Results matching “awards”

I’ve written more stuff about the American League Cy Young Award race than I ever wanted to, but the arguments keep going on, and I’m nothing if not a guy who likes to argue, so . . . The latest incarnation is not about the award itself. It’s about the debates about the award (set…

I’m not going to re-re-re-rehash the AL Cy Young arguments here, but this thing from the Daily News’ Bill Madden — Spink Award-winning Bill Madden — begs to be highlighted: The sabermetric guys are making the case for Seattle’s Felix Hernandez, who belies his 13-12 record with a league-leading 2.27 ERA, 249.2 innings, 30 quality…

As expected, Brad Ausmus announced his retirement yesterday after 18 seasons in the majors and over 15,000 innings logged behind the plate, saying: “I’m ready to stop playing. I just don’t feel like I cant contribute every day.” Ausmus struggled to stay healthy in two seasons as Russell Martin’s backup with the Dodgers, but was…

I’m certain that mine weren’t the best around in 2010. I’m pretty sure they weren’t the worst either. How were yours?

Yesterday the Pirates fired Double-A manager Matt Walbeck after he won the Eastern League championship and manager of the year award, which had many people scratching their heads. It still seems like an odd move given how successful Walbeck has been–winning four manager of the year awards and three championships in six seasons in the…

UPDATE: So much for that. The Dodgers had to scratch Hiroki Kuroda for Sunday’s start, which means Kershaw is going back in the rotation for Friday’s start, with Chad Billingsley and Ted Lilly picking up Saturday and Sunday. In other news, I am 100% certain that hundreds of players will be shut down for the…

Over at IIATMS, Larry takes on the manner in which folks have been trying to, um, inject PEDs into the narrative surrounding Jose Bautista’s 50-home run season.  It’s a good read, with a premise worth thinking about: while we can predict a lot on baseball, the unpredictable can still happen.  It’s funny how people can…

After my rant earlier this morning, I should make a point to notice when writers do get the awards votes right. Here’s one Ken Rosenthal. I’m no one, and I have my own, well-known set of biases, so I don’t expect to convince anyone in the BBWAA of anything even if I think I’m on…

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Dispatch was asked in a chat yesterday about last year’s Cy Young Vote and whether he thought Keith law and “others in the sabermetric crowd” had undue influence in awards outcomes. His response: There increasingly appears a campaign to discredit pitcher wins as a consideration. They are considered by…

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton was given a rare double-dose of cortisone injections on Wednesday of this week in the area of his sore ribcage.  It hasn’t helped. According to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, the injured MVP candidate felt the same Saturday as he did on Wednesday and is not optimistic about his chances of returning before…

Derek Jeter kind of sold his fake HBP last night. I mean, yeah, he got the call and I guess that’s the whole point. But he has a long way to go until he can consider himself a master of the genre. For example, check out this fine work by Yunel Escobar last year. He…

Hitters are penalized for the advantages Coors Field provides them. Why then, don’t we credit the pitchers?

Barring a change in the umpiring schedule, Jim Joyce is slated to be behind the plate for Armando Galarraga’s start tomorrow against the Orioles. Joyce was working first base when he infamously blew the call that would have given Galarraga a perfect game on June 2. Joyce immediately and emotionally admitted his mistake, Galarraga displayed…

Unlike the MVPs and other post season awards, no one ever talks smack about the Roberto Clemente award winner as being undeserving. That’s because it goes to the Major Leaguer who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team,” and even the worst snark can’t cut through…