2009 AL/NL Awards Discussion

[Party]

Bailey won the Rookie of the Year in the AL

Our boy won the NL ROTY.

[Party]

After yesterday's controversial selections of Bailey and Coghlan for AL and NL Rookie of the Year awards, the BBWAA members hit a homerun after an easy pitch to the plate, regardless of his team's place in the standings.

Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals was an overwhelming choice for the American League Cy Young Award despite posting a victory total that matched the lowest for any winner in either league among starting pitchers in a full season.

Pitching for a team that was next to last in the AL in average runs per game, Greinke compiled a 16-8 record with a 2.16 ERA. No AL starter had won the Cy Young Award without winning at least 18 games. Greinke fell two victories short and equaled the output of 2006 National League winner Brandon Webb, who was 16-8 that year for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Grienke, 26, who held opponents to one run or fewer in 18 of his 33 starts, was named first on 25 and second on the other three ballots cast by two writers in each league city for a total of 134 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. The righthander’s league-best ERA was the lowest in the AL since 2000 Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez had a 1.74 ERA for the Boston Red Sox. Greinke also was second in complete games (6), shutouts (3), strikeouts (242) and opponents’ batting average (.230). He was the only pitcher named on all ballots.

Seattle Mariners righthander Felix Hernandez (19-5, 2.49 ERA), received two first-place votes and finished second in the balloting with 80 points. The other first-place vote went to Detroit Tigers righthander Justin Verlander (19-9, 3.92 ERA), who placed third overall. Hernandez and Verlander were tied for the AL lead in victories. Hernandez led the league in winning percentage (.792) and batting average against (.227) and Verlander in innings (240) and strikeouts (269).

It marks the fourth time a Royals pitcher has been honored. Greinke joins two-time winner Bret Saberhagen (1985, 1989) and David Cone (1994).

http://bizofbaseball.com/

Thank you.

[Metes]

Still don't get how Coghlan is a controversial choice. To choose anyone else would have been the controversy.

[Bobbob1313]

I think I might have gone with King Felix...

[Ramp]

Still don't get how Coghlan is a controversial choice. To choose anyone else would have been the controversy.

I really wouldn't have had a problem with any of the top 4

and lol that Verlander got 1 first place vote

take that voter's vote away from him

[Metes]

But he got 19 wins!

[Madman81]

I really wouldn't have had a problem with any of the top 4

and lol that Verlander got 1 first place vote

take that voter's vote away from him

You'll never believe this. The Verlander voter was from...get this...Michigan! Fail.

Hate that shit.

[Ramp]

Lincecum, winner

[FishFanInPA]

Keith Law and Will Carroll didnt have Carpenter in their top 3's.

[FishFF]

TIMMYYY!!!!!

[Ramp]

Law's ballot explained:

My NL Cy Young ballot was

1. Tim Lincecum

2. Javier Vazquez

3. Adam Wainwright

Lincecum was a no-brainer, and it's disappointing to see that a majority of voters on the award whiffed on the easiest part of the three-part question. Lincecum led the NL in FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) and WAR (Wins Above Replacement), both of which normalize a pitcher's stats to account for the help he received from his defense, and he led both categories by wide margins. He also led the NL in VORP, which adjusts for park but not for defense, by a narrow margin. I understand that many voters are uncomfortable with these advanced stats, but Lincecum also finished second in the NL in (unadjusted) ERA, but threw 36 more innings than the guy in front of him, Chris Carpenter.

Carpenter's innings total was the main reason he ended up off my ballot. He pitched extremely well when on the mound, but not well enough to close the value gap between him and the three pitchers I listed, each of whom threw at least 27 innings more than Carpenter. Both Carpenter and Wainwright received significant help from their defense, while neither Lincecum nor Vazquez could say the same.

As for Vazquez, he ranked ahead of Wainwright in the advanced metrics anyway, but I also gave him extra credit for pitching in the most difficult division in the NL, one in which he had to face two great offenses and only one patsy.

As for the win total of each pitcher: I ignored that, because, as I've said for years, it tells us nothing useful about how well the pitcher performed.

[wanks1212]

joe mauer wins the al mvp with all but one first place vote. tipsy mcdrunkerstein picked up the other first place vote

[Ramp]

I wonder if the same guy that voted first for Verlander voted first for Cabrera

dude needs his vote taken away

[nny]

I thought azns were suppose to be smart?

[emkayseven]

pujols is the unanimous nl mvp

shadez came in second.