Howard wins NL MVP

No, it means that when he was really needed, ARod spit the bit. As usual.

I've been pissing into the wind on this one for more than a year. I'm not sure how anyone could see Ortiz on the Red Sox and not realize how much more valuable he was to his team than ARod was to the Yankees.

 

Well, one of us is full of shit. Because, like you, I watched dozens of Phils games this year. And while nobody's ever going to confuse Howard with Keith Hernandez, he's nowhere even close to being the butcher at first that you suggest.

 

OK, but what does that have to do with the MVP award? When they needed him during the season, he was there.

 

And yet I would argue no one's more valuable to his team than Johan Santana to the Twins, and he doesn't have an MVP, either.

 

I'd agree with you Oz. Would not mind seeing that at all today.

 

I really thought they would vote Pujols as MVP, on the basis of, you know, the whole winning the World Series thing, but truthfully, Ryan put up astounding numbers on a suck-ass team (and as a Phillies fan of at least 15 years, I can definitely say this), and if Chase Utley doesn't have the year he has, Ryan Howard doesn't come close to these numbers. If they ever get somebody to hit behind him, he'd be good for these type of stats ever year.

 

silvershadow:

Pujols can't win the MVP based on what his team does in the postseason. Votes are tallied before the playoffs begin.

Explain, please. Bonds didn't even make the All-Star team that year. It was his worst season of the 1990s (except when he was injured in '99). Pendleton compares favorably or equal to him in almost every stat except stolen bases. And Pendleton was the de facto captain of a Braves team that improved from 65 wins to 94 in his first year there.

Pendleton -- .319 (1st in NL), 22 HR, 86 RBI, .517 SLG (3rd in NL), .880 OPS (6th in NL), 94 R (9th in NL), 303 TB (1st in NL), 34 2B (7th in NL), 8 3B (6th in NL), 64 XBH (5th in NL), 111 RC (2nd in NL).

Bonds -- .292, 25 HR, 116 RBI (2nd in NL), .514 SLG (4th in NL), .410 OBP (1st in NL), .914 OPS (1st in NL), 95 R (8th in NL), 262 TB (10th in NL), 107 BB (2nd in NL), 43 SB (5th in NL), 109 RC (3rd in NL), Gold Glove in LF.

 

When Pedro failed to win in 1999, it became clear a starting pitcher was never going to win again.

 

So, you're saying Pendleton's 86 RBI compare favorably to the league-leading 116 by Bonds? Not to mention that Bonds led the league in OPS. Oh, and I notice you left off Pendleton's stolen base total. Did he even have any? Bonds was a force on the bases, not just with the steals. He was a very smart base-runner.

Bonds had a down year for home runs, but he was superior in just about everything but batting average, and with 109 walks Bonds led the league in OBP. This is also when Bonds was a Gold Glove left fielder. Yes, he had a relatively weak arm, but people forget how much ground he used to cover and how few mistakes he made in the field.

And yes, this was in the worst of his final three seasons in Pittsburgh. But he meant every bit as much to that Pirates team as Pendleton did to Pittsburgh. Bottom line is the Braves' big upswing after adding Pendleton gave the writers an excuse to punish Bonds for being an asshole and they took it.

 

In years when there is no great offensive performance, the voters will take it as an invitation to give it to the intangibles guy. See Kirk Gibson. That's when a pitcher will win too.

 

Casty, I agree with MOST of what you said. I do think it was a tough call and while I disagree with voting for Howard over Pujols, I can understand it.

But frankly, the part where you wrote, "When you make it on to a voting committee, you will have a say." was fairly condescending, as if the opinion of somebody who doesn't have an MVP vote is automatically fanboyish nonsense. I'm not sure if that's how you meant it. I hope not, because I had come to expect better from you.

Usually, you seem to realize that there are people on this board who don't have such a vote, but still know a thing or two about baseball.

Please remember to show the rest of us some respect when you are asking us to do the same for others.

 

Okay, outofplace, that's a fair comment. I didn't mean your opinion doesn't matter, just that it doesn't mean anything in the voting genre. Your opinion is as important as mine, since I don't vote anymore, but it isn't as important as someone whose vote is counted in the actual results. That's all I meant. Your opinion is well noted on this board.