mlt@mb2c.UUCP (Mark L. Tompkins) (09/09/85)
There has been an awful lot of discussion in recent weeks on the net about
who deserves the MVP in the NL this year. Most of the discussion has cen-
tered around the question: Should a pitcher be allowed to win the MVP, since
the Cy Young was established for pitchers alone? My feeling is this:
* The MVP should be given to the player who contributes the most to the
success of the team in its drive for the pennant; hence, the winner
usually comes from a division winner or heavy contender. Joe Blow who
hit .380 for a cellar-dwellar doesn't stand a chance ( there are except-
ions, though - Carew in 1977 ). Position should be irrelevant to this
award.
* The Cy Young, obviously, should go to the pitcher who had the most
outstanding season, regardless of his team's finish.
By these two criteria, then, a pitcher should be able to recieve both awards.
Such was the case for Willie Hernandez in '84; he had a truly amazing year as
an individual, and Detroit was looking at third place without his efforts.
Therefore, to alleviate this problem, I suggest the establishment of a new
award in each league to honor the player who had the most outstanding season
regardless of his team's finish; this award would be for everyday players only.
I would call this award the Player of the Year award, but I believe each league
already has this award; it just does not carry the weight of the other two.
In that case, why don't we rename this award the ... ( drum roll, please )
WILLIE MAYS AWARD
In my opinion, Mays was the best all-around player in history. He could do
it all, and do it well. ( I can see another can of worms opening as I speak-
but hey, what's the net for? ) I feel this would do justice to the Guererro-
Gooden situation, and would have taken the heat out of the Guidry-Rice con-
troversy of 1978. In the case of Guererro, he would get my vote for the Mays
award. The MVP would be up for grabs, no doubt. Willie McGee would without
question be in the running for both of these awards.
So you're probably wondering; what the hell has all this got to do with the
AL MVP???? Well, I'm getting to that. My choice at this point can only be...
Don Mattingly. Admittedly, the Yanks have many other players who are having
great years ( Winfield, Henderson especially ), but in the last two weeks he
has been the catalyst in the offense. When the Yanks win the East, I predict
the vote will be nearly unanimous ( sorry, Jays fans ).
Comments, opposing viewpoints, and flames most welcome.
Mark Tompkins
P.S. Congrats to Pete Rose on TYing Cobb's hit record yesterday (9/8).ogre@whuts.UUCP (LOCOCO) (09/10/85)
> > So you're probably wondering; what the hell has all this got to do with the > AL MVP???? Well, I'm getting to that. My choice at this point can only be... > Don Mattingly. Admittedly, the Yanks have many other players who are having > great years ( Winfield, Henderson especially ), but in the last two weeks he > has been the catalyst in the offense. When the Yanks win the East, I predict > the vote will be nearly unanimous ( sorry, Jays fans ). > > Comments, opposing viewpoints, and flames most welcome. > > Mark Tompkins > > P.S. Congrats to Pete Rose on TYing Cobb's hit record yesterday (9/8). Did someone say Don Mattingly? Of course! I know I'm prejudiced but I'd like to hear from some Toronto fans who, in their mind, is outstanding enough to be considered for MVP. I'm not saying that there is no one, but who stands out like the new fixture at first base for the Yankees. I'd just like to point out a few categories which Don leads in right now: As most know he leads in RBI's, but what about game winning RBI's; 19 as of Sunday (Winfield is second with around 17). He leads the league in doubles (I guess it's time to hear a big deal from you Yankee haters- so go ahead). He's just third (at the moment) in batting average behind Wade (Beanbox) Boggs and George (Lau disciple) Brett. Lou Piniella (present hitting coach of NY) says of Don being in a category above and beyond himself. He says that the guy thinks about hitting even when he sleeps. A final category is fewest errors (he just got two Sunday) and I must say the most consistent glove around first in either league. If he doesn't win a gold glove this year that category must be fixed. Well Mark, you opened the can, and I just stirred the worms; let's hear it out there AL fans; who else can compare in a matchup for AL MVP? \ / |\\ / | | \| | | |\ | | | \| John B. Lo Coco (...whuts!ogre) (...szuxn!ogre) 1-201-467-7436
jhr2@houem.UUCP (J.ROSENBLUTH) (09/10/85)
The AL MVP is going to be decided by who does what in September. A month ago it looked like Henderson was the Yanks leading candidate, but then Mattingly goes wild. If he keeps on carrying the club and they win, he deserves the nod. But so would Brett. I do not follow the AL too closely, especially Toronto and California. Who are their leading MVP candidates?
