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Steve J. Rogers

This Week In Baseball 8/20-8/26

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Moving right along

 

Your National Showcase games of the week:

 

Monday Yankees at The Los Angeles Orange County of Anaheim in Southern California Angels on The Duce 10:05 EST

Wednesday Padres at Mets, also on ESPN 2 7:10 EST

Saturday Battle of The Sox in Chicago and Dodgers at Mets, both 3:55 on FOX

Sunday night Dodgers vs Mets get the call on ESPN.

 

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About six weeks left in the season who are your award winners?

 

AL MVP-Alex Rodriguez

AL Cy Young-Dan Haren

AL ROY-Dustin Pedoria

AL MOY-Team Mariner

 

NL MVP-Webster Cabrera

NL Cy Young-Brandon Webb

NL ROY-Troy Tulowitzki

NL MOY-Bob Melvin

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ALMVP: Magglio

ALROY: Pedroia

ALCY: Beckett

ALMOY: Mike Hargrove

 

NLMVP: Hanley

NLROY: Braun

NLCY: Peavy

NLMOY: Not Ned Yost no more...uh...Bob Melvin's a good choice.

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AL MVP: A-Rod

AL Cy: Johan Santana

AL ROY: Dice-K Matsuzaka

AL MOY: Tito Francona

 

NL MVP: Hanley Ramirez

NL Cy: Jake Peavy

NL ROY: Ryan Braun

NL MOY: Manny Acta

 

 

Please be joking...

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AL MVP: A-Rod

AL Cy: Johan Santana

AL ROY: Dice-K Matsuzaka

AL MOY: Tito Francona

 

NL MVP: Hanley Ramirez

NL Cy: Jake Peavy

NL ROY: Ryan Braun

NL MOY: Manny Acta

 

 

Please be joking...

 

Do you have a better choice? As a Red Sox fan, I have a certain love-hate relationship with Francona, but I respect the fact that he's taken a team that is just a little better than average to the best record in baseball 120 games into the season. By pythagorean records, they should be behind the Yankees right now, not 4 games up. They've flourished despite shoddy production from Lugo, Drew and Crisp for most of the season. He stuck with Pedroia when he looked completely lost as a major leaguer. The bullpen, which was one of the worst in the AL on paper, has dominated.

 

If Seattle didn't have the mid-season switch, Mike Hargrove would've been my choice. No other performance jumps out in the AL. Most of the good teams have underperformed relative to their talent. I basically have Francona, Wedge and Scioscia in a dead heat, with Tito getting the nod because of the better overall record.

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If the Yanks make the playoffs, and that is a big if, they are going to have one HELL of a bullpen. Joba, Edwar, Viz, Mo, Farnsworth and Hughes.

 

edit: If Francona should get MOTY because of the Sox's pythagorean record, Torre should have won MOTY the last like 10 years. Teams with the best records in baseball, if you look it up from the last 10 years, I bet ALL overperform their records. I'd put Torre in the running too with all the injuries the Yanks had early.

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Cole's taking that Cy Young before all is said and done. And Howard can win the MVP if A) The Phils made the playoffs (different than last year when they didn't, he's not having as good of a year), B)He finishes with the HR and RBI lead and C)He stops striking out twice a game.

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AL MVP - A-rod

AL Cy Young - Josh Beckket

AL ROY - DiceK

ALMOY - Hargrove

 

NL MVP - Matt holliday (I cite Justin Morneu)

NL Cy Young - Cole Hamels

NL ROY - Ryan Braun (woulda been hunter pence)

NL MOY - Pinella

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What sucks for the Red Sox is they've got three candidates deserving consideration for ROY. Great problem to have, but that love is going to be split three ways come voting time.

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AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez, NYY

AL Cy Young: Eric Bedard, Bal

AL Manager of the Year: Jim Leyland, Det

AL Rookie of the Year: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Bos

 

NL MVP: Chipper Jones, Atl

NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy, SD

NL Manager: Bobby Cox, Atl

NL Rookie: Troy Tulowitzki, Col

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Wow, didn't see that coming. Juan Castro's basically a bag of balls, so no loss there, and Sean Henry's doing okay in Single-A but isn't exactly flourishing. Not a bad move at all.

