Originally posted by Puedlfor My definition is on the MVP Ballot. It's not my fault the MVP voters didn't read their ballot. Those voters must be French. Walter Johnson's MVP in 1913 wasn't actually an "MVP" award. It was the Chalmers Award, trying to recognize the most valuable player in the league - they gave him a free car. Because it WAS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT AWARD(this is important.), he was eligible to win the League MVP award in 1924. The League took over MVP voting for the 20's, and allowed a player to win only once, then changed that rule in 1929 after realizing that the one mvp to a player rule was really, really silly. Hornsby won two MVP awards. The the Baseball Writers Association of America took over in 1931, and the MVP award is awarded based on the same standards that it is today. Ah, alrighty. Thanks.
I am deeply saddened that you feel sorry for me. Your confidence in my ability to predict who will be a candidate for MVP was the only thing that was keeping me up in the mornings. Now I don't know what I will do with myself. I guess I will just have to wander the earth, languishing in the squalor that is my life and it's knowledge that rezdawg feels sorry for me. It shall be a difficult existence, but some of us have to walk the hard road. Here's what I was implying...Pujols is not on the list you posted.
Thanks for that heartfelt essay you wrote. The fact that you actually wasted time writing that shows that it means more to you than you are willing to show. About the poll, ESPN gathered 5 candidates. Did they get all the potential candidates? No. Berkman, Pujols, Schilling, etc. are left off this list. That is not what is important. The importance of the poll and the reason I posted it was because Bonds only got 40% of the vote. Had they replaced Thome and Johnson with Berkman and Pujols, Bonds would probably have gotten about 30% of the vote, thus proving my initial point that it is not idiotic to choose someone else as an MVP. Even the baseball guru himself, Peter Gammons, doesnt feel Bonds will win the award this year.
If you really, truly, honestly think that Peter Gammons is the baseball guru rather than an addled writer who doesn't realize that there are cities other than Boston that field baseball teams then I truly feel sorry for you. May you one day learn better...
I was exaggerating with the baseball guru business. But, Peter Gammons probably knows more about baseball than any other sports analyst/writer for his/her respective sport.
Or rather, more accurately, it shows that I enjoy spending time being sarcastic for comedic purposes. And the fact that Gammons doesn't feel Bonds will win MVP makes me all the more convinced that he will.
Really? Why do you say that? Which baseball analyst/writer has more knowledge on the sport than Peter Gammons? Gammons could easily be the most respected person covering baseball.
Try the Sporting News's Ken Rosenthal, for one. Or Rob Neyer, the baseball prospectus guys, among others. Heck, even I know more about baseball than Gammons does. Just because he works for ESPN and can get all those little "rumors" we can't, doesn't make him a good analyst. And I want to know why people think Barry is declining. He had 10 homeruns this spring, setting a Giants club record. That was still better than Pujols who had a good spring himself. It's foolish to bet against Barry at his current play, just like it was to bet against Magic, MJ, or Bird playing in their primes. Enough said.
Do you think Gammons knew enough to pull Vlad Guerrero out of his fantasy team's starting lineup for the first matchup of the season?
Why would you use spring training stats if you read the likes of Baseball prospectus and Rob Neyer? Anyway, if someone asks me pick an MVP candidate, I'd pick Bonds. If someone ask me choose between Bonds and the field in regards to winning the MVP, I'd pick the field. No player, not even Bonds, is so good he's more likely to win the MVP over everyone else combined. Especially since writers don't really like him. That's why there's nothing wrong with picking the likes of Pujols. Just like it wouldn't have been wrong to pick against the Yankees last year, despite their incredible dominance in recent years.
JD Drew could have been put on the IR and you could have picked up Burnitz or Corey Patterson, who got 17 FP for the Cubs today. You can plan on re-claiming your title all you want, but you'll never do it if you don't pay attention.
I was just being an ass at Gammons's expense. The guy is obviously not an idiot when it comes to baseball, but I have noticed that he has a tendency to pull a Peter Vescey and just throw crap (stories) up on the wall and see if they stick. I know that doesn't have anything to do with this discussion, but I just don't like the way the guy works. Plus, sometimes he gives off a serious senile vibe.
Easy there, Behad. I knew good and well that Vlad's suspension was 2 days, I just forgot about the 2 game per week split, because all my others are 1 per week h2h as well. My team can pick up the slack with Vlad out anyway.
Forgot, or didn't pay attention? Too late, I've already decided that you and your team will be my personal whipping boys for the season. Rivalries spice things up.
