Comments on: Don’t look back, Joe Mauer, Derek Jeter is gaining on you

By: Max.

Max. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:49:22 +0000

Derek Jeter is a shortstop!?!?

By: the vaunted chris

the vaunted chris — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:06:10 +0000

The worst analysis in this thread was by far from Jon Locke. It’s so awful that I just had to type this and not even continue reading. It is amazing to me that certain people think they are so smart at understanding baseball, come and post here every day, but argue for MVP based on the “other” 24 guys on a team (winning record, playoff team), RBI’s (wow, just awful), and batting average (read a stat book). How can someone vote for an MVP based on completely stupid things like “intangibles,” when 90% of the people who vote don’t know the majority of candidates, don’t see their effect on their teammates firsthand, and have no idea their day to day contribution. The only way to fairly quantify players is the stats that are widely used by smart people who understand baseball. If you argued for the MVP coming from a playoff team, find another sport to root for. I know this is harsh, but I’m saving you embarrassment at a later point in life. Mauer is far and away the most deserving candidate for MVP. Anyone who doesn’t vote for him should have their privileges revoked. That simple. Baseball players are not as valuable to their team as other sports. It’s not even close. Taking Teix or Jeter off this team doesn’t change the yankees as a playoff team. You don’t just say “that’s 101 RBI’s gone.” No, it’s not. Another quality player, if given the opportunity with the same hitters on base in front of him, could produce similar results. Teix is the big, shiny, new power hitter on a playoff team that missed the postseason the year before he got here. That is clouding the majority of your judgements with the Teix argument, since that assumes the other 24 players produced the exact same results in the exact same environment. Use the stats. They are your friend. Most of you, including myself, aren’t smart enough to try and figure out the value of other things. We don’t have the information available to us to evaluate those other things. You can make it right, Pete. Make the smart choice and don’t be an RBI-loving sportswriter sheep.

By: Akneeland

Akneeland — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:15:09 +0000

These comments are hilarious. Mauer is the MVP, and it’s not close. Allow me to quote from the ACTUAL BALLOT that voters receive:

“The MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier.”

Forty-seven out of the 77 total MVPs in history have come from non-playoff teams. Well, there goes your argument.

By: Reno

Reno — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:31:58 +0000

WAR factors in fielding, by the way.

By: Thank You Michael Lewis

Thank You Michael Lewis — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:31:15 +0000

What’s amazing is how undeserving Morneau was.

He finished 17th among position players in the AL in 2006 with a WAR of 4.4.

Worth 3 fewer wins than Sizemore. Unreal. In monetary terms, Sizemore was worth $27.8 million and Morneau was worth $16.5 million and yet Morneau won the MVP.

Unfortunately, writers are archaic idiots looking still at stats like RBI (product of having good hitters in front of the high-RBI guy) and HR (I guess writers don’t care what the batter does in the other several hundred ABs).

Excluding Manny, Morneau finished 12th in weighted On-Base Average, the single best offensive metric available. Scaled to OBP, it gives run-value weights to types of hits. Much, much better than OPS.

He finished 12th!!! while playing the weakest position on the field. Excluding other 1B and DH (Hafner, Thome, Giambi, Ortiz, Konerko and frank Thomas), there were 5! players that had higher wOBA than Morneau while playing much harder defensive positions inclding 1 catcher (Mauer), 2 SS (Jeter, Guillen) a 3B (Arod) and an OF (Dye).

Unbelievable.

By: Reno

Reno — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:29:40 +0000

Pedroia was definitely deserving, but only because there was little competition for the award last year. This year there are 5 or 6 guys putting up far better numbers than he did.

By: Thank You Michael Lewis

Thank You Michael Lewis — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:23:30 +0000

Pedroia wasn’t as undeserving as everyone thinks. He rated out gread defensively at one of the premium positions and hit very well, especially for 2B. Is he a perfect fit for Fenway Park? Of course, so kudos to Boston for realizing that.

The only position players that played in the AL last season that had higher WAR numbers were Manny and Teixeira, but neither played for a full season in the AL and so they wouldn’t win it. As a result, it was a weak year for MVP

2008 top 5 non-pitchers in the AL in WAR
1. Pedroia 6.6
2. Sizemore 6.3
3. Markakis 6.2
4. Arod 6.0
5. Mauer 5.9 (should be higher when factoring D)

Both Halladay (7.6) and Cliff Lee (7.3) had higher WAR numbers, but writers don’t like giving the MVP award to pitchers for some discriminatory reason. Since all catchers are considered the same per UZR, and most rate Mauer as a great defensive catcher, then a claim could be made for the award among position players. But Pedroia had a claim all the same.

Now looking at 2006, Jeter had a great season. But I don’t know why people think he was the MOST deserving. Again, non-pitchers in WAR in the AL

1. Sizemore 7.5
2. Jeter 6.3
3. Hafner 6.1
4. Mauer 6.1 (should be higher when factoring D)
5. C Guillen 6.0

By: Nick N.

Nick N. — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:16:08 +0000

Holy crap, Mauer is on a 5-for-25 slump?! What a bum. Jeter went on a 4-for-26 skid from Aug 4 to Aug 8, but of course the Yankees went 5-0 during that span. I’m sure Jeter is the single key to New York’s success, though.

By: Reno

Reno — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:12:06 +0000

And since when did we start giving out MVP awards based on random cutoffs like July 1st that fat sportswriters choose only because it gives them a better story?

By: Reno

Reno — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:07:50 +0000

A few thoughts:

1. There is a month left. Why are we anointing the MVP now? Are we going to hype a new candidate every other week like idiots?
2. Anyone using RBIs in their argument should just be ignored. It’s not 1985 anymore. Intelligent people recognize they’re a product of opportunities, not skill and certainly don’t measure value.
3. The MVP is the Best Player Award. It’s ridiculous to believe that in a team sport to use a team’s W-L when measuring an individual’s value. By definition the best player is contributing the most value to his team, so it shouldn’t matter if his teammates suck.

My pick is Mauer. His combination of power and contact skills in a catcher has never been seen before and he has to be rewarded for it.