Geo Soto wins ROY, Votto 2nd, Volquez?? 4th

[TOBTTReds]

From Roto:

Geovany Soto claimed 31 of the 32 first-place votes to win National League Rookie of the Year honors on Monday.

Joey Votto had a fine season and was clearly the NL's No. 2 rookie, but the writer that voted him first over Soto just isn't taking his privilege seriously. Votto was second on 21 of the other ballots and finished with 76 points to Soto's 158. Jair Jurrjens was third with 34 points. Edinson Volquez, who wasn't a rookie after throwing 70 innings for the Rangers from 2005-07, was given three second-place votes. For some reason, those have been allowed to stand and he finished in fourth place with nine points. Apparently, no one in the BBWAA cares to make sure its writers turn in legal ballots. Nov.

This just shows how dumb media voting awards are. A non-rookie, comes in 4th in the ROY award.

[cumberlandreds]

Whoever put Volquez on their ballot should be banned from voting on these awards forever! Incredibly stupid.

[OnBaseMachine]

Maybe they got Volquez confused with Cueto?:dunno:

[TRF]

well, he was an NL rookie. that should count for something. :)

[redsmetz]

Joey Votto had a fine season and was clearly the NL's No. 2 rookie, but the writer that voted him first over Soto just isn't taking his privilege seriously. Votto was second on 21 of the other ballots and finished with 76 points to Soto's 158.

The guy at Roto can get off his high horse. Congrats to Soto, but Votto had a good enough year that he deserved the one first place vote (and perhaps more).

[remdog]

The guy at Roto can get off his high horse. Congrats to Soto, but Votto had a good enough year that he deserved the one first place vote (and perhaps more).

Roto. Put it in context. Ignore it. ;)

Rem

[red-in-la]

Roto. Put it in context. Ignore it. ;)

Rem

:eek:.....:bash:......:clap:.....:bowrofl:

[membengal]

Volquez is like Chuck Norris. There is nothing he can't do.

[OnBaseMachine]

On Volquez's erroneous Rookie of the Year bid

Armed with a mid-90s fastball and a devastating circle-change, Edinson Volquez burst on the scene in 2008 as one of baseball's best young pitchers. After finishing his first season in Cincinnati with a 17-6 record and 3.21 ERA, the 25-year-old right-hander placed fourth in this year's NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Only one problem: Volquez was not a rookie.

According to this "official info" on MLB.com, "A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues."

Well, that's interesting, because prior to that now-famous Volquez-for-Josh Hamilton trade, Volquez had already logged 80 innings for the Rangers from 2005-07. Remember, the 50-innings barrier refers to "a previous season or seasons."

To make sure I hadn't lost my mind, I placed a call to the MLB offices. The governing body of our nation's pastime confirmed it: Volquez definitely wasn't a rookie in 2008.

With this knowledge in hand, I contacted the folks who actually hand out this award: The Baseball Writers' Association of America. BBWAA secretary/treasurer Jack O'Connell graciously admitted the oversight: "It was a mistake. It slipped through the cracks."

Turns out three writers incorrectly filled out ballots with Volquez in second place, and BBWA didn't catch the error. Although BBWAA usually picks off flawed ballots before they are counted, O'Connell disclosed that this has happened "multiple times" in the past. BBWAA will not correct the mistake because it would not change the winner (Chicago's Geovany Soto).

"Luckily it didn't affect the outcome," O'Connell said. "Consider it the missing chad."

Even though he had absolutely nothing to do with this award or its voting, one man is going to take some unnecessary heat for this embarrassing gaffe: America's favorite whipping boy, Bud Selig.

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/for_the_record/posts/22221

[Mario-Rijo]

On Volquez's erroneous Rookie of the Year bid

Armed with a mid-90s fastball and a devastating circle-change, Edinson Volquez burst on the scene in 2008 as one of baseball's best young pitchers. After finishing his first season in Cincinnati with a 17-6 record and 3.21 ERA, the 25-year-old right-hander placed fourth in this year's NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Only one problem: Volquez was not a rookie.

According to this "official info" on MLB.com, "A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues."

Well, that's interesting, because prior to that now-famous Volquez-for-Josh Hamilton trade, Volquez had already logged 80 innings for the Rangers from 2005-07. Remember, the 50-innings barrier refers to "a previous season or seasons."

To make sure I hadn't lost my mind, I placed a call to the MLB offices. The governing body of our nation's pastime confirmed it: Volquez definitely wasn't a rookie in 2008.

With this knowledge in hand, I contacted the folks who actually hand out this award: The Baseball Writers' Association of America. BBWAA secretary/treasurer Jack O'Connell graciously admitted the oversight: "It was a mistake. It slipped through the cracks."

Turns out three writers incorrectly filled out ballots with Volquez in second place, and BBWA didn't catch the error. Although BBWAA usually picks off flawed ballots before they are counted, O'Connell disclosed that this has happened "multiple times" in the past. BBWAA will not correct the mistake because it would not change the winner (Chicago's Geovany Soto).

"Luckily it didn't affect the outcome," O'Connell said. "Consider it the missing chad."

Even though he had absolutely nothing to do with this award or its voting, one man is going to take some unnecessary heat for this embarrassing gaffe: America's favorite whipping boy, Bud Selig.

