Comments on: Miguel Cabrera homers twice to reach 40 for the first time

By: mustbechris

mustbechris — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 01:08:49 +0000

not talking about deserving, just saying he probably won’t take it too personally. dude’s like 20, which is still the invincibility stage of life

By: Lukehart80

Lukehart80 — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:50:03 +0000

Trout is the MVP today for the same reason he was the MVP a month ago: He’s been the best player in baseball.

By: Lukehart80

Lukehart80 — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:46:09 +0000

Kevin, what do Cabrera’s years of consistency have to do with this year’s MVP vote?

I would rather face Prince Fielder than Cabrera too, but again, what does that have to d with Cabrera’s case against Trout?

I would agree that Fielder is the best hitter in baseball. Yet Trout has been almost entirely his equal there. Meanwhile, Trout has done much more damage as a runner, giving him an overall offensive edge. The only way to even have them close is to ignore defense, where Cabrera has been passable at best, problematic at worst, while Trout has been one of the very best fielders in all of baseball.

By: Kevin Gillman

Kevin Gillman — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:30:36 +0000

Either baseball players or baseball managers should vote, because they are actually a part of the game, and does not hold grudges against players, like the media does. And the MVP is an offensive stat. Always has been, unless a pitcher is rewarded it, like last season. Otherwise it’s never about base running, and it’s never about defense. Still is.

By: Kevin Gillman

Kevin Gillman — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:28:24 +0000

Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter in baseball, period. He has had years of consistency, driving in runs, hitting over .300, and finally has 40 HRs to his list. You SERIOUSLY think Trout deserves that award over Miggy? If you’re an Angels fan, I understand, but come on. Mike also hits lead off, where Miggy is in that middle of the lineup, and I personally would rather face Prince than Cabrera, if I was a pitcher, because at least Prince has a hole, a small one mind you, but you can strike him out. Cabrera nine times out of ten will get you, even if it’s not a HR, it’s a big double driving in the tying run.

By: papacrick

papacrick — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:44:05 +0000

The trout lovers are grasping at anything now to crown him. A month ago he was the MVP because he had the best slugging and ops. Now all of the sudden these stats don’t mean anything because he was left in the dust by Miggy. Now the Trout lovers are hanging onto stolen bases and home run saving catches as the most valuable contribution since that is the only significant category Trout is leading.

By: anythingbutyanks

anythingbutyanks — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:40:14 +0000

Or he could get hit in the face by a wild pitch and his career could be over. No one is guaranteed 15 more years or even one, so if he is the most deserving player this year (and his advanced stats say he is the most valuable), then he should win it this year.

By: thefalcon123

thefalcon123 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:37:16 +0000

“No question who is MVP this year and it’s not even close.”

You’re right. Mike Trout is the MVP and it *isn’t* close.

That’s what you were getting at right? I only read the one sentence.

By: ptfu

ptfu — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:34:22 +0000

They have other awards for best hitter, too. Check out the Silver Slugger and Hank Aaron awards.

This award says it’s for most valuable PLAYER, not hitter or defender or intangibles leader (sorry Michael Young) or awesomeness leader (sorry Jeff Francouer). So how about let’s give it to whoever was most valuable overall for everything?

IMHO Trout should be the MVP. His exceptional defense and baserunning (Miggy sucks at both) make up for Trout having fewer extra base hits. I don’t put much stock in RBIs because they’re a team accomplishment as much as an individual one.

That said, I think Trout’s biggest weakness is in games played–not Miggy doing well in 45 PAs with two outs and RISP or whatever other cherry-picked scenario you can come up with. Most valuable PLAYER, remember? which implies you have to actually play, and Trout barely did that in April, and now has played ~20 fewer games than the other MVP candidates. That, and the historical weight behind (nearly?) winning the Triple Crown, could give the MVP to Miggy, and I can live with this.

By: ajcardsfan

ajcardsfan — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:55:16 +0000

If he pulls it off, I’m flipping a coin for who gets MVP. Both him and Trout are equally deserving, think we could convince them to share?

By: flyerscup2010

flyerscup2010 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:02:27 +0000

i think i just posted my user name as a comment. dumb

trout probably won’t be too broken up if cabrera wins the mvp this year, knowing in the back of his mind he probably has the next 15 or so on lock

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:00:43 +0000

Yes, in ’42 and ’47.

