Today when I left the gym I put the Yankee game on the radio to hear what Dumb and Dumber had to say. For once I was very interested in the topic: Robbie Cano (Don’t Ya Know!) or Josh Hamilton, for MVP. Suzyn Waldman was saying how there were roughly 100 scouts at todays (or the series, I can’t remember) looking at Cano. The majority of them said that they A.L. MVP will come down to Cano and Josh Hamilton, with Miguel Cabrera getting brushed aside.
I found this all interesting because there can be several arguments made in both cases. Josh Hamilton fractured his ribs during the homestretch of the season, one in which he was outperforming most guys and pushing his team into the playoffs. He got hurt and the Rangers have been gimping along in a sense. Hamilton’s fielding is something I haven’t paid enough attention to, as far as making a statement on that. I have heard that his defense is average, but again, I can’t make a judgement.
Then you look at Robbie Cano and see him hitting over .300 and close to a second year of 200 hits. Cano is also one of the smoothest fielding second basemen, if not the best one. I don’t say that because I love him, but because you can see it and many other teams and managers have also noted his defense. Cano is also in the middle of one of the toughest lineups in baseball.
Then there is poor Miguel Cabrera, who coming into today, is hitting .329 with 36 HR’s and 122 RBI’s. How is he not in this conversation? Apparently because the Tigers suck is the answer, at least according to what Suzyn Waldman was supposedly told. I understand that the Tigers are not winning a division title, but how can you discount his accomplishments for the season based on that? I know this is how it goes, but I feel he is worth mentioning.
If you got to vote, who gets your vote? Why?
My vote would be for Robbie, he plays every day all season and for a middle infielder he hits not only for average but can be/is a power hitter as well.
No offense, but it is not even close. If Miguel Cabrera doesn't win MVP it is highway robbery and I'll tell you why:
1. He has had, hands down, the best all around season of any AL Player
2. His stats blow Hamilton's out of the water when you factor in Hamilton's production is heavily weighted by playing at the friendly confines of the Ballpark in Arlington.
3. Hamilton has only played in 130 games.
4. Without Cabrera the Tigers are in last place. He is the only player on the team with more than 15 HR OR 75 RBIs. He has no lineup support and has been intentionally walked 31 times.
5. Cano has been great and plays for a playoff bound team, but without him the Yankees are fine and still going to the playoffs.
6. Both Cabrera and Hamilton have had better seasons than Cano in every statistical category.
Honestly, and yes, this is my homerism shining through but I truly believe this, this shouldn't even be a conversation anymore. Cabrera should hands-down be the MVP.
Then again, Felix Hernandez should win the Cy Young so…
Dan, I totally see your point. I get that Hamilton didn't play, and that Cano isn't anywhere near Cabrera statistically, but I have to vote for my boy. I was shocked with Waldman said that they were saying Cabrera had no chance, I don't see how it's possible either.
I don't understand how they could just discount Cabrera, but if it meant Cano winning I would keep quiet. However, I don't see how they can justify dismissing him altogether based on the Tigers record.
I hope the Felix Hernandez comment was sarcastic. I don't agree with him winning it, I really think it will come down to Sabathia or Price since they both are playing for the top two teams.
Felix Hernandez has an ERA a run lower than Sabathia, 1/2 a run lower than Price and he is leading the league in strikeouts, while allowing fewer walks than either of those two. Price and Sabathia have both had great years and are playing for winning, playoff bound teams.
But is it fair to penalize Felix because his team has the worst offense since before the DH was introduced? He's had 14 quality starts in which he didn't get a win and allowed zero or one run five times without getting a win. He has ZERO wins when he allows more than two runs. Sabathia has 7.
So yeah, I know that he won't win, but even more than MVP, the Cy Young is about best pitcher and shouldn't have anything to do with whether the team is any good (see: Greinke, Zach). And this year, Hernandez has been the best, even though his team has sucked hard.
I say neither is MVP. The Rangers have won without Hamilton (so he's not a MVP) and Cano is not a MVP on a team made up almost entirely of all-stars (choking all-stars, that is).
