National League ROY

Oh, I know that. The race is only between Tulowitzki and Braun.

But Kouz should be on the damn poll, especially ahead of a Cubstockings setup guy who isn't even fucking eligible.

 

It's a PhilaYank poll, what would it be without at least one ineligible or patently ridiculous option?

 

Of course!

 

Braun is a born DH if I've ever seen one.

 

What'd he do now?

 

One thought on Braun: He needs 4 RBI tomorrow for 100. Has anyone ever had 100 RBI and not enough plate appearances for the batting title?

 

I cannot tell if he qualified for the batting title, but Rudy York had 375 at-bats (+41 walks) in 1937 when he had 103 RBI for the Tigers.

Barry Bonds had 373 official at-bats in 2004 when he had 101 RBI for the Giants -- the fewest at-bats in the last century for a hitter with 100+ RBI. But with 232 walks, Bonds qualified for (and won) the NL batting title at .362.

Frank Thomas had 399 at-bats in 1994 when he had 101 RBI for the White Sox. But that was a strike season, and Thomas played every game. (FWIW, Bagwell had 400 at-bats and 116 RBI, and Albert Belle had 412 AB, 101 RBI, that same season.)

Those are the only three instances where a player had fewer than 400 at-bats and 100 RBI in the same season.

Others who come close:

Al Simmons, 1927: 406 AB, 31 BB, 108 RBI
Ken Williams, 1925: 411 AB, 37 BB, 105 RBI

Braun, meanwhile, had 440 AB and 27 BB entering today (95 RBI).

 

I'm just saying he's a very good hitter who can't field and is probably better suited to being a DH.

 

Move the Brewers back to the AL!

On second thought, the Brewers want no part of the AL.

It'll be interesting to see what the Brewers do with Braun fielding-wise. The usual move-him-to-first option isn't one right now. I can't really see him playing left field.

My guess is they work his ass off in the offseason honing what they can for him at third. Paul Molitor sucked major ass at third when the Brewers moved him there in '82, he eventually became at least passable at that spot when all was said and done.

 

Sounds like it just won't be the place for a sinkerballer. That's going to be a pretty lousy defensive infield for a long time if they keep Braun and Fielder at the corners.

 

That's why God created winter ball. It helped Rey Ordonez immensely. He went from 27 errors in 1996 to a Gold Glove (nine errors) in 1997, and he won two more in 1998 and 1999.