I voted for Trout in the IBWAA balloting, and I'll reveal the rest of my picks tomorrow. I acquired this signed ball a couple of years ago at a minor league game between the Inland Empire 66ers and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, before they switched affiliations. All I had on me was a ball that was already signed by some Dodgers' minor leaguers, and I wasn't going to pass on meeting Trout. I hope to one day add a couple of certified autos and a piece or two of memorabilia featuring just Trout, the best player in baseball.
If it goes without saying, then don't say it! And if anybody thinks Cabrera doesn't deserve the MVP, that's because they didn't watch a single Tigers game this year. He's the only reason we scraped our way to the division title, and that was in an awful division! Trout was an outstanding player, and in any other year I'd call him a shoo-in, but without Cabrera, I guarantee the Tigers win about 65 games this year. And that, sir, is the very definition of valuable.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Dennis - the correct man won the award.
ReplyDeleteHe beat Trout in EVERY single batting category for a team that he lead to the final season series. The Angels didn't play beyond Oct 3rd.
The writers got it right - with or without the Triple Crown.
I watched many more Tigers games than Angels this year, and I believe the Trout should have one.
ReplyDeleteI am an old school baseball guy, and even I could see it.
Trout all the way. Most Valuable Player should take into account all phases of the game (it's not the Most-Valuable-Hitter award). Trout DOMINATED Cabrera's performance in the field and on the basepaths.
ReplyDeletePeople who play the "Tigers made the playoffs" card forget that the Angels had a better record than the Tigers, so if they were in the same division, the Angels would have been the ones in the playoffs.
Dennis, you are a Tigers fan so I excuse your selection as understandable.
ReplyDeleteBut only reason? Prince Fielder, not to mention the best pitcher in the AL, Verlander.
Also, eyes deceive, which is why watching games doesn't reveal the MVP. But this year, it would reveal Trout easily, as he contributed across the board. Cabrera not only just hits, he's a liability in the field and on the basepaths.
And Jeff, every category? Even in just traditional stats, Trout had more runs, SBs, and triples, and a higher OBP to start. And postseason doesn't count, shouldn't, and the Tigers were the worse team benefiting from an atrocious division.
In the actual statistics that measure individual performance, Cabrera was at best marginally better with the bat. Trout actually led in WPA by a solid amount, a major measure of performance. Not to mention a major lead in WAR.
And yes, the Angels were the better team and were markedly better with Trout there.
Not that team performance matters.
The constant bickering about this topic is really getting annoying. It's almost worse than the presidential election. Which illustrates how ridiculous it is.
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