Greinke wins in a runaway (UPDATES with Mitre news)
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- November
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Zack Greinke won the AL Cy Young, dominating the voting and taking 25 of the 28 first-place votes. Here’s the breakdown of the balloting.
1. Zack Greinke, Royals (25-3-0 — 134 points)
2. Felix Hernandez, Mariners (2-23-1 — 80 points)
3. Justin Verlander, Tigers (1-0-9 — 14 points)
4. CC Sabathia, Yankees (0-2-7 — 13 points)
5. Roy Halladay, Blue Jays (0-0-11 — 11 points)
UPDATE, 2:08 p.m.: I didn’t want to start a new post so quickly but wanted to pass along that the Yankees have officially declined their 2010 option on Sergio Mitre. He still remains under their control and is arbitration-eligible.
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on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 2:04 pm by Sam Borden.
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Chad Jennings
Josh Thomson
As expected.
I demand a recount.
We need to trade for King Felix. What a pitcher.
Someone put Verlander above Greinke and Felix…
Halladay 5th,really? Greinke is on a nothing team,hope he’s happy hiding out!
Gang:
I didn’t want to start a new thread so quickly, but wanted to alert you to a small bit of news – Yankees declined their option on Sergio Mitre, though he is still under their control and is arbitration-eligible. I updated the thread but figured I’d put it in here as well.
Voting Verlander #1 is crazy.
I want to know which writer gave Verlander a 1st place vote over Greinke and Hernandez so I know whose column to avoid in the future.
Hooray for the voters actually getting something right.
/colored surprised
How did someone put verlander 1st….
I love how MLBTradeRumors has a source saying that Lackey could get 7 years and $120 million similar to Zito’s contract.
What a joke.
Mitre update in Cy Young thread?
Almost too cruel.
I would guess someone out of the Detroit Free Pres…
I heard Greinke is a real jerk in real life, but looking at him from afar he is an awesome pitcher and really funny, some of his quotes.
When one of his teammates was struggling, Greinke queued up some film in the film room. Inbetween innings he told teammate(might have been Jacobs or someone) “Hey I know you are having trouble with your swing, i got some film for you.” so they go into the film room and Greinke hits play and its Greinke hitting his national league HR.
“I just wanted you to remember what a home run looks like”
Repost from last thread:
The answer is there’s never going to be a “fair system.” If your team does better financially there’s no reason why they shouldn’t bring in the better players as a reward for a strong business model. Much like if you bank more money than the guy living next to you there’s no reason you shouldn’t buy a BMW even if all he can afford is a Honda Civic.
Here are the things I would do to try and balance things out:
1. Allow teams to trade draft picks. Yes, you risk a situation where a team like the Yankees trades up to get a Strausburg year after year, but imagine the haul that the Nationals could have gotten for that pick. Wouldn’t that have helped the Nationals more than any one pitcher.
2. Salary floor. If teams are getting (for the sake of round numbers) 30 mil each from revenue sharing, there is no reason that they can’t have 45 mil in total spent on the 40 man roster. This level should be checked at the start of spring training, the start of the season, and after the 8/31 waiver deadline (to prevent firesales). Any team below the 45 mil level on the 40 man roster must return any revenue sharing money they got and also loses their second round draft pick.
3. Eliminate draft pick compensation for free agents. Teams are shying away from some free agents because they don’t want to give up the draft pick to sign the player feeling that the pick has greater long term value to the team than the player would – the result is that a team, like the Yankees, can grab up free agents knowing that they can supplement their minor leagues through international free agency.
4. Every team starts their own regional network. Part of the reason the Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets can spend more money and make more money are YES, NESN, and SNY – the revenue streams from those regional networks is huge, they are money making machines.
5. Contraction – I know that this will never happen – heck nothing suggested above will ever happen – but the bottom line is that if an owner like Jeff Loria can’t generate any interest in his club and can’t get support the club financially then the club shouldn’t be there (regardless of their two titles). The way the Expos/Nationals were handled was a farce.
Teams up for contraction would have to meet the following criteria:
A) Draw less than 750k fans in the season
B) Fall under the above salary floor threshold two years in a row.
C) Playing in a stadium more than 3 years old.
MLB teams would have to contribute to a fund to buy out the owner for 50% of the team’s actual value and, if the taxpayers of a city paid for the park (Pittsburgh for example) then the money gets split between the owner and the city. The players in that team’s system would be subject to a common draft among all the ML teams. As for why the owner has to take less – that’s the price of running your team poorly.
