From time to time I’ll receive random tweets and texts about sports issues. After a quick conversation, the argument is usually settled and I’ll go back to yelling at my fantasy teams or surfing Vegas books for the line I’m most likely to lose money on (this past week it was Green Bay -9.5). But when my buddy Sean sent me a drunk text at 12:30 AM CT the other night, the debate was on…
SEAN: Verlander isn’t MVP, and I’m arguing about it vehemently around here…
BOGGAN: Well, you know my opinion about it . But just because I think he should win, doesn’t mean he will. All the voters are old school guys who believe it should go to someone who plays more than once every five days. They’re still crying about Clemens winning in ’86.
SEAN: And they have a good reason to be bitching. Verlander doesn’t deserve it. He only played in 34 games. Even though he won 24, that’s not even 25% of his teams games that he played in!
BOGGAN: He’s a 24 game winner though! Throw his stats next to the rest of the staffs:
24-5, 2.40 ERA, 251.0 IP, 250 K
40-29, 4.83 ERA, 558.2 IP, 352 K
And before you start complaining about the inaccuracy of those numbers, know that I REFUSE to count Fister. He was 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA in Seattle, than miraculously spun a 1.79 ERA and 8 wins with Detroit once he joined them after the deadline. That’s like if Stafford left for another team and played all 16 games.
SEAN: That’s because Fister went from the AL West to the AL Central. I know that (other than Texas) the AL west isn’t exactly full of offensive juggernauts, but the AL central is even worse. Taking the Tigers out of the equation, look at the AL centrals hitting. Kansas City is the best there is. Kansas effing City! And they weren’t even relevant after the all-star break, let alone earlier than that.
Which is another reason Verlander doesn’t deserve MVP (by the way, stupid name for the award. Most Outstanding Player would be better). If Verlander puts up the numbers he did in the AL East instead of the AL Central, I don’t have a big problem with him winning. But we already know he’s gonna take home the Cy Young. Why can’t we stop there?
BOGGAN: One thing at a time. Let’s throw Verlander into the AL West. Hell, let’s take it a step further and say that Seattle somehow talked the Tigers into trading him straight up for Fister during Spring Training (the equivalent of the Herschel Walker deal). I say he still collects 18 wins behind that “please let me go blind so I don’t have to watch this” offense. Atleast give me that he wouldn’t be 3-12 just a few weeks after the all-star break.
And I totally agree. I don’t understand how we came up with the term “Valuable” in the first place. Better yet, I don’t understand why we have yet to define it.
Every year the same argument arises. No one, not even the voters, know whether we’ll be voting the MVP as the player with the best statistics or the player that helped his team the most. A-rod obviously doesn’t win the award here if we’re handing it out to the latter. We need to separate the two.
I’m thinking Cy Young (Verlander), Most Outstanding (Ellsbury or Bautista), and Most Important to One’s Team a.k.a Anyone But Terrell Owens Award (still, give me Verlander).
SEAN: Bautista would be my vote, but he plays in the hell-hole known as Toronto. And Verlander is no doubt a good pitcher, but I can’t take his performance seriously when he plays in such a terrible offensive division. Also, he never had a ND because of a blown save since his closer was perfect all year. I don’t have the advanced metrics on that stat, but I’m willing to bet there were several great pitchers who lost out on wins this year because of lousy late inning help.
With the years Benoit and Papa Grande had in the bullpen, Verlander had the opportunity to pick up wins, as opposed to guys on other teams who might’ve lost wins because of bad relievers. I feel like no one has addressed this aspect.
BOGGAN: Ok, well then let’s erase our imaginary awards and only hand out an MVP. You can’t give it to Bautista because of the Toronto debacle. Granderson would be a great suggestion (41 HR, 119 RBI) but he had Tex and Cano as insurance, which technically puts them in the same category. Gonzalez’ name will be brought up a bunch, but he was one of FOUR BoSox to finish in the top 10 in AVG. (By the way, did you know that Casey Kotchman finished ninth in the AL with a 3.06 BA? How the hell does that never get mentioned? Better yet, how the hell does that happen?)
