MLB 2011 season

rushfan4 wrote: How is it a disgrace?

I don't think pitchers should win the award at all. With that said though, Bautista, Ellsbury, and Pedroia all had much better years and were more valuable to their team, yet since their teams didn't make the playoffs they don't get the award.

Also, the fact that Pedro didn't win for his 1999 season, but Verlander gets one for this season is just ludicrous.

There is absolutely no way the Tigers win their division and make the playoffs without Verlander's pitching.  Yes he only pitched every 5th game, but he pitched into the 7th inning of every single one of his starts.  This meant that the Tigers bullpen was well rested when Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello came out after the 5th inning of almost every one of their starts.

The infamous Catch Twenty-Two. The whole point of the season is to make the playoffs (win the World Series but that doesn't come into play with the MVP voting).  If your team doesn't make the playoffs, how valuable were you?   That said, I full accept the argument that he is but 1 player and he can't be blamed for the pitchers drinking in the clubhouse and the 1st basemen going out with a season ending injury, etc. etc. etc.

Both MVP's wound up being incorrectly chosen...


On Verlander winning the MVP: He's a pitcher. The award for best pitcher is the Cy Young. Pitcher's don't need to be included in the MVP voting. It's stupid. Why have a Cy Young at all if pitchers are eligible for the MVP? If there is a Cy Young, there should be a Best Position Player award, too. Oh, I know! We could call the Best Position Player award the MVP!!
Regardless of the fact that no one player stood out in the MVP field in the AL, Verlander already got his best pitcher award. He shouldn't get the MVP.


In the NL... Are you f**king kidding me? Kemp was better than Braun in nearly every single way, especially defensively. Are you telling me that the Dodgers would have been an above .500 team without Kemp? No f**king way. In an excerpt from an article I wrote in late September  on all the MLB awards and how I thought they should turn out:

Matt Kemp led his team in BA, HRs, RBI, Runs, SB's, SLG, OPS, OBP, BB, 2B, and Hits. In case you're wondering, that's EVERY major hitting stat except for triples. Oh, he was 3rd in triples.  The Dodgers are an absolutely terrible team. They only had three other guys with more than 5 HR's this season, and none with more than 16. None of their other regular starters hit .300 and only three others hit over .275. Their offense was easily one of the worst in the league.

Matt Kemp WAS the Dodgers' offense. He was far more valuable to his team than Braun, which is backed up by individual numbers, team numbers, and WAR calculations. Kemp was robbed and voters ought to be ashamed. If you have to make the playoffs to get the award then call it the "Most Valuable Player Whose Team Made the Playoffs" award instead. Otherwise, give it to the guy that is ACTUALLY the most valuable player to his team, which, in this case is clearly Matt Kemp.

This year is a perfect example of the BWAA not having any clue what the awards they're voting for are actually for.

Stooge wrote: Padraic wrote: I think if pitchers have a separate award, they're not eligible for MVP.  Either that or eliminate the Cy Young award. What about Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers or the Hank Aaron award??

Stooge wrote: Padraic wrote: I think if pitchers have a separate award, they're not eligible for MVP.  Either that or eliminate the Cy Young award. What about Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers or the Hank Aaron award??

Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, like they should be, are for every single position.

The Hank Aaron Award is a position player-specific award, but it isn't treated like a "major" award... It's one of the little awards given right after the post-season ends. The Cy Young and MVP are the final awards announced because they're the big ones. It's redundant to give a pitcher the Cy Young award and the MVP... He's already been recognized for being the best at what he did.

Stooge wrote: Padraic wrote: I think if pitchers have a separate award, they're not eligible for MVP.  Either that or eliminate the Cy Young award. What about Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers or the Hank Aaron award??

People have already commented on this. I want to add that the Gold Glove is an award for defense. It doesn't incorporate (officially) anything to do with offense.

Stooge wrote: My bad on the Gold Glove.  Soon after I typed that, I realized pitchers could also win it.  But saying that pitchers have their own reward is a valid reason for being ineligible for MVP is ridiculous.

If pitchers weren't meant to win the MVP, then they should have excluded them from consideration when the award began.  Until they are officially excluded, then the voters can vote however they want.

Stooge wrote: If pitchers weren't meant to win the MVP, then they should have excluded them from consideration when the award began.