The MVP award is designed to go to, literally, the most valuable player in his league. Somehow, over the years, this has morphed into the most valuable position player. The line of thinking is that, since pitchers have the Cy Young Award, the MVP should go to an every day player. This line of thought is simply asinine.
In the early days of the MVP award, the voters felt the same. Pitchers would routinely be voted as MVP’s, right on through the mid-1940′s. Then, something in the thought process of the voters changed. This was even back before the advent of the Cy Young, so they did not even have ‘their award’. In fact, the only time a pitcher won MVP between 1945 and 1986 was back in 1968, when Bob Gibson and Denny McClain both won MVP. This was mainly because no one else was even close to being worthy.
Lately, however, the way that awards are voted on has changed. The sabermetric community has brought along new statistics designed to prove a player’s true value to their team, while devaluing the old standby categories, such as wins and RBI. This become most evident back in 2009, when Zack Greinke won the Cy Young award, despite winning only 16 games. Then in 2010, Felix Hernandez finished 13-12, but was voted the Cy Young. Both players deserved the awards, not by conventional thinking, but by measuring their performance differently.
This train of thought had not continued along to the MVP ballot however. Then along came Justin Verlander, and his fabulous 2011 season. Not only did Verlander run away with the Cy Young, but he also managed to become Justin Verlander – MVP. Verlander is the first pitcher to win the award since Dennis Eckersley back in 1992. Looking at the WAR statistic, Verlander tied Jose Bautista at 8.5. Bautista, playing for the also ran Blue Jays, finished third in the balloting.
Verlander was, by far, the most valuable player to his team’s success in a non-statistical way as well. Take Verlander off of the Tigers, and they are a third place team. Take Jacoby Ellsbury off the Red Sox, and they still do not make the playoffs. Take Bautista off the Blue Jays, they still do not make it to the playoffs. Verlander meant far more to his team’s success; which, by definition, makes him the most valuable player.
Now, people will argue that, as Verlander pitched in only 34 games, he is not as valuable as Ellsbury, who played in 158 games. This theory is easily debunked. Ellsbury had a total of 718 plate appearances, while Verlander faced 969 batters. Verlander had, by that measurement, 251 more chances to affect the game than Ellsbury did. Factoring in fielding, Ellsbury had 50 chances, while Ellsbury had 394. When adding plate appearances and total chances for Ellsbury, the total is 1112. Verlander had 1019. The difference of 93 is less than one ball per game. Games played truly has no bearing on who is most valuable, especially this year.
The Most Valuable Player is not always a position player. Hopefully this vote shows that people are beginning to realize that.
Showing posts with label awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label awards. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Defending Jose Reyes
Today, during the 2011 finale for the New York Mets, Jose Reyes got a bunt single in his first at bat. He then immediately took himself out of the game, knowing full well that the 2011 NL Batting Title was in hand. Naturally, Mets fans (all five of them) are regarding this with outrage, infuriated that he would disregard their desire to see them and that he would show such little regard for the organization.
Look at this from Reyes’ point of view. This is his contract year, and he will be one of the marques free agents available. He has a unique skillset with his deadly speed and he plays at a premium position. After seeing the contract that Carl Crawford received in the offseason, he is angling to get something comparable. While Reyes does have injury issues, he now has something that Crawford does not – a batting title. Reyes is looking to get paid, pure and simple.
Meanwhile, Mets fans are whining that he is disrespecting the organization with his actions. What they are conveniently forgetting is that the Mets disrespected him first. Remember when Wilpon went on that rant about Reyes? He made the best player on his failure of a ballclub the target of his ire, saying the he does not deserve to get paid. Meanwhile, he has several fine examples of carbon based wastage on the payroll in Jason Bay, Angel Pagan, K-Rod (at the time), or Oliver Perez. But no, he singled out the best offensive player on the team, and it is not even close (Reyes has a WAR of 5.8. The next closest hitter on the team that is still there is Daniel Murphy at 1.9).
