September 21, 2012

We're not allowed to post opinion on the front page, so I'll save it for here.


This is stupid.

I don't care if MLB doesn't want to recognize Melky Cabrera as the NL batting title winner.
I don't care if Melky Cabrera doesn't want to recognize Melky Cabrera as the NL batting title winner.

Making a "one-time" rule amendment is ridiculous.

I'm curious to see how the hub of baseball statistics rules on this matter.

posted by grum@work at 03:36 PM on September 21, 2012

posted by grum@work at 03:52 PM on September 21, 2012

Somebody's got his back.

posted by Ufez Jones at 04:02 PM on September 21, 2012

From another website:

Sure, they can do this, but they couldn't give Galaragga the perfect game.

posted by grum@work at 07:21 PM on September 21, 2012

I know I'm the only one talking here, but I just wanted to get this on record...if there is a rainout of a Giants game towards the end of the season, and the Giants don't NEED to play it to determine their spot in the playoff standings, then Cabrera would qualify for the batting title without needing the extra PA.

At that point, this rule change they've instituted wouldn't come into play, and Cabrera could still win the batting title.

posted by grum@work at 07:29 PM on September 21, 2012

I give him credit for saying he doesnt want it. How often in sports is the athlete a D-bag. Wouldnt we have made Bonds a god if he had said, "i was juiced and dont deserve the HR title." People would have said what a stand up wonderful guy he is. I dont think a "one time rule should be made, I think a forever rule that says something to the extent of

If you are suspended for breaking the rules, you cant winand league awards ... Ryan Braun.

posted by Debo270 at 05:59 PM on September 22, 2012

Yeah, when I read this on Sportsfilter yesterday, the first thing that came to mind as well was the Galaragga perfect game- why is that unfixable, but they can wave a magic wand and suddenly the batting leader is no longer the batting leader? This is a stupid decision, and I have no idea why Cabrera agreed to it unless his hands were tied or he thought it would help him... somehow... in future contract negotiations (he's up as a free agent soon).

I can understand rulebreakers not getting an MVP (because, that hardly needs a rule: the writers will do that on their own) or other subjective award, but how can you take away the statistical achievement? It happened, he got those hits.

Grum's picture (and wonderful, brilliant hypothetical that would undo their handiwork- I pray that exact scenario happens!) underscore the erratic ethics of the MLB front office, and the asinine 'politically correct' rewriting of history as the PR winds blow in regards to PEDs.

On preview:

Wouldnt we have made Bonds a god if he had said, "i was juiced and dont deserve the HR title." People would have said what a stand up wonderful guy he is.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say... no. The narrative the sportswriters agreed on is that Bonds is a horrible human being; when Bonds even tried to get back in the game by offering to play for any team, at league minimum- but have his entire salary donated to charity (I think to pay for the city's underprivileged kids to attend every Giants game)... his phone didn't even ring. And you, like the GMs at the time, will come up with a plausible sounding reason why no one would hire the best hitter of the last few decades, even in a pennant race.

Me, I know perfectly well that his race, along with the belief that he was the convenient scapegoat to sweep under the rug so the "fans" would magically forget about the whole supposed PED scandal, were the real factors.

posted by hincandenza at 06:14 PM on September 22, 2012

If you are suspended for breaking the rules, you cant winand league awards ... Ryan Braun.

I'm sorry, but what rules did Ryan Braun break? I've checked, but I don't see any suspensions on his record for this year or last (when he won the MVP).

posted by grum@work at 06:22 PM on September 22, 2012

What if the second place hitter doesn't want to win the title if he finishes below Cabrera?

posted by rcade at 10:11 PM on September 22, 2012

What if the second place hitter doesn't want to win the title if he finishes below Cabrera?

This just highlights the silliness of it all. It's not an actual "award". There isn't some trophy with a name on it. There isn't any voting.

It's a statistical result (with some calculation rules). You can't "refuse" a statistical result (unless you are a politician).

BTW, MLB.com still lists Cabrera at the top of the NL list when you sort by AVG and qualified batters. I wonder what happens on the last day of the season. Does he just *poof!* disappear?

posted by grum@work at 12:16 AM on September 23, 2012

I'm sorry, but what rules did Ryan Braun break? I've checked, but I don't see any suspensions on his record for this year or last (when he won the MVP).

Thats right, the"test was given wrong" What a load of crap. Work the problem. Selig is dumb.

PS: it pains me to link that story because Madden is a D-bag of the highest degree.

posted by Debo270 at 09:58 AM on September 24, 2012

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