What about Miggy? Surely he can be thought of as a strong candidate. But my argument is that Detroit goes to the playoffs if he’s absent. Without Verlander, even the White Sox could trump them.
Take Verlander off the staff and you have Scherzer going every fifth day against opposing aces. That also moves Brad “lethargic” Penny into the four spot, making room for God-knows -who as your five. But, if we take out Cabrera, Martinez could get a few more looks at first base while Avila stays behind the plate. On the days when V-Mart bats as a DH, Boesch and Rayburn could be our outfield specialists, depending on whether we’re facing a righty or south-paw. That might not equal 90+ wins, but who cares when you’re stuck in the central. It’s crazy, yes. But it can be done.
Think of it this way: Verlander is the guitar solo at the beginning of ” Money For Nothing ” and Cabrera is the drums. Without the guitar solo, the drums at the beginning just play into the first line of the song. But, when you keep the guitar solo in, the drums compliment it nicely. And that’s exactly what Cabrera does for Verlander. He compliments him.
And the rest of the Tigers are that salvia-trip of a music video.
SEAN: Well I think, without a doubt, they make the playoffs without Verlander. Detroit still ran away with that division, and they still win if Scherzer is their number one. I’ll agree that Brad Penny sucks, but if the Yankee’s can win with their rotation in the AL Central, then I’m inclined to believe that the Tigers can get by without Verlander. I think the fact that Miggy is an everyday player automatically makes him a better option for MVP. I just can’t agree that a guy is the “Most Valuable” when he only plays every fifth day.
And the guitar solo is definitely flashier to any idiot that passively listens to the song, but the drums are the rhythm that forms the basis for the entire beat, much like how Miggy’s everyday play leads the entire team and sets a winning precedent to follow.
BOGGAN: Thanks for the almost well hidden “idiot” jab.
And if he can’t/won’t/shouldn’t get it in your mind, then who does?
SEAN: Here’s the thing, I’ve never argued for one particular player. I’m more of the opinion that it NOT be given to a pitcher. If a pitcher someday goes out and wins 90%+ of his games, then I’m willing to rethink my stance. But the fact of the matter is that they already give out the Cy Young Award, which can obviously only be handed out to throwers. The MVP should be set aside for guys that play and have an everyday influence on the outcome of games. Those guys are clearly more valuable than someone who has an influence on only 20% of the games.
Baseball is much more different than other sports in that the regular season is a GRIND. When teams play 162 games, and divisions and playoff spots are decided on the last day of the season, it makes no sense to say the most valuable player on your team is a guy who plays once a week. The playoffs are a different animal when it comes to a pitchers influence, but the MVP award is for the regular season, so we won’t even break down that difference. In a perfect world, Michael Young would get my vote for MVP for the combo of what he went through in the offseason, the way he lead the Rangers clubhouse, the fact that he probably played more games than any other ranger when he was only a utility infielder/DH, and the sheer numbers he put up at this point of his career. But I say that FULLY admitting my extreme Ranger bias.
I think Adrian Gonzalez deserves it with the year he put together, even though the Sox didn’t make the playoffs. Hell, I don’t care. Give it to stupid A-Rod for all I give a damn. As long as it isn’t Verlander.
At least we can both agree what really matters is that the Rangers are still playing while all the other guys we’ve talked about are sitting on their couches at home, watching and wishing. And luckily, I don’t have to wish since I get to go to game 5 tonight (editors note: #humblebrag), tailgate, drink beer, eat grilled processed meat, and watch my favorite boyhood team (hopefully) take it to the Carp and the Cards, moving within one game of that damned elusive trophy. Ah, the American dream…
BOGGAN: Way to describe everything the Red Sox did in their dugout this season. And just think…one of those guys could be the MVP.