Tuesday, November 14, 2006

AL MVP...and the rest of the awards

I've often felt that Derek Jeter is one of baseball's most overrated players.
Not that he isn't, or hasn't been, a great player, I just never felt he was deserving of the G0d-like status he has been given from the media. He's an average defensive shortstop, and he isn't even really as 'clutch' as ESPN and FOX would have you believe.
After all, the guy has had damn near a thousand post-season at-bats, so of course he's gonna get a few big hits in the playoffs with that many chances.
Having said that, I must admit that, even in a year when my lifelong favorite team, the Twins, has at least three solid candidates for AL MVP, that the award must go to the Yankee shortstop.
The guy had a flat out tremendous year.
Here's how I would vote, if the Baseball Writers Associatoin would get off their asses and let me in on the thing.
1. Jeter
2. Justin Morneau
3. Johan Santana
4. Joe Mauer
5. Jermaine Dye
6. Carlos Guillen
7. Joe Nathan
8. Travis Hafner
9. David Ortiz
10. Frank Thomas
Why Jeter?
He batted .343 with a .417 OBP, totalling 214 hits, 69 walks and 14 homers. He stole 34 bases in 39 attemtps. He had 97 RBI, scored 118 runs. The Yankee lineup had a lot of injuries this year, and Jeter's career year helped them shrug it off and easily win the AL East.
I don't feel the least bit like a homer in putting Twins in four of the next six slots.
Morneau's total package hitting turned the Twins into a bona-fide elite team, while Mauer provided big-time offense from the most difficult defensive position on the field.
Santana gave the Twins a virtual automatic win every fifth day. He was far, far, far and away the best starting pitcher in baseball this year (once Liriano went down).
Dye had a huge year for the Sox, keeping them in the race almost by himself as the rest of his team turned to shit in the late summer months.
Carlos Guillen is the Tigers best player, and maybe the most underrated player ever. Every year he's awesome, and half of the baseball world still has never heard of him.
Nathan might seem like an odd choice, but don't be fooled by his low save totals. Saves are a meaningless stat, anyway. The guy was the most dominant reliever in baseball.
He blew only two saves, and the Twins won both of those games. He averaged about 13 k's per 9. He was automatic, unhittable.
Thomas, Hafner and Ortiz were all studs, but all DH's.
As for the rest of the awards.
AL CY
Santana. No brainer
NL CY
Brandon Webb. He had a Scott Erickson 1991 type year, throwing his sinker 100 times a game, with pretty good results.
AL ROY
Jonathan Papelbon. Verlander (who actually won it) was good, but Papelbon and Liriano were great. If Liriano had made maybe 4 or 5 more starts, he'd get my vote.
NL MVP
Albert Pujols
The Ted Williams of his generation, he edges out Carlos Beltran and Ryan Howard.
AL MGR
Jim Leyland
Gardy deserves a lot of credit for the Twins second half turnaround, but Jimmy's Tigers weren't even part of the discussion in April.
NL MGR
Willie Randolph
If his entire rotation hadn't got hurt right before playoffs, his team goes to the Series, maybe even wins it.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Three Twins in your top four? Fucking homer.

Anonymous said...

Is Morneau the first ever Canadian born MVP?

SDTwin said...

larry walker