The Yankees

[eddhead]

Agreed. I was just providing my opinion based on his performance and contributions, and not necessarily commenting on historical precedent.

[hbcat]

I don't think too much about ROY. It's nice to get it, but Nova can do much more for his career with a WS win.

Unlike MVP, in which winners usually have good careers, ROY is hit or miss. Some have gone on to great careers, but others, like Jason Jennings, Angel Berroa, and Bobby Crosby, have been busts and retired. Dontrelle Willis is still around, but never lived up to his tremendous rookie season. Especially in Detroit, where he crashed with ERAs over 7 and over 9. Eric Hinski has had a decent career, but he hit 24 HR as a rookie, and 20 HR only once after that.

That's why they call it "sophomore jinx"

You've chosen some of the weaker ROY winners to make your point, but if you look through the list, you'll also see some of the best players who ever played the game, and many others who had fine careers --

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_Rookie_of_the_Year_Award

It's just another award, true. The Cy Young does it for me, but I was a kid when Munson won the Rookie of the Year, when the Yankees were a stinky team in 1970, so I always remember it as something to cheer for.

[hbcat]

The most votes any player has ever gotten is Tom Seaver in 1992 at 98.84%. Here are some very notable elections that were not unanimous:

Babe Ruth (95.13%)
Willie Mays (94.7%)

So yeah, Mo clearly should be a unanimous choice. But there is a small core of a-hole writers that will always put the screws to the players

I could pick any player on this list, but don't you just want to throttle the 5% who did not vote for Willie Mays or Babe Ruth?

I mean, did they watch any of games in the 1950s or ask someone who did? We're talking about Willie Mays, not Horace Clarke (sorry Horace).

[ZippyTheChimp]

You've chosen some of the weaker ROY winners to make your point

Well, I did say that some went on to great careers; but my point was that it's not career defining. Many are just too new for the league have them figured out. You get some one-shot wonders.

If you look at the list of MVP winners over the last decade, it's consistently impressive.

[hbcat]

Baltimore 7 - Boston 5

"At least they beat Tampa in New Yahk."

[ZippyTheChimp]

The # is 3.

Nothing better than Papelbon blowing a two-run lead.

I've been watching the Red Sox games the last few days. Strange how quiet Fenway Park has been.

[hbcat]

On the MVP: One way to think about it is to ask yourself if you had known the outcome and stats for the season in March, which player would you pick to be on your team. I'd probably go with Verlander but if we stick with position players, I would choose Granderson -- batting average be damned. He's doing everything well, except for the strikeouts. Speed, power, defense, runs scored...

On the other hand, if Bautista had played the season in decent lineup, he might be well past Grandy by now. I think it should come down to those two, but voters might go for a team that had a pennant chance, and an anti-Yankee choice, so Adrian Gonzalez has a very good chance here... but that's assuming Boston can rescue their season...

[ZippyTheChimp]

I think the pressure of a pennant race should be a factor in MVP. That's why I thought that Granderson would have to have a good Sept to lock it up.

He got off to a bad start.

.162/ .279/.297

But since Seattle

333/.440/.667

Whether or not Boston makes the playoffs, the fact that they led the division at the start of the month and are now struggling for a wild card, hurts MVP chances for Gonzalez. Gonzalez still has good numbers overall, leading the league in BA. but he's declined the last few months. Only 10 RBI in Sept. Ellsbury, on the other hand, has been good in Sept. What helps both Granderson and Ellsbury is the number of stolen bases to go along with high HR output.

What's funny about all this is the question: Who is the best player on the Yankees?

[hbcat]

^ Boone Logan?

[eddhead]

On the MVP: One way to think about it is to ask yourself if you had known the outcome and stats for the season in March, which player would you pick to be on your team. I'd probably go with Verlander but if we stick with position players, I would choose Granderson -- batting average be damned. He's doing everything well, except for the strikeouts. Speed, power, defense, runs scored...

On the other hand, if Bautista had played the season in decent lineup, he might be well past Grandy by now. I think it should come down to those two, but voters might go for a team that had a pennant chance, and an anti-Yankee choice, so Adrian Gonzalez has a very good chance here... but that's assuming Boston can rescue their season...

I agree that is one way to look at it, and consistent with a post I had a while back wherein I attempted to define 'value'. I understand that not everyone buys into this approach, but I am comfortable with it. Having said all that, Bautista is having a great year.

[ZippyTheChimp]

^ Boone Logan?

He's high on my list.

My other list.

[ZippyTheChimp]

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of game 154 of the 1961 season.

Significant in that Roger Maris had 58 home runs going into that game, which would have been the last game before the season was expanded to 162. The game was in Baltimore and meaningless. Yankees had already won 104 games and were cruising toward the WS. The Orioles weren't going anywhere.

MLB was resistant to Maris breaking the record beyond the 154th game, which caused the asterisk controversy.

Maris hit #59 in the third inning. Score was 4-2 in the 9th, and Baltimore brought in HOF knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm to face Maris. Wilhelm hardly ever gave up home runs, and Maris hit an infield groundout.

Maris tied the record in game 158, and broke it in game 162.

[eddhead]

From NY Times. Another problem for Hughes.

----------------------------------------------------------------

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011, 12:37 PM
Yankees’ Noesi to Start in Place of Hughes


By DAVID WALDSTEIN
Phil Hughes, who was supposed to start the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays, was scratched because of persistent discomfort from back spasms. Hector Noesi, a rookie, will start instead. Manager Joe Girardi said Noessi would be able to throw 50 to 60 pitches, after which the bullpen would take over.


Girardi said Hughes, who first developed the problem Friday in Toronto while throwing in the bullpen between starts, was improving. But Girardi said he was not ready to pitch in a game. Hughes may throw a bullpen session between games Wednesday to assess his progress.


Noesi, 24, is 4-1 with a 4.01 earned run average in 28 games, all relief appearances. In three games against the Rays this season he has allowed no runs in six innings and given up three hits in 19 at-bats for a .158 batting average against.


The Yankees will clinch at least a wild-card spot in the playoffs with one win Wednesday, and a sweep of the Rays and a loss by Boston to Baltimore on Wednesday night would give the Yankees the American League East title.


Tampa Bay (85-68) is two games behind the Red Sox in the wild-card race.

[GordonGecko]

What is it with Hughes, it's like he can only take baby steps for every last thing

[hbcat]

He's high on my list.

My other list.

My non-smart alec response to your question: Granderson is the likely MVP candidate on the team, but if you factor in defense (which gets short shrift in award consideration), the stronger choice is Cano.