Classy Rook CF wins MVP over Superduperstar Slugger
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In the AL MVP race, you had two sluggers bashing lots of home runs, and one of those sluggers was the game's biggest name. You had a rookie center fielder going against them, and he had many fewer HR's, but he did have a ton of doubles, a high slugging percentage, and an impact glove in the middle of the diamond. It was "Triple Crown Stats" against "underappreciated all-around game," and it was a rookie with the underappreciated doubles and homers.
We're talking about the 1974 MVP vote, the first one that Dr. D really remembers well. Fred Lynn hit .331/.401/.566 in Fenway, but remember, in 1974 it was pre-Rickey and pre-OBP. Also, Lynn hit only 21 homers. Lynn did hit 47 doubles, but doubles remained legitimately underappreciated all the way through Edgar Martinez' career.
Reggie Jackson, the original "superduperstar" after he hit 47 homers in 1969 and then led the A's to three straight Series titles in 1972-74, then led the AL in home runs again in 1975.
Of 24 MVP votes that season, rookie "sabermetric" player Fred Lynn got 22 first-place votes; the other two went to a "Closer" (what's that?), Rollie Fingers.
This thing about Cabrera vs Trout being a referendum on old school vs WAR? Nonsense. I was there. Sportswriters have always loved to show their appreciation for the game with Mike Trout votes. Like the Phil Rizzuto HOF thing. Give a sportswriter a chance to show his extra level of knowledge, his perception of things that fans don't perceive, and he'll grab it. Sportswriters would have loved to have voted Mike Trout the MVP - and that was back in 1972.
I think there are very few BBWAA members any more who don't have Fangraphs bookmarked. If there ever were a time when you were "educating" the great mass of sportswriters as to what WAR was, gentlemen, those days are long gone.
People didn't vote for Miguel Cabrera because they're stupid. They voted for him for reasons that are, generally, sophisticated. That doesn't mean that they were demonstrably right, of course.
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=== Talking Points ===
From BJOL:
What kind of odds would you give Trout and Harper of having Hall of Fame careers?Asked by: izzy2112Answered: 11/13/201220, 25%. Could be higher. There are a lot of good 20, 21-year-old players who DON'T go on to be great. But there are not a lot of Bryce Harpers and Trouts.
Bill was in a conservative mood here. In another time and place, he calculated a 20-30% such chance for 22-year-old players having average-solid seasons.
I love Trout's super-short, powerful swing and his hitting talent, never mind his speed and instincts, never mind his skill set. I'd imagine that a Fred Lynn career is, barring injury, his worst-case scenario. Lynn and Cesar Cedeno are the two worst players I can remember, going from where Trout is now on to a less-than-HOF career. Trout had a lot better age-21 season, for example, than Ken Griffey Jr. did.
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Trout was worth essentially +100 runs this year, +100 over a good triple-A center fielder like (say) Endy Chavez. To put that in perspective, Albert Pujols is a +80 runs player, the next best after that is ARod who Has Been a +60 player (over the last 10 years), and then you have a handful of reliable +50 players: Utley, Cabrera, Beltran, Beltre, and Ichiro. There are about 15 more reliable +40 players over the last decade.
A +100 season? A hundred runs' team differential is basically the offseason target if you want to contend. Think about that.
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As Mariner fans, two glimmers of hope:
Jacoby Ellsbury in 2011 had +95 runs, or 9.4 WAR. The next year he had 1.5. The huge WAR year was based on a very Trout-like skill set: 30 homers, .50 EYE, position scarcity in CF, speed, everything.
Dr. D legitimately could see Trout's offense fading back from 175 OPS+ ... he had a .383 BABIP, his power is not light-tower, his EYE is a bit suspect for a .300 hitter. He's a tremendous young player, of course, but it's not yet established that he's a young Ken Griffey Jr level player.
Don't get me wrong. Trout is fast, he can hit for power, and he can hit for contact. He's a great player at age 21.
