AL MVP

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

What say you?

[Shoalzie]

Short answer: I voted for Cabrera; doing something that hasn't been done since '67 and his team is actually going to the playoffs

Ellsbury had a comparable year to Trout last year where he finished runner-up to Verlander for MVP. Over 162 since Trout missed didn't play in April, Trout hits a few more home runs, Ellsbury drives in about 10 more runs and the BA is similar, Trout hit 3 points higher. Ellsbury had a large edge in doubles but Trout has the eye-popping runs scored...he'd score 151 runs over 162 games...and he beats Ellsbury in steals by a pretty good margin.

Cabrera is what he is...a slugger and a run producer but he's also a very good pure hitter. He doesn't run the bases well nor is he a defensive standout like Trout but nobody handled the bat as well as he did all season. He strikes not nearly as much as Trout...42 fewer times to be exact in 64 fewer at bats.

As far as all-around play, of course Trout is as much a 5-tool player as 5-tool gets but as far as pure fear factor at the plate, Cabrera stands alone. He hit .356 with RISP and .337 in the 7th inning or later. Anyone can point to the fact he had Fielder hitting behind but he was still walked intentionally 17 times. The fact he puts balls in play so often, he grounds into the most double plays this year...that's one of his few flaws at the plate.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Call me old fashioned and being in love with primitive metrics, but I think winning the Triple Crown and your Division means you win the MVP.

One of my friends asked me... "since when does 3 Aces beat any 5 card hand (flush, straight, full house). Think about it."

Good point, I guess.

[Shoalzie]

If the Triple Crown is something that can brushed aside...why hasn't it been done more often?

Obvious bias on my part with Cabrera...I've watched the guy since he's come to Detroit and produce consistently. He could've won that MVP from Hamilton a couple years ago. Part of me thinks he's just due for one and if he can achieve something offensively that hasn't been done in half a century...when will he ever win it?

[Screw_Michigan]

I'd vote for Cabrera. Too bad dude isn't still getting blackout drunk with Ozzie Guillen on nights before the team is playing for the division anymore.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Even if you don't consider defense, extra bases, stolen bases or runs scored in the criteria then how about Wins?

The angels record with Trout since he arrived: 82-57.
Before Trout 6-14

Jeff Passan sums it up pretty well: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/10-degrees ... eason.html

Except Cabrera came on real strong in the last two months of the season. Detroit simply wouldn't be in the playoffs without his play in August and September. As good as Trout is, he wasn't nearly as clutch as Cabrera.

Anyway, I'm not sure you can compare a sample size of 139 games to 20 games. The Angels were a good team who came up a little short in a tough division. And how much of that 6-14 had to do with Pujols sucking ass?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Trout has had a steady decline in multiple statistical categories since the All-Star break. I think pitchers started to figure him out a little bit. His BA in particular dropped 30 points from August to September.

Obviously, all the games count the same, but when each guy's respective team needed him the most, Cabrera was the better/more clutch player down the stretch. Oh, and...

2 outs with RISP, Trout: .286
2 outs with RISP, Cabrera: .491

That's just ridiculous.

I agree that Detroit played in the weaker division, but the bottom line is one guy's team is in the playoffs while the other guy will be watching from his couch. With the extra wild card spot, the Angels still couldn't secure a berth.

Jesus, if winning the Triple Crown and leading your team into the playoffs doesn't win you the MVP...what should? I'm sure the media wants to latch onto Trout and make him the face of baseball. That'll be the only thing preventing Cabrera from winning the award.

That said, Triple Crown and no MVP wouldn't be the end of the world. MVPs get handed out once a year. Triple Crown hasn't been achieved since 1967. That would be way cooler.

But both would be better.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Well, these numbers reflect the entire season, not cherry-picking.

2 outs with RISP, Trout: .286
2 outs with RISP, Cabrera: .491

Trout's had a great year. Just not a better one. Rookie of the Year, going away.

[Shoalzie]

Weak division, yes...but Cabrera hitting against the 4 playoff teams:

vs. Baltimore (22 AB, .500 AVG, 3 HR, 3 RBI)
vs. New York (39 AB, .308 AVG, 5 HR, 11 RBI)
vs. Oakland (29 AB, .483 AVG, 3 HR, 14 RBI)
vs. Texas (38 AB, .368 AVG, 1 HR, 9 RBI)

He didn't fatten up on the cream puffs and from looking at those numbers, I'm looking forward to seeing the A's in the ALDS.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

It's official. Cabrera just locked up the Triple Crown. Also, rack the classy fans in KC. They applauded him several times throughout the game.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Also, rack the classy fans in KC.

Why am I picturing KC Paul hurling a half-eaten donut** at Cabrera and Wags chucking his empty bottle of Bud Light at him?

** I know this makes zero sense. Paul hurls these things down his throat, not at somebody.

[Shoalzie]

I'll second that RACK to KCFan...that was a great way to cap off the regular season. I can remember KCFan giving Miggy a warm ovation at the All-Star Game as well. Those fans deserve better than what they've had...buy some pitching this winter, will ya? Luke Hochevar and Bruce Chen aren't front line starters...