Respect is a two way street. Reyes was disrespected by ownership and by the Mets front office. Now, he is positioning himself to get a better contract. If the Mets had anything resembling baseball acumen, they would have locked him up and built the team around what he can provide them. However, they alienated the only reason people have to go out to that ballpark. Reyes is as good as gone, and the Mets will have absolutely nothing on offense next year. Forget any notion that they can spend in free agency; they still have the Madoff mess to deal with and possibly pay for. Where do the reinforcements come from then?
Jose Reyes did what was the right thing for Jose Reyes. Professional sports, the players, coaches, and even the owners, are nothing more than a collection of mercenaries. Nothing more, nothing less. They sell themselves to the highest bidders, maximizing the brief time that they can make maximum money in a child’s game. Do not romantize it. Accept it for what it is. And then realize that Jose Reyes is not at fault.
Look at this from Reyes’ point of view. This is his contract year, and he will be one of the marques free agents available. He has a unique skillset with his deadly speed and he plays at a premium position. After seeing the contract that Carl Crawford received in the offseason, he is angling to get something comparable. While Reyes does have injury issues, he now has something that Crawford does not – a batting title. Reyes is looking to get paid, pure and simple.
Meanwhile, Mets fans are whining that he is disrespecting the organization with his actions. What they are conveniently forgetting is that the Mets disrespected him first. Remember when Wilpon went on that rant about Reyes? He made the best player on his failure of a ballclub the target of his ire, saying the he does not deserve to get paid. Meanwhile, he has several fine examples of carbon based wastage on the payroll in Jason Bay, Angel Pagan, K-Rod (at the time), or Oliver Perez. But no, he singled out the best offensive player on the team, and it is not even close (Reyes has a WAR of 5.8. The next closest hitter on the team that is still there is Daniel Murphy at 1.9).
Respect is a two way street. Reyes was disrespected by ownership and by the Mets front office. Now, he is positioning himself to get a better contract. If the Mets had anything resembling baseball acumen, they would have locked him up and built the team around what he can provide them. However, they alienated the only reason people have to go out to that ballpark. Reyes is as good as gone, and the Mets will have absolutely nothing on offense next year. Forget any notion that they can spend in free agency; they still have the Madoff mess to deal with and possibly pay for. Where do the reinforcements come from then?
Jose Reyes did what was the right thing for Jose Reyes. Professional sports, the players, coaches, and even the owners, are nothing more than a collection of mercenaries. Nothing more, nothing less. They sell themselves to the highest bidders, maximizing the brief time that they can make maximum money in a child’s game. Do not romantize it. Accept it for what it is. And then realize that Jose Reyes is not at fault.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Peyton Manning For 2011 MVP
One would think that the Colts organization, by all accounts a rather astute group of football minds, would have realized that getting a legitimate backup for Peyton Manning should be on their list of priorities. Yes, before this year, Manning was more durable than the scalpel used by Joan Rivers’ surgeon; however, teams need to plan for emergencies. Seriously, Jeff Garcia wouldn’t have taken that job in a heartbeat?
But no, the Colts proceeded to go through the likes of Jim Sorgi and Curtis Painter as their primary backups to Manning. Apparently, players like Spergon Wynn were beyond the talent level needed at that position. The questions asked by Colts management must have been whether or not they can carry a clipboard while wearing shoulder pads and if they like hats. If you answered yes to both of those questions, then you could have been a Colts backup quarterback as well.
All of this ignored that Manning was literally everything to that organization. Their head coach’s coaching style is reminiscent of a blaxploitation version of the corpse from Weekend At Bernie’s. In fact, are we even sure that Jim Caldwell is alive? Has anyone seen the man blink? And what is he doing with that headset on, monitoring the drive-thru worker at the local McDonald’s as he takes orders? Useless.
