Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2008 I'll be damned. They actually got it right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2008 Kudos on the MVP, Pujols was clearly the best player in the league. Ryan Howard though? Great September, but part of the reason they entered the month two games back was that Howard was absolutely terrible the rest of the season. It amazes me that sportswriters prattle on about people who need to get their heads out of the spreadsheets, and then they refuse to look at anything beyond RBI totals. Chase Utley was by far a better player this season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2008 Also, Sabathia sixth. Sabathia went 11-2 for the Brewers, yes. Johan Santana went 9-0 over the same period AND had the courtesy to pitch the first three months of the season for his club as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2008 Also, Sabathia sixth. Sabathia went 11-2 for the Brewers, yes. Johan Santana went 9-0 over the same period AND had the courtesy to pitch the first three months of the season for his club as well. Cy Young Results: Lincecum Webb Santana Lidge (no first place votes) CC Dempster NL MVP (by pitcher): CC Lidge (2 first place votes) Santana Webb Lincecum Does that make sense to anyone? I think some people get way too into trying to find the meaning of "valuable." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmy no nose 0 Report post Posted November 17, 2008 It was too difficult to post the complete voting breakdown without the format being way off, but a few things I thought were of note in the voting: --Pujols took 18 first place votes, Howard got 12, and 2 guys voted for Brad Lidge. One voter had Pujols as far down as 7th, but I believe he's the only player to make every ballot. Howard finished 10th on one and was left off another completely. --As well as Sabathia did in the voting there's no reason Johan Santana should have only made it on 7 ballots, although he did score 1 second place vote. --Chipper Jones had a good year when he played, but his second place vote is pretty confusing. Didn't he miss like 35 games? --I bet the same guy gave Jose Valverde, Stephen Drew, and Nate McLouth his 8th, 9th, and 10th place votes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted November 18, 2008 Pedroia wins the AL MVP. NEW YORK -- Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has won the American League Most Valuable Player award. Pedroia got 16 of the 28 first-place votes and easily beat out Minnesota Twins slugger Justin Morneau. Pedroia became the first AL second baseman to win the award since Nellie Fox in 1959. Five players drew first-place votes. Record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez got one of them and finished sixth overall. Link Complete voting results can be found here. Some guy put Jason Bartlett fifth on his ballot. Another left Pedroia off entirely. Oh, and Raul Ibanez got a vote. It's always hilarious to read these results. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmy no nose 0 Report post Posted November 18, 2008 I have no idea how Grady Sizemore didn't fare better in the voting. If you ignore batting average Sizemore and Pedroia had pretty comparable years, with Sizemore putting up the better power and speed numbers. No problem with Pedroia winning the award, but Sizemore definitely should have placed higher than 10th and gotten better than 6th place as his best vote, not that anything other than first place really counts for much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KingPK 0 Report post Posted November 18, 2008 He didn't have the name recognition of Rodriguez and Hamilton (who played on mediocre teams) or played on a playoff contender (like the rest of the field above him). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted November 18, 2008 I don't even care Pedroia won the award. I'm just befuddled why Morneau would in theory be the Twins' MVP when Mauer is right there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheech Tremendous 0 Report post Posted November 18, 2008 I'm just befuddled why Morneau would in theory be the Twins' MVP when Mauer is right there. This is the second time now that Mauer has had an MVP season and not only missed out on the award, but finished behind his inferior teammate. But we all know that the voters fall in love with the big power numbers and neglect looking at at the other things these players do so well. Even in a year when a non-traditional player won (and deserved) the award, it had more to do with his height, attitude and team (intangibles!) than his actual play on the field. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strummer 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2008 Sportswriters have been waiting for years to give the award to someone the size of Pedroia and they finally got the chance. He deserved the award but like Cheech said he won for off the field reasons (size, heart, scrappiness) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
