A King-Sized Worry: Will Royal Greats Split MVP Voting?
by Freneau on Apr 15, 2010 12:26 AM EDT
in Kansas City Royals News
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PrintI'm starting to get worried. Worried about the AL MVP. Last year, we tried to tell ourselves it didn't matter, but when Zack Greinke took home the 2009 AL Cy Young, trust me, it mattered.
I want to know that feeling again. Only now, I'm deeply afraid that the Royals lineup will be so good, that the rightful Royal candidates, instead of going 1-2-3, will draw support away from one another, and we'll see something terrible happen. It may be unfair and intellectually dishonest, but in 2010, we'll likely need the KC media corps to really rally around one single Royal, perhaps at the expense of his teammates.
So who should it be?
The Current Leader - Scott Podsednik: He's not likely to keep hitting .457, but right now .370 looks like the floor for Pods. Assuming he remains over .400, he'll probably run away with the award. Many voters will love Pods' throwback game. .400 with 150 steals and no homers will send a huge statement that the Steroid Era is over.
The Non-Traditional/Traditional Winner - Jose Guillen: We know that Guillen will slow down a little, but right now I've got him pegged for 55 homers and 150 RBIs. Trey Hillman has intimated he might put Scotty Pods directly behind Guillen in the batting order, so teams won't be able to give Guillen the Bonds treatment. The one problem will be that Guillen might primarily be a DH (though Moore has promised to get him innings in CF) which might cost him with some voters. If Pods gets below .390, a big if, the Royals cognoscenti should rally around the Ruthian Guillen.
The Darkhorse/Intangibles Vote- Jason Kendall: We can't overlook Jason Kendall here. Can't for one second. Anytime a catcher plays in all 162 games, hits .380, and inspires an entire city with his leadership, he'll deserve votes. The blogosphere threw its support behind Joe Mauer last season, and I expect a similar campaign this summer. Positional value is an emerging cause celebre for the statistically friendly, while old school types will love what Kendall does with a pitching staff that's racking up a lot more pitcher Ws thanks to a lineup that scores over 1000 runs.
Perhaps we're over-thinking this. These things tend to develop organically, with a few signature moments looming over the MVP discussion. When Guillen goes 4-4 with three homers on the night the Royals clinch, who is to say he doesn't deserve it. When Kendall records his 215th hit of the year in his 162nd game of the year, the award will probably be his. When Podzilla steals his 100th base, at Yankee Stadium in late July, perhaps that will be the moment.
We just need to do our best to enjoy it all as it happens.
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If someone told me that Scotty Pods would have an OPS over 1.000
I would have asked for a drag of what they were smokin’.
Jamie freakin Wright, nuff said.
what about a .350 obp?
do you need drugs to see that will prob happen?
by GobbleforCyoung on Apr 15, 2010 12:46 AM EDT reply actions
Yes I can say that that would help me understand how this happening.
Color me shocked
Jamie freakin Wright, nuff said.
he's barely topped that mark 3 times out of 7
but that was before his MVP season in ’10. .450 is the new standard
No, it won’t probably happen.
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Apr 15, 2010 6:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Breaking up some of the tension
Perhaps we should drop the campaign for Kendall as MVP and instead start positioning him as the first non-pitcher Cy Young candidate. With what he’s doing for our pitching staff, can you really say that he’s not equally if not more deserving than any pitcher in baseball for the pitching success of this team? I wouldn’t be surprised if, by the end of the season, we’re not talking about giving Cy Young the Jason Kendall award.
Maybe that would be a tough sell, but it would relieve some of the tension from the cluster of Royals at the top of the MVP ballot.
by Trey Hillman's Chin on Apr 15, 2010 1:24 AM EDT reply actions 8 recs
this is a really really good idea
I still think we should also investigate if its possible for him to pitch and catch at the same time
by Freneau on Apr 15, 2010 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Now that is thinking outside the box.
by Trey Hillman's Chin on Apr 15, 2010 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions
These moments of bracingly serious levity
are exactly why I love this place. Good show fellas..
by thejosephboys on Apr 15, 2010 2:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Or if he can pitch and catch
AND appear in court at the same time.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Apr 15, 2010 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Perhaps he'd be more valuable
if we didn’t start him for a few days (sacrilege, I know) and let him work his magic out in the bullpen?
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby
by MidTNRoyalsFan on Apr 15, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
also a shame for Billy Butler
going to have his best season so far as a player, yet won’t even be the fourth best hitter on the team.
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Apr 15, 2010 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Pods is sporting an extremely sustainable .519 BABIP right now
If he were going to regress, he’d go hitless in March or something.
But we all know he won’t do that! M-V-P! M-V-P!
by Soria's Unibrow on Apr 15, 2010 2:32 AM EDT reply actions
HE'S BATTING .457!
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Apr 15, 2010 2:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Jose Guillen has 5 homers?
Holy schnikees
by James Kannengieser on Apr 15, 2010 7:38 AM EDT reply actions
as unsustainable as this is
and make no mistake, the offense will fall and fall HARD in May or so, at least we’ve still got Gordon and Aviles in our back pocket, players that could give the offense a boost. additionally, one would think that there is some regression for the bullpen, whether or not we make some personnel changes.
i LOVE the stolen bases. i know that is heresy in these parts, but i love this kind of team (never mind that it’s a mirage, i like it for now). i like that they seem to really be working pitchers, so even if the hits stop falling, at least they’re giving competitive, professional at-bats on a consistent basis.
i will point out, however that we were doing this last spring, and then the wheelz fell off. so, not getting too excited but i am enjoying it while it lasts.