Who is AL MVP? Maybe Longoria for another solid season for him or maybe Vlad Guerrero who has a rejuvenated season in Texas, making me and others look like fools for writing him off as having diminished skills and a career on life support.
I make it a practice not to believe a thing Waldman says on the air.
So, I don't believe that Miguel Cabrera doesn't have a major shot at the award. He is amazing. I'd say it's between him and Cano, and I'd give the nod to Cabrera.
Also, Felix Hernandez will likely get his share of Cy Young votes, as he should, In the last week I've heard several announcers, writers and bloggers support Felix for the Cy Young.
The Tigers "sucking" shouldn't matter. Didn't Zack Greinke win the CY last year with 16 wins on a last place team? Cabrera has by far had the best season of anyone in the AL. And has been consistent. Hamilton winning would be an absolute joke.
The thing with the MVP is that it doesn't always equal the best offensive player. MVP has traditionally gone to a player on a playoff team because he helped the team get there.
The same reason why people say Cano shouldn't get it because he's on a team filled with great players. A player on a non-playoff team shouldn't get it because the difference between third place and fifth is negligible. They're all going home.
The Cy Young Award is just given to the top pitcher with nothing saying he has to be valuable to the team.
There's room to fix the awards too just like everything else in baseball.
Fine then…if that's the case for the MVP..then remove all the players from the 12 other teams in each league that don't make the playoffs.
The MVP has traditionally gone to a player on a playoff team? Really? I guess I don't remember Barry Bonds making the playoffs all those MVP years in SF. Oh wait..it's because the Giants only won the West ONCE in his 5 Giant's MVP seasons.
Traditionally means often but not always. There are times (like with Bonds) when a person's offensive stats are just far and away better than anyone else's he gets the award.
The problem with the award is the name of the award. It should be renamed to indicate the best offensive season and not being the MVP of the league.
Additionally because of the name, pitchers can receive votes for the MVP.
Also, I wasn't saying a non-playoff person shouldn't get the MVP. I was just showing why an argument of saying on MVP from a good team isn't really a viable argument.
I haven't made a decision for AL MVP. But look at the numbers Cano put up when Yankees were missing ARod and when the other players on the team weren't performing. Cano carried the Yankees though the first half. Without him, they may not have been in playoff contention at this point.
I love having these kinds of debates. I'm glad we could all keep it civil.
Oh totally…it should indeed be civil. I just look at Cabrera and see him 3rd in the AL in average. 2nd in HR's. 1st in RBI's (by 12). 1st in OBP and 3rd in slugging…I really don't see an argument for Cano…who is not in the top 5 in any of those categories. Hamilton has case…Cano…not so much.
gb5hof, no one here is saying Cabrera should NOT win.
I merely noted what Suzyn Waldman was told at yesterdays game.
Totally…I understand. My irritation is totally not directed towards here…sorry if it came off that way.
No offense, but it is not even close. If Miguel Cabrera doesn't win MVP it is highway robbery and I'll tell you why:
1. He has had, hands down, the best all around season of any AL Player
2. His stats blow Hamilton's out of the water when you factor in Hamilton's production is heavily weighted by playing at the friendly confines of the Ballpark in Arlington.
3. Hamilton has only played in 130 games.
4. Without Cabrera the Tigers are in last place. He is the only player on the team with more than 15 HR OR 75 RBIs. He has no lineup support and has been intentionally walked 31 times.
5. Cano has been great and plays for a playoff bound team, but without him the Yankees are fine and still going to the playoffs.
6. Both Cabrera and Hamilton have had better seasons than Cano in every statistical category.
Honestly, and yes, this is my homerism shining through but I truly believe this, this shouldn't even be a conversation anymore. Cabrera should hands-down be the MVP.
Then again, Felix Hernandez should win the Cy Young so…
Dan, I totally see your point. I get that Hamilton didn't play, and that Cano isn't anywhere near Cabrera statistically, but I have to vote for my boy. I was shocked with Waldman said that they were saying Cabrera had no chance, I don't see how it's possible either.