Greatest Overall Service To His Club
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The Baseball Writers' Association of America smilingly refuses to define Most Valuable Player, enjoying the fact that it leaves the interpretation to its voters. Dr. D has no doubt whatsoever that this is done in part to shield the BBWAA against slam-dunk falsifications of its votes, like an ump refusing to explain why a tag call was made.
But when the award was originally established by the AL, in 1922, the league stated that the award was to honor "the baseball player who is of the greatest all-around service to HIS club."
If this be the interpretation, Counselor, that is a different thing than "Whose 2012 Strat-O-Matic card would you start a team with." If I were to start a Strat-O team and replay the 2012 season, I'd want Buster Posey. Second I'd want Mike Trout.
But greatest all-around service to HIS club? Hmmmmmmm....
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In 1975, the Big Red Machine started the season (IIRC) about 20 wins, 20 losses, questionable pitching, lineup mysteriously underperforming - hey, for that matter Sparky Anderson botched the entire decade of the 1970's. Those Reds should have won eight pennants, not four.
Anyway, about May, Pete Rose moved from LF to 3B, and when he did, the Reds moved a bench player into LF, that being George Foster. Incredible as it sounds, Foster became the Reds' best hitter other than Joe Morgan, better than Rose, Bench, Perez, or anybody. In 1976, if I recall correctly, he hit 50+ home runs and that's like 70 today. The Reds went, I think, 41 wins and 10 losses starting with the day that Reds fielded Rose at 3B and Foster in LF. That's when Sparky finally got his two championships.
If Pete Rose had not been willing to take 100+ grounders per day in the middle of the season, the Reds' lineup would have had John Vuckovich in it, not George Foster. In a very practical sense, Pete Rose got credit not only for his own performance, but also for George Foster's.
Maybe you'd have to be a coach to fully appreciate that last sentence. Players make decisions to play roles or not to play roles. Sabermigos don't want to credit them for domino effects. Coaches are hyper-aware of those domino effects.
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Earl Weaver has an emphasized section in Weaver On Strategy -- an inset box titled, WE NOT ME or somesuch -- in which he relates an incident in which an injured Ken Singleton offers to go warm a pitcher up in a tough situation. "That's why the Baltimore Orioles win," said Earl.
Where does Pete Rose's move rank on that scale? Greatest overall service to his club? Pete Rose's 1975 might have been the greatest overall service to his club in the post-WWII era.
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If Miguel Cabrera doesn't cheerfully move to 3B, the 2012 Detroit Tigers don't have Prince Fielder with him in the lineup.* From a coach's perspective, Cabrera gets very real credit for Prince Fielder's contributions to the ballclub. And Cabrera didn't merely move over to 3B: he moved over, took the distraction, took a 95-MPH line shot off the face, and all that stuff .... and then won the Triple Crown over there.
The 2011 Tigers' third baseman? Brandon Inge, who hit .197 and slugged .2 something. Inge became Prince Fielder. That's +50, +60 runs, and only after the Tigers bank those 50-60 runs due to Cabrera's moving over ... only then do we start adding up Cabrera's .330/.400/.600 stats. And only after that do we talk about his monster late-season performance surge to put the Tigers in the playoffs. Supposing Edgar had done that for a Mariners team?
In fairness, Mike Trout moves off 1B by virtue of being Mike Trout. We're not saying that Trout wasn't also a great player.
But greatest overall service to HIS club? If I'm Miguel Cabrera, I'm not giving my 2012 MVP back. Thanks for asking.
BABVA,
Dr D
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* In theory, the Tigers might have played Cabrera at DH and still signed Fielder. In real life that's not what would have happened.
'Tis the season to sparkle
The holidays are upon us, and we all know what that means. Hot chocolate. Winter flurries and a warm fire. A season of joy and goodwill. Ah, who are we kidding? 'Tis the season to get some serious shopping done. Don't head out to fight the Black Friday crowds just yet. Save yourself the trouble by doing a little online jewelry buying for the lovely ladies (and gents) in your life. But where to begin? Have a look at our list of the top five websites for holiday jewelry shopping.