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/for_the_record/posts/22221

Bud Selig taking heat for it? How in the world could that be even remotely connected to an MLB official when BBWA is solely to blame?

Anyhow it's laughable and goes to just how lame the entire awards voting process is. Palmeiro wins a GG for a total of what 25 games played at 1st base, the oversights have been numerous at least and now voting for those who aren't even eligible. Take away their right to vote if they turn in a ballot that is blatantly wrong in any regard.

Isn't their a panel of sorts to compile/tally these ballots and oversee the remainder of the process. If not I volunteer to do it and reserve the right to discard anything I deem "incomplete".

[Mario-Rijo]

Bud Selig taking heat for it? How in the world could that be even remotely connected to an MLB official when BBWA is solely to blame?

Anyhow it's laughable and goes to just how lame the entire awards voting process is. Palmeiro wins a GG for a total of what 25 games played at 1st base, the oversights have been numerous at least and now voting for those who aren't even eligible. Take away their right to vote if they turn in a ballot that is blatantly wrong in any regard.

Isn't their a panel of sorts to compile/tally these ballots and oversee the remainder of the process. If not I volunteer to do it and reserve the right to discard anything I deem "incomplete".

Correction 28 games at 1st base.

[RedsManRick]

And Jeter and Michael Young both have gold gloves as SS. The current award system is a total joke and everybody knows it.

[Mario-Rijo]

And Jeter and Michael Young both have gold gloves as SS. The current award system is a total joke and everybody knows it.

I know how the baseball world thinks about the internet forums/message boards but really RZ could hands down outclass BBWA when it comes to these awards. And that is w/o seeing half the games they do. It honestly makes me sick to my stomach to know these guys have such a great job and continue to be so inept at it.

[dougdirt]

I know how the baseball world thinks about the internet forums/message boards but really RZ could hands down outclass BBWA when it comes to these awards. And that is w/o seeing half the games they do. It honestly makes me sick to my stomach to know these guys have such a great job and continue to be so inept at it.

I fully believe in order to be a sports writer that the person applying for the job should have to take a test on the sport that shows their ability to understand how the game works. I am so tired of reading professional writers who can write well, but have no clue what they are writing about when it comes to sports.

[Outshined_One]

I fully believe in order to be a sports writer that the person applying for the job should have to take a test on the sport that shows their ability to understand how the game works. I am so tired of reading professional writers who can write well, but have no clue what they are writing about when it comes to sports.

The sad part is, there are so few sports writers out there who can even write well. With a professional writer, you're at least likely to get a piece that may be flawed in its reasoning, but at least it follows some semblance of logic and reason. However, with most of the schmucks who write about sports, they can't even write a coherent column without resorting to tired cliches, baseless claims, and writing at a third grade level.

[Screwball]

The sad part is, there are so few sports writers out there who can even write well. With a professional writer, you're at least likely to get a piece that may be flawed in its reasoning, but at least it follows some semblance of logic and reason. However, with most of the schmucks who write about sports, they can't even write a coherent column without resorting to tired cliches, baseless claims, and writing at a third grade level.

That's just ridiculous. Fay is at least on 4th grade level. Maybe even 5th.

[blumj]

I know how the baseball world thinks about the internet forums/message boards but really RZ could hands down outclass BBWA when it comes to these awards. And that is w/o seeing half the games they do. It honestly makes me sick to my stomach to know these guys have such a great job and continue to be so inept at it.
I know I get to watch a lot more games and see more teams than someone who covers a team, whose job requires him to be at one team's games all season. Maybe some of them are going through the mlb.tv archives all night to catch what they missed, but I really doubt it.

And the coaches and managers vote on the gold gloves, they probably get to see even less.

[bucksfan2]

The sad part is, there are so few sports writers out there who can even write well. With a professional writer, you're at least likely to get a piece that may be flawed in its reasoning, but at least it follows some semblance of logic and reason. However, with most of the schmucks who write about sports, they can't even write a coherent column without resorting to tired cliches, baseless claims, and writing at a third grade level.

You have to write to your audience. If you look at it most of your beat writers write for local papers. They need to appeal to the people who buy and read the paper, not the english majors. IIRC most newspapers are written around a 7th grade reading level. Its even more evident when you are writing a sports beat in your local paper. The people who read the sports beat have all different reading levels.

[RedlegJake]

You have to write to your audience. If you look at it most of your beat writers write for local papers. They need to appeal to the people who buy and read the paper, not the english majors. IIRC most newspapers are written around a 7th grade reading level. Its even more evident when you are writing a sports beat in your local paper. The people who read the sports beat have all different reading levels.

Which explains basic vocabulary and short sentences but doesn't make poor research, faulty reasoning or dumb assumptions any more understandable. The fact is that the very best young sportswriters often get tapped to write for the "important" sections - sports is maybe, maybe, one step above weather in editorial thinking and as the brighter career path. If the best are ambitious they often end up in other areas. A few stick to sports but the bulk of the best aim for brighter arenas.

[Chip R]

Trent was talking last night on Lance's show and he outed the 3 guys who voted for Volquez. One of them was from the Bergen, NJ paper, another was from San Diego and I think the other one was from L.A.

[4256 Hits]

I think that the best qualified to vote on post season award would be genral managers. They are not perfect fit but most likely the best.