MLB 2010 Awards discussion

[Stormtrooper]

The Baseball awards season is underway, and the first awards were announced today. Lets talk about the awards, and your opinion on who got it (along with who should have gotten it).

Today, the AMERICAN LEAGUE RAWLINGS GOLD GLOVE AWARDS were announced. This is given by the Managers/coaches in their respective league (Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players). Here are the winners, along with my take on the winner.

Pitcher: Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox. He made quite possibly the play of the year (on opening day no less), and that probably put him in the drivers seat for the award, and he didn't do anything to lose it.

Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins. Joe Mauer is the best catcher in the game by about 5 miles. Great bat to go along with excellent D. He will be a perennial winner likely as long as he stays behind the plate.

First Base: Mark Texiera, New York Yankees. This is another no-brainer. Tex is easily the best defensive First baseman in the Majors, and should, like Mauer, be a perennial winner, so long as he stays healthy.

Second Base: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees. Finally Cano is getting praise for his defense. This was by far his best defensive season. He has always had an excellent glove, but would not be consistent enough to be considered great. The consistency problem is gone, and if he can keep it up (likely) he will regularly be in contention for this award (and batting titles/MVP awards).

Third Base: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays. Longoria is the best Third baseman in the league, and his defense is among the best in the league, so I'm not surprised he got the award, nor do I disagree with the decision.

Shortstop: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees. This is the first (and only) choice I disagree with. While he is far from the worst SS in the league (contrary to what those new age mathematicians want you to think), this was an off year defensively for the Yankee Captian. Elvis Andrus should have won this based on his season defensively. The best explanation for Jeter winning would be as a Lifetime Achievement award, since he was passed up a lot during his earlier years (thanks to Omar Vizquel). Andrus will get the award next year as a make-up (unless someone else has a "we can't give it to someone else" year).

Outfield: Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays. A very good/great defensive player with excellent range, it's hard to vote against Crawford. He will likely get a few more during his time with his new team starting next year.

Outfield: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners. Ichiro is likely the most exciting outfielder defensively. He's a perennial winner, and likely won't lose that status until he retires.

Outfield: Franklin Gutierrez, Texas Rangers. Gutierrez deserved one last year, and this year. They finally give it to him this year, and it was well deserved.

So who got snubbed? Who didn't deserve it?

 

[People's Champ]

I pretty much agreed with all of the choices except for Jeter winning. Jeter was no where near the bottom of shortstops, but he also wasn't the best this season. That award should have went to the Rangers' Elvis Andrus. He was great defensively for the AL champs and should be the one who was given this award. It may be, as you said, basically a lifetime achievment award, but I have no idea. And this isn't something that I'm disgusted with, as it isn't really that big of a deal. But if there was any choice that I didn't agree with, it would be this one.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

As everyone has already said from this thread and all over the place Jeter didn't deserve this award. He only had 6 errors, yet his range is gone. Basically he makes the balls he can actually still get to look good. That's about the only reason he won this award. Now I take this a bit personally because Jeter adds another Gold Glove at shortstop to his resume and gets closer to actual defensive wizards. I think you know where I'm going with this one. To compare Jeter to Ozzie Smith or even Omar Vizquel defensivly is quite laughable. Sure he's an all time great at short, but he's not in those guy's league.

 

[Stormtrooper]

As everyone has already said from this thread and all over the place Jeter didn't deserve this award. He only had 6 errors, yet his range is gone. Basically he makes the balls he can actually still get to look good. That's about the only reason he won this award. Now I take this a bit personally because Jeter adds another Gold Glove at shortstop to his resume and gets closer to actual defensive wizards. I think you know where I'm going with this one. To compare Jeter to Ozzie Smith or even Omar Vizquel defensivly is quite laughable. Sure he's an all time great at short, but he's not in those guy's league.

I see what you did there with the bolded portion Blue CARDINAL. LOL.

Actually, no one is comparing Jeter to them, and no one ever will. This is only Jeter's 5th Gold Glove, breaking his tie with Alan Trammel and the immortal Tony Fernandez, and tying him with Dave Conception for 5th most all time. Comparably, Ozzie Smith has 13, Vizquel has 11, Luis Aparicio has 9, and Mark Belanger has 8.

