The Official 2013 MLB Thread

[Vince, Pt. II]

Maybe parents and chaperones that otherwise would be at the game?

[BishopMVP]

Jose Dariel Abreu reportedly defects from Cuba. 26 year old 1st baseman and one of the two best Cuban hitters along with Despaigne. Don't know if he'll match Puig and Cespesdes instant impacts because he lacks their athleticism, but his numbers in Cuba dwarfed theirs. .453/.597/.986 2 years ago.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Pretty interesting article on Yahoo today about Trout being more deserving of the MVP because of how little he's paid. I'm actually surprised it has taken this long for the topic to be brought up (and that I haven't heard it before or thought of it myself) - isn't he more valuable to his team simply because he allows more of the payroll to be spent elsewhere?

What say ye, FOFC Baseball fans? Should a player's salary have anything to do with MVP votes?

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Pretty interesting article on Yahoo today about Trout being more deserving of the MVP because of how little he's paid. I'm actually surprised it has taken this long for the topic to be brought up (and that I haven't heard it before or thought of it myself) - isn't he more valuable to his team simply because he allows more of the payroll to be spent elsewhere?

What say ye, FOFC Baseball fans? Should a player's salary have anything to do with MVP votes?

Not when the vote has never been about how valuable a player is to their team. It is always about who is the best player in the league for that year.

[Easy Mac]

But all I heard last year by the AVG/HR/RBI people is how the Tigers won their division, while the Angels missed the playoffs, so that means it is about how valuable a player is to his team.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

But all I heard last year by the AVG/HR/RBI people is how the Tigers won their division, while the Angels missed the playoffs, so that means it is about how valuable a player is to his team.

Pretty sure that most of the AVG/HR/RBI people were saying how he won the triple crown, and since that particular stat set is very important to the history of baseball, it was pretty much a slam dunk.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Pretty interesting article on Yahoo today about Trout being more deserving of the MVP because of how little he's paid. I'm actually surprised it has taken this long for the topic to be brought up (and that I haven't heard it before or thought of it myself) - isn't he more valuable to his team simply because he allows more of the payroll to be spent elsewhere?

What say ye, FOFC Baseball fans? Should a player's salary have anything to do with MVP votes?

Absolutely not. That would be an awful way to decide the award. For example, maybe Cabrera makes 20 million but is 20% of the tigers payroll and Cano makes 20 million but is only 8% of the Yankess payroll, so then Cano is MVP? Or what about Trout who only makes 3 million, and is only 3% of their teams payroll.

It's just stupid

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Danny

Absolutely not. That would be an awful way to decide the award. For example, maybe Cabrera makes 20 million but is 20% of the tigers payroll and Cano makes 20 million but is only 8% of the Yankess payroll, so then Cano is MVP? Or what about Trout who only makes 3 million, and is only 3% of their teams payroll.

It's just stupid

+1

Mayyyybe I could see it if a player took a huge discount, but the only reason Trout is so cheap is because he's a pre-arb player who has literally no choice but to play for peanuts.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Danny

Absolutely not. That would be an awful way to decide the award. For example, maybe Cabrera makes 20 million but is 20% of the tigers payroll and Cano makes 20 million but is only 8% of the Yankess payroll, so then Cano is MVP? Or what about Trout who only makes 3 million, and is only 3% of their teams payroll.

It's just stupid

Trout actually makes 0.4% of the Angels payroll, Cabrera 13%, and Cano about 5.5%.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Trout actually makes 0.4% of the Angels payroll, Cabrera 13%, and Cano about 5.5%.

Its so stupid of an idea to me, I wasn't going to put the time in to look at the actual numbers.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

+1

Mayyyybe I could see it if a player took a huge discount, but the only reason Trout is so cheap is because he's a pre-arb player who has literally no choice but to play for peanuts.

And then the MVP every year will be the best player who is in his first couple seasons in the bigs. Jose Fernandez should be the NL MVP

[Suicane75]

Does anyone think Puig sniffs the MVP this year? Top 5? Top 10? In almost any way you look at it he deserves major consideration, but I doubt he'll get much love.

[Danny]

The fact there is no Cabrera type performance helps him, but I dont think he deserves it unless he lights it up big time the last 45 games

[Danny]

I think McCutchen or Kershaw deserve it right now

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Does anyone think Puig sniffs the MVP this year? Top 5? Top 10? In almost any way you look at it he deserves major consideration, but I doubt he'll get much love.

To be honest I'm not even sure he sniffs Rookie of the Year. If a Dodger wins that award, I think it's going to be Ryu.