Clearly, the lone first place vote was from some idiot out of DET. It was probably the same idiot that voted Ordonez as MVP over Alex. They really should make the voters take sanity tests before letting them vote.
Boy, no love for Mo at all?
And what idiot voted Verlander 1st?
Really, pal? Over Grienke AND Hernandez?
I’m not surprised that greinke won but I’m a little surprised it was by this much. Felix was the better pitcher in the second half.
Now we’ll never get below 6.00 on the Mitre ERA watch
Greinke also called out his team earlier this season….something I don’t like. Whatever – he may be a jerk, but he probably deserved this. A 2.16 ERA is obscene……
Lackey can ask for whatever he wants but he will do well to get a Burnett type deal.
Sam:
What is the reason for declining the option on Mitre? Is the expected arbitration number that much less than the option?
There is a great interview of Greinke talking about Chipotle burritos for like 20 minutes. He seems kind of weirdly hilarious as a person. And he has tons of talent, too, so there’s also that.
GrouchoNYY
I think that might be the case. I fully expect his arbitration salary to be in the negatives!!
Imagine what Greinke’s win/loss record would have been if he played on a real team.
If any of these writers also voted for Clemens a few years back, they need to lose their vote life.
Congrats to Greinke. A little surprised it was by that much though.
Laura,
I counter that with.. Imagine his ERA if he played against more good teams like the Yankees.
A bad arbitration ruling for Mitre might involve a noose or an electric chair.
Or worse… slow death by a wild barrage of Bruney fastballs.
I’m pretty sure Mitre will be non-tendered and brought back on another minor league deal (Girardi loves him…I have no idea why.
“I counter that with.. Imagine his ERA if he played against more good teams like the Yankees.”
Good point. What would he be like if he was facing the AL East on a regular basis?
Here’s an idea – let’s trade for him and find out.
I’d live to see Ben sheets in pinstripes if hed accept a one or two year incentive type deal. When he’s healthy he’s a strike throwing bulldog whose best is better than lackeys best.
As for Mitre, I’m just glad that the Yankees did SOMETHING. There has been NO activity since we won it all. I was beginning to think that the Yankees had forgotten that they have to play next season.
Congratulations to Greinke. No surprise, that. Did think King Felix would get a few more first place votes, but that ERA in the AL is just nuts, and with a better team, he’d have easily had 20 wins.
Mitre really didn’t pitch all that badly. He’d be good to have in the depth chart, no? He had one game where he was really, really good – and didn’t he get hit by a ball hit back to him or something in that same game, and then missed a start or two? Or am I halucinating again?
“Good point. What would he be like if he was facing the AL East on a regular basis?
Here’s an idea – let’s trade for him and find out.”
Sounds like a good idea to me.
Chip
November 17th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I’m pretty sure Mitre will be non-tendered and brought back on another minor league deal (Girardi loves him…I have no idea why.
******************
Ummmm…(thinking really hard)…there was that game against the White Sox at NYS. Other than that I’m drawing a blank.
Erin
Ummmm…(thinking really hard)…there was that game against the White Sox at NYS. Other than that I’m drawing a blank
I’m thinking there are pictures involving Joe Girardi, whipped cream, and a goat involved.
Cashman has all the leverage.Who on this team wouldn’t want to defend this title next year.They were all treated like VIP’s with the win.You go down from the Yankees!
I believe Mitre pitched for Joe in FLA.
Doreen
November 17th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Mitre really didn’t pitch all that badly. He’d be good to have in the depth chart, no? He had one game where he was really, really good – and didn’t he get hit by a ball hit back to him or something in that same game, and then missed a start or two? Or am I halucinating again?
*****************
No, you’re not halucinating! That was the Chicago game. I think he only ended up missing one start after that.
Sorry, Doreen, the numbers don’t lie.
Speaking of numbers, good news regarding the Lost numbers, Laura. From a Q&A with Damon Lindelof:
“Are we going to return to the numbers? They obviously played a huge role in the beginning. Then we got away from them and started focusing more on the characters. Will we ever come back to them? — Tommy F.
“I like Tommy’s question a lot better than the way I usually hear that question, which is, “What do the numbers mean?” I can say one of the things we’re really focused on doing this year is trying to make the entire season as satisfying as possible. We know if we wait until the very last episode of the show to give answers or revelations there’s no way it’ll be satisfying, so we’re trying to give out that stuff as we go along. And all I would say is, this is the final season of Lost. We would be enormously remiss if we were to not evaluate the numbers and their significance.”
