Author: The Baseball Zealot

Coghlan, Bailey are 2009 Rookies of the Year

Rookie of the Year is always such a tenuous award.  Sometimes it’s given to a solid steady but unspectacular player (*cough* Bobby Crosby *cough*) who had the luck of not getting hurt his first year in the majors. 

This year’s winners??  Outfielder Chris Coghlan of the Marlins and reliever Andrew Bailey of the A’s. 

Our own Teddy Ballgame (who knows more about the young talent in the majors than I ever will) did his predictions of the Rookie of the Year award in mid September.  He wrong on both counts but I’ll give him credit.  His pick, Elvis Andrus both placed second in the voting in the AL.  As for his pick of Dexter Fowler??  Well… he barely made a showing, getting one third place vote.

Both votes were close especially the Reds’ J.A. Happ who came within 11 votes of Coghlan. 

Coghlan batted .321 in 128 games with 84 runs scored and a pretty impressive .390 on-base percentage.  As for Bailey (who by the way, our guest poster Shawn Lee DID pick as the Rookie of the Year in the midst of his Cy Young Predictions… nice call, Shawn!), he saved 26 games for the A’s with a 1.84 ERA.  He also had a tasty BB/K ratio at 24/91.

The last reliever to win the ROY in either league was

Kazuhiro Sasaki in 2000.

Good luck next year, Teddy.

48 years ago: Roger Maris 1961 MVP

roger-maris This week 48 years ago, Roger Maris got his second consecutive MVP award.  The year was 1961 and was, of course, when he hit 61 homeruns. 

Yankee teammate Mickey Mantle came in second place in the voting.  He almost overcame Maris in the voting (202-198).  The stats WERE close. Maris (.269, 61 HR, 142 rbis. Mantle .317, 54 HR, 128 rbi)

For the $64,000 question, who came in 3rd in voting?  Try not to use your Google-fu before answering.  He wasn’t TOO far behind Maris and Mantle in votes and actually had a higher batting average, on-base percentage AND slugging percentage than Maris.

Here’s the answer

Instant Replay a non-issue at the GM meeting

Looks like baseball’s general managers weren’t interested about expanding the role of instant replay in baseball.  The topic wasn’t even brought up during their annual meeting on Tuesday.

"There are those who clamor for more and more instant replay," said Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB executive vice president of baseball operations, "I think we need to digest what we’ve got. I know some (general managers) have talked off-line about the expansion of instant replay, but the commissioner (Bud Selig) doesn’t see any reason to consider it."

Good on them, I say.  Even if you favor the system, it’s too soon to rush into it because a few umps made some bad calls. 

Thoughts on the 2009 Gold Glove Awards

The 2009 Gold Gloves were presented the other day.  Generally speaking, what struck me was this.  With an award that used to be awarded so traditionally, only two winners have more four to their credit.  Outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Torii Hunter both have nine Gold Glove Awards on their mantle.  In case you’re wondering, they’re 6th on the all-time list for outfielders (they have six more to go to catch Roberto Clemente).

Some thoughts on a few of the Gold Glove award winners:

Ryan Zimmerman finally got his Gold Glove.  The cynic in me says that he finally hit well enough to deserve the award.  He hit better than David Wright who somehow got it the past two years.  Zim led the NL in assists and was 2nd in putouts.

While Jimmy Rollins won the Gold glove for shortstop, my vote would have gone to Troy Tulowitzki.  Tulo was in the top two in the league in fielding percentage, putouts, zone rating, total chances, and assists.  Rollins had the advantage of leading the NL in fielding percentage, an overrated stat, in my opinion. 

I’m a big Orlando Hudson fan.  Let’s get that out of the way.  But I was a bit surprised when he got the award this year.  It was his fourth one of his career but last year, due to his injuries, Brandon Phillips took it away from him.  Baseball is such a game of tradition.  Despite his deserving it, I wasn’t sure if the coaches would give it back to him.

I’ve been critical of Derek Jeter’s glove work in the past but word has it his fielding has really taken a turn for the better.  That and a slightly weak (Orlando Cabrera excluded) competition, Jeter deserved it this time.

Outfielder and Pitcher Gold Gloves… almost irrelevant in most cases.  in the cases they are relevant, they get ignored for those who are good with the stick. 

NL Gold Glove Award winners

AL Gold Glove Award winners

New York Yankees capture 2009 title

I’m no Yankee fan but I give credit where credit is due.  The Yankees played like the Champions they are.  Indeed, with 40 league championships and 27 World Championships, it seems their franchise has been one long dynasty with short interruptions here and there.  

As I alluded to yesterday, the World Series MVP would probably be decided in last night’s game.  And Hideki Matsui left no room for error in judgment.  ‘Shemp’ drove in six runs in Game Six’ 7-3 clincher.   For the series, he hit .615 with three dingers and 8 rbis. 

The Yankees seem to be the team of New York and New York only.  They’re the Evil Empire.  But, let’s face it.  Without them, baseball wouldn’t be the same and probably wouldn’t be in as good as shape. 

In 2010, I’ll probably root for any team playing the Yankees as I do every year.  But for now, congrats to the to all the Yankee fans out there.  A job well done by the Bronx Bombers.

Baseball Reference’s stat summary of the World Series

Cops catch Lincecum with pot

Tim Lincecum’s timing was bit off last week. 

Last Friday, the former Cy Young award winner was caught with pot when he was stopped after driving 74 mph in a 60 mph zone.  Police found a pipe and 3.3 grams of marijuana. 

Lincecum was “cited and released” and will receive a fine for the misdemeanor. 

Rumor has it that the Giants won’t be taking action against him.  But secretly, they’re probably taking some satisfaction that Lincecum’s arbitration hearing will be coming up soon.  No doubt, this will come up during the hearings and perhaps have a little impact. 

Lay off the doobie, Tim.  It’ll cost you.

Bronx considering ‘Jeter Bridge’

Bronx officials have confirmed that they are considering naming a 512 foot bridge after Derek Jeter.  Which prompted this rather ‘ugh’ comment from Angela Montefinise of the NY Post:

Big Apple women may soon be able to take a ride on Derek Jeter — the bridge, that is.

As a commenter to her article notes, what happens if he somehow ends up on the Red Sox?  Yeah, yeah, Yankee fans, he’s Mr Pinstripes.  Don’t forget, he’s a businessman first and foremost.  Remember, Johnny Damon took the reverse route.

Good luck on the bridge thing New York fans.  And have fun, ladies.

(via Circling the Bases)

Utley: A case for a losing World Series MVP?

Outside of possibly Johnny Damon who is currently hitting .381 with 5 runs scored and 4 rbis, the Yankees are without a clear choice of a World Series MVP at this point.  Is it outside the realm of possibilities that even if the Yankees win it all, Chase Utley be named for this honor?

Through Game 5 of the Series, Utley leads both teams in runs scored (6), rbis (8) and of course homeruns (5).  Not only that, he was primarily responsible for two of the Philadelphia Phillies victories. 

The last and only player to win the World Series MVP for a losing team, ironically, was a Yankee.  In 1960, it wasn’t World Series hero Bill Mazeroski who garnered the award but Bobby Richardson. 

4954Bobby_Richardson Secondbaseman Richardson went 11 for 30 (.367) and drove in 12 runs and scored eight behind two doubles, two triples and a homer.  Most impressive credentials, indeed. 

That all said, my prediction is that conventional practice will prevail and the winner will share the spoils.  Should the Phils pull one out, Chase will most likely get the honor. 

It’s a crap shoot if the Yankees win.  Most likely, it will depend on what happens tonight but I’m giving Damon the edge right now.