Jeter will never catch even Mark Belanger, yet alone Aparicio/Vizquel/Ozzie, since he is not a perennial winner and has already been passed by other shortstops (Andrus among others). Not to mention the fact that Jeter will likely be moving to a new position in the next few years (2012 at the earliest).

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

Well the NL Gold Glove winners were announced today and it was the NL Central show with Pujols, Molina, Arroyo, Rolen, Phillips, and Micheal Bourn all getting the award. The other winners round out with Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Shane Victorino.

Another case of the award being given on reputation is the glove for 3rd base. Ryan Zimmerman probably should have gotten the nod this season, but Rolen wasn't bad. The biggest suprise is all the central division winners.

 

[Theo Mays]

Can't really argue too much, but I do see two problems with two of the selections. The first being Jeter. He just wasn't the Jeter of old with the glove and had a down year fielding. Could have and should have went to either Elvis Andrus or Alexei Ramirez. The other being Carlos Gonzalez for the Rockies. Gonzo is a great hitter, no doubt, however he isn't that stellar with the glove. There are probably handfuls of other options that could have taken the other OF spot. Jay Bruce is probably the guy I would have given it too if I had to make a choice. Bruce was solid in the field and flashed the leather numerous times this seasons.

Other guys who could have won but I'm not gonna complain about are guys like Ryan Zimmerman, Chase Utley, Chase Headley, Brett Gardner, or Orlando Hudson. All those guys definitely deserved a gold glove, but I can't really argue them too much over the guys that were chosen at positions. However I'm glad to see Gutz from the M's get the Gold Glove. Shame it is one year too late.

 

[Stormtrooper]

I really didn't have any major gripes with the NL Gold Gloves. I agree that Zimmerman probably deserved it over Rolen.

MLB Network is about to give out the Silver Slugger Awards. This is given to the best batting player at each position. It is decided by the Coaches and Managers (just like the Gold Glove).
FIRST BASE:
American League: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers. This is an obvious case. His offensive numbers warranted being an MVP Candidate.

National League: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals. This was closer, if only because Joey Votto was so damn good too. It could have gone either way, but there can't be any complaint about Pujols.

Second Base:
American League: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees. The biggest DUUUH of the awards. This guy was by far the best 2nd baseman, both offensively and defensively. Harold Reynolds said that he is just scratching the surface, and called him a guy that could end up being one of the greatest players of all time. He was comparing him to Rod Carew, Jeff Kent, and Roberto Alomar.

National League: Dan Uggla, Florida Marlins. He led 2nd baseman in Homers, and is a very good hitter.

SHORTSTOP:
American League: Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox. He led all AL Shortstops in Average, Homers, and OPS.

National League: Troy Tulowitski, Colorado Rockies: He led the NL Shortstops in Average, Homers, RBI, and OPS. Not to mention he had the hottest hot streak for the longest time.

CATCHER:
American League: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins. Best offensive catcher in the league by far. Another no-brainer. Led AL Catchers in Average and OPS.

National League: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves. Led fellow NL Catchers in HRs and RBI. Buster Posey was probably the closest competition, but only played 100 games, so he didn't win.

Third Base:
American League: Adrian Beltre, Boston Red Sox. Beltre led AL Third Basemen in Average and OPS. He had competition in Evan Longoria, but Beltre is certainly deserving.

National League: Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals. like his AL counterpart, Zimmerman led his respective league in average and OPS. This is his 2nd consecutive Silver Slugger award.

I'm on my way out, so I won't be able to comment on the outfielders/pitchers at this time.

 

[Megatron]

Two awards were announced today:

NL ROTY: Buster Posey, Catcher, San Francisco Giants
and AL ROTY: Neftali Feliz, Closer, Texas Rangers

Both men were deserving, being integral parts to their teams playoff runs. Posey did a great job of not only handling the Giants great staff, but also fit right into the middle of their lineup and was one of their most dangerous batters all year. Feliz pitched in the most nervewracking spot of the game, the 9th inning, and converted on 40 of 43 saves (93%) and had a ERA sub-3 and WHIP sub-1. Jason Heyward of the Braves and Austin Jackson of the Tigers both finished second, with each losing by approximately the same margin. While these votes were made at the end of the regular season, it's clear that these two made it because, in part, of how their team finished. Both were deserving, don't get me wrong, but with how deep these classes, particularly the NL's, were, I believe postseason results (did the rookies team make the playoffs, and were they an integral part to the run?) factored in. Whether it's the right or wrong way of voting is irrelevant, these two, along with the runners up, had great rookie seasons and should be applauded for their excellence.