Chip
November 17th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Erin
Ummmm…(thinking really hard)…there was that game against the White Sox at NYS. Other than that I’m drawing a blank
I’m thinking there are pictures involving Joe Girardi, whipped cream, and a goat involved.
*******************
LOL!!
Mitre had close to a 7 era with a 1.63 whip and opponents hit 321 off him. He was god awful but at the same time he was just coming off TJ surgeory. It is probably a smart move to resign him and keep him in scranton just for some extra pitching depth.
The nice surprise was Chad Gaudin. Cashman made a good move trading for him they gave up nothing. He could be a nice bullpen arm next year.
cc and doc behind felix and verlander? oh please – the voters are idiots
I just read the thread about Mike Scioscia’s comments. Mike, put the crack pipe down!!! You don’t even know what your 25 man roster is going to look like, yet you’re predicting a win over the defending champs? Say no to drugs, dude!
depth is always good. gaudin and mitre. spot starters while they get hughesie his innings….
cash already said he wants 12-13 starters in spring training.
Guys Cashman is stealth,he can afford to be.He said he’s not jumping in like last year,because he doesn’t have the urgency.
He’ll move in time.He didn’t do much at the trade deadline,why? He has a plan.
Nick in SF -
Ah, but there are posts and posts and posts going back about how numbers CAN lie!
Mike, put the crack pipe down!!! You don’t even know what your 25 man roster is going to look like, yet you’re predicting a win over the defending champs? Say no to drugs, dude!
_______________________________
ONE OF THE FUNNIEST comments ever
“ONE OF THE FUNNIEST comments ever”
I have my moments.
But seriously, LAA has some huge question marks going into 2010. Are they going to sign Lackey? Who is playing 3B? Are they keeping Vlad? He said that he had the team to win, yet he’s got these huge off season issues to face. I’m all for playing to the crowd, but at least say something sane.
Now you’re just looking for an argument.
I never said Cano IS lazy. I said he can be lazy at times. HUGE difference. That’s not a knock on his offense either. I said his good far out weighs his bad.
–
E-Gawa, responding to you in this thread. My point stands here, you are calling Cano lazy which is a fabrication from fans who have a grudge against a player for not being perfect or some perception of laziness when by all accounts Cano is a hard worker. White players get the gritty label, Hispanic players get the lazy label.
And you still were not able to tell me how or why Cano is lazy with facts. Its a cop out. Thats why I don’t trust fans for player evaluations and why it is conceivable for player evaluations to be false.
That website you linked to said they weighted UZR 75% and fan evaluations 25%, and their projection still had Holliday as an above average defender.
I don’t even want to sign Holliday, I just don’t like some of the arguments you all are making.
I’m bored at work so here is what I’d love to the the 2010 Yankees look like come March.
SS-Jeter
CF-Granderson (via trade, no I don’t know for who)
1B-Tex
3B-Arod
LF-Holliday
DH-Matsui
C- Posada
2B-Cano
RF-Swisher/Melky platoon
1. CC
2. Burnett
3. Pettite
4. Sheets
5. Hughes/Joba
Now I know the chances of this happening aren’t great but I’d feel pretty good about this team. It all depends on how much cash Cashman is allowed to spend..
@Doreen: Mitre’s numbers may or may not lie, but he doesn’t fare any better in the ‘eye test’ — or if he does, get a new prescription!
4 8 15 16 23 42
i’d be happy with that team Blake. !
Mitre didn’t look like a good pitcher, but he looked like he had good stuff, and as a person recovering from surgery he is worth keeping around now that he may be fully healthy. I liked his pitches. he also got really boned by bad defense in a few games (and a bad defensive play on his own part)
Has anyone else been buying the World Series gear? I’ve bought 3 t-shirts so far and I’ve got my eye on two more. My friend says that I’m bragging. I’m not bragging; I’m just proud!
So many people play the Lost numbers for the Lottery that if they ever came out, each person would get $10.
Nick in SF -
I am a softie, for the most part, and I know Mitre wasn’t great, overall (okay, overall, he wasn’t even particularly good). But to me, he showed some flashes that would make him worth keeping around on the minor league level. He was still recovering from TJ surgery.
It’s all about perspective.
Mitre looked like CY Young when the other option was Kei Igawa.
jerkface -
A couple of bad defensive plays, on his own part.
But I agree with you.
Laura • Bring back Matsui in 2010!
November 17th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Has anyone else been buying the World Series gear? I’ve bought 3 t-shirts so far and I’ve got my eye on two more. My friend says that I’m bragging. I’m not bragging; I’m just proud!