Don't get me wrong. I love Puig. I love the energy he's brought with his play style, and I think he's going to be a good-to-great Dodger for a long time.

But there are dudes on his own team I'd take ahead of him for either RoY (Ryu) or MVP (Kershaw) right now.

[Suicane75]

Good point on the ROTY thing, hadn't thought of Ryu. This would be the kind of year where a dominant pitcher wins MVP too. I can't really think of too many candidates. Upton, Goldschmidt.....

[Danny]

Jose Fernandez is the rookie of the year right now

[rowech]

McCutchen gets MVP as long as Pittsburgh wins division.

[Danny]

I disagree about Ryu though, I would take Puig over him for ROY right now

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Good point on the ROTY thing, hadn't thought of Ryu. This would be the kind of year where a dominant pitcher wins MVP too. I can't really think of too many candidates. Upton, Goldschmidt.....

See, I feel like Goldschmidt (*spits*) should be MVP. He won't be, though, because Arizona is in a fade.

Kershaw could be, but he doesn't have the winz total to back him up the way Verlander did a year or two ago. He's having an incredible season, but getting no run support, and the voters will punish him for it when MVP voting rolls around. As a result, it's gonna be McCutchen's award to lose. He's got the name recognition (can you name the best player on the Braves? I'm not sure I could name their starting lineup), and we saw last year in the AL MVP race that the Old Guard still has an edge on the sabermetrics crowd. For that reason, if no other, unless Puig has an otherworldly final 45 games (I'm talking about Manny-in-2008 level) to go with what he's done already, there is zero chance he takes the award from McCutchen. I think the best he can probably do is make it close, but if you think the old guard was bristly at the idea that Trout could be better than a Triple Crown winner, imagine how they're gonna feel about a kid with about three months under his belt being touted as the MVP ahead of McCutchen.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

(can you name the best player on the Braves? I'm not sure I could name their starting lineup)

If it's any consolation, I'm not sure you could get an absolute consensus on who that "best player" is. Not even from people who watch them everyday (well, maybe the most familiar would manage to coalesce around Freeman, who would be my pick)

It's even the subject of a local sportswriter's column today

[Danny]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

See, I feel like Goldschmidt (*spits*) should be MVP. He won't be, though, because Arizona is in a fade.

Kershaw could be, but he doesn't have the winz total to back him up the way Verlander did a year or two ago. He's having an incredible season, but getting no run support, and the voters will punish him for it when MVP voting rolls around. As a result, it's gonna be McCutchen's award to lose. He's got the name recognition (can you name the best player on the Braves? I'm not sure I could name their starting lineup), and we saw last year in the AL MVP race that the Old Guard still has an edge on the sabermetrics crowd. For that reason, if no other, unless Puig has an otherworldly final 45 games (I'm talking about Manny-in-2008 level) to go with what he's done already, there is zero chance he takes the award from McCutchen. I think the best he can probably do is make it close, but if you think the old guard was bristly at the idea that Trout could be better than a Triple Crown winner, imagine how they're gonna feel about a kid with about three months under his belt being touted as the MVP ahead of McCutchen.

Someone could still steal the award from Cutch. His standard triple crown numbers are not that great.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I do hope Mike Trout wins the MVP soon, so we can stop having so many articles written about why Mike Trout should win the MVP.

[Danny]

Cabrera has it locked up as long as he stays healthy.

[SackAttack]

Who, though? Yadier Molina? Joey Votto? There's nobody in the NL having a Bonds or A-Rod type season where even if the team doesn't make the playoffs, their numbers are so overwhelming that they'd win the award regardless.

Gomez and Wright are having very good years, but not so good that they can overcome having their respective teams chained to their ankles.

I'm just not seeing anybody in the NL outside of those three with a realistic chance of winning the award unless either Arizona recovers in the last month and a half and Goldschmidt leads them or the "Puig as MVP?" narrative that I've started to hear on talk radio in the last day or two has legs.

And, I reiterate, even if Puig sustains his season for the final six weeks, I don't think that ends up being enough to convince the voters to take the award away from one of the three NL Central bats to give it to him.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Danny

Cabrera has it locked up as long as he stays healthy.

That's pouring gasoline on the fire. Nothing produces more "Mike Trout should win the MVP" articles than Cabrera being the front runner for the MVP.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Who, though? Yadier Molina? Joey Votto? There's nobody in the NL having a Bonds or A-Rod type season where even if the team doesn't make the playoffs, their numbers are so overwhelming that they'd win the award regardless.

Gomez and Wright are having very good years, but not so good that they can overcome having their respective teams chained to their ankles.

