Open thread: Justin Verlander chases the MVP award
by Kurt Mensching on Nov 21, 2011 9:48 AM EST
in Open Threads
Email
PrintHmm, after writing that headline it would be a great time to have a Samara "Terrible Cartoon."
Anyway, I may put together a piece on the odds of Justin Verlander actually winning the MVP, based on past voting and hype. In any case, I know you're going to want to talk about it so start talking!
Update: Here's the story I promised.
25 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
the reason the poll question is worded like that
is because I’d hope most fans would be saying yes to a “should” question.
The media hype machine always gets what it wants.
And the hype machine has wanted a Verlander MVP for the past 2-3 months. I vote YES, he will win, but it will be close with Jacoby right behind him.
ESPN staff results are in, and they picked JV.
I will be happily surprised if he does.
But I really doubt they’ll give it to him.
"Some guy told me I should walk with the Lord. I'd rather walk with the bases loaded" Ken Singleton
YES!!!!!!!
…because if I think it… maybe it’ll happen…
(Un)Official President of the Team Jacob Turner Fan Club
Yet Another Movie Blog
by DetroitTigersGeek on Nov 21, 2011 10:25 AM EST reply actions
Justing Verlander has been historically good this season,
he may not have the best WAR, and he may not be very popular amongst the hardcore traditionalists either, but sometimes you just have to recognize a player who has done things that cannot quite be quantified. I favor the sabermetric side of the baseball spectrum (still do), but after watching Verlander all season I can safely say that there is no player more fitting of the MVP award this season than Justin Verlander. I didn’t believe in the little things in baseball until this season, and I discounted any factors that couldn’t be measured in with numbers. Justin Verlander’s 2011 season changed my mind.
He was able to do things for this team that I didn’t believe were possible. He always managed to stop the loosing streak. He kept the team in the game long into the season, long after the arm of a lesser player would have worn out. He was lights out (although unlucky) in the playoffs. He pitched 271.1 freaking innings! In my opinion Magglio Ordonez’s 2007 stood out as the most dominant season by a Detroit player in my memory (I’m a newer baseball fan so this only goes back to 2002 or so), yet Verlander’s 2011 eclipsed that on an incredible level. I don’t know if, for the rest of my years, I’ll ever witness in a more dominant season from a Detroit players as I saw in Verlander this past year, but I hope I will someday. Grab yourself the MVP and celebrate your accomplishment Justin. If only you will be properly recognized for what you deserve.
I think yes
Between the Red Sox not making the playoffs and having a catastrophic collapse in September, which hurts A Gone and Ellsbury, and between Granderson hitting .250 and being one of many great Yankee hitters, and Bautista never being in a meaningful game after April, I think it’s wide open for Verlander.
I also think that many will look at this as a matter of “if not now, when”? When does a pitcher ever get to be the MVP? Verlander clearly put his team in the playoffs, dominating all season long, winning the pitching triple crown, and some solid arguments have been made for a pitcher being able to win MVP. Not the least of which criteria is the fact that the criteria given specifically mentions pitchers.
We’ve read all the arguments. I think that many voters will agree with how I look at it. There are two writers from each American league city voting, for a total of 28 votes. I say it’s JV day.
"King of Minutiae"
by Tigerdog1 on Nov 21, 2011 11:05 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
The question I ask
will the voters feel bad about not giving the MVP to Pedro and not want to make the same mistake again, or will they double down and say if Pedro didn’t win Verlander shouldn’t either.
I've been thinking
the same thing
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
IMO, Pedro didn't deserve MVP anyway
In 1999, Pudge had an amazing year for a catcher, where he helped Texas win the division. Boston finished in 2nd place, which isn’t the same as helping your team win a division crown. I think that hurt Pedro’s chances.
In 2001, Jason Giambi and Frank Thomas had great seasons and also lead their teams to division championships. The Red Sox won just 85 games, had the 6th best record in the AL, so there was no way Pedro should of won MVP.
by Keith-Allen on Nov 21, 2011 11:40 AM EST up reply actions
No
He’ll be second. He’ll get 1st place votes but I think there will also be too many voters that won’t include him on their list at all due to their belief that pitchers shouldn’t qualify.
Yup
And the Boston writers will leave him off (or put him lower) because he wasn’t as good as Pedro in ’99. Unfair, but I understand that logic.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Nov 21, 2011 11:39 AM EST up reply actions
Yep, the being shutout of ballots will kill him
Although I can’t possibly think of who might garnish a 7th-10th place vote over JV, some writers will put position players from #1 – #10 and JV will get skunked on their secondary points.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
Glad to be proven wrong
wow, only one shut out.
Of course it also helps that the rest of the field was very divided.
Congrats JV!
Kurt, you might want to update the post with this Fangraphs story
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
I keep going back and forth about this
Not should he win it (OF COURSE!), but will he win it. Only thing I am certain of is that the vote will be extremey, and maybe historically close.
BTW, you can watch the announcement on a live stream at mlb.com.
"i think it will be mostly feast the rest of the year,"
I voted YES!
Mainly because he already won it… :)
Congrats Justin! It was an amazing season, and I look forward to telling my 2 year-old about this season when she gets older.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bless You Boys
Related FanShots on Bless You Boys
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