malcolm@utcsri.UUCP (Malcolm MacPhail) (09/11/85)
> ... > So you're probably wondering; what the **** has all this got to do with the > AL MVP???? Well, I'm getting to that. My choice at this point can only be... > Don Mattingly. Admittedly, the Yanks have many other players who are having > great years ( Winfield, Henderson especially ), but in the last two weeks he > has been the catalyst in the offense. When the Yanks win the East, I predict > the vote will be nearly unanimous ( sorry, Jays fans ). > *** REPLACE THIS LINE DRIVE WITH YOUR MVP VOTE *** I think you are right, Don Mattingly should (and just might) be chosen AL-MVP this year. But this will also disprove your theory/opinion that the MVP always goes to a player of a Pennant winner. The Jays are going to hold on to first, and by Sunday (when the Jays win 3 or 4 out of 4 in New York) you will have to admit that the Yankees can't do it this year. The reason that no Blue Jay will be chosen is that the Jays are a 'complete' team. A team made up of a lot of very good/excellent players, not a team with a few stars and some average players. Very good/excellent players do not get chosen for MVP, especially when they do not stand out from their own (very good/excellent) teammates. I reserve the right to change my predictions at any time. -- Malcolm MacPhail, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto UUCP: {linus,ihnp4,allegra,floyd,utzoo,cornell,decwrl,uw-beaver}!utcsri!malcolm CSNET: malcolm@Toronto ARPA: malcolm%Toronto@CSNet-Relay --
urquhart@utcs.uucp (Prof. A. Urquhart) (09/12/85)
Don Mattingly no doubt deserves the AL MVP award but if anyone
from Toronto steals it from him it will be George Bell:
HR:28 RBI:90 BA:290
and superb fielding. Otherwise, the reason Toronto's on top and
will stay on top is that they have Dave Stieb and Jimmy Key in
the rotation and Tom Henke in the bullpen--all pitching.
Andre Vellino
--
----
Alasdair Urquhart
University of Toronto
{cbosgd,decvax,harpo,ihnp4,utcsri,{allegra,linus}!utzoo}!utcs!urquhartmalcolm@utcsri.UUCP (Malcolm MacPhail) (09/12/85)
> The AL MVP is going to be decided by who does what in September. > A month ago it looked like Henderson was the Yanks leading candidate, > but then Mattingly goes wild. If he keeps on carrying the club > and they win, he deserves the nod. > But so would Brett. I do not follow the AL too closely, especially > Toronto and California. Who are their leading MVP candidates? Like I posted earlier, Toronto doesn't really have a leading choice for MVP. The team is made up of a lot of very good players and lot of good pitchers. The only MVP candidate on the team might be George Bell (.278, 28HR, 89RBI). The Jays management realizes that baseball is a team sport and you need more than just a few great players to make a great team. -- Malcolm MacPhail, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto UUCP: {linus,ihnp4,allegra,floyd,utzoo,cornell,decwrl,uw-beaver}!utcsri!malcolm CSNET: malcolm@Toronto ARPA: malcolm%Toronto@CSNet-Relay --
mlt@mb2c.UUCP (Mark L. Tompkins) (09/18/85)
( Me ) > ... > So you're probably wondering; what the **** has all this got to do with the > AL MVP???? Well, I'm getting to that. My choice at this point can only be... > Don Mattingly. Admittedly, the Yanks have many other players who are having > great years ( Winfield, Henderson especially ), but in the last two weeks he > has been the catalyst in the offense. When the Yanks win the East, I predict > the vote will be nearly unanimous ( sorry, Jays fans ). > >>*** REPLACE THIS LINE DRIVE WITH YOUR MVP VOTE *** >> >>I think you are right, Don Mattingly should (and just might) be chosen >>AL-MVP this year. But this will also disprove your theory/opinion that the >>MVP always goes to a player of a Pennant winner. The Jays are going to >hold on to first, and by Sunday(when the Jays win 3 or 4 out of 4 in New York) >>you will have to admit that the Yankees can't do it this year. The reason that >>no Blue Jay will be chosen is that the Jays are a 'complete' team. A team made >>up of a lot of very good/excellent players, not a team with a few stars and >>some average players. Very good/excellent players do not get chosen for MVP, >>especially when they do not stand out from their own (very good/excellent) >>teammates. >>I reserve the right to change my predictions at any time. >>Malcolm MacPhail, >>Department of Computer Science, >>University of Toronto OK, I give. After this weekend, and after the shellacking they took from the Tigers last night (9/17), I don't give the Yanks much of a chance. And I do agree that the Jays have put together a 'complete' team. George Bell has had a great season, but since NBC Game of the Week and Monday Night Baseball chose to ignore Toronto this season (!), he and his teammates did not get the exposure they rightly deserved. In fact, the networks are SO National League biased, it makes me sick. Why the H*LL should I want to watch the Cards-Cubs game on Saturday when I live in Michigan, and a very important game in the AL East is taking place? BTW, one year ago tonight, the Tigers clinched the AL East. Tonight, if they lose to New York or Toronto wins, they are mathematically eliminated. How ironic... ( cry, sob ) Mark Tompkins P.S. I still feel that Don Mattingly will get the MVP; he and George Brett will probably receive the most votes.