It's finally next year....BASEBALL IS BACK!

[Dionysus]

How come my hick ass neighbors started SHOOTING (like you do on New Years) when the cards won? That's Missourah for you!

But, yeah, congrats cards!

[KSigkid]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2645976

Whatever Mota was using, it didn't work. He was awful last year.

[KSigkid]

Ok, so they don't give the MVP to Jeter. Fine, I'm thinking, did they give it to Mauer? I mean, he deserved it too.

No..they gave it to Justin Morneau. And, even worse, Mauer didn't even finish in the top 5. Glad to see they only looked at counting stats.

Between this and last years NL result (Beltran and Cabrera finishing so low, Hoffman and Garciaparra getting votes), they really need to start taking away some voters' ballots. At least they got the AL Cy Young correct.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

Ok, so they don't give the MVP to Jeter. Fine, I'm thinking, did they give it to Mauer? I mean, he deserved it too.

No..they gave it to Justin Morneau. And, even worse, Mauer didn't even finish in the top 5. Glad to see they only looked at counting stats.

Between this and last years NL result (Beltran and Cabrera finishing so low, Hoffman and Garciaparra getting votes), they really need to start taking away some voters' ballots. At least they got the AL Cy Young correct.

. . . I think they got the NL CY 'right' within an acceptable margin of error, too. Otherwise, agreed - how about 5 ballots naming Freddy Sanchez compared to ONE naming Jason Bay? Or a dozen writers not listing Miguel Cabrera in the top 5 (and a half-dozen leaving Beltran out of the top 5)?

Or Hafner below Frank Thomas . . . the list could go on and on.

Terrible voting, just terrible.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

. . . I think they got the NL CY 'right' within an acceptable margin of error, too. Otherwise, agreed - how about 5 ballots naming Freddy Sanchez compared to ONE naming Jason Bay? Or a dozen writers not listing Miguel Cabrera in the top 5 (and a half-dozen leaving Beltran out of the top 5)?

Or Hafner below Frank Thomas . . . the list could go on and on.

Terrible voting, just terrible.

Yeah, I forgot the NL voting, although I thought Hoffman got too many votes...overall pretty good though.

This MVP voting was, possibly, the worst I've seen though. Just horrible, right on line with the 1987 results (Andre Dawson and George Bell), and other notable mistakes.

The problem is, there are writers who will avoid stats like the plague. I remember a column by Phil Rogers (Chicago writer) on ESPN.com a couple of months ago, where he said he didn't look at all stats because he was "too busy watching the games." It's like an unhealty aversion to just looking at the numbers.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

Yeah, I forgot the NL voting, although I thought Hoffman got too many votes...overall pretty good though.

This MVP voting was, possibly, the worst I've seen though. Just horrible, right on line with the 1987 results (Andre Dawson and George Bell), and other notable mistakes.

The problem is, there are writers who will avoid stats like the plague. I remember a column by Phil Rogers (Chicago writer) on ESPN.com a couple of months ago, where he said he didn't look at all stats because he was "too busy watching the games." It's like an unhealty aversion to just looking at the numbers.

Yeah, exactly - I think Keith Law said it best:

Incidentally, the following voters should be removed from the voting process permanently:

• The guy who put Jeter sixth.
• The guy who put Mauer 10th ... and the five guys who left him off their ballots entirely.
• The three guys who put Frank Thomas second.
• The guy who put A.J. Pierzynski 10th.

So so so so so so so so so so so so so silly. One of the worst MVP votes ever, wow.

[Thrillhouse]

Horrible vote.

Although I don't think Dye should have won it... he deserves it more than Morneau.

Someone obviously thought they were funny by putting Pierzinski 10th but why not name an obscure player like Hiram Bocachica 10th instead? That what I wouldv'e done.

[Thrillhouse]

Heres the voting breakdown for the AL MVP:

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseba...ny-main-bigpix

It figures that a Chicago voter would have AJ 10th.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

Horrible vote.

Although I don't think Dye should have won it... he deserves it more than Morneau.

Someone obviously thought they were funny by putting Pierzinski 10th but why not name an obscure player like Hiram Bocachica 10th instead? That what I wouldv'e done.

I honestly think that's part of the problem; writers are wasting votes on hometown guys, when it can really hurt in close races. That, and there is just a stubborn disregard for numbers from some writers. Honestly, that's what the numbers are kept for, and we have so many types of stats to look at, it's ridiculous that guys just ignore that stuff.

Even without that though - wouldn't it be common sense that a catcher with good defensive stats and excellent hitting stats would be more valuable than a mediocre first baseman with good hitting stats? Don't give the award to Jeter, fine, but Mauer's finish in the voting bothers me more.

[Thrillhouse]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

I honestly think that's part of the problem; writers are wasting votes on hometown guys, when it can really hurt in close races. That, and there is just a stubborn disregard for numbers from some writers. Honestly, that's what the numbers are kept for, and we have so many types of stats to look at, it's ridiculous that guys just ignore that stuff.

Even without that though - wouldn't it be common sense that a catcher with good defensive stats and excellent hitting stats would be more valuable than a mediocre first baseman with good hitting stats? Don't give the award to Jeter, fine, but Mauer's finish in the voting bothers me more.

Exactly. A catcher who can put up huge numbers like Mauer did deserved it if it went the Minnesota route.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

Exactly. A catcher who can put up huge numbers like Mauer did deserved it if it went the Minnesota route.

The sad thing is, you, KSigRC and I would be better voters than about 90% of the guys out there.

[KSigkid]

If the Sox are going to trade Manny, and then sign J.D. Drew, they'd better not use a "character" argument to justify trading Manny.

[mu_agd]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

If the Sox are going to trade Manny, and then sign J.D. Drew, they'd better not use a "character" argument to justify trading Manny.

If they do trade Manny and sign JD Drew, does this mean we are going to see lots of intentional walks to Ortiz?

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

If the Sox are going to trade Manny, and then sign J.D. Drew, they'd better not use a "character" argument to justify trading Manny.

You know damn well they don't care at all about Manny's "character" - but this is probably their last opportunity to 'sell high' on Manny, so of course they'll explore . . . he has more value right now than at any point since the moment they signed him, because his contract suddenly went from "bizarrely bad" to "bizarrely underpaid" in a matter of seconds.

If they can replace 90% of his production at multiple positions, and also get some decent upper-level position talent in the farm (nobody but Ellsbury really matters, now that Pedroia has graduated), they almost have to make the deal, don't they?

Remember, they add anywhere from 6-8 WARP in projected value the minute they sign Matsuzaka-san . . . and he replaces 12 starts from Kyle Snyder, 10 from Jason Johnson, etc etc etc etc. As long as the drop-off from Manny's annual 8-WARP season to some combination of Drew, Pena, whoever covers their inevitable injuries, and Crisp not sucking ass with a broken hand is less than the advance in the rest of the team (staff, SS, probably 1B), anything else is gravy, right?

That said, unless the Dodgers get freaky as hell with some combo of Billingsley, Loney, Broxton, and Kemp, I'm not really sure where the value can come from - so few teams have upper-level talent ready to deal anymore . . .