Evan Grant's MVP ballot!

[Ginger]

Here is the link to his ballot.

Justin Verlander wins MVP; one man's MVP ballot | Texas Rangers Blog | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | The Dallas Morning News

Do any of you guys have a problem with this ballot? Why?

I love me some MY but he was not MVP worthy. No Kinsler? Why not? Looking at his ballot I like it for the most part. I think Cabrera should have been MVP but the writers did not seem to agree. At least Grant recognized that Cabrera was top 3. He actually finished at 5 which is really a crime. But MY at #1? OMG.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

Kinsler did get on the Ballot barely. Finished 11th with 25 points. MY finished 6th and got 96 Points including one first place and one second place vote. I would have voted for Cabrera for MVP. But Verlander was Awesome and don't have a issue with him winning it. Congratulations to Justin Verlander. Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red sox was Second. Cabrera wasn't going to win it. He finished 3rd Place. This is the First time that the Rangers went to the Post Season without having the League MVP. Juan Gonzalez won in 1996 and 1998, Pudge Rodriguez won in 1999, and Josh Hamilton Last Year.

 

[Ginger]

I was just over at LSB reading their illustrious thread that has now devolved into an anti-MY and anti-Grant catfight. Now, I don't think MY was MVP; however, the guy did hit .338 with 106 RBI's. It isn't an astronomical reach by any standards. This isn't like Isaiah Thomas picking Renaldo Balkman kind of reach. MY finished in 8th which is just about right considering the competition for this award. Those guys really have some problems.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

Michael Young was a Very Valuable Player this Year for the Rangers. Had a Excellent Season. Can play all the Infield Positions and DH. The thing that really hurt Young the most was that he didn't have the Homeruns. If Young had hit 25 to 30 this year He would have been strongly considered for MVP. Few players were more valuable to his team than Young was during the Regular Season. Don'y buy the Rangers having problems winning MVP's. We had fout MVP's in the Last 16 Seasons in Texas. Hamilton won it last year despite missing the final month of the season.

 

[dmc0015]

Why didn't Young deserve MVP? If Derek Jeter did what he did then he would have won by a landslide. Even most of the talking heads at the end of the year thought that Young was worthy.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Evan Grant has never found MY lacking in any facet of the game ... so this should not be a surprise.

Every year we go through the self flaggelation over what "MVP" means. Actually ... I think there is more of a case for why Young ought to have been the MVP over Verlander and the others ... because without Young TEX would not have gotten to the World Series.

I don't buy into the premise that these ego individual awards are based solely on the regular season. That's nuts. Just like awarding ARod MVP when he played for ALW #4 TEX just because he had great numbers. That's stupid.

 

[Ginger]

I am not buying that these are ego individual awards. I've always liked them. Baseball is much different from other "team" sports as 1 player gets to play when others are on the bench.

 

[Al Falfa]

Evan Grant has never found MY lacking in any facet of the game ... so this should not be a surprise.

Every year we go through the self flaggelation over what "MVP" means. Actually ... I think there is more of a case for why Young ought to have been the MVP over Verlander and the others ... because without Young TEX would not have gotten to the World Series.

I don't buy into the premise that these ego individual awards are based solely on the regular season. That's nuts. Just like awarding ARod MVP when he played for ALW #4 TEX just because he had great numbers. That's stupid.

They should just call it the Best Player award and base it solely on stats then it doesn't matter what the team did. You'll still get some arguments, but deciding what most valuable is is just to broad a spectrum to define. Also, leave pitchers to the Cy Young awards. :frown:

 

[Ginger]

I was just over at Lone Star Ball again and they seem to have had some sort of internet squabble with Grant. He went over to their thread and made some posts defending his ballot. Like I said, I don't think MY was the MVP but that is just my opinion. MY being the MVP certainly is not a stretch. The guy not only had a great year at the plate but he is clearly the leader of that team and sets the tone both on and off the field.

Personally, I think Napoli was their best player last season but that doesn't mean that Napoli was the team MVP. Clearly, I think that was Young. He hustled down the line on every ground ball out. He also got a lot of infield hits because of this. He played any position asked. He gave 100% every play. He had his best year at the plate. He drove in 106 runs, scored 88 times and had 213 hits. Not to freaking shabby.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

MVP Voters like Power Numbers and unfortunately Young didn't hit the enough Home Runs. The Best Player with all the numbers isn't always the Most Valuable.

 

[Al Falfa]

MVP Voters like Power Numbers and unfortunately Young didn't hit the enough Home Runs. The Best Player with all the numbers isn't always the Most Valuable.

More often than not it is. No doubt voters like the power numbers, but the fact that MY finished 8th in the MVP voting says more than not enough HR's. Had it not been for Evan Grant's first place vote he may not have finished that high.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

Don't know if Young would have won it with more Homers but believe me if He hit at least 25 to 30 Homers even more RBI's would have come with it. I feel Young would have at least been in the Top 3 or 4 in the voting. Power does help. When Pudge won in 1999 it was the first year that He topped 30 Homers and 100 RBI's. Gonzales was over 40 Homers and 140 RBI's in the Two Years He won it. Topping 150 RBI's in 1998. Hamilton despite missing the last month of the season still hit 32 Homers and 100 RBI's. If Young has at least gotten over 20 Homers he would have placed higher on more Ballots even if He didn't get that many First Place Votes.

 

[Al Falfa]

Don't know if Young would have won it with more Homers but believe me if He hit at least 25 to 30 Homers even more RBI's would have come with it. I feel Young would have at least been in the Top 3 or 4 in the voting. Power does help. When Pudge won in 1999 it was the first year that He topped 30 Homers and 100 RBI's. Gonzales was over 40 Homers and 140 RBI's in the Two Years He won it. Topping 150 RBI's in 1998. Hamilton despite missing the last month of the season still hit 32 Homers and 100 RBI's. If Young has at least gotten over 20 Homers he would have placed higher on more Ballots even if He didn't get that many First Place Votes.

The Edgar Martinez Award is given to the best DH.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

Young was more than a DH. He played First, Second, a Little Short and Third Base for a month when Beltre was out. Few were more valuable to his Team than Young isn't a Power Hitter. Not going to hit a lot of Homers. Still had over 200 Hits, a Plus .330 Batting Aberage and 106 RBI's. More Power Young as I said is in the Top 3-4 in the MVP Voting. Rangers don't make it to the Worls Series let alone Playoffs without Young. Mr Versatility. Not strictly a DH.