2, 2008
  5. Andy T.

    Andy T. Active Member

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    I'm not saying I support K-Rod for MVP per se, I'm just giving a scenario that I could see play out.

    I think there is a difference between MVP and best player. Many times they overlap but not always.

    A-Rod did not have that great of a season (at least by his standards). No way is he the MVP. He only played 138 games. Mauer or Morneau, Youkilis or Pedroia or even K-Rod deserve it more than he does. The Twins missed the playoffs by one game and the Yankees by 10. People forget that Mauer plays a premium position. I think he might be the most deserving.
     
    #5 Andy T., Oct 3, 2008
  6. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

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    I did a quick hit on ARod's stats, and they are comparable to his '04 stats when he won the AL MVP. The difference is that he compiled these stats in a full season minus a 15 day DL stint. This season is a proof of ARod's greatness, in that 35 HR, 103 RBI, .302 BA, and 153 OPS+ is a down season for him. I would choose ARod as the AL MVP, with Morneau a close 2nd, mostly because the Twins wouldn't have even sniffed the postseason without him. It's not ARod's fault his team banked on 2 young pitchers getting the job done instead of landing Johan Santana.

    If we want to see how important KRod is, look no further than the New York Mets' disastrous bullpen, which cost them a postseason spot. I heard a stat the other day, before the season ended, that was amazing. In games the Mets had a lead after 6, if they had held those leads they would have had an 11 game lead on the Phillies at the time of that stat. In games the Mets had a lead after 8, if they had held those leads, they would have had a 5 game lead on the Phillies.

    I'm all for the Mets not making the postseason, and I think 2 consecutive collapses is a fine way for them to go, but how does Omar Minaya not only keep his job, but get an extension? At the trade deadline, with a closer like Brian Fuentes available, Minaya did nothing and the Mets blew a lead again. But, I'm all for Minaya keeping his job if we get to watch the Mets fail again in 2009. :thumbs:

    I don't think there's any doubt that Evan Longoria is the AL ROY. I'm always thinking of players in terms of fantasy baseball anymore, and I think that for 2009, Longoria is possibly a top 5 3B and definitely Top 10. But, let's give some love to Alexei Ramirez. Without him, the White Sox aren't making the playoffs.
     
    #6 ccrobinson, Oct 3, 2008
  7. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    I agree about Minaya's raise/extension. It will be interesting to see how the managerial extension/rehiring/whatever plays out.

    CCROB is right. To think A-Rod put up those numbers in that number of games is just freakish. Without him, Joe Girardi might be applying for the Mets job right now. I do think Pedroia or Youk should get some consideration. Mauer did have a great year but Morneau's year does closely resemble his MVP year of 2006

    I do agree that the MVP is not necessarily the best player in the league. You can have a guy that's the most valuable to your team and not necessarily be one of the league's best. At the same time, you can have the best guy in your league, but because he's surrounded by other greats, he could not necessarily be the team's most valuable player. But remember, we're talking about the league's most valuable player. So in my mind, that means the most outstanding player of the year in that league. MOP would be more apt, I think.

    That said, it's a fun discussion and always makes for great discussion...like this one :)
     
    #7 TomVols, Oct 3, 2008
  8. Andy T.

    Andy T. Active Member

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    You guys are nuts about A-Rod. He is not the MVP this year. In fact, Carlos Quinten, who played about the same amount as A-Rod, deserves it more, since the Sox made the playoffs, and his stats are similar to A-Rod's. And I predict the voters will agree with me - A-Rod will finish around 5th (or even higher) in the voting this year.
     
    #8 Andy T., Oct 4, 2008
  9. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    Remind me of Quentin's numbers.

    By the same token, I suppose Morneau and Mauer have numbers close to A-Rod's as well.
     
    #9 TomVols, Oct 4, 2008
  10. Andy T.

    Andy T. Active Member

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    36 HR / 100 RBI / 965 OPS - almost identical to A-Rod who was 35 / 103 / 965
     
    #10 Andy T., Oct 4, 2008
  11. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

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    Good call on Quentin. I completely forgot about him. I'm officially changing my pick to Carlos Quentin. Early on when the Sox were struggling on offense, he carried them. No question the Sox don't make the playoffs without him.
     
    #11 ccrobinson, Oct 4, 2008
  12. Andy T.

    Andy T. Active Member

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    A-Rod finished 8th, so I was right in my prediction here. But my possible scenario with K-Rod didn't pan out - he only finished 6th. I think Pedroia was as good a choice as any. I think it was a wash between Pedroia, Mauer, Morneau and Youk.

    Tom's award predictions were spot on, and I yay'd them, but Tom gets the credit since he posted it first.
     
    #12 Andy T., Nov 18, 2008
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