Zack Greinke finishes 17th in MVP balloting

Just saw that too.

What’s really odd (at least to me) is that Mariano Rivera finished ahead of Zack (14th) in the voting. So, even though Rivera isn’t one of the best pitchers in the league (0 votes in the Cy Young voting), he is somehow slightly “more valuable” than Zack?

Tension is the enemy. - Charlie Lau

by aHorseWithNoName on Nov 23, 2009 2:35 PM EST reply actions

Was just coming to post that observation

Also interesting is the fact that both Verlander and Sabathia got a number of MVP vote points, but only one measly 10th-place vote for Felix Hernandez, who was overwhelmingly a consensus pick as 2nd-best pitcher in the AL, behind Zack.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Nov 23, 2009 2:39 PM EST up reply actions

shows that being on a winning team still matters a lot in MVP voters' minds

Blank

by benfunke on Nov 23, 2009 8:19 PM EST up reply actions

Or that the number of voters who want to vote pitchers as MVP is small and random.

by BrRoyal on Nov 23, 2009 9:42 PM EST up reply actions

Zack doesn't know how to win!

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by RoyalsRetro on Nov 23, 2009 2:44 PM EST up reply actions

Irrationality and subjectivity in an end-of-season award vote???

[GASP] I’m simply STUNNED!!

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by Sweep_the_Leg on Nov 23, 2009 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

As I noted to my "Tweeps" (both of them)

Given that Zack was about as far ahead of Mauer in WAR as Mauer was ahead of Jeter, shouldn’t there be more saber-outrage, if not over Zack placing merely 17th, than at least over Mauer coming closer to a unanimous win than Zack?

I guess it takes a has-been comedy writer to generate any momentum behind these things.

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by Matt Klaassen on Nov 23, 2009 3:01 PM EST reply actions

As I noted to my "Tweeps" (both of them)

Given that Zack was about as far ahead of Mauer in WAR as Mauer was ahead of Jeter, shouldn’t there be more saber-outrage, if not over Zack placing merely 17th, than at least over Mauer coming closer to a unanimous win than Zack?

I guess it takes a has-been comedy writer to generate any momentum behind these things.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Nov 23, 2009 3:01 PM EST reply actions

Nice double post. :)

Who is the “has been comedy writer”?

Also, Joe Posnanski is pretty much behind the Greinke and Mauer selections with his season long coverage of them and why they should win the awards.

by AxDxMx on Nov 23, 2009 6:27 PM EST up reply actions

that's crap

i’m upset, but not nearly as pissed had zack gotten the shaft

all in all, i score this voting season as one for the good guys

by AtTheWall on Nov 23, 2009 3:20 PM EST reply actions

I am disappointed on the Zack vote

He had an outstanding season, but pretty much ignored with this vote. The average finish of the top pitcher is 8.5. Zack had the 31st best ERA+ ever. He should have gotten more love.

Jeff Zimmerman - Protecting the world from RBI's and Wins from my mom's guest house.

by Jeff Zimmerman (TucsonRoyal) on Nov 23, 2009 3:27 PM EST reply actions

People don't want to vote for pitchers

I don’t have a problem with that position. While I’d certainly be inclined to reward a pitcher who’s overwhelmingly the best player in baseball in a given season, I’d certainly favor position players, since pitchers have an award that’s all their own.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Nov 23, 2009 3:45 PM EST up reply actions

Who the ****

Thought Miguel Cabrara was the most valuable player in the AL?

by kcbottom9th on Nov 23, 2009 3:28 PM EST reply actions

hmmm....

does Miguel Cabrara’s mom have a vote?

Tension is the enemy. - Charlie Lau

by aHorseWithNoName on Nov 23, 2009 3:30 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Keizo Konishi of the Seattle Time according to Crasnick of ESPN

Jeff Zimmerman - Protecting the world from RBI's and Wins from my mom's guest house.

by Jeff Zimmerman (TucsonRoyal) on Nov 23, 2009 3:33 PM EST up reply actions

I'm surprised

I figured it was the same guy who gave Verlander a first-place vote in the Cy…

This space for rent.

by jonfmorse on Nov 23, 2009 7:02 PM EST up reply actions

His drinking buddy perhaps?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Nov 23, 2009 4:13 PM EST up reply actions

Awards voting

Voters seemed more enlighted in both Cy Young races this year – but that award tends to award the best pitcher more often than the MVP awards the best player – even before the modern sabermetric age began.

I still think the voting for MVP factors in one’s team W-L record, impact on the pennant race, etc, and, there is still some thought that the award should not be for pitchers unless the pitcher had an exceptional year AND no position players on a playoff team really stood out a lot from the other contenders.

All that being said, I realistically thought Greinke deserved a top 10 finish. (My personal ballot would have been Mauer, Jeter, Greinke, F Hernandez for the top 4). I’m not sure I’d have had Cabrera any higher than about 9th, and Teixeira doesn’t even make my top 10.

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by loyal2sdad on Nov 23, 2009 4:03 PM EST reply actions

Robbed.

by Dadunca on Nov 23, 2009 4:33 PM EST reply actions

We all know...

Greinke can hit better than him as well. Too bad the rest of the world doesnt know Zack = Babe Ruth of the 21at century.

by KCG816 on Nov 23, 2009 5:04 PM EST reply actions

Ben Zobrist got completely jobbed too

One 6th place vote was the best he got.

I was optimistic about the BBWAA after last week. They are slipping again.

by kcbottom9th on Nov 23, 2009 8:31 PM EST reply actions

Maybe they considered what he did a fluke as his BABIP was ridiculously high wasn't it?

by AxDxMx on Nov 23, 2009 9:18 PM EST up reply actions

well, I like Zobrist

but I can be okay with that one, I guess… I mean, there’s big enough error bars on defensive stats (I’d love to know what his cumulative Dewan’s is) that it could be off.

Greinke and Lincecum were great selections. Mauer was fine, despite all my curmudgeonly griping, although it wasn’t as daring a choice as the other two.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs.

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by Matt Klaassen on Nov 23, 2009 9:26 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah

I’m not saying he should have won or anything. But the best he can get is a single 6th place vote? Harsh.

by kcbottom9th on Nov 23, 2009 9:41 PM EST up reply actions

I am amazed he ended up 8th.

MLB’s writers mentioned 3 Rays as Dark Horses and Zobrist was not one of them. I could not find one mainstream media outlet that listed him as a candidate.

Jeff Zimmerman - Protecting the world from RBI's and Wins from my mom's guest house.

by Jeff Zimmerman (TucsonRoyal) on Nov 23, 2009 11:10 PM EST up reply actions