It was just over a year ago when I wrote my blog entitled A Case For Instant Replay In Baseball. Well today, I finally got my wish as Major League Baseball along with baseball umpires signed an agreement to institute instant replay. Now while replay won't encompass all controversial situations, it will be used in the so-called "boundary calls" such as determining whether a ball is fair or foul and whether or not a flyball cleared the outfield fence.
Baseball has finally attempted to follow the NFL's innovative lead. All I can say is it's about time!!! Getting the call right is what it's all about, and this long overdue change should help revolutionize and popularize baseball as it did football. Heck, baseball umpires (like NFL officials) will likely now become more popular... Half the excitement of an NFL game these days is seeing the official go to the replay booth to correct a missed call. This should be fun and it should help make baseball games more enjoyable for the players, coachers, managers, umpires, and most especially the fans!
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Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Is It Baseball Season Yet?
The answer to that one would be "no" at the moment, but now that David (in the form of Eli Manning and the Giants) slayed Goliath (Tom Brady and the Patriots) in Super Bowl XLII yesterday, it is now time to start focusing on the upcoming major league baseball season. I will also give some extensive coverage to fantasy baseball, draft strategies and what it takes to win your leagues. With Johan Santana going to the Mets, Andruw Jones going to the Dodgers, and the Nationals having a new stadium, there's a lot to look forward to this year in terms of both the real game and the fantasy one that I'm addicted to. I can't wait until we can utter the words PLAY BALL!!!
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Friday, January 11, 2008
No Longer A Hanging Chad...
Is it my imagination or have there been a whole bunch of rumors about the Washington Nationals trading Chad "The Chief" Cordero the past couple of years? Well, I know I've personally seen them a lot of places, and it's been a very hot topic of discussion over on the Baseball HQ forums, pretty much since I became a member early last season.
Well as of today, Chad and the rest of us are no longer hanging... as the Nationals and he put an end to those rumors. Today "The Chief" signed a one year contract for $6.2 million dollars, a raise of over $2 million from what he made last year.
Believe it or not, we are barely two and a half months away from the beginning of the regular season. As we get closer to the season, I'll be doing a lot more entries about baseball and of course fantasy baseball so that you can be almost as prepared as me on draft day. :)
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Well as of today, Chad and the rest of us are no longer hanging... as the Nationals and he put an end to those rumors. Today "The Chief" signed a one year contract for $6.2 million dollars, a raise of over $2 million from what he made last year.
Believe it or not, we are barely two and a half months away from the beginning of the regular season. As we get closer to the season, I'll be doing a lot more entries about baseball and of course fantasy baseball so that you can be almost as prepared as me on draft day. :)
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Mitchell Report Out Today
In just another couple of hours, the content of the Mitchell Report and it's findings of up to 80 Major League Baseball players usage of steroids and other questionable substances will be made public. A lot of us have not at all been looking forward to this day. Hopefully, once the findings are made public, baseball and commissioner Bud Selig can take the steps necessary to clean up the game and it's soon to be very tarnished image.
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Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Baseball GM's Recommend Replay!
All I can say is it's about time!!! Now it's not a certainty that commissioner Bud Selig will pass some form of replay, but finally this is a long-awaited step in the right direction. With as many blown home run and foul ball calls as I've seen over the past several years, it's good to know that the GM's want to do what is in the best interests of the game. I hope that the commissioner will feel the same way and that replay will exist in some form in MLB in 2008.
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Friday, November 2, 2007
Torre New Dodgers Manager!
Grady Little's resignation on Tuesday set the stage for what all of us here in the L.A. area knew was inevitable - the signing of former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre to manage the Dodgers. Torre was signed to a three year, $13 million contract on Thursday. It is expected that Don Mattingly will follow Torre from the Yankees and become the new Dodgers hitting coach.
Needless to say, Torre brings an incredible resume' with him to the Dodgers. His 2,067 victories are eighth on the all-time list, and he also led the Yankees to four championships. Hopefully, he can revitalize the Dodgers and continue his winning ways here! Is it 2008 yet???!!!
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Needless to say, Torre brings an incredible resume' with him to the Dodgers. His 2,067 victories are eighth on the all-time list, and he also led the Yankees to four championships. Hopefully, he can revitalize the Dodgers and continue his winning ways here! Is it 2008 yet???!!!
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Sunday, October 28, 2007
Red Sox 2007 World Champs!
For the second time in four years, the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions of baseball! Jonathan Papelbon struck out pinch hitter Seth Smith for the final out of tonight's game at Coors Field to give the Sox a four game sweep.
Congratulations to the Red Sox!!!
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Congratulations to the Red Sox!!!