And yet, Caldwell is not the only problem. They have not had a useful running back since the reign of James I (Edgerrin) ended in 2005. Their attempts to draft a running back have met with the same success that Vanilla Ice had with his album ‘Mind Blowin’. This even includes the coming of James II, Edgerrin’s cousin Javarris. In fact, despite spending two first round draft choices on the position since 2006. In fact, they have blown their last five first round picks. Winning franchises do not do that – they find actual playmakers. Teams like the Bengals, Bills, and Lions blow all of their first round picks, not teams that are supposed to be in the upper echelon of franchises like the Colts.
Then there is the train wreck that is loosely referred to as the Colts defense. They would not be able to an opposing offense that was comprised of eleven Helen Kellers. Dwight Freeney is still considered an impact player, but he is almost as old as Jeanne Calment was when she died. Pat Angerer has a great name for a linebacker, and is a tackling machine, but he is not a playmaker at all. The cupboard is completely barren on this side of the ball.
The only reason why the Colts were contenders year after year was Peyton Manning. Even though the season is only two weeks in, this has been proven beyond any doubt, given the absolute inability by the Colts to display even gross incompetence on the field. Yes, the Indianapolis Colts are playing football worse than France fares when it comes to a war since the times of Napoleon. Was their plan to find a backup to Manning to go 0-16, draft Andrew Luck, and hope he will be ready when the time comes? Because it sure seems like that was the plan.
Sadly, this also seems to be the plan being taken by the Kansas City Chiefs, who are playing more like the Chefs presently. At least they can point to numerous injuries as to why they have problems. In fact, avoid football entirely during Week 5 of the NFL season, in case you accidentally see any part of the Chiefs-Colts battle for the first overall pick. People that see this game may experience symptoms such as vomiting, breaking out in cold sweats, and having flashbacks of watching Jack Trudeau attempting to play quarterback. The only way to get rid of these symptoms would be to swallow a shotgun. Sorry, but terrible football is a fatal disease. Wonder if this suckfest will end in a 0-0 tie……
By not playing, Peyton Manning has proven to be more valuable than any one person currently playing for their teams. It’s time for the voters for the annual NFL awards to step outside the box, and vote Peyton Manning for 2011 MVP.
But no, the Colts proceeded to go through the likes of Jim Sorgi and Curtis Painter as their primary backups to Manning. Apparently, players like Spergon Wynn were beyond the talent level needed at that position. The questions asked by Colts management must have been whether or not they can carry a clipboard while wearing shoulder pads and if they like hats. If you answered yes to both of those questions, then you could have been a Colts backup quarterback as well.
All of this ignored that Manning was literally everything to that organization. Their head coach’s coaching style is reminiscent of a blaxploitation version of the corpse from Weekend At Bernie’s. In fact, are we even sure that Jim Caldwell is alive? Has anyone seen the man blink? And what is he doing with that headset on, monitoring the drive-thru worker at the local McDonald’s as he takes orders? Useless.
And yet, Caldwell is not the only problem. They have not had a useful running back since the reign of James I (Edgerrin) ended in 2005. Their attempts to draft a running back have met with the same success that Vanilla Ice had with his album ‘Mind Blowin’. This even includes the coming of James II, Edgerrin’s cousin Javarris. In fact, despite spending two first round draft choices on the position since 2006. In fact, they have blown their last five first round picks. Winning franchises do not do that – they find actual playmakers. Teams like the Bengals, Bills, and Lions blow all of their first round picks, not teams that are supposed to be in the upper echelon of franchises like the Colts.
Then there is the train wreck that is loosely referred to as the Colts defense. They would not be able to an opposing offense that was comprised of eleven Helen Kellers. Dwight Freeney is still considered an impact player, but he is almost as old as Jeanne Calment was when she died. Pat Angerer has a great name for a linebacker, and is a tackling machine, but he is not a playmaker at all. The cupboard is completely barren on this side of the ball.
