November 24, 2010

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 11 comments

Obviously I'm biased, but I think Cabrera should have been the AL MVP. I can only imagine the numbers he'd put up if he had Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, and Ian Kinsler in his lineup.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 10:18 AM on November 24, 2010

Obviously I'm biased, but I think Cabrera should have been the AL MVP. I can only imagine the numbers he'd put up if he had Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, and Ian Kinsler in his lineup.

More RBI? Cabrera already lead the AL in RBI.

Otherwise, I don't see how better players in the lineup would make someone a better MVP candidate. If anything, it should diminish that person's chances.

posted by grum@work at 10:32 AM on November 24, 2010

Otherwise, I don't see how better players in the lineup would make someone a better MVP candidate. If anything, it should diminish that person's chances.

It got Ryan Howard a second-place NL MVP vote. (Howard was 8th on his team in WAR.)

posted by holden at 10:49 AM on November 24, 2010

Otherwise, I don't see how better players in the lineup would make someone a better MVP candidate. If anything, it should diminish that person's chances.

More protection in the lineup leads to pitchers actually giving him something to hit. When the second best hitter in the line up is Brennan Boesch you aren't going to get anything to hit.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 12:13 PM on November 24, 2010

More protection in the lineup leads to pitchers actually giving him something to hit. When the second best hitter in the line up is Brennan Boesch you aren't going to get anything to hit.

It's not like Hamilton's teammates had amazing years.
Only one other Ranger (Guerrero) got any votes.

bold is the team with the MVP
italics means they got a 1st place vote

Team breakdown of players getting AL MVP vote(s):
New York 4
Tampa Bay 3
Minnesota 3
Texas 2
Seattle 2
Kansas City 1
Detroit 1
Chicago 1
Cleveland 1
Toronto 1
Boston 1

Team breakdown of players getting NL MVP vote(s):
Philadelphia 4
Atlanta 3
St. Louis 3
Colorado 3
San Diego 2
Cincinnati 2
San Francisco 2
Milwaukee 2
Washington 2
Florida 2
New York 1

You'll notice that teams with lots of players getting MVP votes did NOT end up having the MVP selection.

Also, playoff positioning mattered a lot for the voters, as NY, Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Texas were the AL playoff teams.

posted by grum@work at 12:32 PM on November 24, 2010

Obviously I'm biased, but I think Cabrera Hamilton should have been be the AL MVP every year. I can only imagine the numbers he'd put up if he had Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, and Ian Kinsler Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Babe Ruth in his lineup.

Oh, wait, is the decision made on how they played or how they might have played?

That said, while I like Young, Cruz, and Kinsler and think they are good players, Cruz and Kinsler spent multiple trips on the disabled list and Young's season was perhaps a little below average for him.

posted by graymatters at 02:56 PM on November 24, 2010

Since this is all baseball stuff, I'd like to just drop in and yell SOCCER, then leave.

Keep calm and carry on.

posted by Drood at 03:12 PM on November 24, 2010

I'd just like to drop in and yell CRICKET, then leave.

Keep calm and enforce the follow on.

posted by JJ at 06:14 PM on November 24, 2010

COLLIN: "Can I just say that this is the first time I've been on television?"

GERALD: "No, I'm sorry, there isn't time -- we're just going straight over to Luten!"

posted by wfrazerjr at 06:19 PM on November 24, 2010

Can I just say this is the second time I've been on television?

No, I'm sorry there isn't time. News just in that Aurthur Negis has held Bristols - that's not a result, it's just a bit of gossip.

posted by JJ at 03:38 AM on November 25, 2010

WOW that was an epic thread derail!

posted by Drood at 12:45 AM on November 26, 2010

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