AL MVP: Mauer in a runaway

Captain Flabtangibles needs to tone up.

 

Why wasn't this announced two or three weeks ago when baseball was still on the radar screen?

 

I could see Cabrera getting it a vote, if you judge value. Where would the Tigers be without him?

I personally don't know if I would have given him a first place vote (and I'm a fanboi), but I can understand a voters rationale for it somewhat.

 

Bobby Bowden wonders what could have been..

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/00allusa.htm

 

I probably would have put him third, behind Teixeira just because he isn't nearly as good defensively. I can see it. Just surprised that he was the one who stole a vote rather than Teixeira or Jeter.

 

No wonder it took the national media fewer than five minutes to begin peppering Mauer with contract questions during a teleconference.

"I knew I'd probably run into a question like that," Mauer said. "I've always said it will take care of itself when it needs to."

The Twins realize it needs to happen soon. They've been in contact with Mauer's agent, Ron Shapiro, and there are indications the team hopes to have a new deal with Mauer by Christmas.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/71660717.html?elr=KArksUUUycaEacyU

Do they get this done, Zeke?

Edit: Having been 20 rows up from where Punto ran thru the fucking sign I favor selling a kidney or two of his if it will help pay Mauer.

 

Pedro Martinez bought someone's for a little Minnesota payback.

 

Pujols and Mauer should have both been unanimous. Someone usually finds a way to pretend he knows something everyone else doesn't in these clear-cut situations. We'll see if that happens again today.

 

Pujols is an even more clear-cut choice than Mauer was, but I still don't get how any voter puts Cabrera ahead of him.

The counting categories were remarkably close between those two given how much time Mauer missed. Cabrera barely edged out Mauer in runs scored (96-94), hits (198-191) and RBI (103-96) and had a little wider of a margin in home runs (34-28). Mauer had a huge advantage in batting average (.365-.324) and on-base percentage (.444-.396) and even beat out Cabrera in slugging (.587-547).

That puts them fairly close even before you figure in that Mauer is a legitimate Gold Glove catcher and Cabrera is basically a guy you hope doesn't hurt you too much at first base, not to mention the fact that Mauer's Twins beat out Cabrera's Tigers for the AL Central title. I just don't see how Keizo Konishi of Kyodo News justifies giving Cabrera a first-place vote.

 

There is no justification, but, what the hell. 27 of 28 ain't bad.

Now, the Twins need to get creative, back up a money truck, and sign the man for the rest of his natural-born life.

 

Well, the Tigers also had a Cy Young candidate (Verlander), another pitcher who could have been in the Cy Young discussion (Jackson) and another pitcher who came in third in the ROY voting (Porcello).

Since they only finished a couple games over .500 it's fairly feasible to think they wouldn't have been tons worse without Cabrera. Certainly Cabrera won them some games, but it's not like he turned a .500 team into a World Series contender.

 

On that we most definitely agree. You get a player like that, you don't let him get away. Ever.