"He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it felt...he lives vicariously...through himself- He is the most interesting man in the world"
by Home Run Tony Cogan on Apr 15, 2010 9:46 AM EDT reply actions
at least we’ve still got Gordon and Aviles in our back pocket
And knowing Dayton, in the back pocket they shall stay. It’s going to be REALLY interesting to see what happens once Gordon and Aviles are both healthy. I don’t see how Trey can get Callaspo, Gordon, and Getz out there at the same time. Especially with Guillen playing as well as he is…can’t even put him on the bench, Billy at DH, Gordon at 1B, and Callaspo at 3B. Unless Dayton makes a trade, Trey’s head might explode.
"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae
"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie
by Sweep_the_Leg on Apr 15, 2010 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Fields is very likely to have his "pesky leg injury"
for most of the year.
"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae
"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie
by Sweep_the_Leg on Apr 15, 2010 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions
And regression to the mean works both ways
Our offense will surely drop off, but it is just not possible for a bullpen to this epically awful all season. Right?
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Apr 15, 2010 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
That is how it is supposed to work, unless both do the dead cat bounce
- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …
by Jeff Zimmerman on Apr 15, 2010 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Ha
Omaha = Kansas City’s back pocket
Yes, I know. Technically, Gordon isn’t in Omaha, but still……
Tension is the enemy. - Charlie Lau
by aHorseWithNoName on Apr 15, 2010 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
FWIW
On April 15, 2007, Pods had a line of .303/.378/.455. He finished at .243/.299/.369
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
But was he playing for Dayton and Trey in 2007?
NO! Clearly they have been able to work their magic before on such players as Joey Gathright, Mike Jacobs, and Yuniesky Betancourt. Look out AL…Podzilla is coming!
"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae
"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie
by Sweep_the_Leg on Apr 15, 2010 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions
But he changed his batting stance last year
So he's a different player now.
The immoderate moderator
by Scott McKinney on Apr 15, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
So working with these new and improved numbers
and assuming the same dropoff, he should finish at .397/.446/.400
I’d take that. :)
A similar (but not satirical) reaction from ZiPS at FG has upped the Podfather's projected wOBA
from .336 to .351. The numbers seem convinced.
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1095&position=OF
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Apr 15, 2010 12:39 PM EDT reply actions
It's semi-sustainable
VINDICATED!
- .... .- - .----. ... / .-- .... .- - / ... .... . / ... .- .. -..
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 15, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
No.
It’s taking into account his hot start and projecting a line based on what has already happened and what they project will occur in the future.
Right I get it
trying to be funny again, failed again
- .... .- - .----. ... / .-- .... .- - / ... .... . / ... .- .. -..
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 15, 2010 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought you were funny.
I just thought you took the whole thing with sarcasm. I was just pointing out that even if it’s not sustainable, the projection takes into account the wildly overproductive start.
Cool.....STILL GOT IT!!!
yeah, a projection based on overproduction is a inflated projection which should make it less of a projection.
What would it take (ie his regression) for him to get back to his average production? How big of a slump are we looking at? TPJ levels, for a few weeks?
- .... .- - .----. ... / .-- .... .- - / ... .... . / ... .- .. -..
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 15, 2010 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions
But Do We
Have a concierge?
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Apr 15, 2010 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rachel Uchitel, Whose
Coked out father once barged into my apartment in Anchorage, was Tiger’s “concierge”. In other words, she supplied the hookers.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Apr 15, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
gotta give us some backstory
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 Apr 16, 2010 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions
He Owned The
First pay TV in Anchorage, and he thought we were stealing his signal. He drove by our apartment every day on the way home from work, and he saw the alligator clip dangling out of the co-ax box (we weren’t hooked up, but it helped us get the signal by induction). It was so snowy a picture you could barely enjoy the porn.
So he came knocking on our door and barged in when I opened it, screaming about us being electronics wizards and stealing his signal. We were running an electronics business from the apartment, so all kinds of electronic shit in various states of repair were everywhere. I ran him out the door and told him to call the cops if we were doing something illegal. Never heard any more about it.
That was 1982. He died in 1990 in a pool of his own blood, most of which came from his nose, from a cocaine overdose.
http://www.adn.com/2009/12/01/1035922/bob-uchitel-dies-at-44-cocaine.html
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Apr 16, 2010 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Phil, I must say you have led quite a life
Do you, by chance, look like this?
"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae
"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie
by Sweep_the_Leg on Apr 16, 2010 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Oddly, I Was
Doing outside sales for the company, and his office was one of my regular stops. I saw him there occasionally, and he was friendly enough. He probably didn’t recognize me in a suit. Never bought anything, though. Most people didn’t. I’m not a salesman.
Another of my regular stops was a radio station owned by John Lindauer. Google him.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Apr 16, 2010 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Come on Will, do you have to be so negative? Let's get behind these guys!
Just kidding. This was hilarious. My favorite part was “organically”.
Gold Glove
Can we also start a campaign for Yuni “Number Nine You Sucky” Betancourt for Gold Glove? I’ll work on the Bobble-Head doll.
I think it was "plus hands"
so 4 hands
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 Apr 16, 2010 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions
I'd Kill For
A Yu-Bet, TPJ and The Devil bobblehead set.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Apr 15, 2010 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
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