Red Envelope: You probably know Red Envelope as the go-to place for a last minute Mother's Day gift. The site carries everything from knickknacks and garden gnomes to bathrobes and decorative vases. But Red Envelope also has an exceptional jewelry selection that's perfect for an aunt, a grandmother, or mom herself. We recommend the family embrace birthstone necklace (pictured above) and the blue topaz pendant.
Dogeared Jewels and Gifts: For the casual, fun-loving friend in your life, head over to Dogeared Jewelry & Gifts for jewelry that's completely California cool. The jewelry options here are endless, with everything from teak wood bracelets (pictured above) to snake stud earrings and karma necklaces. For gifts with a more personal touch, check out the Create page, where you can mix and match gems and charms for a perfectly customized holiday gift.
Uncommon Goods: For the person in your life with eclectic tastes and an appreciation for all things unique, check out Uncommon Goods. The theme here is originality, and trust us, you'll find a treasure trove of beautiful and unique jewelry at this site. The selection is so massive that it's impossible to pick a favorite, but we do love the birth month pendant (pictured above) made from recycled glass. Don't forget that almost all of the jewelry on this site is divided into two categories: hand-made and recycled. How's that for a wildly appealing choice? Have fun with this one.
Novica: Most of the guys we know aren't thrilled about wearing jewelry unless we buy it for them. So, where's the best place to find jewelry just for him? Hands down, Novica is the one-stop shop for masculine jewelry. Plus, it's all for a good cause! In partnership with National Geographic, Novica brings together designers and artisans from developing nations around the globe and sells the products on the site. You get to read all about the designers, their craft making journeys, and the story of their business, too. With all of these cool factors, jewelry from Novica will surely wow the man in your life. To ensure that he treasures your gift for a long time to come, err on the side of caution and don't tell him the site is curated by Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert.
Firefly Kids Jewelry: If you've got a pint sized jewelry-lover in your life, chances are she'll be more than happy to tell you where to find her holiday gift. Here's a hint: don't listen to her. Find her something cute and unique over at Firefly Kids, one of the cutest jewelry lines out there just for the little ones. The necklaces, bracelets and earrings are adorable, dazzling and age appropriate. So whether it's for dress-up or a day at school, make sure that you shop Firefly Kids for some of the best jewelry for under 5-feet crowd.
Happy shopping, happy holidays and ... enjoy!
The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara
Off the coast of Normandy, within the cramped confines of a Royal Navy midget sub, a three man commando team makes its final preparations before their mission is away.
The midget then surfaces, the team slipping over the side one by one. They swim to their objective: a beach. Gathering together, their leader quietly says to them "Time to go to work, gents. Welcome to Omaha Beach." Their mission: Gather rock and soil samples to see whether or not the beach can sustain movement of tanks, trucks, etc.
Armed only with knives, they set about their task in the pitch black darkness. That is how the first chapter in Jeff Shaara's historical novel The Steel Wave begins.
The Steel Wave is the second book in a trilogy about World War Two in Europe which came after The Rising Tide and before No Less Than Victory. While the characters in this instance are fictitious everymen, they are authentically crafted from the historical records of such pre-D-Day forays.
The bulk of the characters, however, apart from some fictional Grenadiers of the German 352nd Division, are historical.
The main focus is on Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a paratrooper Sergeant, Jesse Adams, of the 82nd Airborne, Private Tom Thorne of the 29th Infantry division, and last but not least, General George S. Patton Jr. Other figures such as Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, General James Gavin, and many others make appearances via their interactions with the three generals and Sergeant Adams.
Shaara takes time before plunging the reader into the past by including a note for the reader at the beginning describing what the novel is (a dramatic work depicting the events surrounding D-day and the Normandy campaign) and what it is not (a blow-by-blow textbook documenting of them), then continues his orientation with a list of historical sources, and an introduction describing the world situation and the events leading up to the formulation for the plans for Operation Overlord.
Shaara's talent for bringing historical figures to life is nothing short of miraculous. Ike, Rommel, and Patton have been the subject of many books and films; but only Shaara's novel, in my opinion, delves the deepest into their characters, bringing them to life with uncanny accuracy and humanity.
