Cy Young / MVPs?

[MajorMike]

Who do you have?

I think NL is a done deal as both Webb and Pujols will be next to or completely unanimous.

As for the AL, I think K-Rod will win the Cy Young (and could possibly win the MVP as well) and Josh Hamilton is the feel good story, even if he has sucked a bit recently.

NL
MVP - Pujols
CY - Webb

AL
MVP - Hamilton
CY - K-Rod

[Fabbs]

If Johan Santana spins another jewel I am giving it to him. With the Mets suck ass bullpen he has been great.
Slam dunk if Webbs final start has playoff implications and he loses (unless AZ blows a great game by Webb).

You don't even consider Lincicum?

[Reggie Miller]

I don't feel as qualified to comment on the AL, so I will limit myself to the Senior Circuit.

MVP: Without Pujols, the Cardinals would have been battling it out for fourth place in the NL Central. I could make an argument for Geovany Soto, except he will probably win the Rookie of the Year. Soto, Howard, Utley, and Floyd will all receive a few votes.

Cy Young: Webb was a lock until the last month or so. He'll probably still get it, and he deserves it. Linceum, Santana, and Dempster will probably get a few votes, and that will be about it.

ROY: Geovany Soto. No one else should even receive consideration. He's a rookie catcher with an OPS+ of 122, for crying out loud. At one point, it was probably a two-man race with Fukudome, but Fukudome has lost it at the plate and doesn't even start regularly anymore.

[monosylab1k]

AL CY - Dustin Nippert
AL MVP - Gerald Laird

NL doesn't have a Silver Boot winner so they're obviously inferior.

[ducks]

manny mvp in the nl
even though I think he is a prick

[K-State Spur]

Lincecum hands down over Webb, shouldn't even be close.

If Webb wins, it will only be because he got superior run support. In every meaningful stat ("wins" are a terrible way to judge a pitcher's performance - RICK HELLING(!!!) once won 20 games) - Lincecum is superior to Webb, often by a HUGE margin. Not that Webb hasn't been fantastic this year, he just hasn't been THE best.

And I actually think Lincecum will win it.

[Reggie Miller]

manny mvp in the nl
even though I think he is a prick


In my mind, Ramirez is not eligible. (My understanding is that he actually is eligible, but I refuse to accept it.) Same with C.C. Sabathia and Rich Harden. I just don't see how you can win an NL award when you spent more than half of the season in the AL.

[Reggie Miller]

Lincecum hands down over Webb, shouldn't even be close.

If Webb wins, it will only be because he got superior run support. In every meaningful stat ("wins" are a terrible way to judge a pitcher's performance - RICK HELLING(!!!) once won 20 games) - Lincecum is superior to Webb, often by a HUGE margin. Not that Webb hasn't been fantastic this year, he just hasn't been THE best.

And I actually think Lincecum will win it.

1. Wins are the least important metric in evaluating pitching. In fact, they are almost useless.
2. The BWAA is full of mouth-breathers who always award the Cy Young to the starting pitcher with the most wins.

There are starters in the NL better than Webb, IMHO. However, he will almost certainly get the NL Cy Young with 22 wins.

EDIT: Almost forgot. There will also be a few goombahs who vote for Zambrano on the basis of the no-hitter. Wait and see.

[K-State Spur]

2. The BWAA is full of mouth-breathers who always award the Cy Young to the starting pitcher with the most wins.

They certainly have their fair share of idiots, but there is precedent for them selecting the right guy (at times) even when he doesn't have the most wins.

A few years ago, both Clemens (18 wins) and Johnson (16 wins) finished ahead of Oswalt - who was the league's only 20 game winner. Of course, it could be argued that - since these were arguably the 2 biggest names in baseball - that might invalidate my point.

I still think Lincecum will be alright since he will likely finish with 17 or 18 wins. If he had gone 12-10 with the same peripherals, then the mediots would definitely have screwed it up.

[JamStone]

AL: Cliff Lee (CY), K-Rod (MVP), Evan Longoria (ROY)
NL: Brandon Webb (CY), Albert Pujols (MVP), Geovany Soto (ROY)

MVP for both leagues is pretty tough this year because no one completely outshines everybody else. And, it's weird that I give K-Rod the MVP in the AL but Cliff Lee the CY, but I think Cliff Lee's pitching this season really deserves the CY more, while I think K-Rod's season performance was of greater value to his team's success.

[IronMexican]

AL Cy - Cliff Lee
NL Cy - Tim Lincecum

AL MVP - jesus, none come to mind
NL MVP - Albert Pujols

[MajorMike]

And, it's weird that I give K-Rod the MVP in the AL but Cliff Lee the CY, but I think Cliff Lee's pitching this season really deserves the CY more, while I think K-Rod's season performance was of greater value to his team's success.

That's a good point. I wonder if that has ever happened?

[JMarkJohns]

AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee
runner up: Francisco Rodriguez

AL MVP: Carlos Quentin
runner up: ??? Morneau?