Was it appropriate that I had 3 beers in honor of the Triple Crown? Probably should've had 3 Crown and Cokes actually. I hope he doesn't get the third leg of the drunken idiot Triple Crown...he already had the drunken spat with his wife the night before a huge game, a late night of drunk driving before spring training. I hate to think what the third thing is. Going Leonard Little/Nick Adenhart (too soon?) on a car full of whitebread whities in suburban Detroit? I give the guy credit for staying away from the champagne parties in the clubhouse the last two years. Since the last arrest, I haven't heard of any dumb stuff since.

[War Wagon]

It's official. Cabrera just locked up the Triple Crown. Also, rack the classy fans in KC. They applauded him several times throughout the game.

They had a huge walk up crowd last night, over 30k showed up for a meaningless game. I'd like to think it was Royals fans showing the team some love for playing hard all season, looking forward to next year, and surely some of those who showed up can be attributed to that.

But more likely, they went to see a potential Triple Crown winner coronated, and they got their wish. Rack the Tigers for pulling Miggy out for a pinch runner in the 4th inning, giving both teams and the fans a chance to properly recognize a feat that hadn't been accomplished in 45 years.





Royals fans cheer Cabrera’s feat
By SAM McDOWELL
The Kansas City Star


A soft-spoken Miguel Cabrera joked Tuesday night that he prefers to stay out of the national spotlight.

Good luck with that.

A day later at Kauffman Stadium, Cabrera, the Tigers’ third baseman became the first player in 45 years to win the long-coveted Triple Crown — he finished the regular season as the American League leader in batting average, home runs and RBIs.

All eyes were on Cabrera as Ramon Santiago replaced him at third base with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday. Cabrera went hitless in two at-bats.

The 30,383 fans at Kauffman Stadium — the largest crowd since July 13, one day after the All-Star break — provided Cabrera a standing ovation as he left the field with baseball’s 14th Triple Crown of the modern era all but secured.

“Very emotional,” Cabrera said. “It was like playing at home to have all the fans cheer for you. It was an unbelievable feeling. I was very thankful for the fans here in Kansas City. It was a great moment in my life.”

Along with the fans, the Tigers and Royals players stood clapping until Cabrera re-emerged from the dugout for a curtain call. He waved his navy blue Tigers cap to the crowd and tilted his glove toward the Royals’ dugout.

With that, baseball’s first Triple Crown winner since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski disappeared back into the Tigers’ dugout. Cabrera finished the season with a .330 average and a career-high 44 home runs and 139 RBIs.

“Our fans are very knowledgeable,” said Royals manager Ned Yost, who moved to the top step of the dugout to applaud Cabrera. “They appreciate that. I was, our whole team was, giving him a standing ovation. What he did was nothing less than amazing.”

The biggest threat to Cabrera’s historic run Wednesday was surprisingly Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson, who hit a pair of home runs to inch within one after Cabrera had already been removed from the game. After hitting No. 43, though, Granderson did not bat again.

Meanwhile, Angels rookie Mike Trout collected two hits in three at-bats, but he still finished the season with a .326 average — four points behind Cabrera.

“I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Miguel Cabrera,” Yastrzemski said in a statement released by the Major League Baseball. “I am glad that he accomplished this while leading his team to the American League Central title.”

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he allowed Cabrera to decide if he wanted to play Wednesday. With a sizable lead in all three categories entering the regular-season finale, Cabrera slid into his usual No. 3 spot in the Tigers’ lineup.

Facing Royals starter Luis Mendoza, Cabrera flew out to center fielder Jarrod Dyson in the first inning and struck out swinging in the third in the Tigers’ 1-0 victory.

Against the Royals in 2012, Cabrera hit .314 (22 for 70) with one home run and seven RBIs. He is a lifetime .333 hitter against the Royals.

“I don’t believe this happened right now,” Cabrera said. “I didn’t believe a few weeks ago this was going to happen. But you always dream.”

[Shoalzie]

4-4 on the votes so far...can't say I'm all that surprised.

Trout had a dynamic season and if he continues this throughout his career, he'll win multiple MVPs because not many players capable of doing what he does in the AL. The majority of the base-stealers in the AL are lighter hitting guys. Early projections of him had many comparing him to Mickey Mantle...at the very least, he's a more athletic version of Ryan Braun.

[M Club]

But more likely, they went to see a potential Triple Crown winner coronated, and they got their wish. Rack the Tigers for pulling Miggy out for a pinch runner in the 4th inning, giving both teams and the fans a chance to properly recognize a feat that hadn't been accomplished in 45 years.

Kind of wish it was Robinson Cano winning the Triple Crown in KC instead.

[Mace]

Cabrera won the Triple Crown and should be the MVP, although I think Trout will be the better player in the long haul. If Trout is the real deal (and I think he is) and can avoid serious injury, he'll win the MVP award in future years. There's a good case for both of them but I think the TC trumps Trout's accomplishments and that the voters will concur.