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Well, actually there was.  The vote was close (378-351).  Andruw Jones and his 51 homeruns gave Albert a run for his money. 

Pujols was humble in victory:

 ”A lot of the fans and even the players, they missed Barry,” Pujols said of the seven-time MVP, who had won the previous four seasons. “I wished he would have been healthy and played.”

Through 5 years, Pujols has averaged 40 homers, 124 ribbies, and a .332 batting average. 

He may only have been out of the starting gates only 5 years but my gut feeling tells me that barring major injury or scandal, this man will be speaking in front of many people in Cooperstown when his time comes.

Time will tell.

 

 

No clever headlines about Colon showing “intestinal fortitude”. 

I expected Bartolo to take the prize but I didn’t expect him to run away with it.  He was the clear winner at almost a two-to-one margin (118-68).  And I certainly didn’t expect Mariano Rivera be the runner-up.  I’m showing my bias here.  No, I don’t mean my anti-Yankee bias.  I’m talking voting for relievers for Cy Young.  I don’t believe in voting for someone who pitched 78 innings, no matter how well, for Cy Young.  Eight New Yorkers voters thought Rivera was the best pitcher in the AL and gave him a first place vote.  Sorry, I don’t buy it.

Anyway, I’m surprised Mark Buehrle didn’t get a few more votes.  He ended up with 5 third place votes. 

 

 

I don’t think this was a big surprise to anyone. 

Clemens had probably the best stretch of eight or nine games ever pitched since the days of Gibson but he was plagued by incredibly bad run support by the Astros which explains his 13-8 record despite his 1.87 ERA.  The other major contender Dontrell Willis did have one more win and did have a slightly lower ERA (2.63 to 2.83) but considerably lower winning percentage (.688 to .808) and less strikeouts (170 to 213).

But I could quote stats to you till I’m blue in face but you and I know that once we get to the “A” list, stats aren’t what it’s about when deciding awards like Cy Young and MVP.  Carp won the Cy Young because he played for a contending team or more precisely, the team he was on was a contending team was in part, because he was pitching for them.  Carpenter played an important part in the Cardinals playoff run.  Something Willis, despite how well he pitched, can’t claim.

 

Bud Selig is treading dangerous waters here.  He hinted that at the GM meetings, they would discuss reviewing the record books in light of the steroid scandal.  But he seemed to step back from that as soon as he suggested it.  The actual quote:

 “The whole record thing is on table — after we get this cleaned up, we can look at that,” said Selig, who continues to lobby the players union for a stricter steroid-testing program – and emphasized again that he will support Congressional legislation in lieu of an agreement with the players. “I’m not saying we will do anything because there doesn’t seem to be a practical way of doing anything about it.”

Bud seems to be borrowing from Karl Rove’s strategy book.  Suggest an unpopular or radical idea then retract it or imply that may not be possible. But the job is done.  He’s put the idea in people’s minds as a conceivable action. 

Maybe I’m wrong but most serious baseball fans are against this.  The idea of re-writing baseball history can have dangerous implications and could start some bad precedents.  Where this could go is anyone’s guess. 

Another baseball mecca has met its doom.  On Monday, the demolition of Busch Stadium has begun. 

Whenever anything like this happens, I cringe.  I think of the history, the memories that go with it.  I think of Ebbets Field which now just has a plaque where it once stood.  I think of Wrigley Field and one day when politicians and corporate executives who will eventually see it as out of date and schedule it for the same fate as Busch.

But surprisingly, I hear a different tune from at least some die-hard Cardinal fans.  They say the park is falling apart.  They say that it’s difficult to get a good view of the game.  They say the amenities are lacking. 

So do I cry a tear for Busch Stadium?  Well, yes.  I do.  I’ve been to Busch more than any stadium other than Wrigley.  Despite the complaints from the ungrateful Cardinal fans (just kidding, guys, I love ya) I had a great time. 

But progress is progress, I guess.  Do it right the first time though.

  Color me surprised.  Maybe I’m different but I didn’t expect these two win the award.  Not to say they deserve it in any way or anything like that but I guess I didn’t see them as high profile as Cano or Taveras. 

Street saved 23 in 27 opportunities (in other words, he blew 4 games in 27 opp. but hey, it’s all perspective) with a 1.72.  He is the second Oakland player in two years to win the award.  Bobby Crosby won in 2004. 

Howard bopped out 22 dingers in 2005 for the Phillies.  The media touts that half of these were during the Wild Card hunt.  The Phils were 16-6 when 16-6 when Howard when he homered. 

from mlb.com

 

Real quick but it’s worth mentioning… John Smoltz won the Roberto Clemente Award for community service. 

All those years with Mazzone and he musta tore his hair out.  Just kidding… way to go, Duke.

*Sigh*  This is not the kind of stuff you want to read in your hometown paper.  That a local scientist has been indicted in the BALCO scandal.

Alas, it is true.  Champaign scientist Patrick Arnold has been indicted for allegedly supplying BALCO with the drug known as “the Clear”.  He is charged on three counts which of course, Arnold claims he is innocent.

The details according to the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette article:

 A statement from Ryan’s office said Arnold was indicted for:
   – Conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids.
   – Conspiracy to defraud consumers and the government by introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
   – Introducing and delivering “the Clear” into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud.
   Specifically, the statement said Arnold conspired to misbrand and distribute three drugs: Norbolethone, tetrahydragestrinone (also known as THG or “the Clear”) and desoxymethyltestosterone (also known as DMT or “Madol”).

Arnold is looking at a possible 8 years and $500,000 fine if found guilty.

Arnold worked for Proviant Technologies in Champaign.  I’m wondering if he worked alone or he had accomplices.  No mention of anyone else in the article.  Proviant Technologies is cooperating with the authorities.

Followup:  Just noticed it made the national media.  I’ll bet Champaign politicians love seeing their town’s name in the nation’s media limelight. 

Here are the National League Gold Glove winners:

P	Greg Maddux	Chicago Cubs
C	Mike Matheny	San Francisco Giants
1B	Derrek Lee	Chicago Cubs
2B	Luis Castillo	Florida Marlins
3B	Mike Lowell	Florida Marlins
SS	Omar Vizquel	San Francisco Giants
OF	Andruw Jones	Atlanta Braves
OF	Jim Edmonds	St. Louis Cardinals
OF	Bobby Abreu	Philadelphia Phillies

Florida, Chicago and San Fran make up the whole infield with two each.  Greg Maddux wins his 15th GG, one less than record holders Brooks Robinson and Jim Kaat. 

On the other end, Abreu and Lowell win their first GG.

 

 

Well, to be fair, they are every year.  As I understand it, every umpire goes through a review process over the off-season.  This includes reviewing the films of their calls.  Just as everyone goes through a performance evaluation, so do the umpires.

But here comes the media.  They focus on the high profile calls.  The ones that made the headlines.  Such as this article by the USA Today which highlights the infamous Doug Eddings’ drop third strike call.  In my mind, that was not the most egregious call even in the postseason.  There were plenty of mistakes made by the men in blue that warrant review.  I saw out calls while the ball was lying on the ground, a fielder tagging the runner with his empty glove and more.  The good news is that most of these calls were reversed after a conference between the umps and without intervention from a third party.

That all said, I don’t believe in instant replay and assuming that a review process is strictly adhered to, the umpire’s call stands.  Like umpire Bill Klem said, “It ain’t nuthin’ till I call it.”