 

[People's Champ]

I'm glad Posey was picked to win the award. He didn't start the season on the main roster, but once he was called up he made a huge impact. Offensively, he put up numbers comparable to Heyward's. He was able to to start in the middle of the lineup and thrived there. And as a catcher, he was more than good. Catching this staff is a huge task, and he succeeded well. With guys like Lincecum, Cain, Lopez, Wilson, he was able to replace Molina and fit right on in. Heyward had a. Great year as well, but looking at it overall, Posey had the better season.

 

[bigdogstalfos]

To no one's surprise, Roy Halladay was announced as the unanimous winner of the NL Cy Young, joining Pedro, the Big Unit, the Rocket, and Gaylord Perry in the elite "won in both leagues" club. He finished 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA, 9 complete games, 4 shutouts, a perfect game, 219 K's and fewer walks than starts. He also led the majors in innings pitched.

He was the no-brainer decision, considering Ubaldo pretty much flamed out after the All-Star Break and Wainwright's numbers weren't as good. Not much else to say. Congratulations to Doc, who has been a complete workhorse for his whole career. It's nice to see him recognized for it again.

 

[People's Champ]

So Ron Gardenhire of the Twins and Bud Black of the Padres have won the AL and NL Manager of the Year awards, respectively.

I agree with the decision to go with Black. He took a Padres team that was expected to finish last in the division, helped them lead the West for the majority of the season, and almost got them to win the division. They lost on the day of the season to the Giants. But Black certainly did a lot with little, and they kept chigging when many thought they would eventually cool down. At first I was thinking Dusty Baker of the Reds, but Black is the right choice.

As for the AL, I actually would have went with a different Ron. Ron Washington of the Rangers should have won the award. He overcame his own personal issues and the whole issue of bankrupcy and the uncertainity of the team and helped them win the West easily. The Rangers were a feel good story and Washington did a fine job. I'm not going to say that Gardenhire didn't deserve the award, but I thought Washington should have won it.

 

[Stormtrooper]

I agree with the decision to go with Black. He took a Padres team that was expected to finish last in the division, helped them lead the West for the majority of the season, and almost got them to win the division. They lost on the day of the season to the Giants. But Black certainly did a lot with little, and they kept chigging when many thought they would eventually cool down. At first I was thinking Dusty Baker of the Reds, but Black is the right choice.

To me it was a tossup between Dusty and Bud, and the fact that only 1 point separated the 2 means they pretty much got it right. I would have actually preferred a tie, since both were equally deserving.

As for the AL, I actually would have went with a different Ron. Ron Washington of the Rangers should have won the award. He overcame his own personal issues and the whole issue of bankrupcy and the uncertainity of the team and helped them win the West easily. The Rangers were a feel good story and Washington did a fine job. I'm not going to say that Gardenhire didn't deserve the award, but I thought Washington should have won it.

I have to disagree with you 100% Champ. Gardenhire has deserved the award for 5 seasons now, and had a MUCH more deserving year then Washington. The Twins had no right to make the playoffs this year, especially with Morneau out for a good portion of the season. Every year the Twins are competing, when their payroll and talent say they shouldn't. That's proof right there that the Manager is doing a fine job. Not to mention the Rangers were a MUCH more talented team then the Twins, and they both had the same success (win the division). The awards are generally voted on before the playoffs, so Postseason success does not factor into the voting.

And Ron Washingtons case was rather overrated, anyway. The team "uncertainty" didn't mean anything, since they greatly improved the team during the "uncertainty" (Lee was acquired before Ryan and the other guy took over), not to mention there really wasn't any uncertainty to begin with. They knew they would be sold, they just didn't know to who. And I hate to say it, Washington admitting Cocaine use ("once") killed his chances I think. Too many voters can't look past that, and I really can't blame them. AND the AL West (the division the Rangers won) was one of the easiest divisions in baseball (The Angels were down this year, and the A's weren't that good, and the Mariners were among the worst in the League). Put all of that together, and Gardenhire gets the award hands down.