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Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sox Give Rox Lowell Down
Once again, Curt Schilling proved the naysayers wrong. After getting shelled by Cleveland for nine hits and five earned runs in game two of the American League Championship Series, many thought that maybe he should be pulled from the Red Sox rotation. Some of us know the competitor Schilling is and were confident he would bounce back. Sure enough, he was dominant in game six of that series, pitching the Sox to a 12-2 win.
Tonight, it was the same old Schilling. No, he won't throw that 95 MPH fastball by you anymore. These days, Schilling relies on pinpoint location and his patented split-fingered fastball. Perhaps he was feeling some butterflies tonight in game two of the World Series as he hit the speedy Wily Taveras of the Colorado Rockies to begin it. After a Kazuo Matsui fly out, Matt Holliday squibbed a single to left to move Taveras to third. Todd Helton then pulled a grounder to first, scoring Taveras to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead.
The Rockies had flame-thrower Ubaldo Jimenez pitching for them tonight, and for three innings, he was what can be called "effectively wild," holding the Sox scoreless, while walking two and hitting a batter. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the wildness finally began to catch up with Jimenez. With one out, Mike Lowell walked. J.D. Drew then singled Lowell to third with a single to right field. Catcher Jason Varitek evened the score at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly to center to score Lowell.
The walk would come back to haunt Jimenez again in the fifth inning. With two outs, David "Big Papi" Ortiz walked. Manny Ramirez moved Big Papi to second with a single to left. Mike Lowell then did the hero work, doubling to left to score Ortiz and give the Sox a 2-1 lead and ending Jimenez' night. As it turned out, that was more than enough for Schilling and the rest of the Boston pitching contingent.
After that somewhat rocky start in the first, Schilling settled down to pitch masterfully the next four innings, allowing only two singles and a walk, while striking out four. Schilling got into some trouble in the sixth inning, giving up a one out single to Matt Holliday and a walk to Todd Helton. After making only 82 pitches, he was pulled for Hideki Okajima. Okajima quickly restored order, getting Garrett Adkins to ground out and striking out Brad Hawpe to end the inning.
Okajima was near-perfect in his 2 1/3 innings of work, striking out four batters, while not allowing a hit. Closer Jonathan Papelbon was brought in with two outs in the eighth inning and gave up an infield single to Matt Holliday. For Holliday, it was his fourth hit of the game. He was quickly erased though as Papelbon picked him off first to end the inning. In the ninth, "Paps" simply was dominant, blowing away Helton swinging at a 98 MPH fastball for the first out of the inning, retiring Adkins on a weak line drive to center, and then striking out Hawpe on a 97 MPH fastball to end the game.
Game three of the World Series will be Saturday night in Colorado. Game 7 ALCS winner Daisuke Matsuzaka takes the mound for the Red Sox, while "the dragonslayer" Josh Fogg pitches for the Rockies. The game will be televised at 8:35 ET/5:35 PT on your local Fox affiliate. As an added bonus, Carrie Underwood will be singing the National Anthem prior to the start of action.
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Tonight, it was the same old Schilling. No, he won't throw that 95 MPH fastball by you anymore. These days, Schilling relies on pinpoint location and his patented split-fingered fastball. Perhaps he was feeling some butterflies tonight in game two of the World Series as he hit the speedy Wily Taveras of the Colorado Rockies to begin it. After a Kazuo Matsui fly out, Matt Holliday squibbed a single to left to move Taveras to third. Todd Helton then pulled a grounder to first, scoring Taveras to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead.
The Rockies had flame-thrower Ubaldo Jimenez pitching for them tonight, and for three innings, he was what can be called "effectively wild," holding the Sox scoreless, while walking two and hitting a batter. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the wildness finally began to catch up with Jimenez. With one out, Mike Lowell walked. J.D. Drew then singled Lowell to third with a single to right field. Catcher Jason Varitek evened the score at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly to center to score Lowell.
The walk would come back to haunt Jimenez again in the fifth inning. With two outs, David "Big Papi" Ortiz walked. Manny Ramirez moved Big Papi to second with a single to left. Mike Lowell then did the hero work, doubling to left to score Ortiz and give the Sox a 2-1 lead and ending Jimenez' night. As it turned out, that was more than enough for Schilling and the rest of the Boston pitching contingent.
After that somewhat rocky start in the first, Schilling settled down to pitch masterfully the next four innings, allowing only two singles and a walk, while striking out four. Schilling got into some trouble in the sixth inning, giving up a one out single to Matt Holliday and a walk to Todd Helton. After making only 82 pitches, he was pulled for Hideki Okajima. Okajima quickly restored order, getting Garrett Adkins to ground out and striking out Brad Hawpe to end the inning.