The only reason why the Colts were contenders year after year was Peyton Manning. Even though the season is only two weeks in, this has been proven beyond any doubt, given the absolute inability by the Colts to display even gross incompetence on the field. Yes, the Indianapolis Colts are playing football worse than France fares when it comes to a war since the times of Napoleon. Was their plan to find a backup to Manning to go 0-16, draft Andrew Luck, and hope he will be ready when the time comes? Because it sure seems like that was the plan.
Sadly, this also seems to be the plan being taken by the Kansas City Chiefs, who are playing more like the Chefs presently. At least they can point to numerous injuries as to why they have problems. In fact, avoid football entirely during Week 5 of the NFL season, in case you accidentally see any part of the Chiefs-Colts battle for the first overall pick. People that see this game may experience symptoms such as vomiting, breaking out in cold sweats, and having flashbacks of watching Jack Trudeau attempting to play quarterback. The only way to get rid of these symptoms would be to swallow a shotgun. Sorry, but terrible football is a fatal disease. Wonder if this suckfest will end in a 0-0 tie……
By not playing, Peyton Manning has proven to be more valuable than any one person currently playing for their teams. It’s time for the voters for the annual NFL awards to step outside the box, and vote Peyton Manning for 2011 MVP.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Derek Jeter gets another Gold Glove why?
The American League Gold Glove awards were announced the other day. There were few surprises amongst those who received the awards (Ichiro getting his tenth in ten years, Mark Beuhrle getting his second, Franklin Gutierrez being recognized) and for the most part, there were few flaws with those who received this award. However, that is unless one looks at the winner of the Gold Glove award for shortstop - the essentially immobile Derek Jeter.
Looking at the metric for defensive capability (Rfield - which measures the number of putouts, assists, and double plays made by each fielder, and comparing those totals to positional norms of other fielders to arrive at a figure above or below average. Each extra out made, or hit allowed, is worth X runs which leads to the FR figure) Jeter ranked dead last in the American League, and 27th of 28 shortstops in baseball that played a minimum of 100 games at that position (here is a link to the chart at baseballreference.com: http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/9067 ). Now, this is taking nothing away from Jeter; he is a smart baseball player who knows almost exactly where to position himself with each hitter. If he is able to get to the ball, he typically makes the play, as exemplified by his six errors all season. However, he simply does not have any range at this point in time in his career. He has major problems getting to a ball hit in the hole or behind second base unless he is already shaded in that direction. Getting to a ground ball anywhere beyond two steps of his location either way is improbable at best.
The best choice for the AL Gold Glove award based on the chart would have been Jack Wilson. However, he plays in Seattle on a dismal ballclub and is not a 'name' for the fans. Let's face it, how many people out there care about Jack Wilson's baseball career outside of his family? Having the career that Jeter has had, and playing in pinstripes, definitely helped him get this award.
Looking at the metric for defensive capability (Rfield - which measures the number of putouts, assists, and double plays made by each fielder, and comparing those totals to positional norms of other fielders to arrive at a figure above or below average. Each extra out made, or hit allowed, is worth X runs which leads to the FR figure) Jeter ranked dead last in the American League, and 27th of 28 shortstops in baseball that played a minimum of 100 games at that position (here is a link to the chart at baseballreference.com: http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/9067 ). Now, this is taking nothing away from Jeter; he is a smart baseball player who knows almost exactly where to position himself with each hitter. If he is able to get to the ball, he typically makes the play, as exemplified by his six errors all season. However, he simply does not have any range at this point in time in his career. He has major problems getting to a ball hit in the hole or behind second base unless he is already shaded in that direction. Getting to a ground ball anywhere beyond two steps of his location either way is improbable at best.
The best choice for the AL Gold Glove award based on the chart would have been Jack Wilson. However, he plays in Seattle on a dismal ballclub and is not a 'name' for the fans. Let's face it, how many people out there care about Jack Wilson's baseball career outside of his family? Having the career that Jeter has had, and playing in pinstripes, definitely helped him get this award.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)