The point is that the MVP Award in baseball is essentially meaningless because it often goes to a player who was not even close to being the best player in the league that year. What value does the MVP Award have if it does not indicate the winner was the best player that year?
Because its not the Best Player of the Year Award? Most Valuable says to me just as it says in the guidelines - the Player Most Valuable to His Team. That is a lot different than simply who is the best player in the league.
Then who cares who wins it?Originally Posted by RedlegJake
It is not called the Best Player on a Playoff Team Award either.
The player who had the best year provided the most value to his team. If his teammates fail to provide much extra value it is not his fault. If a player wins the award even though he was not the league's best player then he did not provide as much value to his team, but his teammates did provide a lot of extra value. So that player is being rewarded for having better teammates than the best player.
Way to go Barry Larkin in 1995! You had a good year and had great teammates! Too bad Mike Piazza and Barry Bonds (pre-steroids) had truly fantastic seasons but their teammates sucked.
Giving the "MVP" Award to someone who was quite clearly inferior to another player or players just cheapens the award to the point where many people couldn't care less who "wins" it.
Last edited by AtomicDumpling; 07-07-2012 at 08:25 PM.
I always thought Larkin's 1996 season was far superior to his 1995 season.
Eric Stratton, Rush Chairman. Damn glad to meet ya.
Larkin's 1995 MVP falls under the category of Hollywood's lifetime achievement Oscars - and baseball's writers do that from to time for players they really like...no its not a perfect award...but its not a perfect world - somehow we all keep paddling upstream though
And take a look at their 2nd half schedule too. They've got 35 of the 77 remaining games with teams that are under .500. They've got 13 games left vs the Cubs, and 10 vs Houston.
And while McCutchen is having an MVP year, lets not forget what a nifty off-season acquisition of a pitcher named A.J. (9-2, 3.74 ERA) has done to bolster this rotation that also includes McDonald (9-3, 2.37 ERA). And their BP is solid, with a league leading 2.65 ERA, 29 saves (2nd).
You look at this team on paper, especially offensively, and it has people wondering when is the bottom going to fall out because historically it has at some point in the second half. I'm not so sure this season.
There is about 20 of us from work going Saturday, Aug 4th vs the Pirates. One who will be attending is not a fan of baseball at all, and knows nothing about the game. He's totally NFL (Steelers) and NBA. Though born and raised in Ohio he hates all Ohio sports teams, thinks they're all losers, and loves to play the antagonist with anyone who is a fan of them. Why? Simply because he's so full of himself, has the mouth to go with it, and really takes joy in being that irritant. I totally ignore him, and that bothers him. So I think that's why, since the Pirates beat us up pretty good head-to-head last season, and are doing good this year .... he's decided to go after any Red fans in the work area. Simply to be that A-hole. He says he wants to sit next to me at the game, but I told him there ain't no way (I'll be there with my kids), knowing his intentions, that will happen since I purchased the tickets and will control who sits where. So if you're watching the game that day, and see a huge commotion in section 416 (around 3B), that's the rest of us beating the crap out of this guy! LOL
Last edited by GAC; 07-08-2012 at 07:38 AM.
"In my day you had musicians who experimented with drugs. Now it's druggies experimenting with music" - Alfred G Clark (circa 1972)
The NY Times has a piece on Andrew McCutchen this morning.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/sp...tml?ref=sports
“In the same way that a baseball season never really begins, it never really ends either.” - Lonnie Wheeler, "Bleachers, A Summer in Wrigley Field"
The Baseball Emporium - Books & Things.
The Baseball Bookstore
http://tsc-sales.com/
http://tscsales.blogspot.com/
http://silverscreenbooks.com/
The NY Times has a piece on Andrew McCutchen this morning.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/sp...tml?ref=sports
“In the same way that a baseball season never really begins, it never really ends either.” - Lonnie Wheeler, "Bleachers, A Summer in Wrigley Field"
The Baseball Emporium - Books & Things.
The Baseball Bookstore
http://tsc-sales.com/
http://tscsales.blogspot.com/
http://silverscreenbooks.com/
I think his only competition was Votto, and with Joey injured and McCutcheon's great season, I think it's a slam dunk unless McCutch falls apart.
I like your posts. They make me think and are well thought out even if I don't agree.
In regards to the MVP discussion I agree that it should go to the best player but think its much more complicated. I think that over the course of a 162 game season it should go to the best player but would weight it so someone who wins a division or is in a playoff race gets the award if two players are similar. Performing when your team needs it is much more valuable than when your team has been out of the hunt for two months. Would David Wright be performing the same if his team is 20 games out or 2 games out? Don't you think the pressure would magnify itself during a tight playoff race?
Right now I think its a dog fight between McCutchen and Votto. McCutchen getting the slight edge becaue Votto will be shy about a months worth of games at the end of the season. McCutchen kept his team offensively in games with a below average supporting cast. But I do think if Votto comes back and is his normal self and helps the Reds win the division he will win the MVP.
Park factors should be considered if numbers are the deciding factor. Playing half his games in GABP should hurt Votto a bit.
Attended 1976 World Series in my Mother's Womb. Attended 1990 World Series Game 2 as a 13 year old. Want to take my son to a a World Series Game in Cincinnati in my lifetime.
MVP is analog, not digital. I'm in favor of keeping it that way.
That goes for the Hall of Fame, too.
"I prefer books and movies where the conflict isn't of the extreme cannibal apocalypse variety I guess." Redsfaithful
In 1975 Joe Morgan's WAR was 10.8, the highest in the NL; the second highest WAR was Tom Seaver's 7.9.
In 1976 Morgan's WAR was 9.5, the highest in the NL; the second highest WAR was Mike Schmidt's 7.9.
We don't have to wonder if Morgan deserved the MVP in either of those seasons. The wonder is whether or not he should have also been named MVP in 1972, 1973 and 1974.
"Hey...Dad. Wanna Have A Catch?" Kevin Costner in "Field Of Dreams."
McCutchen should be MVP at this point. of course if the pirates don't make the playoffs he may not get it.
there's nothing like bowling a 300 game! 13 now and retired.
Ricky henderson has a higher OBP than C. patterson and he's retired. C. Trent 6-14-2008
If AM keeps even half of this up till the end of the season then he has to get MVP....dude is tearing the cover off the ball and is doing it all the while playing a prime position.....If I were a voter, he would be my front runner right now....alot can change in a few months though
Posting Permissions
|
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please. |
Reply With Quote