Okajima was near-perfect in his 2 1/3 innings of work, striking out four batters, while not allowing a hit. Closer Jonathan Papelbon was brought in with two outs in the eighth inning and gave up an infield single to Matt Holliday. For Holliday, it was his fourth hit of the game. He was quickly erased though as Papelbon picked him off first to end the inning. In the ninth, "Paps" simply was dominant, blowing away Helton swinging at a 98 MPH fastball for the first out of the inning, retiring Adkins on a weak line drive to center, and then striking out Hawpe on a 97 MPH fastball to end the game.
Game three of the World Series will be Saturday night in Colorado. Game 7 ALCS winner Daisuke Matsuzaka takes the mound for the Red Sox, while "the dragonslayer" Josh Fogg pitches for the Rockies. The game will be televised at 8:35 ET/5:35 PT on your local Fox affiliate. As an added bonus, Carrie Underwood will be singing the National Anthem prior to the start of action.
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Saturday, October 20, 2007
Schill, Drew Draw Red Sox Even!
Curt Schilling has always been known as a "big game" pitcher, so it wouldn't have surprised anyone for him to step it up tonight in Game six of the American League Championship Series tonight against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. Sure enough, Schilling did his part, limiting the Indians to two runs over seven strong innings.
Who was the big hero offensive tonight for the Sox? Perhaps the unlikeliest of all people: J.D. Drew! As most of you know, Drew had a very disappointing season for the Red Sox, putting up only 11 home runs, 64 RBI's and a .270 batting average after hitting 20 home runs and driving in 100 for the Dodgers in 2006. Drew gave the Red Sox all of the offense they would need in the first inning tonight, slamming a 3-1 fastball off of Fausto Carmona into the center field stands for a Grand Slam. The Red Sox would not look back, erupting for six more runs in the third inning to build an insurmountable 10-1 lead. Javier Lopez and Eric Gagne each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game as the Red Sox ended up winning by a 12-2 score... You know the rest - Game 7 will be on your local Fox affiliate at 8:07 ET/5:07 PT tomorrow night! And one more time... GO SOX!!!
Who was the big hero offensive tonight for the Sox? Perhaps the unlikeliest of all people: J.D. Drew! As most of you know, Drew had a very disappointing season for the Red Sox, putting up only 11 home runs, 64 RBI's and a .270 batting average after hitting 20 home runs and driving in 100 for the Dodgers in 2006. Drew gave the Red Sox all of the offense they would need in the first inning tonight, slamming a 3-1 fastball off of Fausto Carmona into the center field stands for a Grand Slam. The Red Sox would not look back, erupting for six more runs in the third inning to build an insurmountable 10-1 lead. Javier Lopez and Eric Gagne each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game as the Red Sox ended up winning by a 12-2 score... You know the rest - Game 7 will be on your local Fox affiliate at 8:07 ET/5:07 PT tomorrow night! And one more time... GO SOX!!!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
And Then There Were 4...
If you've been following the baseball playoffs like me, you're well aware that there are now four teams left fighting for the 2007 World Series title... The two surprise National League contenders - the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies - face each other tonight in game one of their series at Chase Field in Phoenix. Brandon Webb takes the mound for the D-Backs, while Jeff Francis will pitch for the Rockies. The game will be televised on TBS starting at 8:37 ET/5:37 PT tonight.
As for the American League series, it begins tomorrow night from Fenway Park in Boston as Josh Beckett leads the Red Sox against C.C. Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians. That game will be on your local Fox affiliate starting at 7:07 ET/4:07 PT. GO SOX!
I've also put a poll up with the remaining four teams, asking you to choose which one you think will win the World Series this year. Please feel free to vote and leave me your input!
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As for the American League series, it begins tomorrow night from Fenway Park in Boston as Josh Beckett leads the Red Sox against C.C. Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians. That game will be on your local Fox affiliate starting at 7:07 ET/4:07 PT. GO SOX!
I've also put a poll up with the remaining four teams, asking you to choose which one you think will win the World Series this year. Please feel free to vote and leave me your input!
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Thursday, October 4, 2007
High Hopes For Nats in '08!
While watching the playoffs the past couple of days, I started to look a little deeper into the 2007 standings. The 9-25 start by the Washington Nationals has been a point about which this season turned for me. There seemed to be a whole bunch of articles out about this time predicting the 2007 edition of the Nationals would break the 1962 Mets record for losses of 120... I took issue with these articles, and with a quick turnaround in fortunes, these articles soon went away - the memories of them though didn't.
Look at where all of the National League teams stood (playoff teams in bold) as of that date (5/9/07):
1.Milwaukee: 24-10
2.Atlanta: 21-12
2.N.Y. Mets: 21-12
4.Dodgers: 20-14
5.San Diego: 18-16
6.Arizona: 19-17
7.Chi.Cubs: 16-15
8.San.Fran: 17-16
9.Houston: 16-17
10.Florida: 15-18
11.Phillies: 15-19
12.St. Louis: 14-18
12.Pittsburgh: 14-18
14.Colorado: 14-20
14.Cincinnati: 14-20
16.NATIONALS: 9-25
Notice anything there? The five teams that had the fastest starts didn't even make the post-season this year!!! The Rockies, in the meantime, were tied with the Reds for the 2nd worst start...