********************
Laura-I have one World Series shirt on the way-and I’ll probably get at least one more. Christmas shopping for me will be pretty easy this year!
Laura • Bring back Matsui in 2010!
November 17th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Has anyone else been buying the World Series gear? I’ve bought 3 t-shirts so far and I’ve got my eye on two more. My friend says that I’m bragging. I’m not bragging; I’m just proud!
**********
I bought a thermal knit shirt and flannel pj pants
Thank you for sparing us your being right on this prediction Sam. The self-congratulatory writings are not why most of us come to the blog.
@Doreen: if they can squeeze some effective — or at least non-lethal — innings out of Mitre on the cheap, no problem here.
Besides, Mitre Death Watch 6.00 is a fun game to play and there is no loser (except sometime Mitre, the Yankees, and Yankee fans).
Mitre 2010: Let’s all be there!
Nick in SF
November 17th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
@Doreen: if they can squeeze some effective — or at least non-lethal — innings out of Mitre on the cheap, no problem here.
Besides, Mitre Death Watch 6.00 is a fun game to play and there is no loser (except sometime Mitre, the Yankees, and Yankee fans).
Mitre 2010: Let’s all be there!
*********
Mitre Death Watch 6.00 is not as fun as GWNHFD
Nick in SF -
All right,then!
I want to know the names of the bozos that didn’t vote Greinke first place.
Giving Felix a 1st place vote is just as bad as Verlander IMO.
Jerkface, I never said Cano was lazy. You’re putting words into my mouth. I said he can be lazy at times. On Occasion when there’s a ball hit to his right, he bails to early and doesn’t put much effort it into it. I can’t give you games or exact details because I don’t care. I like Cano, I don’t have a grudge against him but I do understand what people say when they bring that up.
the thing with Greinke is his season is really three mini seasons in one;
first 10 starts- 8-0/0.84 era
next 15 starts- 3-7/3.66 era
last 8 starts- 5.0/1.29 era
whereas King Felix was consistantly dominant from May till the end of the season,had more quality starts,higher win %,faced tougher lineups and that’s why i would have given him the nudge
Greinke wouldn’t cut it in NY and he knows it that’s why he doesn’t want to come here…Didn’t we drafthis little brother recently?
And talk about cop outs, you’re bringing race into this.
Laura
I have a birthday coming up, so I am counting on my husband and son to do the right thing. If not, I will have to buy my own before we visit my sisters and their families in MA. One brother in law has a complete wardrobe of RS T-shirts that he wears when we visit.
I did get the SI world series special edition.
Yankees stove is sizzling hot. So glad we know where we stand with Meat-tray.
Cano got the lazy tag because of 2008. He did get benched and people were yelling at Girardi to bench him sooner. This past year he had a very good year and really didn’t show any signs of being lazy. If he has another year like this past people will stop calling him lazy.
champ,
It’s easy to skew stats by looking at different samples. The simple fact is, Greinke was by far the best pitcher in the league.
Also what the hell are you talking about, Greinke doesn’t want to come here? He’s never had a chance to go anywhere other than KC, he’s under team control still. When did he say he doesn’t want to come to NY?
Yes the Yanks drafted his little brother who got too injured to play any longer so the Yanks cut him.
“Mitre Death Watch 6.00 is not as fun as GWNHFD”
But more people get to play!
Nick in SF
November 17th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
“Mitre Death Watch 6.00 is not as fun as GWNHFD”
But more people get to play!
********
I would invite others to play GWNHFD. Its not my fault they don’t get the same enjoyment as I do
GWNHFD???
Guess When Nick High Fives Damon?
Erica-you lost me. All I can guess is Guess When…
“White players get the gritty label, Hispanic players get the lazy label. ”
So true..
On Sammy Sosa’s lightening skin, “Suddenly I remember him being much grittier and hard-working than I did before.”
Awesome: http://www.theonion.com/conten....._strangely
Well, I guess if Cano propelled himself into the field, diving after balls he couldn’t get to, it would at least look like he hadn’t bailed on them, and everyone knows a dirty uniform means you’re not lazy. Think of all the energy expended in throwing yourself at baseballs you know you have no chance of fielding.
I think that’s what it is, I really do.
Uncle Ellsworth brings up a good point: the proper acronym is GWNHFDLN; otherwise the game is either a lot easier or a lot more esoteric.
In the AFL today, Colin Curtis is 1-2 .
Brandon Laird is not playing.
