Instead of talking about how wrong the decisions were, why don't we take a minute to dole out some praise?
It's fun to argue about who should have won and who shouldn't have, but now it's time to tip the cap towards our Major League Baseball Most Valuable Players.
Start in the National League, where Albert Pujols, wrecked elbow and all, took home his second MVP award of his career.
I tend to agree with Pujols himself. You just have to look at all the numbers.
Especially when you want to sit back and appreciate just how special of a hitter, scratch that, player he is. I don't agree with Pujols contradicting his previous remarks about the award back when Ryan Howard beat him out.
But, I certainly respect the all-around numbers that this All-World player has put up. His 104 walks to 54 some strikeouts are numbers you would probably see reversed by most players.
Pujols has become such a feared hitter because he just won't take you deep at any given time, he just hits. If his home run stroke isn't in-tune, he simply hits. There virtually is no point in a season where you can feel comfortable about pitching to him, even if he's struggling to hit the long ball.
Not to mention the impact he's had on his teammates in the lineup. Ryan Ludwick has talent, but his career year is no doubt aided by the fear of Pujols.
Switch over to the American League now and marvel at the little runt that just took home a big prize.
I say little runt with nothing but affection, please don't hate me, Dustin.
Your 2008 A.L. MVP is none other than Dustin Pedroia, Boston's small, but mighty, second baseman.
It just goes to show you that heart can always win out against physicality. Pedroia has that heart.
Like Pujols, Pedroia just hits. His swing is bigger than his height and his timing couldn't be more perfect. Not to mention he's quite the gritty defensive player.
We have a good mix this year. A superstar and a soon-to-be major league star. If people aren't aware of Dustin Pedroia yet, they soon will be.
A Prospective Playoff Fix?
Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff has an idea to fix the problem with too many idle days within the MLB Playoffs.
Wolff's idea would be a rather odd one, one that would take us back to the times where team's barely played in these so-called playoffs. Yes, baseball didn't always have a full playoff. Before all the team's we have now came along, it was a regular season then the World Series.
We aren't getting that radical with this idea here, but Wolff suggests we make the first round simply a play-in type format. Yes, just one game.
One game? Man, I don't know about that one. It certainly would be exciting, but we don't need to be changing things that much.
The days off can simply be fixed by starting a series when both team's finish. Make sure each team gets at least one day off and go from there.
Also get rid of these days off in between games that don't travel anywhere. That makes no sense.
One game just doesn't seem fair. Exciting, but we don't need to go to those extremes to get the playoffs done before November hits.
College football fans are upset that they just can't get a playoff period. Mr. Wolff wants to shorten his. That just bites.
12 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
steve skaling 7 months ago
New to site, but like what I see. Just a comment about AL MVP. Being a Boston fan, I would have been happy with Youk or DPed (never seen that before). But what Pedroia has done in the past two years, especially hitting HR's in that short period as cleanup, I have to agree with the MLB pick, not to take any and all things away from Youk's yearlong effort. Youk was awesome too. Nice thing about the award: it goes to a short (not sure if that's a correct PC statemant) and a second baseman, but to a gutsy, play-the-game ball player. This is the last time I call him short. Personally, my dad's favorite player was Bobby Doerr, a lifelong RedSox 2nd basemen and Hall of Famer.. My dad would be pleased.
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Nino Colla 7 months ago
There was an image on here when I was selecting one for this article of a tshirt that had his picture vector and DESTROIA on it.. That was good.
Absolutely on Dustin though Steve. I know not many fans in Cleveland like him, hell I hated him when he hit that home run in the ALCS, but he's a joy to watch as a baseball fan. If I were a Boston fan he'd be my favorite player.
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Nino Colla 7 months ago
Also, welcome to the site Steve.
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steve skaling 7 months ago
Thanks Nino for your comments. I saw 3 Sox games this season. I live in northern Maine, so its not a easy trip. Every game I saw there was a late inning Pedroia impact play offense or defense, and all were wins. Got to know him as a player for Portland AA team. Nino...got to ask this, because everybody round here is talking about Manny. Aside from "the numbers", what kind of player was he with the Indians. Did he play the same kinda game in the last year with the Indians as he did with the Red Sox. As much as I respect Manny as a hitter, I will never forgive him and his agent's power play this past season. But then, I maybe reading too much of the regional press. Your comment would be great. Thanks, Steve
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Nino Colla 7 months ago
Steve..