By: flyerscup2010

flyerscup2010 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:00:12 +0000

flyerscup2010

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:58:25 +0000

My own personal opinion is sportswriters should never select who wins the MVP, because there is always an agenda, it’s never about “Who had the BEST season”.

Ok, so then how should we judge viable MVP candidates?

So who is having the BEST season? I have to believe it’s either Hamilton or Miggy. But I will go with Miggy, because he has more RBIs, and is hitting 44 points higher than Josh.

RBI and BA? Is this the 1980s? Does defense not count? What about base running?

By: scapistron

scapistron — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:53:37 +0000

didn’t Williams win the triple crown, but still lose out on the MVP?

By: mungman69

mungman69 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:10:25 +0000

I think that the MVP should be on a team that makes the playoffs. Beltre!

By: papacrick

papacrick — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 06:13:56 +0000

Cabrera leads everybody in batting average, RBI, slugging, and OPS. He is the best player in the 7th inning or later. Hits a ridiculous .465 with two outs and RISP. No question who is MVP this year and it’s not even close. Since when has this award included defense because I can’t remember anyone winning it with their glove. They have a different award for that

By: Lukehart80

Lukehart80 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:54:03 +0000

“But let him grow into a MLB player.”

If Trout has been the best player in baseball, what’s the need to wait?

“The Angels still have Albert to rely on, where as the Tigers and Rangers wouldn’t be where they are at If it wasn’t for Miggy and Josh.”

Austin Jackson has been Pujols’ equal (or better) this year, to say nothing of Justin Verlander or Prince Fielder. Meanwhile, Josh Hamilton hasn’t even been the best player on his own team, Adrian Beltre has. Including teammates is a silly MVP discussion tactic anyway, and it doesn’t even make the point you want it to in this case.

By: Kevin Gillman

Kevin Gillman — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:26:39 +0000

My own personal opinion is sportswriters should never select who wins the MVP, because there is always an agenda, it’s never about “Who had the BEST season”. An example is in 1995, Albert Belle was the only hitter in MLB that hit 40 HRs, and 40 Doubles, plus he hit over .300, on an Indians team that won 100 games in just 144 games. Yet, he didn’t win the MVP.

So who is having the BEST season? I have to believe it’s either Hamilton or Miggy. But I will go with Miggy, because he has more RBIs, and is hitting 44 points higher than Josh.

Having said that though, it wouldn’t surprise me if Trout does win, because writers are infatuated with the kid, he can truly do no wrong. He has put up big numbers, but let him grow into a MLB player. The Angels still have Albert to rely on, where as the Tigers and Rangers wouldn’t be where they are at, if it wasn’t for Miggy and Josh. I hope I am wrong though, but I think Trout wins.

By: skeleteeth

skeleteeth — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 02:41:10 +0000

2012 AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS

Bases Empty 290 93 18 0 23 23 31 47 0 0 .321 .388 .621 1.009
Runners On 273 93 19 0 15 100 29 41 4 1 .341 .401 .575 .976
RISP 161 58 12 0 7 79 19 23 1 0 .360 .419 .565 .985
RISP 2 Outs 45 21 3 0 4 29 6 6 0 0 .467 .529 .800 1.329
Bases Full 8 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 0 0 .125 .167 .125 .292

Minus sacks packed (which doesn’t include the GS tonight), this guys is a beast. It’s like he just simply subtracts power and gets even more lethal with contact and zone knowledge. Very impressive.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 02:38:31 +0000

I doubt that he has to win the Triple Crown to win the MVP title. He just has to be very close in all 3 categories. As far as the slam off Chavez is concerned, I do wonder what Oakland was thinking when they claimed Chavez off waivers from Toronto. The Jays had called up Chavez in the middle of the season when they lost 3 starting pitchers to injury. He was given enough opportunities by the Jays to show that he belonged in the majors and he demonstrated that he was not a major league pitcher.

By: datdangdrewdundunituhgin

datdangdrewdundunituhgin — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 02:32:03 +0000

if he can pull it off, i think that deserves an MVP title. on a side note, i think your qualifier that the tigers may not go to the post-season rings a bit hollow when the angels and mike trout are in that same sinking boat. i’m not being a homer when i say i am rooting for cabrera to pull it off!

By: dondada10

dondada10 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 02:21:51 +0000

Even with diminished importance placed on “counting stats” such as batting average and RBI, it would still be damn cool to see somebody win a Triple Crown.

I’ve never seen that.