I'm just not seeing anybody in the NL outside of those three with a realistic chance of winning the award unless either Arizona recovers in the last month and a half and Goldschmidt leads them or the "Puig as MVP?" narrative that I've started to hear on talk radio in the last day or two has legs.

And, I reiterate, even if Puig sustains his season for the final six weeks, I don't think that ends up being enough to convince the voters to take the award away from one of the three NL Central bats to give it to him.

Votto or Goldschmidt could overtake him. Yes, if the status quo continues than Cutch has it locked up, but a couple down months from him and a hot month or two from Votto or Gold could turn the table. I also still think Kershaw has a chance if he can put together a winning streak.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Danny

Votto or Goldschmidt could overtake him. Yes, if the status quo continues than Cutch has it locked up, but a couple down months from him and a hot month or two from Votto or Gold could turn the table.

I have to admit that I thought Cutch was better than he is in the counting stats columns. A slump down the stretch & he might find himself outside of the top 10 in all three traditional categories. And I believe that very well could open the door for Goldschmidt or someone else that's already in the discussion if they got hot at the same time.

[rowech]

I know Votto's numbers are good, and he's easily the Reds best hitter, but in a lot of ways, the Reds MVP might be Choo.

[cartman]

Yu got robbed. Lost his bid for a perfect game on a missed strike call with 2 out in the 6th. Pierzynski got tossed after arguing the call.

[Danny]

Still can go for the no hitter

[Danny]

the high pitch count will be troublesome though

[MrBug708]

Give the MVP to Kershaw

[cartman]

And there goes the no hitter. And shutout.

[cartman]

Stellar performance from Yu. 8 innings, one walk, one hit, one earned run, and 15 strikeouts.

I wonder what his numbers look like pitching at Minute Maid Park this season. Not sure if he's pitched another game there besides the near-perfect game his first start of the season.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

looks like it just caught the zone

[cartman]

There have been 8 games this season where a pitcher has struck out 14 or more batters. Yu has 5 of them.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Amusing watching the Royals game tonight. My fraternity brother (Brian Knight) is the ump behind the plate tonight. Fans are heckling him pretty good right now about his strike zone. He's actually a big Chiefs and Royals fan when he's not on the field officiating them.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Man dead after fall from upper deck at Turner Field | www.wsbtv.com

[tucker rocky]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Man dead after fall from upper deck at Turner Field | www.wsbtv.com

Such sad news when incidents like this happen at sporting events, or any event for that matter.

Prayers to the family and friends.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Atlanta Braves fan was standing alone before fatal fall at Turner Field, police report says - ESPN

Give or take the exact section, I'm pretty familiar with where this would have happened. Have even stood there talking on the phone with my folks (just as he did according to witnesses) quite a few times.

Not somewhere that, even with my awful fear of heights, I think of as particularly dangerous. So either there'll be something in the toxicology or else I have to think this was some truly freak accident. Dropped something & tried to catch it? A slip/trip & fall in the worst possible spot?

I just can't figure how you could just fall over the rail there without something going horribly awry.

[Atocep]

The best measure of range is the Baseball Info Solutions' plus/minus metric, which measures how many plays a player makes relative to the average. Although Andrelton Simmons didn't debut until 2012, his plus-57 is more than any player has had over the past three seasons. His plus-30 is the best in the majors this season, with Manny Machado right behind him at plus-25.

He only played in 49 games last year plus the 115 he's played this year. Yet he leads all shortstops in +/- over the last 3 seasons. That's Ozzie Smith territory.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I wonder how much Groundball vs. Flyball pitchers affect that metric.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I wonder how much Groundball vs. Flyball pitchers affect that metric.

I can think of some other things that would affect that, too, like field affects or playing behind a high strikeout staff.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I wonder how much Groundball vs. Flyball pitchers affect that metric.

Fan graphs say last 3 years MLB GB/FB ratios are
1.24, 1.33, 1.30 (so far this year)

Braves are
1.47, 1.46, 1.41 (so far this year)

[Vince, Pt. II]

Crazy how many fantastic defensive shortstops there are in the league right now. Simmons, Ryan, Crawford...

[cartman]

The Manny experiment for the Rangers is over. He was released from AAA Round Rock today.

[MizzouRah]

Nice non catch there... Go Cardinals!

[JPhillips]

The Reds hit .143 over the past three games and are 3-0.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The Reds hit .143 over the past three games and are 3-0.

Yet Brook Jacoby somehow continues to keep his job. Their offense minus 4 guys is horrendous.