Check out the N.L. teams from 5/10/07-forward:
1.Colorado: 76-53
2.Phillies: 74-54
3.Arizona: 71-55
4.San Diego: 71-58
5.Chi.Cubs: 69-62
6.N.Y. Mets: 67-62
7.NATIONALS: 64-64
8.St. Louis: 64-66
9.Atlanta: 63-66
10.Dodgers: 62-66
11.Milwaukee: 59-69
12.Cincinnati: 58-70
13.Houston: 57-72
14.Florida: 56-73
15.San.Fran.: 54-75
16.Pittsburgh: 54-76
Yes, only six N.L. teams played better ball than the Nationals from May 10th forward... considering all of the injuries the team had to deal with throughout the year, this is truly an admirable achievement. Kudos to Manny Acta for not giving up on this team when many others just threw the towel in. The Nats outplayed the Dodgers, Braves and even the 2006 World Champions from that point on. How good would the Nats have been in 2007 if the team had been healthy? Is it any wonder that some of us have very high hopes for them in 2008???
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Look at where all of the National League teams stood (playoff teams in bold) as of that date (5/9/07):
1.Milwaukee: 24-10
2.Atlanta: 21-12
2.N.Y. Mets: 21-12
4.Dodgers: 20-14
5.San Diego: 18-16
6.Arizona: 19-17
7.Chi.Cubs: 16-15
8.San.Fran: 17-16
9.Houston: 16-17
10.Florida: 15-18
11.Phillies: 15-19
12.St. Louis: 14-18
12.Pittsburgh: 14-18
14.Colorado: 14-20
14.Cincinnati: 14-20
16.NATIONALS: 9-25
Notice anything there? The five teams that had the fastest starts didn't even make the post-season this year!!! The Rockies, in the meantime, were tied with the Reds for the 2nd worst start...
Check out the N.L. teams from 5/10/07-forward:
1.Colorado: 76-53
2.Phillies: 74-54
3.Arizona: 71-55
4.San Diego: 71-58
5.Chi.Cubs: 69-62
6.N.Y. Mets: 67-62
7.NATIONALS: 64-64
8.St. Louis: 64-66
9.Atlanta: 63-66
10.Dodgers: 62-66
11.Milwaukee: 59-69
12.Cincinnati: 58-70
13.Houston: 57-72
14.Florida: 56-73
15.San.Fran.: 54-75
16.Pittsburgh: 54-76
Yes, only six N.L. teams played better ball than the Nationals from May 10th forward... considering all of the injuries the team had to deal with throughout the year, this is truly an admirable achievement. Kudos to Manny Acta for not giving up on this team when many others just threw the towel in. The Nats outplayed the Dodgers, Braves and even the 2006 World Champions from that point on. How good would the Nats have been in 2007 if the team had been healthy? Is it any wonder that some of us have very high hopes for them in 2008???
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Monday, October 1, 2007
Padres, Rockies: OT!
It was about 3:37 PM in Denver, Colorado yesterday when the Milwaukee Brewers finished polishing off the San Diego Padres by an 11-6 score. At the time, the hometown Rockies were tied 1-1 with the Arizona Diamondbacks as they entered the 8th inning of their game. With that result, the Rockies knew that they would only need to win their game to force a one game playoff Monday at Coors Field against the Padres for the N.L. Wild Card… Not five minutes later, the Rockies were well on their way to playing at least one game in October. Garrett Adkins singled in Troy Tulowitski to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead over the D-Backs. Brad Hawpe then doubled in Todd Helton and Matt Holliday to give the Rockies a 4-1 advantage… there were still no outs in the inning, but Brandon Lyon was able to strike out Yorvit Torrealba and then induced Cory Sullivan to ground into an inning ending double play to end the threat. A three run lead and a closer with a 1.89 ERA made it certainly look like it was a safe bet to start selling tickets for a game 163.
But, as we know these things are never easy. Manny Corpus (he of that 1.89 ERA coming in) was summoned to close the game for the Rockies, and for once, he was very “rocky.” Miguel Montero squibbed an infield single towards first and Carlos Quentin doubled Montero to third. Suddenly, the tying run was at the plate with no one out! Augie Ojeda hit a scoring flyball to left to make it a 4-2 game. A Jeff Cirillo ground out moved Quentin to third and got the Rockies to within one out of October… Alberto Callaspo then lined a single to left-center to score Quentin. Now, the go ahead run was at the plate in the form of a .229-hitting Stephen Drew. Corpus quickly got two strikes on Drew, who then hit a sharp grounder by the mound. Corpus fielded it brilliantly, however, and then tossed the ball to firstbaseman Todd Helton to record the final out at right about 4:04 PM local time, pushing the Rockies’ 2007 season into October.