Even George C. Scott's memorable portrayal of Patton is given a run for its money by Shaara's literary dramatic take on the man. One in which he is able to utilize in full all the available historical resources about Patton such as the general's diaries, assets unavailable to the screen writers for Patton. Who had to make do with only two books as their research material: Omar Bradley’s A Soldier’s Story, and Ladislas Farago’s Patton: Ordeal and Triumph.
What is more, Shaara's depiction of Patton's alleged faux pas involving failing to mention the Russians during a speech at Knutsford, England, in the months leading up to the invasion is far more accurate than the version done for the famous George C. Scott biopic: it turns out Patton did mention the Russians but not all the members of the press present took it down!
Shaara does not neglect the grunts-eye view of combat, either, a view largely seen via the eyes of Jesse Adams. (Who, along with Ike, Patton, and Rommel, appeared in The Steel Wave). Tom Thorne's appearance is brief, but compelling, cast into the maelstrom at Omaha Beach at H-hour on D-Day with a devastating twist at the end of his tale.
Shaara goes on past D-day to cover the whole Normandy campaign, closing with the tragic suicide of Erwin Rommel in September of 1944 after he was falsely accused of plotting against Hitler's life and given the choice of either prison, or suicide.
Shaara's prose is crisp and to the point, containing no cloying amount of details which might confuse readers not inclined towards history; and it is prose which carries the reader into the past to relieve one of the greatest dramas that ever unfolded upon the world's stage.
Bokor Hill In Kampot, Cambodia
Bokor Hill, found just outside of Kampot City in southern Cambodia, is a historical hot bed for interested travelers. Located in Bokor National Park, the hill itself is home to ruins from as early as 1917, during French colonial time, as well as from the early 1960s during the Khmer Rouge regime. The area is now being revamped to become a huge tourist destination (the casino and hotel being built there is massive!), but until it is finished, still holds an off-the-beaten-path kind of feel. The hill has some beautiful ruins, and though it may not be the flashiest of sights, it is a great place to see beautiful views of the ocean and Kampot, as well as take some great photos. Below you'll find some pictures of the area. Enjoy!
Jets will travel to St Louis to try to find a win
The Jets will travel to St. Louis to take on the Rams this Sunday at 1 PM ET. The game will take place at Edward Jones Dome and feature two teams that have shown some promise, but ultimately have had a lot of let downs. The Jets have been plagued by media criticism, injuries, and speculation while the Rams have suffered tough losses in close games, and even a push last week against the 49ers. Both will look to start anew this week on Sunday, but only one can win...well not necessarily.
The Jets come into Sunday’s game with a 3-6 record. Last week they fell 28-7 in Seattle against the Seahawks. They could not do anything on either side of the ball. The recent problems did not end on their field this past week for the Jets who have been reported to have unidentified players talk about Tim Tebow behind the scenes. Surely this is a team going in the wrong direction. If anyone should be under a microscope it is Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez, not Tebow.
The Rams were able to get a tie last week in San Francisco. The Rams are now 3-5-1 after the hard-fought tie which came against a 49er team that was at home and wanting nothing less then a win. Despite being without Alex Smith, who left the game with a concussion, the 49ers are still a better team even with a backup QB. The Rams fought on though and Jeff Fisher clearly has them going in the right direction, which is quite the opposite feeling in NY.
Cardinals travel to Georgia to look for a win against the Falcons
The 4-5 Arizona Cardinals will travel to the Georgia Dome this Sunday to face the Atlanta Falcons. The game will kickoff at 1 PM ET. Atlanta comes into the game with one of the best record in the league at 8-1. Arizona, on the other hand, has lost 5 straight after a 4 game winning streak to start the season. Obviously these are two teams going in two directions that are totally opposite of one another. Arizona can only hope to stay in the running for the playoffs by getting back to .500 on the year.
Arizona will have to overcome a dreadful offensive line to do so. They have easily given up the most sacks in the NFL and can not give any quarterback time to throw. This has resulted in injuries to both Kolb and Skelton at the QB position. Last week, Arizona was on their bye week which was much needed. The week prior, they lost to the Packers 31-17. Perhaps the break is all they needed to start another winning streak, but I doubt it.
