Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Awards de Beisbol
The 2006 season is over, well, at least the regular season and the season of Pedro Martinez, so let's get to the Meaters' award picks (Big Thunder -- chime in when you return from vacation):
NL MVP
EJ: Ryan Howard, Phillies
I thought this would be an easy call until I looked at the numbers. Head-to-head, Albert Pujols leads Ryan Howard in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and doubles, and had he not missed three weeks at midseason, his numbers in home runs and RBI would be comparable. That said, he still wouldn’t have Howard’s impact. While the Cardinals fell apart down the stretch, the Phils surged largely behind Howard’s brilliant second half. Oh, and it’s hard to overlook 58 home runs and 149 RBI.
Buddha: Ryan Howard, Phillies
My best friend growing up took tae kwon do, and his instructor was a golfer as well as a master of the martial arts. The secret to golf, in Master Kim's words: "All twisting power." Secret to Ryan Howard winning the MVP: "All twisting power." That and leading a mediocre team to within sniffing distance of the wild card.
AL MVP
Buddha: Derek Jeter, Yankees
As a Yankee hater, it pains me to admit that Jeter a.) has one of the toughest jobs in sports as the Yankee captain, and b.) handles it extremely well. This year has been among his best, and no one else from the playoff-bound AL teams makes a clear case to beat him out. So I'd have to give a reluctant nod to the man the Rog calls Jeee-AAYYY-terrr.
EJ: Derek Jeter, Yankees
This is the tightest of all the races, and the most unusual. My top three candidates — Jeter, Justin Morneau and Jermaine Dye — bat second, fifth and fifth, respectively. Morneau and Dye are having similarly spectacular seasons, but what jumped out at me is Jeter’s numbers across the board. He batted .343, with 118 runs scored, 97 RBI, 39 doubles, 14 home runs and 34 stolen bases. Given, he is surrounded by the best offense in baseball. But he’s what makes it go, and he plays a premium defensive position.
NL Cy Young
Buddha: Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks
He has the stats - 16-8, 3.10 ERA - and he's also tied for the most complete games in the NL (5) and is second in innings pitched. Add in that he's only given up 15 home runs in all those at bats. You have to respect that season. Roy Oswalt, Chris Carpenter and Carlos Zambrano deserve consideration (especially Zambrano, who has about a quarter of the Cubs' wins), but Webb is the winner.
EJ: Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks
The equivalent of last year’s AL Cy Young race, this is the lamest race in baseball. It was Chris Carpenter’s to lose, so he lost it with two awful performances down the stretch when his team needed him most. That leaves Roy Oswalt, Trevor Hoffman and Webb (three shutouts) as the only real contenders. I’m rooting for Hoffman, who’s had a brilliant season to cap a brilliant career with 46 saves and a 2.14 ERA. But for a closer to win the Cy Young in my eyes, he has to blow everyone else away. Hoffman, with five blown saves and just 63 innings, doesn’t.
Al Cy Young
EJ: Johan Santana, Twins
This award requires the least debate. Roy Halladay was in the running there for a while, but Santana is a legit MVP candidate. He led the majors—not just the AL—in wins, ERA and strikeouts, and led the AL in innings pitched, which is flat out ridiculous. Some might even say ridirkulous.
Buddha: Johan Santana, Twins
When you lead the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts, you win the Cy Young. Hands down. No argument. Insert reinforcing cliche number three here.
Other Thoughts
Other quick predictions for the first round games:
Yankees in 3. A no-brainer. The Tigers are reeling and the Yankees lineup is absurd. I was really pulling for the Tigers to win the division so the Yanks would have to play the Twins in the first round. Though, honestly, I'm not sure it would have mattered. The Yanks are the overwhelming favorites to win the World Series.
Twins in 5. At least that would have been my pick before I found out the A's won Game 1. Seems everyone forgot that Barry Zito is pretty good, too. Still, the Twins aren't going to go away simply because Santana lost.
Padres in 4. I was hoping the Mets would draw the Pares rather than the Dodgers in the first round, because the Padres can't score runs. That could open the door for the Cardinals if Pujols can carry them, but I just don't see the Cards turning it around after that horrible finish. And if there is any pitching staff that can make the Padres' offense look good, it's St. Louis'.
Mets in 5. No Pedro and apparently a hurt El Duque may make me re-think this pick, because these teams look pretty even all in all. I do think the Mets offense is stronger, though, and home-field advantage will hopefully be the difference here.