It’s been a few years since a one game playoff determined the final team to make it into the divisional races. Actually, this is the first time this millenium it’s happened - the last being in 1999 when the New York Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds by a 5-0 score for the N.L. Wild Card.
Tonight, the Padres will trot out their ace, and the likely 2007 N.L. Cy Young Award winner, Jake Peavy to face the Rockies and Josh Fogg. The game will be televised nationally on TBS (the Atlanta Superstation) beginning at 7:37 ET/4:37 PT and most importantly for those in Denver, 5:37 Mountain Time.
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Tonight’s game has a lot of impact in one other type of leagues - fantasy ones! Against all odds, I happened to finish in a dead-heat tie for first in one of my leagues - my competitor and I each finishing with exactly 79.0 out of a possible 100 points. I also happen to own Padre playoff starter Jake Peavy and Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitski. To make a long story short, if Peavy gets a win and pitches decently (an ERA of 5.0 or less and a WHIP - walks+hits per innings pitched - ratio of 1.56 or less per 9 innings), I will win the league. A similar strong outing from Peavy without a win and a Tulowitski steal or three runs scored from him would also give me the outright win. If Peavy has a poor outing (as he did last year at Coors 5 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings with 8 hits and 3 walks) then I would lose… and of course, there are all kinds of scenarios involved where I could end up tied… you better bet that I’ll be glued to my TV set those entire nine innings tonight! Go Peavy!!!
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But, as we know these things are never easy. Manny Corpus (he of that 1.89 ERA coming in) was summoned to close the game for the Rockies, and for once, he was very “rocky.” Miguel Montero squibbed an infield single towards first and Carlos Quentin doubled Montero to third. Suddenly, the tying run was at the plate with no one out! Augie Ojeda hit a scoring flyball to left to make it a 4-2 game. A Jeff Cirillo ground out moved Quentin to third and got the Rockies to within one out of October… Alberto Callaspo then lined a single to left-center to score Quentin. Now, the go ahead run was at the plate in the form of a .229-hitting Stephen Drew. Corpus quickly got two strikes on Drew, who then hit a sharp grounder by the mound. Corpus fielded it brilliantly, however, and then tossed the ball to firstbaseman Todd Helton to record the final out at right about 4:04 PM local time, pushing the Rockies’ 2007 season into October.
It’s been a few years since a one game playoff determined the final team to make it into the divisional races. Actually, this is the first time this millenium it’s happened - the last being in 1999 when the New York Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds by a 5-0 score for the N.L. Wild Card.
Tonight, the Padres will trot out their ace, and the likely 2007 N.L. Cy Young Award winner, Jake Peavy to face the Rockies and Josh Fogg. The game will be televised nationally on TBS (the Atlanta Superstation) beginning at 7:37 ET/4:37 PT and most importantly for those in Denver, 5:37 Mountain Time.
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Tonight’s game has a lot of impact in one other type of leagues - fantasy ones! Against all odds, I happened to finish in a dead-heat tie for first in one of my leagues - my competitor and I each finishing with exactly 79.0 out of a possible 100 points. I also happen to own Padre playoff starter Jake Peavy and Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitski. To make a long story short, if Peavy gets a win and pitches decently (an ERA of 5.0 or less and a WHIP - walks+hits per innings pitched - ratio of 1.56 or less per 9 innings), I will win the league. A similar strong outing from Peavy without a win and a Tulowitski steal or three runs scored from him would also give me the outright win. If Peavy has a poor outing (as he did last year at Coors 5 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings with 8 hits and 3 walks) then I would lose… and of course, there are all kinds of scenarios involved where I could end up tied… you better bet that I’ll be glued to my TV set those entire nine innings tonight! Go Peavy!!!
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Friday, September 28, 2007
Who Should be 2007 NL MVP?
As the 2007 baseball season winds down, it's time to start thinking about who is going to win the individual awards. While the 2007 American League MVP award can now be conceeded to Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees, the National League MVP award is anything but decided. I'll list those who have been cited by various sources as the leading candidates for the 2007 NL MVP award in alphabetical order. You may vote for your choice amongst the leading candidates in my poll on the right. I'll elaborate further on each of these selections on Friday morning with their PROS and CONS.. Note: stats are through the games of 9/27/2007
Eric Byrnes (D-Backs): .288 BA, 21 HR, 83 RBI, 103 R, 49 SB
Prince Fielder (Brewers): .290 BA, 50 HR, 119 RBI, 108 R, 0 SB
Matt Holliday (Rockies): .338 BA, 36 HR, 132 RBI, 117 R, 11 SB
Ryan Howard (Phillies): .265 BA, 44 HR, 130 RBI, 91 R, 1 SB
Chipper Jones (Braves): .339 BA, 29 HR, 102 RBI, 106 R, 5 SB
Jose B. Reyes (Mets): .284 BA, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 118 R, 79 SB
Jimmy Rollins (Phillies): .295 BA, 30 HR, 91 RBI, 131 R, 38 SB
David Wright (Mets): .321 BA, 30 HR, 105 RBI, 110 R, 34 SB
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Eric Byrnes - What can you say about this guy that hasn't already been said? He's ALL heart and judging by constantly high energy level, I'm inclined to believe that he does indeed drink at least six cups of coffee a day as was reported recently on Fox Sports.
