Comments on: Bullpen Blows Lead; Phils Lose 4-3

By: MA Phanatic

MA Phanatic — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:06:04 +0000

yeah Phil i hope you’ve been reading my posts. I’m just trying to answer your question as to why Howard got the award over Pujols. I’m not defending it. He was certainly deserving of the award, but so was Pujols. Had he not missed any time, I think he clearly would have won the award.

By: Don M

Don M — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:26:22 +0000

Pujols is one of the best players in baseball… baseball history actually..

Ryan Howard wants to be Albert Pujols… which is why I thought it was a joke that Howard wanted the same contract as Pujols two years ago..

I’m not defending Howard over Pujols for MVP, but im saying that the HR and RBI with still a high average is MAYBE why the writers gave him the award..???

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:14:42 +0000

Oh wait, Pujols played gold glove defense that year. Should throw that in there.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:14:21 +0000

Go look at Pujols’ slugging %, on base %, k’s, etc. and get back to me. RBI is a team stat btw.

By: Don M

Don M — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:11:49 +0000

Right… Wright makes some great plays.. but he isn’t the best fielding 3rdbaseman.. but because of his stick, you would take over probably every other 3b in the NL for your team..

as for the Pujols vs. Howard in 2006.

Howard had more HR and RBI.. still hit for .313 avg.. and since the Cardinals only went 83-79 that year, maybe they felt Howard was just “more valuable” to his team than Pujols was.

So Taguchi hit 2 Home Runs that year, so that definitely takes away from Albert the Great’s value

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:09:24 +0000

He really didn’t miss that much time. 19 games isn’t that much time.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:08:40 +0000

This just in! So Taguchi’s throw just reached homeplate! Only about 13 hours too late! Great defensive replacement Charlie!

By: MA Phanatic

MA Phanatic — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:00:43 +0000

Like I said, I think the main difference in Holliday and Rollins was that Holliday’s road/home splits were not exactly flattering…the same case couldn’t be made for Rollins.

and Wright is a stud, but how can you give an MVP award to a player on a team that blows a 7 gm lead with 17 to play?

and Phil, I don’t know why Howard won it over Pujols in ’06. My best explanation is that voters are human, Pujols missed a large chunk of time, (it also cost Chase Utley last year’s MVP) and Howard had more HRs and RBIs, most likely only because Pujols missed time, but that needs to factor into voting.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:46:55 +0000

David Wright might not have the best fielding percentage and all of that stuff, but he’s made some plays that I don’t even think Mike Schmidt would have made.

By: Don M

Don M — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:26:20 +0000

Don’t get me wrong.. I think Wright is a GREAT player.. I actually like the fact that we get to see him and Chipper Jones so often.. but he won the award because people think of him as a GREAT player.. who happens to play 3rd base.. and makes highlight plays a lot… sometimes that is enough to get it done in the voting

By: Don M

Don M — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:18:43 +0000

Or do the baseball writer only vote MVP not gold glove too?

By: Don M

Don M — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:15:55 +0000

Phil he was 9th in fielding percentage among NL 3rd basemen… 5th in errors… 2nd in total chances..

And the stuff they use to determine how many balls you get to in your “zone” of the field, etc.. Zone Rating.. he was 8th.

He won it because he’s a pretty good 3rdbaseman with a hell of a bat.

Rollins probably could have lost the Gold Glove to Tulowitzki, and lost the MVP to Holliday.. but the baseball writers gave him both, which shows you that some offense weighed on the SS gold glove vote too.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:09:55 +0000

Actually, Wright had the best year last year and he was in the top 2 for the gold glove. Only player better was Feliz.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:07:00 +0000

if i see that same stale lineup trotted out again…

By: J-Man

J-Man — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:04:22 +0000

It’s sad when your pitcher results for 1 of your 3 runs when you have a offense like this…I don’t know what it’s gonna take to get this team back to it’s high powered offense but changes do need to be made.

By: Don M

Don M — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:59:17 +0000

Wright didn’t deserve a gold glove though..

I think that Holliday was clearly the best player in the NL last year.. it wasn’t that close.. but Rollins all-around game and the fact that he “backed up his mouth” won it for him..

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:53:30 +0000

MA Phanatic: Miggy didn’t win because he plays for Florida and they were a bad team. (fair, no, but that’s the way it works)
Hanley didn’t win for the same reason.
Wright didn’t win because despite his best efforts, the Mets just plain fell apart and he couldn’t keep the ship floating like Rollins did.

Why did Howard win it in 06? Pujols had better numbers, but it’s not worth debating.

“I choose a player who is most responsible for helping his team win the championship (division). I also include the intangible(s) such as leadership. As far as statistics that defines a MVP season, ”

I agree, but read above in my response to MA Phanatic.

“emember, Rollins played gold glove defense at the toughest infield position, and provided tons of speed (38 SB) and power (30 HR) out of the leadoff spot, and was the Phillies’ catalyst during their September surge. BTW, Phil, how many on your list won a gold glove?”

Rollins didn’t deserve the gold glove. Wright won a gold glove.

I could continue this debate for a long time.

By: Don M

Don M — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:51:35 +0000

Its cool when you get back from lunch and someone posts your name, and then a bunch of hilarious comments about the Eagles..

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:48:22 +0000

Phil~ What makes a player an MVP will always stir debates. Personally
I choose a player who is most responsible for helping his team win the championship (division). I also include the intangible(s) such as leadership. As far as statistics that defines a MVP season, Rollins joined Curtis Granderson (Tigers) last season as the only 3rd and 4th players in history to have twenty or more doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases. If you’re curious, the other two are Wildfire Shulte of 1911
Cubs and Willie Mays of 1957 SF Giants.

Remember, Rollins played gold glove defense at the toughest infield position, and provided tons of speed (38 SB) and power (30 HR) out of the leadoff spot, and was the Phillies’ catalyst during their September surge. BTW, Phil, how many on your list won a gold glove?

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:35:52 +0000

yeah taht swas another bad move. pats arm might gunned him down, but they pulled him for taguchi WHICH MAKES NO SENSE. thats ANOTHER game thats cost us.