Ian Kennedy in 2 innings: 3 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 1 strikeout (the legendary Casey Kelly).
Guess What Nick Had For Dinner Last Night
I’m guessing:
Guess Who [something, something] For Damon?
Nick in SF
November 17th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Uncle Ellsworth brings up a good point: the proper acronym is GWNHFDLN; otherwise the game is either a lot easier or a lot more esoteric.
I do?
How close was I ?
Guess When Nick???/
Well, at least I got one word right.
Anyone looking for something to do Monday night? Yankees World Series – the Movie (or something like that) premieres! At a theater near you . . .
Guess What Nick Had For Dinner Last Night – sounds like a good game.
has it been played today ??
Do you have to guess the dish or is the type/cuisine enough?
Not sure Cano was ever actually lazy though it appeared that way. I think he got caught a few times with his head somewhere other than where he was.
I believe he is one of the best 2b’s in the game and should get even better.
this is from The New York Times :
” Verlander’s first-place vote was cast by Steve Kornacki of Booth Newspapers in Michigan.”
Jerkface, I never said Cano was lazy. You’re putting words into my mouth. I said he can be lazy at times.
–
Look at what you are saying here. “I’m not saying he is lazy! I’m just saying that he is lazy…”
Thats my point. You have nothing to go on other than your belief that he bails on plays, regardless of how much you like Cano. And I was never criticizing you specifically for calling Cano lazy, I merely used it as an example of unfounded criticism that fans participate in and why I don’t trust most fans opinions on anyhing.
Cano wasn’t even benched for being lazy, he was benched for being terrible at getting a hit. One of the most impressive aspects of 2008 was cano not taking his bad hitting into the field with him and it was even talked about by the YES announcers.
Once again, I merely brought up Cano, Melky vs Gardner as examples of situations where fans will lie or make up stuff to try and make an argument or win a debate even for players of their own team.
it was your position that fans would not lie about their own team, which is obviously not the case. many fans will lie positively or negatively even unknowingly. And I’d rather call it unknowingly lying than “idiocy” or being naive or something that I’m sure everyone would get up in arms about.
It has not been played today and answers are judged on a case-by-case basis; sometimes type of regional cuisine is sufficient, sometime more specific information is needed.
I do not believe I have ever won GWNHFDLN
Lori
November 17th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I’m guessing:
Guess Who [something, something] For Damon?
********
No. But I like what you are thinking. And good use of your knowledge of Erica
new thread
This would be a good day for you to play, Erica, as the answer is one of your favorites (hint: it wasn’t pizza).
No answers taken on this thread! Grrrr!
Cano glides after balls. Maybe people are confusing that with being lazy on occasion.
He is excellent going back on pop ups.
Cano has one of the best DP arms in the league. He is so smooth and quick (and accurate)in his release. I just love watching a DP play developing when Cano is at the receiving end. He, Jeter and Tex are a joy to watch.
It was fitting IMO that the last play of the WS winning game was hit to Cano. And wasn’t he in the correct spot?? He was way off 2nd base for a right handed hitter.
When the ball is hit towards Cano I have no doubt that it will become an out. He had a few more errors late in the season but he also played so many innings. He is great!
Lol @ trade for Greinke. It’s not a bad idea at all, but we’ll have to give up our prospects.
I don’t know too much about baseball, but if I had to make some predictions, it would be this. Chamberlain has some of the best stuff I see in the majors right now. When he can hit locations, and yes, he can hit locations pretty well, he is absolutely unstoppable. A strikeout machine. Nasty breaking pitches, blazing fastball. I can see him developing into one of the best pitchers in the majors.
But he does bear resemblance to AJ Burnett, a pitcher that I think would be one of the best of this decade if he simply had control. From what I’ve seen, though, Chamberlain at 23 has far better control than Burnett who’s already past his prime.
Chamberlain might make mistakes, but he’s the real deal.
Here’s a cool infographic that should settle any debate over the AL Cy Young Award, which shows why Greinke’s win was (and should have been) a landslide. Sorry CC fans!
visualbaseball.wordpress.com
testing12
may need a recount; but a-rod has been cheated out of winning too. he should have had the AL all-star award. everyone is quick to forgive him for steroids, etc if they believe he’s dating kate hudson, (the ideal white woman, blonde hair blue eyes) he’s a smart man. He knew this too. i don’t believe for one minute they are dating. but he fooled everybody. it may not have got him awards but it surely got the white people accepting him back. this is what he is thanking kate hudson for. suckers