PROS: Numbers are far better than any other regular on the Diamondbacks team. Only other two active regulars are hitting .259 or higher, only one other player on the team (Chris Young) has more than 17 home runs, 63 RBI's, 69 runs scored or stolen more than 9 bases. Only Young and the injured Orlando Hudson have made any sort of significant offensive contribution to the D-Backs. His stat line, hustle, playing style, leadership and intangibles are very similar to that of 1988 NL MVP Kirk Gibson. When Gibson won that award he hit .290, powered 25 homers, drove in 76, scored 106 and stole 31 bases. These numbers are eerily close to those Byrnes has put up this year. Also, Byrnes has stolen 32 bases since the all-star break, and 11 during September's crunch time. He is the engine that makes the D-Backs go and is the primary reason they will more than likely be playing into October.
CONS: He only has 21 home runs and 82 RBI's. Given the lack of consistent talent around him, these numbers aren't really his fault. Thanks to David Wright and Jimmy Rollins both putting up 30/30 seasons, his numbers may get missed by a few people. Also, if the D-Backs somehow stumble out of the playoffs this weekend, then he'll lose a lot of votes. Regardless, I think he will do no better than second in the balloting.
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Prince Fielder - Big Daddy's boy certainly has blossomed this year. His 50 homers at 23 years old make him the youngest player in major league history to reach that milestone, He's also part of the first ever father/son duo to reach that figure.
PROS: His 50 home runs top the senior circuit. Has 35 doubles and two triples to go with the homers. His 119 RBI's are also impressive.
CONS: If the Brewers don't make the playoffs, it would be hard to name him MVP. Additionally, his young "supporting cast" has put up a lot of impressive numbers: Ryan Braun (.325 BA, 34 HR, 14 SB in only 440 AB), Corey Hart (.289 BA, 22 HR, 23 SB), J.J. Hardy (26 HR, 80 RBI's).
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Matt Holliday - 36 home runs, 132 RBI's, a .338 batting average, 117 runs, 209 hits, 48 doubles and five triples. Those numbers are simply GAUDY!
PROS: Has helped carry the Rockies this month with his 12 home runs and 27 RBI's. He's the biggest reason they're now only a game out of a playoff spot.
CONS: His road numbers are "only": a .301 BA, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 7 SB, 53 runs. In other words, he's done most of his damage at home. People will hold his Coors Field inflated numbers against him. If the Rockies don't make the playoffs, it will make it even more difficult to hand him the award.
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Ryan Howard - He got off to an abysmal start and also got hurt early. Look at his numbers where they stood on May 24th: .204 BA, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 13 RUNS and only 29 games played. Other than driving in runs, he was suffering in every category. Now look at the numbers he's put up since he came back from that early injury on May 25th: .279 BA, 38 HR, 107 RBI, 78 RUNS and even 1 stolen base in 112 games.
PROS: For four months he's been arguably major league baseball's best player with the above numbers. The Phillies, partially in thanks to his play over that time are now tied with the New York Mets for the N.L. East lead.
CONS: He just set a major league record for strikeouts in a season recording his 196th and 197th of the year last night. He has MVP company on his own team in Jimmy Rollins. Chase Utley (.331 BA, 22 HR, 102 RBI, 103 R, 9 SB) has also been a big part of the Phillies collective strong stretch run as has Pat Burrell (30 HR).
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Chipper Jones - For a guy who has been battling with nagging injuries the ENTIRE season, he's certainly put up some nice numbers and was the main reason the Braves were competitive this year despite him missing 29 games. If Andruw Jones has a "normal" season, count me amongst those who would say that the Braves would have easily won their division.
PROS: Leads the league in hitting with a .339 batting average. Has put up his stellar overall numbers in 30 games or so less than the rest of the candidates.
CONS: The Braves are not going to be in the playoffs. This all but kills his chances. In spite of Andruw Jones horrible season, others such as Jeff Francoeur (102 RBI's, .292 BA) and Mark Teixiera (.320 BA, 17 HR, 55 RBI in 52 games since his acquisition) also carried their share of the burden.
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Jose Reyes - Like Jimmy Rollins in Philadelphia, he's the engine that drives his team to success (or often failure). And lately the Mets have experienced a lot of the latter...
