12/21/24
October 04, 2012
Miguel Cabrera Wins Triple Crown: For the first time since 1967, baseball has a Triple Crown winner. Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers finished with a .330 batting average (.004 more than Mike Trout), 44 home runs (one more than Josh Hamilton and Curtis Granderson) and 139 RBI (11 more than Hamilton). "He's a once-in-a-lifetime player," said Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski.
I never thought I would witness a triple crown winner in today's game. Well done Miggy.
posted by flannelenigma at 10:19 AM on October 04, 2012
This is one of the greatest accomplishments in sports in my lifetime, which is only six months longer than the span since Yaz did it last. I hope Cabrera gets his due.
posted by rcade at 10:22 AM on October 04, 2012
Yeah. That's pretty bad ass. Congratulations and well done, sir.
posted by tahoemoj at 12:29 PM on October 04, 2012
I hope Cabrera gets his due.
Isn't this "his due"? The Triple Crown? The acknowledgement of his feat by MLB and its fans?
posted by grum@work at 01:16 PM on October 04, 2012
Just for the record...
Since the trade on December 4, 2007:
(total contribution in majors after trade, regardless of team)
Cabrera: 27.3 WAR
Willis: -1.9 WAR
Total: 25.4 WAR
Trahern: -
Badenhop: 2.2 WAR
De La Cruz: -0.7 WAR
Maybin: 8.8 WAR
Miller: -2.4 WAR
Rabelo: -0.2 WAR
Total: 7.7 WAR
And Cabrera isn't even 30 years old yet...
posted by grum@work at 01:31 PM on October 04, 2012
I think Jonah Keri stated in an article at Grantland the other day that Cabrera's season this year is arguably his worst offensively in the past 3 years, when looking at his AVG, OBP, SLG, and certain other stats in combination. Just so happens that the rest of the AL is down, and Cabrera put up leading numbers in certain highly-visible categories. Either way, an impressive accomplishment. I think there is a pretty strong argument that Trout has been more valuable by dint of his offensive numbers plus what he does on the basepaths and in the field, but Cabrera is a worthy MVP candidate and I think he will run away with it in a landslide, in light of the Triple Crown and the fact that his team is going to the playoffs (notwithstanding the fact that his team won fewer games than the Angels and played in an easier division).
posted by holden at 01:37 PM on October 04, 2012
By raw OPS and adjusted OPS+ it is his worst offensive season in three years. It just happens to still be awesome. Also of note: since his first full season in the majors (2004), he's had one season where he played fewer than 157 games (and that was still 150 games). All that offense and he never takes a day off. Pretty impressive.
posted by yerfatma at 02:22 PM on October 04, 2012
I can see Cabrera not getting the MVP because major league awards are ridiculous. The guy wins the Triple Crown, something I was wondering if I'd ever see, and him getting the award is somewhat in doubt? Trout had a great year but being the statistical leader in all of the big three categories is amazing. And as for his fielding, the fact the guy goes back over to third base to make room for Prince Fielder is pretty valuable.
posted by dyams at 03:37 PM on October 04, 2012
Wow! I've been around for 6 triple crowns. Of course, I was only about 17 months old when Williams did it in 1942, but it still counts. Yaz's was slightly tainted with the tie in home runs with Harmon Killibrew at 44, but it is still in the books. Congratulations to Miguel Cabrera on his achievement.
posted by Howard_T at 04:27 PM on October 04, 2012
Wow! I've been around for 6 triple crowns. Of course, I was only about 17 months old when Williams did it in 1942, but it still counts.Howard, have you considered writing say a weekly column for Sportsfilter just reminiscing about your favorite baseball memories? I mean, you must have seen so much over these last 71 odd years, and I know growing up my dad (a huge baseball fan and a minor-league baseball announcer) would regale me with tales of his youth watching the game.
posted by hincandenza at 04:45 PM on October 04, 2012
Cabrera had an awesome season, and it's cool he won the triple crown, though I'm sad Yaz won't get mentioned as being the last winner any longer.
But Trout had an incredible season, and is at least equally deserving, if not more. It's ironic that so many old timers seem to be pushing for Cabrera when Trout is such a throw back. Cabrera is a great hitter. Trout is a monster at the plate, on the base paths, and in the field.
