Joe Mauer Named AL MVP

Almost unanimous -- 27 of the 28 first-place votes. Miguel Cabrera got the other one and finished 4th. Mark Telxeira and Derek Jeter finished 2nd and 3rd.

about 2 years ago Al Yellon 54 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Miguel Cabrera’s behavior at the end of the season should disqualify him form the MVP. It sounds like he’s on a path to self-destruction and I hope he gets help before he destroys his life. I wonder who was the lone 1st place vote?

Congrats to Joe Mauer! I hope the Twins can sign him. He should be a Twin for his entire career. I’m not sure the fans will ever fogive the organization if they lose Mauer.

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Nov 23, 2009 1:27 PM CST reply actions

"I wonder who was the lone 1st place vote?"

Not his wife, that’s for sure.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 23, 2009 1:37 PM CST up reply actions

What if the Cubs sign him after next season?

I’d never forgive the Twins but I’d always love Ricketts and [name of GM at the time].

by chilango2 on Nov 23, 2009 1:43 PM CST up reply actions

ESPN Radio reporting it was

A Japanese writer

"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher

by Musicdude10 on Nov 23, 2009 2:29 PM CST up reply actions

Adam Lind got 14 points.

And Mauer should have won unanimously.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 23, 2009 1:28 PM CST reply actions

Who?

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 23, 2009 1:36 PM CST up reply actions

ADAMLIND!!!1!!

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 23, 2009 1:45 PM CST up reply actions

Ahhhhhhhhh, THAT guy.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 23, 2009 1:46 PM CST up reply actions

Texeira finishing in the top 3 is awful

by vivaelpujols on Nov 23, 2009 3:19 PM CST up reply actions

Awful based on what?

He should be lower? Higher? Why?

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 23, 2009 4:28 PM CST up reply actions

He should be lower

Mauer was obviously better than him. So was Zobrist, Jeter, Grienke… then maybe you could make a case for Texeira.

The voters overrated him because he had a lot of RBI’s pretty much. That’s a function of A) him playing an offense first position, where a lot of RBI’s are to be expected, and B) batting 3rd or 4th in one of the best lineups in the last decade.

He had a great year, no doubt, but really wasn’t even close to being an MVP candidate.

by vivaelpujols on Nov 23, 2009 5:41 PM CST up reply actions

Grienke should have defininitely been higher.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 23, 2009 10:06 PM CST up reply actions

He should be lower

Mauer was obviously better than him. So was Zobrist, Jeter, Grienke… then maybe you could make a case for Texeira.

He had a great year, no doubt, but really wasn’t even close to being an MVP candidate.

by vivaelpujols on Nov 23, 2009 5:42 PM CST up reply actions

Of all the Yankees, he's the more deserving.

by chilango2 on Nov 23, 2009 4:47 PM CST up reply actions

Jeter?

by vivaelpujols on Nov 23, 2009 5:42 PM CST up reply actions

What did Jeter do that was so much better than what Tex did?

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 23, 2009 7:45 PM CST up reply actions

Played shorstop as opposed to first base

by vivaelpujols on Nov 23, 2009 7:55 PM CST up reply actions

I assume this is relevant because SS is considered a defensive position?

If so, was Jeter that much better at SS (relative to rest of league) than Tex was at 1B?

Or are there other “SS is greater than 1B” factors to consider here?

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 23, 2009 8:17 PM CST up reply actions

Right, it's much easier to play first than shortstop

So Jeter is being compared to a much smaller pool of players. The average shortstop had a .719 OPS in the AL this year, while the average first baseman had a .832 OPS.

Texeira’s OPS was .948 compared to Jeter’s .871 OPS, so Jeter was actually a lot better offensively when you consider position.

by vivaelpujols on Nov 23, 2009 8:41 PM CST up reply actions

and the defensive comparisons?

Interesting that you say it’s much easier to play first than SS, but then you cite offensive stats.

I’m only going by what I see on baseball-reference com, but based on range-factors, Jeter was below average compared to other SS, and Tex was way above average than other 1B.

What am I missing?

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 23, 2009 9:02 PM CST up reply actions

UZR has Jeter well above average this, and Texeira below

Even if they were equal defenders relative to their position, Jeter’s offense was a lot better that Texeira’s relative to position.

by vivaelpujols on Nov 23, 2009 9:14 PM CST up reply actions

Interesting

What happens when you apply that same thinking to the Cubs, specifically Theriot and DLee? I would hope that DLee comes out as being more valuable, but would the margin be less than most fans would expect?

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 23, 2009 9:29 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah, you're right

Lee was more valuable this year because he was just SO much better offensively that it more than canceled out the positional aspect, but last year the two were basically the same.

by vivaelpujols on Nov 23, 2009 9:34 PM CST up reply actions

all dem intangibles

1 Aaron down, 1 to go

by jesus christos on Nov 23, 2009 7:56 PM CST up reply actions

As it should be.