PROS: Leads the majors in steals with 78, and has scored 118 runs. Despite a drop in batting average, he's walking more, getting on base at a .361 clip as opposed to last year's .354.
CONS: A dropoff in his home run and RBI numbers from last year. Teammate David Wright is probably having a better overall season than him, and Carlos Beltran has also been a key contributor again to the Mets' success. And if the Mets completely spiral out of the playoffs, you can pretty much count he and Wright out of the running.
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Jimmy Rollins - Just what has this guy NOT done well this year??? A 30/30 man, 200 hits, 136 runs, 38 doubles, 19 triples, 91 RBI's. OK, so he's not hitting .300... so what! He's had an incredible year!!!
PROS: The above numbers. No one in the league is amongst the league leaders in as many of the categories as he is. At the top of the order, he's the engine that ignites this team and has done so all year long.
CONS: Competition from his own teammates. The aforementioned Howard arguably has been the NL's best player the past four months. The aforementioned Utley and Burrell have also helped bring the Phillies into a flat-footed tie with the Mets as I write this. He's not the only 30/30 guy this year, so he will lose votes to that man - a Mr. Wright.
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David Wright - Take away some runs and triples and add some RBI's and batting average to Jimmy Rollins' numbers and you get Wright's 2007 numbers. Another 30/30 guy! His overall numbers are every bit as impressive as Rollins'.
PROS: If you take out his homerless April with a .244 batting average, the numbers he's put up the past five months look even more impressive. Has hit a sizzling .359 since the All-Star break with 61 runs scored.
CONS: Like Rollins, he has competition from his own team in the form of Reyes and Carlos Beltran. If the Mets manage to lose the division or miss the playoffs entirely after leading for so long, expect some votes to be lost.
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As for my overall take on things. Well, if I had to pick one guy I think will win the award, I think it's going to be either Rollins or Wright. I think the key to determining the winner will be which team wins the National League East race. If the Phillies win, then it's Rollins' award, if the Mets win then it will be Wright's award. The loser may end up finishing third in the balloting. Eric Byrnes would be my #2 guy, assuming the D-Backs don't somehow stumble out of the playoffs this weekend.
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Eric Byrnes (D-Backs): .288 BA, 21 HR, 83 RBI, 103 R, 49 SB
Prince Fielder (Brewers): .290 BA, 50 HR, 119 RBI, 108 R, 0 SB
Matt Holliday (Rockies): .338 BA, 36 HR, 132 RBI, 117 R, 11 SB
Ryan Howard (Phillies): .265 BA, 44 HR, 130 RBI, 91 R, 1 SB
Chipper Jones (Braves): .339 BA, 29 HR, 102 RBI, 106 R, 5 SB
Jose B. Reyes (Mets): .284 BA, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 118 R, 79 SB
Jimmy Rollins (Phillies): .295 BA, 30 HR, 91 RBI, 131 R, 38 SB
David Wright (Mets): .321 BA, 30 HR, 105 RBI, 110 R, 34 SB
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Eric Byrnes - What can you say about this guy that hasn't already been said? He's ALL heart and judging by constantly high energy level, I'm inclined to believe that he does indeed drink at least six cups of coffee a day as was reported recently on Fox Sports.
PROS: Numbers are far better than any other regular on the Diamondbacks team. Only other two active regulars are hitting .259 or higher, only one other player on the team (Chris Young) has more than 17 home runs, 63 RBI's, 69 runs scored or stolen more than 9 bases. Only Young and the injured Orlando Hudson have made any sort of significant offensive contribution to the D-Backs. His stat line, hustle, playing style, leadership and intangibles are very similar to that of 1988 NL MVP Kirk Gibson. When Gibson won that award he hit .290, powered 25 homers, drove in 76, scored 106 and stole 31 bases. These numbers are eerily close to those Byrnes has put up this year. Also, Byrnes has stolen 32 bases since the all-star break, and 11 during September's crunch time. He is the engine that makes the D-Backs go and is the primary reason they will more than likely be playing into October.
CONS: He only has 21 home runs and 82 RBI's. Given the lack of consistent talent around him, these numbers aren't really his fault. Thanks to David Wright and Jimmy Rollins both putting up 30/30 seasons, his numbers may get missed by a few people. Also, if the D-Backs somehow stumble out of the playoffs this weekend, then he'll lose a lot of votes. Regardless, I think he will do no better than second in the balloting.
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Prince Fielder - Big Daddy's boy certainly has blossomed this year. His 50 homers at 23 years old make him the youngest player in major league history to reach that milestone, He's also part of the first ever father/son duo to reach that figure.
PROS: His 50 home runs top the senior circuit. Has 35 doubles and two triples to go with the homers. His 119 RBI's are also impressive.