And I really won't have a problem with Cabrera being chosen. But the idea that Trout doesn't deserve it because of three arbitrary stats and ignoring everything we've learned about baseball since borders on insanity the likes we haven't seen since Joe Morgan was announcing baseball.
posted by justgary at 07:14 PM on October 04, 2012
Mike Trout SHOULD win the MVP award (and, of course, the Rookie of the Year).
posted by grum@work at 08:36 PM on October 04, 2012
As a Tigers fan I hope Cabrera wins the award. He has been incredible the past several years and it would be nice for him to have an MVP to his name.
That said, if I had a vote I'd cast it for Mike Trout. What he accomplished this year was incredible.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:45 PM on October 04, 2012
I won't be broken-hearted if Trout wins the MVP. He had a great season, and is deserving. As far as Cabrera goes, the MVP would just be the cherry on top. MVPs are named every season, but triple-crown winners are the rarest of the rare...
posted by MeatSaber at 08:47 PM on October 04, 2012
Thanks for the compliment, hal. I had been considering writing something for SpoFi for a while, but I really am not "expert" enough to contribute meaningfully on any given sport. The idea of a weekly contribution about my sport memories is not a bad one. If I do it, I will not limit it to any single sport nor to major league sports. Give me a couple of weeks to develop some thoughts, and I will begin by offering a couple of paragraphs in The Huddle on a weekly basis. What I have to offer will not be completely without merit. Insomniacs among us can read it before bedtime and perhaps be cured.
posted by Howard_T at 09:29 PM on October 04, 2012
Don't sell yourself short; spofi used to have an article feature, you might ask the mods about it (or maybe rcade can jump in here). I think it's what wfrazerjr does for his NFL "The Hoser" writeups.
posted by hincandenza at 10:32 PM on October 04, 2012
Mike Trout SHOULD win the MVP award (and, of course, the Rookie of the Year).
He would have my vote. I just don't see it happening.
posted by justgary at 08:24 AM on October 05, 2012
MVPs are named every season, but triple-crown winners are the rarest of the rare
Didn't help Ted Williams. Either time.
posted by yerfatma at 10:08 AM on October 05, 2012
Ted Williams was known to be disliked by the baseball writers, which continues to make the award flawed. I'm sure there will be many writers who are taken by Trout's youthful enthusiasm for the game over Cabrera's drunken buffoonery of the past, thus making it very likely he (Trout) will win the award.
posted by dyams at 03:33 PM on October 05, 2012
I sort of think Keri put it best when he wrote that Cabrera is the league's best hitter, but Trout is clearly the best player, and by most advanced metrics, worth more to a team than Cabrera is. I really can't see too much complaining if Cabrera wins, I could see a lot of complaining if Trout wins, but both are defensible choices. I while ago, I thought that I would pick Cabrera, but I was undervaluing Trout's defense and speed - not to mention that in the better relative metrics (OBP, SLG, RC, WAR, OPS+, etc.) Trout is either close to, or ahead of, Cabrera - so even as a hitter, he isn't so far behind Cabrera that you really have to focus on his defense to suggest he's a better player - he's close as a hitter and miles ahead as a defender and base-runner.
I think Jonah Keri stated in an article at Grantland the other day that Cabrera's season this year is arguably his worst offensively in the past 3 years, when looking at his AVG, OBP, SLG, and certain other stats in combination. Just so happens that the rest of the AL is down, and Cabrera put up leading numbers in certain highly-visible categories.
That's true - it's not his best season, but an MVP award is measured against the performance of a season, within that season. I don't see what's accurate about accounting for the relative weakness of the AL this year. He can only be measured against his peers in the season that happens.
Oh and lastly, batting average is still the dumbest statistic. RBI isn't too far behind, but we really have to stop putting value in batting average.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:11 PM on October 06, 2012
I was a lad when Yaz won the Triple Crown and so much wonder and disbelief surrounded the Sox that year that I figured that Yaz' accomplishment was just part of the overall magic.
Now I know better, and I wasn't sure I'd ever see anyone do this again in my lifetime.