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There are a lot of non-conventional MVP candidates in the NL this year. Eric Byrnes is leading the league in Win Shares and plays for the best team in the league, but he doesn't have any flashy numbers that entice voters. Ryan Braun probably has the best performance and plays for a potential division winner, but he missed a good chunk of the season. Cabrera and Hanley are the two best players, but they play for a mediocre team. Bonds played himself out of the race during his home run chase. Utley had the best all-around case, but now he's injured. I guess Fielder and Holliday are probably in the running as well given their "power" stats. The last six weeks will go a long way in deciding the winner.

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There are a lot of non-conventional MVP candidates in the NL this year. Eric Byrnes is leading the league in Win Shares and plays for the best team in the league, but he doesn't have any flashy numbers that entice voters. Ryan Braun probably has the best performance and plays for a potential division winner, but he missed a good chunk of the season. Cabrera and Hanley are the two best players, but they play for a mediocre team. Bonds played himself out of the race during his home run chase. Utley had the best all-around case, but now he's injured. I guess Fielder and Holliday are probably in the running as well given their "power" stats. The last six weeks will go a long way in deciding the winner.

As I noted in Bored's blog, win shares goes by actual wins. After working out credit among the individual players as their statistics dictate, the system them distributes extra credit for a team that overperforms relative to their runs scored and allowed. Since the D'backs have won 11 more games than expected, this gives their players a huge boost. It's not like Byrnes has been ridiculously clutch or anything, so I really can't see the MVP.

 

Braun, Cabrera and Ramirez I can't trust their fielding. Especially Braun, whose defense has cost them at least twice as I recall.

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Jason Jennings is a very, very poor pitcher. Houston always draws well on homestands, but since Jennings is pitching tonite, the crowd is so sparse you can hear the catcalls as Jennings falls behind EVERY hitter 2-0 and then gives up a screamer that scores a run. Jason Jennings is a very, very, very poor pitcher.

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Your AL Manager of the Year just pulled Wakefield out of the game that he was absolutely dominating the D-Rays. 7 innings, 77 pitches.

 

Delcarmen cruised through the 8th but still I don't understand why you pull Wake after 77 pitches and completely in control of the Rays as usual.

 

 

*EDIT: I guess he had some tightness in his back in the 5th and asked out of the game.

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NL MVP - Matt holliday (I cite Justin Morneu)

I'm telling you guys, Matt Holliday. Colorado isn't in the wild card picture without him.

Using Justin Morneau's MVP win of last year doesn't really help your argument, although at least Holliday is the best player on his own team.

 

If I had to make a prediction I will say that the writers will probably pick Holliday or Prince Fielder depending on how their respective teams do down the stretch. Watchout though if Pujols has a monster September and the Cardinals win the Central then the award will be his.

 

And al, Chipper Jones? Really? I could see him emerging by the end of the year as a legit candidate if he stays healthy but really can't see a case for him as we speak.

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I'm telling you guys, Matt Holliday. Colorado isn't in the wild card picture without him.

 

I'm glad someone else has Holliday in their sights too.

 

I'm still holding out hopes for the Reds. Is it stupid? Probably yes but hell, with the way the NL Central is going we are only 9 1/2 back with about 38 or so games to go. It's better than being back by a double digit margin of games for the better part of the season. However, any hope I had of some miracle comeback was shattered by Atlanta today.

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And al, Chipper Jones? Really? I could see him emerging by the end of the year as a legit candidate if he stays healthy but really can't see a case for him as we speak.

 

Third in OBP and OPS, fourth in slugging. Plays third base on a contender. It's a crowded field and I went with a historically overlooked player.

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I'ma throw in Jimmy Rollins and David Wright into the mix. Both teams are successful, and Rollins leads the league in total bases, triples, third in hits, and first in runs. He's also third in extra-base hits, and has 22 HRs. Good defender. David Wright has stolen 25 out of 28 bases, is fifth in runs created, has 30 doubles, 22 HRs, 83 runs, also plays a good third on a division leading team, and is third in times on base.

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Tim Wakefield actually has an outside chance at 20 wins this year. He's probably got to win almost all of his remaining starts to do it, but there it is.

 

 

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I'm kicking myself for falling asleep in the middle of the Brewers-Diamondbacks game last night...Jeff Cirillo, a career infielder, pitched in the ninth inning for the D-backs, and got a strikeout against Craig Counsell, apparently.

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