CONS: If the Brewers don't make the playoffs, it would be hard to name him MVP. Additionally, his young "supporting cast" has put up a lot of impressive numbers: Ryan Braun (.325 BA, 34 HR, 14 SB in only 440 AB), Corey Hart (.289 BA, 22 HR, 23 SB), J.J. Hardy (26 HR, 80 RBI's).
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Matt Holliday - 36 home runs, 132 RBI's, a .338 batting average, 117 runs, 209 hits, 48 doubles and five triples. Those numbers are simply GAUDY!
PROS: Has helped carry the Rockies this month with his 12 home runs and 27 RBI's. He's the biggest reason they're now only a game out of a playoff spot.
CONS: His road numbers are "only": a .301 BA, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 7 SB, 53 runs. In other words, he's done most of his damage at home. People will hold his Coors Field inflated numbers against him. If the Rockies don't make the playoffs, it will make it even more difficult to hand him the award.
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Ryan Howard - He got off to an abysmal start and also got hurt early. Look at his numbers where they stood on May 24th: .204 BA, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 13 RUNS and only 29 games played. Other than driving in runs, he was suffering in every category. Now look at the numbers he's put up since he came back from that early injury on May 25th: .279 BA, 38 HR, 107 RBI, 78 RUNS and even 1 stolen base in 112 games.
PROS: For four months he's been arguably major league baseball's best player with the above numbers. The Phillies, partially in thanks to his play over that time are now tied with the New York Mets for the N.L. East lead.
CONS: He just set a major league record for strikeouts in a season recording his 196th and 197th of the year last night. He has MVP company on his own team in Jimmy Rollins. Chase Utley (.331 BA, 22 HR, 102 RBI, 103 R, 9 SB) has also been a big part of the Phillies collective strong stretch run as has Pat Burrell (30 HR).
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Chipper Jones - For a guy who has been battling with nagging injuries the ENTIRE season, he's certainly put up some nice numbers and was the main reason the Braves were competitive this year despite him missing 29 games. If Andruw Jones has a "normal" season, count me amongst those who would say that the Braves would have easily won their division.
PROS: Leads the league in hitting with a .339 batting average. Has put up his stellar overall numbers in 30 games or so less than the rest of the candidates.
CONS: The Braves are not going to be in the playoffs. This all but kills his chances. In spite of Andruw Jones horrible season, others such as Jeff Francoeur (102 RBI's, .292 BA) and Mark Teixiera (.320 BA, 17 HR, 55 RBI in 52 games since his acquisition) also carried their share of the burden.
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Jose Reyes - Like Jimmy Rollins in Philadelphia, he's the engine that drives his team to success (or often failure). And lately the Mets have experienced a lot of the latter...
PROS: Leads the majors in steals with 78, and has scored 118 runs. Despite a drop in batting average, he's walking more, getting on base at a .361 clip as opposed to last year's .354.
CONS: A dropoff in his home run and RBI numbers from last year. Teammate David Wright is probably having a better overall season than him, and Carlos Beltran has also been a key contributor again to the Mets' success. And if the Mets completely spiral out of the playoffs, you can pretty much count he and Wright out of the running.
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Jimmy Rollins - Just what has this guy NOT done well this year??? A 30/30 man, 200 hits, 136 runs, 38 doubles, 19 triples, 91 RBI's. OK, so he's not hitting .300... so what! He's had an incredible year!!!
PROS: The above numbers. No one in the league is amongst the league leaders in as many of the categories as he is. At the top of the order, he's the engine that ignites this team and has done so all year long.
CONS: Competition from his own teammates. The aforementioned Howard arguably has been the NL's best player the past four months. The aforementioned Utley and Burrell have also helped bring the Phillies into a flat-footed tie with the Mets as I write this. He's not the only 30/30 guy this year, so he will lose votes to that man - a Mr. Wright.
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David Wright - Take away some runs and triples and add some RBI's and batting average to Jimmy Rollins' numbers and you get Wright's 2007 numbers. Another 30/30 guy! His overall numbers are every bit as impressive as Rollins'.
PROS: If you take out his homerless April with a .244 batting average, the numbers he's put up the past five months look even more impressive. Has hit a sizzling .359 since the All-Star break with 61 runs scored.
CONS: Like Rollins, he has competition from his own team in the form of Reyes and Carlos Beltran. If the Mets manage to lose the division or miss the playoffs entirely after leading for so long, expect some votes to be lost.
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As for my overall take on things. Well, if I had to pick one guy I think will win the award, I think it's going to be either Rollins or Wright. I think the key to determining the winner will be which team wins the National League East race. If the Phillies win, then it's Rollins' award, if the Mets win then it will be Wright's award. The loser may end up finishing third in the balloting. Eric Byrnes would be my #2 guy, assuming the D-Backs don't somehow stumble out of the playoffs this weekend.
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