I believe Manny's best year of his career was his second to last year with Cleveland.
He put up two fantastic years, then sort of dipped in terms of numbers.
I'm a bad person to ask that question. I was young and dumb and enamored with the home run ball and the names. The fans loved their team. There might be other people that can answer that question better than I can based off watching him.
He certainly did enough to get that huge contract though. I think what Boras did was a total jerk move. I watched outside the lines last week and they played the documentary they did following Manny's agent at the time, Jeff Moorad. The negotiations he went through, all that stuff.. It was great because Manny had one request that woke Moorad up at night for.. He was all for going to Boston if they hired the guy that sets up the pitching machine at Jacob's Field (Progressive Field). Of course that guy is still there with Cleveland, but it was funny. It was funny, because.. This WAS Manny.. He was goofy and he still is.
I don't know, I think Manny will play if he is happy. Boras knows this and somehow he got him to not be happy. I don't remember specific details about Manny's end time in Cleveland. I just remember all the good memories and home runs and big hits.
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Nino Colla 7 months ago
By the way in that last year with Cleveland he missed games. That was the reason in his statistical dip.
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Greg Cooksey 7 months ago
Getting back to the playoff fix. I have two proposals.
1. Go back to the way it was before last year when the world series started on the weekend and the playoffs started on tuesday it seemed to make more sense when it was that way because it broke days up for travel.
2. This is a little more radical but a good suggestion none the less. Why not do what the minor leagues do and not start the season untill the second week to middle of April and end the season just after labor day. I know it takes away from the tradition of a 162 game season but is there really any need for that? If you do this proposal you could still play the world series in October, and it would be over before the weather becomes bitterly cold. If you start the season in the second week to middle of April you could aviod the problem with bad weather like snow out and unbelievably cold temprutres which would escpecially help pepole like us tribe fans or even pirates fans who have stadiums close by a large body of water and have to deal with a unbearably cold breeze when the wind blows off it.
I don't know maybe it just makes to much sense.
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Nino Colla 7 months ago
I can't see them cutting back when they already have 162, 81 home games.. That's loss of profit and that wont fly in today's day and age, which is a shame.
As for number one. I think that goes along the lines of cutting out this stupid day off between non-travel days. I mean is there any reason for that other than to line the series up by AL and NL on different nights? it's crazy.
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Sam Brown 7 months ago
I think you hit the nail on the head with the off days. Not only does it drag the postseason out but it alters the game. You have teams that have playing 6 games, usually 7 games a week starting about August 1st. Suddenly you make the playoff and they give you an off day every other day. It just rewards teams who lack starting pitching depth. I don't even think you need travel days in the first round. You play a night game followed by a day game, fly to the next city, day game and then a night game, and get back to the first city for game 5. Thats how the schedule works for almost the entire season.
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Nino Colla 7 months ago
Well if we get teams like Tampa and LA and they have to travel cross country, I'm perfectly fine with a travel day.
But yeah you do it in the season all the time playing in a different location after you played in another.. These guys can play up to ten times in a row, hell even more, before an off day.
It's almost as if it's watered down.
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Steven Rose 7 months ago
Wolff's idea is an interesting one that will never happen. Playoff games are too much of a cash cow from TV and stadium revenue for baseball to ever consider reducing their volume. They do need to get rid of all the surplus days off during series, except for the necessary travel days. There should be no more than one off-day between the last possible game of a playoff round and the first game of the next round. If both series end early, you're just going to have to live with the long layoff because it isn't so easy to just reschedule games on the fly.
The real solution, which also will never happen due to money, is to either go back to a 154 game season or add four scheduled doubleheaders to the regular season (how about Memorial Day Sunday, Father's Day, July 4 and Labor Day Sunday?).
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Nino Colla 7 months ago
More double headers are a great idea. Not sure if the players would want to be playing them all on days like that. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to throw a couple of double headers in there, against division opponents if you ask me. That would be fun.
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