 

[People's Champ]

I have to disagree with you 100% Champ. Gardenhire has deserved the award for 5 seasons now, and had a MUCH more deserving year then Washington. The Twins had no right to make the playoffs this year, especially with Morneau out for a good portion of the season. Every year the Twins are competing, when their payroll and talent say they shouldn't. That's proof right there that the Manager is doing a fine job. Not to mention the Rangers were a MUCH more talented team then the Twins, and they both had the same success (win the division). The awards are generally voted on before the playoffs, so Postseason success does not factor into the voting.

And Ron Washingtons case was rather overrated, anyway. The team "uncertainty" didn't mean anything, since they greatly improved the team during the "uncertainty" (Lee was acquired before Ryan and the other guy took over), not to mention there really wasn't any uncertainty to begin with. They knew they would be sold, they just didn't know to who. And I hate to say it, Washington admitting Cocaine use ("once") killed his chances I think. Too many voters can't look past that, and I really can't blame them. AND the AL West (the division the Rangers won) was one of the easiest divisions in baseball (The Angels were down this year, and the A's weren't that good, and the Mariners were among the worst in the League). Put all of that together, and Gardenhire gets the award hands down.

I think there was a distraction caused by what was going on with the team and Washington. And I know the West was easy this year, but how long was it, since '99, since they won the division and went to the playoffs? 11 years. As far as Washington's issue, I guess you could look at it two way, good or bad. And I don't think I mentioned playoff success because I know the awards are beofre the playoffs. There, did I cover all my bases there? Haha.

Anyways, I didn't say Gardenhire didn't derserve the award. I didn't realize that he's been runner up for the past 5 seasons. He should have won it at least once, and the fact that he finally got it is great, now he finally has the recognition. I personally would have went with Washington, but Gardenhire was very deserving as well.

 

[Stormtrooper]

I think there was a distraction caused by what was going on with the team and Washington.

So the manager causes a distraction, yet should get Manager of the year?

And yes, maybe the ownership was a distraction, but it also was Cliff Lee producing. Cliff Lee is better then a distraction.

And I know the West was easy this year, but how long was it, since '99, since they won the division and went to the playoffs? 11 years.

So they sucked for a while, and had a great year this year. That doesn't mean the Manager deserves the award.

As far as Washington's issue, I guess you could look at it two way, good or bad.

No, Washington doing Coke can only be looked at as bad. He caused a MAJOR distraction, and negatively affected the PR of the Rangers organization (and MLB). No good can come from Ron Washington admitting using Coke ("once").

And I don't think I mentioned playoff success because I know the awards are beofre the playoffs.

You didn't, I just made sure that you weren't insinuating that. I was saying that what the Twins did during the regular season > what the Rangers did during the regular season. Obviously postseason is different, but this isn't Postseason Manager of the Year award.

There, did I cover all my bases there? Haha.

Yep, and I uncovered them all.... ha ha ha ha ha.

Anyways, I didn't say Gardenhire didn't derserve the award. I didn't realize that he's been runner up for the past 5 seasons. He should have won it at least once, and the fact that he finally got it is great, now he finally has the recognition.

I honestly don't know if he'd been runner up or not, but he has deserved consideration for the award for the past 5+ seasons, and has never won it. I would honestly say he and Mike Scioscia are the 2 best managers in all of baseball, and it's been that way for a while.

I personally would have went with Washington, but Gardenhire was very deserving as well.

And I personally would have gone with Gardenhire, and Ron Washington was deserving of #2.

 

[bigdogstalfos]

There isn't much to say about my boy Gardy that hasn't already been said, but I'll just add a couple things.

1) The Twins didn't have Joe Nathan this year.
Nathan can't beat the Yankees to save his life, but against pretty much every other team in the majors, he's been as close to a sure thing as you can get since 2004. When he blew out his arm in spring training, the Twins were stuck with Jon Rauch as their closer until late July when they got Matt Capps, who is an adventure himself. Keeping that bullpen together was huge, especially considering their starters not named Pavano were largely incapable of going deep into games.

2) The rotation was a mess for a long time
Beyond Liriano and Pavano, the Twins had a bunch of pitchers who were all pretty much the same and were either hurt (Slowey), pretty bad (Baker), or so bad they got sent down to AAA (Blackburn). Duensing was long relief until the middle of the summer. For a while, their rotation was terrible and routinely getting rocked.

Despite some bright points like Delmon's breakout year and Liriano getting back some of that 2006 magic, there was an awful lot wrong with the Twins this year and they still won their division with help from the White Sox and Tigers imploding.

Just don't talk about their playoff record in recent years.