Congrats to Joe.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 23, 2009 1:37 PM CST reply actions

Couldn't be happier.

I honestly thought it was going to go to one of the Yankee IFs.

Mauer is the first player to win the MVP award, the Gold Glove and the batting title since Ichiro in 2001. He gets a $100K incentive in his contract.

by chilango2 on Nov 23, 2009 1:41 PM CST reply actions

won't hold it for long when the NL MVP is announced

Wrigley Bound in the Summer of 2010

by Chanman25 on Nov 23, 2009 2:10 PM CST up reply actions

Here's the identity of the sportswriter who gave a 1st place vote to Miguel Cabrera:

@KenDavidoff: Keizo Konishi of Kyodo News, based in Seattle, voted Miguel Cabrera first.

Davidoff is a sportswriter for Newsday.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 23, 2009 1:52 PM CST reply actions

Kyodo News gets a ballot?

Yet another reason these awards mean little, because of who is voting for them.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 23, 2009 2:04 PM CST up reply actions

why is it the sports writers anyway?

it should be the club presidents or gms, i think, or the players

Wrigley Bound in the Summer of 2010

by Chanman25 on Nov 23, 2009 2:12 PM CST up reply actions

Players.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 23, 2009 2:13 PM CST up reply actions

Well, they are the BBWA (Baseball Writers' Association) awards!

Lots or organizations issue awards, the BBWA are the most prestigious of the baseball awards, most likely since they were the first.

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Nov 23, 2009 2:16 PM CST up reply actions

And if the players made their own award, it'd instantly be more credible.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 23, 2009 2:22 PM CST up reply actions

MLB should have its own awards...

… and give votes to the writers/broadcasters (why should broadcasters be excluded? in some cases they are at far more games than some of the writers who have ballots), players, and fans.

The votes should be weighted and winners chosen on a basis of all three ballots.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 23, 2009 2:35 PM CST up reply actions

Also, online "writers" should be able to vote.

Or is that already the case? I can’t remember anymore.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 23, 2009 3:48 PM CST up reply actions

Some can, some can't, and...

… the method for choosing them is pretty arcane.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 23, 2009 4:29 PM CST up reply actions

I believe the players already issue their own awards.

They’re called the Players Choice awards.

LINK

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Nov 23, 2009 2:37 PM CST up reply actions

MVP, ROY, CY. And there’s one MVP-like award. There needs to be two.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 23, 2009 3:48 PM CST up reply actions

I'm glad Japan is voting on our sport.

Not.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 23, 2009 2:10 PM CST up reply actions

Seriously, do any American journalists vote in the Japanese awards?

I am hoping this guy is at least in the country during the season so he can regularly watch the games.

Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living."

by DC Cubbie on Nov 23, 2009 11:11 PM CST up reply actions

Mauer is definitely the MVP.

He’s an amazing hitter, very good catcher, and having met him, a decent guy. If only we could pry him away from the Twins…

(Something tells me the fans here would tear the new stadium down brick by brick with their bare hands if that happened!)

by MN exile on Nov 23, 2009 2:04 PM CST reply actions

I don't even think you're exagerating.

I think the Pohlad family better get this done or there will be hell to pay fron Twinkie fans.

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Nov 23, 2009 2:21 PM CST up reply actions

He got his new stadium...

He doesn’t care about anything else…especially what twins fans think of him.

by doc_blume on Nov 23, 2009 5:22 PM CST up reply actions

Who is "he"?

I believe Karl Pohlad died not long ago. I’m not sure who in the family is in charge now.

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Nov 23, 2009 9:48 PM CST up reply actions

only a matter of time until yankees fans say jeter got shafted

1 Aaron down, 1 to go

by jesus christos on Nov 23, 2009 5:38 PM CST reply actions

MAUER = Team Leader ....

THis is one player that you really have to lookup to……Clubhouse leader, and a local boy who has done good ……Gotta tip your cap to Joe Mauer !!!

by cubs north on Nov 23, 2009 6:51 PM CST reply actions

IF only Mauer had been greedy and NOT from MN

Than the Cubs might have actually been able to draft him instead of Prior.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim

by Doggie Stalker on Nov 23, 2009 7:31 PM CST reply actions

If the Cubs had not taken Prior...

… they would have taken Teixeira. That was the consensus at the time.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 23, 2009 8:03 PM CST up reply actions

Ok that works

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim

by Doggie Stalker on Nov 23, 2009 10:36 PM CST up reply actions

Mauer got murked..

He gets 100k for winning while M. Cabrera gets 200k for finishing 4th, something about that isn’t fair.

We Got This!

by cubbiebear316 on Nov 23, 2009 9:12 PM CST via mobile reply actions

by BLou on Nov 23, 2009 10:06 PM CST reply actions

slightly better then Mr. Keizo Konishi's ballot

Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living."

by DC Cubbie on Nov 23, 2009 11:13 PM CST up reply actions