MVPs

[Mizzougrad96]

One people forget about... Dante Bichette in 1995. Led the NL in homers, RBI and was third in batting.

 

[Gehrig]

One people forget about... Dante Bichette in 1995. Led the NL in homers, RBI and was third in batting.

Should have taken more cycles.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

One people forget about... Dante Bichette in 1995. Led the NL in homers, RBI and was third in batting.

Should have taken more cycles.

Weren't they all back then?

 

[LongTimeListener]

Plus, beer league softball doesn't count.

 

[Versatile]

One people forget about... Dante Bichette in 1995. Led the NL in homers, RBI and was third in batting.

Bichette's season is a perfect example of the lack of value in the Triple Crown statistics. He was fourth in OPS, 14th in adjusted OPS+ and totaled 1.0 WAR (baseball-reference) and 1.8 WAR (FanGraphs). You still hear people bring Bichette up as a guy who deserved the MVP, though.

 

[Riptide]

One people forget about... Dante Bichette in 1995. Led the NL in homers, RBI and was third in batting.

Bichette's season is a perfect example of the lack of value in the Triple Crown statistics. He was fourth in OPS, 14th in adjusted OPS+ and totaled 1.0 WAR (baseball-reference) and 1.8 WAR (FanGraphs). You still hear people bring Bichette up as a guy who deserved the MVP, though.

As "Ball Four" made clear: Tell your statistics to shut up. RBI are just plain fun to watch.

Especially when they're called RBIs.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

One people forget about... Dante Bichette in 1995. Led the NL in homers, RBI and was third in batting.

Bichette's season is a perfect example of the lack of value in the Triple Crown statistics. He was fourth in OPS, 14th in adjusted OPS+ and totaled 1.0 WAR (baseball-reference) and 1.8 WAR (FanGraphs). You still hear people bring Bichette up as a guy who deserved the MVP, though.

The more I look at that season, I think one could argue that neither Larkin, nor Bichette deserved the MVP.

In hindsight, Maddux should have won.

 

[Versatile]

One people forget about... Dante Bichette in 1995. Led the NL in homers, RBI and was third in batting.

Bichette's season is a perfect example of the lack of value in the Triple Crown statistics. He was fourth in OPS, 14th in adjusted OPS+ and totaled 1.0 WAR (baseball-reference) and 1.8 WAR (FanGraphs). You still hear people bring Bichette up as a guy who deserved the MVP, though.

The more I look at that season, I think one could argue that neither Larkin, nor Bichette deserved the MVP.

In hindsight, Maddux should have won.

Greg Maddux obviously should have won and, to some voters' credit, finished third. But I don't have much of a problem with Barry Larkin winning. I would be interested to know what would have happened had the six Bichette voters' entire ballots not counted. I have to think those who picked Bichette were among the ones to most seriously underrate Maddux, though I say that without any evidence.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I know Larkin was a leader and all that, but there's really nothing in his stats that would make anyone think M-V-P... He had an excellent season, and Larkin was never really known for power numbers... it just seemed like a curious choice.

Looking at it now, I'm surprised Maddux wasn't a unanimous pick. 19-2 with an ERA under 2 during a shortened season? Talk about a no-brainer...

 

[Versatile]

Right. And Reggie Sanders deserved more consideration as the actual best player on the Reds. Barry Bonds, easily the top position player by WAR, probably had his glowing personality and lack of team success kill his chance.

Of course, when discussing the failures of the 1995 MVP voting, we're usually talking about the ridiculous, insane and indefensible choice of Mo Vaughn over Albert Belle.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Right. And Reggie Sanders deserved more consideration as the actual best player on the Reds. Barry Bonds, easily the top position player by WAR, probably had his glowing personality and lack of team success kill his chance.

Of course, when discussing the failures of the 1995 MVP voting, we're usually talking about the ridiculous, insane and indefensible choice of Mo Vaughn over Albert Belle.

Belle's bubbly personality cost him at least one MVP.

 

[outofplace]

One people forget about... Dante Bichette in 1995. Led the NL in homers, RBI and was third in batting.

Bichette's season is a perfect example of the lack of value in the Triple Crown statistics. He was fourth in OPS, 14th in adjusted OPS+ and totaled 1.0 WAR (baseball-reference) and 1.8 WAR (FanGraphs). You still hear people bring Bichette up as a guy who deserved the MVP, though.

The big difference being that Miguel Cabrera doesn't play his home games in Coors Field. I question some of the methods of measuring park effect, but there is no question that it makes it harder for any hitter to win an MVP while playing for the Rockies. Too many voters are going to dismiss the guy, or at least heavily downgrade him, because of the ballpark.

 

[buckweaver]

As well they should, at least until a Rockies hitter finally has a great season without insane home/road splits.

I will give credit to Todd Helton, who did have a couple seasons (2003, '04) with great road numbers. But his home splits were still insane those years.

 

[outofplace]

As well they should, at least until a Rockies hitter finally has a great season without insane home/road splits.

I will give credit to Todd Helton, who did have a couple seasons (2003, '04) with great road numbers. But his home splits were still insane those years.

Agreed, though I still think playing home games in that park has a negative impact on the Rockies hitters when they go on the road.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I'd be curious what Walker's splits were during the MVP season.

 

[LongTimeListener]

I'd be curious what Walker's splits were during the MVP season.

Home .384/.460/.709 1.169 OPS
Away .346/.443/.743 1.176 OPS

Very interesting that he hit 20 HRs at home and 29 on the road, in fewer plate appearances. He was legit.

 

[buckweaver]

Good call on Walker. He was definitely legit.

 

[Tom Petty]

This silliness about April games meaning as much as September games reminds me that we're close again to A-Rod going 1 for 15 with eight strikeouts randomly at the start of October again.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=rodrial01&year=Career&t=b

 

[Cubbiebum]

Derek Lee 2005: 1st BA, 2nd HR (to Andrew Jones) and 7th RBIs

 

[Versatile]

I'd be curious what Walker's splits were during the MVP season.

I applaud your general laziness, Mizzou. And your memory. I always seem to blank out Larry Walker on my mental Rolodex of MVPs.