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum
runner up: Brandon Webb

NL MVP: Albert Pujols
runner up: Lance Berkman

[Mad_Hatter]

AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee
AL MVP: ??? race between Hamilton, Morneau, Quentin, and A-Rod. favorite quentin

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum
NL MVP: Albert Pujols

[misterx91578]

nl mvp Pujols
cy Lincecum

al mvp arod have no idea why
cy Lee

[Tippecanoe]

NL
MVP: Pujols
CY: Johan Santana (was Lincencum, but I changed my mind)

AL
MVP: Pedroia (homer pick :smokin)
CY: Cliff Lee

[JamStone]

It's a homer pick, but no individual player in the AL really stands out as a favorite for the MVP. Personally, I think Youk has been more valuable than Pedroia this year for the Red Sox.

[Reggie Miller]

We forgot Manager of the Year:

NL = Lou Piniella
AL = Joe Maddon

I fully expect that to be the result. If Torre receives any votes from the BWAA, I swear to God I'm starting my own character assassination blog: "Fire the BWAA."

[MajorMike]

I think both those managers are shoo-ins... which is funny because Lou got fired from the Rays and Maddon replaced him.

[Reggie Miller]

I think both those managers are shoo-ins... which is funny because Lou got fired from the Rays and Maddon replaced him.


I thought that Piniella got fed up with the situation there and retired. (Of course, the Rays may have just put that out there after firing him.)

[T Park]

Joe Maddon
Joe Torre

MVPs Howard Mourneau

CY young

AL LEE

NL Lincecum

[Reggie Miller]

Joe Maddon
Joe Torre

MVPs Howard Mourneau

CY young

AL LEE

NL Lincecum


Joe Torre is the definition of a mediocre manager. He neither hurts nor helps his team. (So he's got that all over Dusty Baker...)

[ducks]

Joe Maddon
Joe Torre

MVPs Howard Mourneau

CY young

AL LEE

NL Lincecum


torre lol

they were hanging around 500 even after they got manny
tell sept when they played no one above 500:lmao:lmao:lmao

[T Park]

Joe Torre is the definition of a mediocre manager. He neither hurts nor helps his team. (So he's got that all over Dusty Baker...)

IMO he did a hell of a job with a mediocre Dodger team.

[T Park]

torre lol

they were hanging around 500 even after they got manny
tell sept when they played no one above 500:lmao:lmao:lmao


Got a mediocre Dodger team into the playoffs.

Hell of a feat IMO.

I don't see anyone else in the NL worthy of Manager of the year.

Had La Russa been able to patchwork the bullpen together enough to hold onto the Wild Card, he would've been a shoe in.

[ducks]

took the d-backs going on a 3-16 streak

I would consider that lucky to a degree

[Mad_Hatter]

to all the people that said K-Rod for CY how come you didn't say brad lidge for CY then? his numbers are better.
K-Rod 62/69 saves, 2.27era, 76k, 67.1IP
lidge 41/41 saves, 1.82era, 92k, 69.1IP

hands down lincecum gets CY though.

[Tippecanoe]

I wish Johan Santana got more consideration for the NL CY. If that Mets bullpen didnt piss away 7 of his wins, he'd probably be running away with it.

[Reggie Miller]

I wish Johan Santana got more consideration for the NL CY. If that Mets bullpen didnt piss away 7 of his wins, he'd probably be running away with it.

Like I said, the voters overvalue wins WAY too much in Cy Young consideration.

[Tippecanoe]

Like I said, the voters overvalue wins WAY too much in Cy Young consideration.

sadly, that might even be an understatement.

[K-State Spur]

And, it's weird that I give K-Rod the MVP in the AL but Cliff Lee the CY, but I think Cliff Lee's pitching this season really deserves the CY more, while I think K-Rod's season performance was of greater value to his team's success.

I would really struggle to put a guy who pitched 68 total innings as the MVP this year. He did set the saves record - but for most of those he had more than a 1 run cushion.

Hell, one could make a pretty strong (and valid IMHO) argument that he wasn't even the best closer in the AL this year - Joakim Soria, Joe Nathan, Mariano Rivera, and even Papelbon were all more dominant. Each just had fewer save opportunities. But they still put up better numbers in roughly equivalent IP.

[Reggie Miller]

I would really struggle to put a guy who pitched 68 total innings as the MVP this year. He did set the saves record - but for most of those he had more than a 1 run cushion.

Hell, one could make a pretty strong (and valid IMHO) argument that he wasn't even the best closer in the AL this year - Joakim Soria, Joe Nathan, Mariano Rivera, and even Papelbon were all more dominant. Each just had fewer save opportunities. But they still put up better numbers in roughly equivalent IP.

Starting pitchers are the most valuable assets in baseball. In fact, the Win Shares systems all have to be tweaked to offset this, as Bill James and others have discovered. Otherwise the top fifteen or so players of all time are all 19th century NL starters, because of their insane amount of innings pitched per season.

It would be hard for me to give a reliever an award named after the starting pitcher who still holds a commanding lead in virtually every career counting stat (including wins, losses, innings pitched, and complete games).

[Tippecanoe]

I'm changing my votes

NL
MVP - Albert Pujohs
CY - Johan Santana

AL
MVP - Joe Mauer
CY - Roy Halladay