NL MVP
EJ: Ryan Howard, Phillies
I thought this would be an easy call until I looked at the numbers. Head-to-head, Albert Pujols leads Ryan Howard in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and doubles, and had he not missed three weeks at midseason, his numbers in home runs and RBI would be comparable. That said, he still wouldn’t have Howard’s impact. While the Cardinals fell apart down the stretch, the Phils surged largely behind Howard’s brilliant second half. Oh, and it’s hard to overlook 58 home runs and 149 RBI.
Buddha: Ryan Howard, Phillies
My best friend growing up took tae kwon do, and his instructor was a golfer as well as a master of the martial arts. The secret to golf, in Master Kim's words: "All twisting power." Secret to Ryan Howard winning the MVP: "All twisting power." That and leading a mediocre team to within sniffing distance of the wild card.
AL MVP
Buddha: Derek Jeter, Yankees
As a Yankee hater, it pains me to admit that Jeter a.) has one of the toughest jobs in sports as the Yankee captain, and b.) handles it extremely well. This year has been among his best, and no one else from the playoff-bound AL teams makes a clear case to beat him out. So I'd have to give a reluctant nod to the man the Rog calls Jeee-AAYYY-terrr.
EJ: Derek Jeter, Yankees
This is the tightest of all the races, and the most unusual. My top three candidates — Jeter, Justin Morneau and Jermaine Dye — bat second, fifth and fifth, respectively. Morneau and Dye are having similarly spectacular seasons, but what jumped out at me is Jeter’s numbers across the board. He batted .343, with 118 runs scored, 97 RBI, 39 doubles, 14 home runs and 34 stolen bases. Given, he is surrounded by the best offense in baseball. But he’s what makes it go, and he plays a premium defensive position.
NL Cy Young
Buddha: Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks
He has the stats - 16-8, 3.10 ERA - and he's also tied for the most complete games in the NL (5) and is second in innings pitched. Add in that he's only given up 15 home runs in all those at bats. You have to respect that season. Roy Oswalt, Chris Carpenter and Carlos Zambrano deserve consideration (especially Zambrano, who has about a quarter of the Cubs' wins), but Webb is the winner.
EJ: Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks
The equivalent of last year’s AL Cy Young race, this is the lamest race in baseball. It was Chris Carpenter’s to lose, so he lost it with two awful performances down the stretch when his team needed him most. That leaves Roy Oswalt, Trevor Hoffman and Webb (three shutouts) as the only real contenders. I’m rooting for Hoffman, who’s had a brilliant season to cap a brilliant career with 46 saves and a 2.14 ERA. But for a closer to win the Cy Young in my eyes, he has to blow everyone else away. Hoffman, with five blown saves and just 63 innings, doesn’t.
Al Cy Young
EJ: Johan Santana, Twins
This award requires the least debate. Roy Halladay was in the running there for a while, but Santana is a legit MVP candidate. He led the majors—not just the AL—in wins, ERA and strikeouts, and led the AL in innings pitched, which is flat out ridiculous. Some might even say ridirkulous.
Buddha: Johan Santana, Twins
When you lead the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts, you win the Cy Young. Hands down. No argument. Insert reinforcing cliche number three here.
Other Thoughts
Other quick predictions for the first round games:
Yankees in 3. A no-brainer. The Tigers are reeling and the Yankees lineup is absurd. I was really pulling for the Tigers to win the division so the Yanks would have to play the Twins in the first round. Though, honestly, I'm not sure it would have mattered. The Yanks are the overwhelming favorites to win the World Series.
Twins in 5. At least that would have been my pick before I found out the A's won Game 1. Seems everyone forgot that Barry Zito is pretty good, too. Still, the Twins aren't going to go away simply because Santana lost.
Padres in 4. I was hoping the Mets would draw the Pares rather than the Dodgers in the first round, because the Padres can't score runs. That could open the door for the Cardinals if Pujols can carry them, but I just don't see the Cards turning it around after that horrible finish. And if there is any pitching staff that can make the Padres' offense look good, it's St. Louis'.
Mets in 5. No Pedro and apparently a hurt El Duque may make me re-think this pick, because these teams look pretty even all in all. I do think the Mets offense is stronger, though, and home-field advantage will hopefully be the difference here.
# posted by EJ @ 4:03 PM 
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Without further explanation, my picks:
NL MVP: Howard
AL MVP: Morneau
NL CY: Trevor Hoffman
AL CY: Santana
Yanks in 3.
Twins in 4 (that was my pick before today's game. The A's have to be the favorite after beating Santana.)
Padres in 5.
Mets in 5.
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NL MVP: Howard
AL MVP: Morneau
NL CY: Trevor Hoffman
AL CY: Santana
Yanks in 3.
Twins in 4 (that was my pick before today's game. The A's have to be the favorite after beating Santana.)
Padres in 5.
Mets in 5.
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