Atlanta is coming off their first loss after falling to the Saints 31-27 last week. The team traded blows with the Saints throughout, but in the end just fell short. Matty “ice” Ryan got a chance or two down the stretch to drive his team to victory in the 4th, but failed to do so in the end. The Saints had been getting hot lately, but the loss is certainly on the mind of a Falcons team that feels it is Super Bowl or bust this season. If that is the case, then there is no way they can fall to Atlanta this week.
When will Big Ben return?
Big Ben went down on Monday night in Pittsburgh against the Kansas City Chiefs. The only difference this time, compared to most, is the fact that he did not return after the incident. In the second half, Roethlisburger went down hard on a sack and injured his shoulder in the process. It was later disclosed that an even more bizarre and dangerous injury also occurred during the hit. The Steelers now are left with Byron Leftwich to lead the charge, but are used to situations like this.
In the past, the Steelers have done quite well without their leader. When Ben missed 4 games due to suspension the team went 3-1 with Charlie batch at the helm. This injury could also keep him out 4 weeks, and maybe even 6. The other injury involved was internal in nature and involved his rib pressing up against his aorta. This injury was described as being very rare, and one export said they saw it only one other time in a rugby play back in 1998.
Ben may miss sometime, but the feeling in Pittsburgh is the show goes on. This is not a team that will use it as an excuse. Mike Tomlin will not let them, and he will make everyone work that much harder to get the team to the playoffs. At this point, the Steelers would have to really lose many to not get a wildcard. They have a good lead at this time in that category, which certainly helps. This Sunday will be the best test they can get as the Ravens will play them at home.
NY Jets need to stop the comments and start playing
The New York Jets find themselves in yet another quandary with undisclosed players making comments about their teammates that went public. The latest surround Tim Tebow and speak about how he has hurt the team and how he is a terrible quarterback. True or not, it speaks volumes in terms of the problems with this team. Unfortunately, or more surprisingly, although this has happened before the coach Rex Ryan seems to be exempt from having control over the team. He can have episodes like this occur, but somehow not be on the hot seat.
It is amazing how this can even be a topic as Tebow has been such a non-factor. He participates in a minimal amount of plays and they are plays that are not really designed to do too much. Tebow has been anything but the issue in New York and if utilized more could probably only help the team. The guy has proven to be a winner. Sure, he did it unconventionally but it worked. It seems that he is the only guy that can get W’s ugly and people have a problem with it.
Meanwhile, no one is saying how terrible Sanchez is? If he is not terrible then what is he? He is the guy that plays most all the snaps for you right? Sanchez has been a thorn in the team’s side and has done little to produce wins. If you want to find blame then perhaps the teammates finding blame should look themselves in the mirror when they ask the question of who is at fault. This is especially true of those who made these public comments.
Bills host Dolphins on Thursday Night Football
Thursday Night Football on NFL Network will showcase a classic rivalry when the Miami Dolphins take on the Buffalo Bills this week. The game will be played at Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium, which has seen its fair share of games against these two opponents. Miami travels to Buffalo with a 4-5 record while the Bills stand at 3-6. Both teams have struggled mightily with consistency in a close AFC East Division. This game could only further complicate the division with a Bills win.
The Bills are coming off a close game against the division leading Patriots last week. They ended up losing 37-31 in Foxboro Stadium on the road. The Bills ran and passed very well, but a late interception by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The team has been a model for inconsistency so far this season, and it is anyone’s guess what Bills team will show up this Sunday against Miami.
Miami has been right there next to the Bills in terms of consistency, and managed to get blown out of the water by the Titans last week. The game, played in Miami, ended 37-3 in favor of Tennessee. In the end, Miami running back Reggie Bush found him self apologizing for his poor play and the teams as a whole. Miami and the Bills both have some talent and some light at the end of the tunnel, but their ability to show up Sunday after Sunday has been something to scratch your head about. Picking games like this is always difficult and if I were a betting man I would not even touch it.