I don't understand how they could just discount Cabrera, but if it meant Cano winning I would keep quiet. However, I don't see how they can justify dismissing him altogether based on the Tigers record.
I hope the Felix Hernandez comment was sarcastic. I don't agree with him winning it, I really think it will come down to Sabathia or Price since they both are playing for the top two teams.
Felix Hernandez has an ERA a run lower than Sabathia, 1/2 a run lower than Price and he is leading the league in strikeouts, while allowing fewer walks than either of those two. Price and Sabathia have both had great years and are playing for winning, playoff bound teams.
But is it fair to penalize Felix because his team has the worst offense since before the DH was introduced? He's had 14 quality starts in which he didn't get a win and allowed zero or one run five times without getting a win. He has ZERO wins when he allows more than two runs. Sabathia has 7.
So yeah, I know that he won't win, but even more than MVP, the Cy Young is about best pitcher and shouldn't have anything to do with whether the team is any good (see: Greinke, Zach). And this year, Hernandez has been the best, even though his team has sucked hard.
I say neither is MVP. The Rangers have won without Hamilton (so he's not a MVP) and Cano is not a MVP on a team made up almost entirely of all-stars (choking all-stars, that is).
Who is AL MVP? Maybe Longoria for another solid season for him or maybe Vlad Guerrero who has a rejuvenated season in Texas, making me and others look like fools for writing him off as having diminished skills and a career on life support.
I make it a practice not to believe a thing Waldman says on the air.
So, I don't believe that Miguel Cabrera doesn't have a major shot at the award. He is amazing. I'd say it's between him and Cano, and I'd give the nod to Cabrera.
Also, Felix Hernandez will likely get his share of Cy Young votes, as he should, In the last week I've heard several announcers, writers and bloggers support Felix for the Cy Young.
The Tigers "sucking" shouldn't matter. Didn't Zack Greinke win the CY last year with 16 wins on a last place team? Cabrera has by far had the best season of anyone in the AL. And has been consistent. Hamilton winning would be an absolute joke.
The thing with the MVP is that it doesn't always equal the best offensive player. MVP has traditionally gone to a player on a playoff team because he helped the team get there.
The same reason why people say Cano shouldn't get it because he's on a team filled with great players. A player on a non-playoff team shouldn't get it because the difference between third place and fifth is negligible. They're all going home.
The Cy Young Award is just given to the top pitcher with nothing saying he has to be valuable to the team.
There's room to fix the awards too just like everything else in baseball.
Fine then…if that's the case for the MVP..then remove all the players from the 12 other teams in each league that don't make the playoffs.
The MVP has traditionally gone to a player on a playoff team? Really? I guess I don't remember Barry Bonds making the playoffs all those MVP years in SF. Oh wait..it's because the Giants only won the West ONCE in his 5 Giant's MVP seasons.
Traditionally means often but not always. There are times (like with Bonds) when a person's offensive stats are just far and away better than anyone else's he gets the award.
The problem with the award is the name of the award. It should be renamed to indicate the best offensive season and not being the MVP of the league.
Additionally because of the name, pitchers can receive votes for the MVP.
Also, I wasn't saying a non-playoff person shouldn't get the MVP. I was just showing why an argument of saying on MVP from a good team isn't really a viable argument.
I haven't made a decision for AL MVP. But look at the numbers Cano put up when Yankees were missing ARod and when the other players on the team weren't performing. Cano carried the Yankees though the first half. Without him, they may not have been in playoff contention at this point.
I love having these kinds of debates. I'm glad we could all keep it civil.
Oh totally…it should indeed be civil. I just look at Cabrera and see him 3rd in the AL in average. 2nd in HR's. 1st in RBI's (by 12). 1st in OBP and 3rd in slugging…I really don't see an argument for Cano…who is not in the top 5 in any of those categories. Hamilton has case…Cano…not so much.
gb5hof, no one here is saying Cabrera should NOT win.
I merely noted what Suzyn Waldman was told at yesterdays game.
Totally…I understand. My irritation is totally not directed towards here…sorry if it came off that way.