Tuesday, November 18, 2008

This man has a say in who wins the MVP

Well at least they got it right in the end. Pujols won his second MVP award. But with Manny and CC involved, the voting was not without its blatant stupidities.

Mr. Tom Haudricourt of the Brewers Blog (hint!) had quite the ballot, which he exposed (foolishly) for all to see. It's as follows:

Here's the way I voted:

1. Ryan Howard, Phil

2. CC Sabathia, Mil

3. Manny Ramirez, LA

4. Carlos Delgado, NY

5. Aramis Ramirez, Chi

6. Prince Fielder, Mil

7. Albert Pujols, Stl

8. Ryan Ludwick, Stl

9. Ryan Braun, Mil

10. David Wright, NY

Howard is whatever. "Carried his team into the playoffs." "Had a great September" and whatever other stupid axioms writers use to vote for inferior players. But let's look at number seven.

7. Albert Pujols

That's not the same guy who garnered 18 of 32 first place votes and finished with 369 total points, is it?

Shit.

He was the seventh most valuable player in baseball according to Mr. Haudricourt. This man, who writes about baseball for a living, placed Pujols seventh on his MVP ballot.

Prince Fielder, the Brewers first basemen (although I am sure that has nothing to do with it), was a more valuable player in Haudricourt's warped mind. Why you ask? Well, you won't get a good answer.

With the Cardinals finishing fourth, I voted Pujols seventh on my ballot. I don't consider MVP to be "the most outstanding player" award and therefore don't just go by who had the best stats. I like to credit players for lifting their teams to the post-season or at least keeping them in the race until the very end.

That last sentence is humorous. "At least keeping them in the race until the very end."

The Cardinals finished 86-76, while your mighty Brewers finished 90-72. That's four games. Care to respond?

I understand that the Cardinals would not have been even close to the wild-card berth without Pujols,

Argument undermined.

but I still like players who elevate their game in crunch time and lift their teams to new heights. And I thought Ryan Ludwick had just as much to do with keeping the Cards in the hunt as Pujols did.

Sept./Oct. splits for Pujols/Ludwick:

Pujols - 1.130 OPS/8 HR/8 2B/17 BB/7 K

Ludwick - .941 OPS/5 HR/9 2B/9 BB/30 K

So "just as much to do" becomes "not nearly as much to do."

St. Louis did stay in the wild card race until mid-September,

That was nice of you to undermine yourself again.

but mainly because the Brewers and Mets were gagging at the time.

Nothing to do with the Cardinals you know, winning while they were "gagging."

It's a subjective vote and every writer has his own preferences. That's why I voted for Sabathia second and Ramirez third because even though they played in the league only half a season they were primarily responsible for putting their teams in the playoffs.

I voted for them because I like them.

This is an inexact science. With 10 names on the ballot, you could move guys around and drive yourself nuts putting them in the spot you feel is best. But that's the way I voted. In sheer offensive numbers, Pujols certainly is tough to beat, which is why it's understandable that he got so much support.

What's not understandable is how the hell you have an MVP vote.

Friday, November 14, 2008

This one's for you

Fire Joe Morgan.

You may be gone, but you'll never be forgotten.

This one's for you.

Cold Hard Football Facts claims to be all analytical and shit about all things football. But really they are fairly wrong, fairly often. They express opinion as fact and will not get away with it. Not on my watch!

Best QBs ever. Go.

2. JOE MONTANA (San Francisco, 1979-92; Kansas City, 1993-94)
Best season (1989): 271 for 386 (70.2%), 3,521 yards, 9.12 YPA, 26 TD, 8 INT, 112.4 passer rating
Career: 3,409 for 5,391 (63.2%), 40,551 yards, 7.52 YPA, 273 TD, 139 INT, 92.3 passer rating
Championships: 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989.

Seems pretty freakin' awesome to me. Who could possibly be number one...

1. BART STARR (Green Bay, 1956-71)
Best season (1966): 156 for 251 (62.2%), 2,257 yards, 9.0 YPA, 14 TD, 3 INT, 105.0 passer rating
Career: 1,808 for 3,149 (57.4%), 24,718 yards, 7.8 YPA, 152 TD, 138 INT, 80.5 passer rating
Championships: 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967.

Oh, someone worse. That's cool.

The numbers, in side-by-side form:

Starr - 57.4% comp/24,718 YDS/7.8 YPA/152 TD/138 INT/80.5 passer rating
Montana - 63.2% comp/40,551 YDS/7.52 YPA/273 TD/139 INT/92.3 passer rating


Those differences are a fucking joke. And not even a funny one. It's like a really racist joke that is offensive to anyone intelligent.

Almost 16,000 more yards. 121 more TDs. And only ONE more pick. Montana also played in four less games than Starr. He also had 2,000+ more attempts than Starr, which explains the minor difference in YPA.

But he won one less championship! Well Starr won them in a time when there were six teams and no coloreds were allowed to play.

Conclusion: Montana is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.

You say Jerry Rice. I say shut your mouth.

The stupidity, in word form:

And even if you listen to teammates today, they make it pretty clear that they would have fallen on a grenade for Starr. Leadership is an elemental piece of quarterbacking – probably more important than gaudy passing stats.

Jon Kitna. His tight ends would kill for him. No. Questions. Asked.

Best QB ever.

And that love his teammates had for their field general is an incredible sign of his leadership.
But forget, for a moment, the team accomplishments and the “intangibles” of leadership.

I will if you will.

Also, +1 for the douchy "_______" on intangibles. They aren't required because "leadership" "is" "actually" "immeasurable."

If you want to talk passing and statistics, we’ll put Starr up against anybody. Anybody.

How about, oh, I don't know, Joe Fucking Montana?

He led the NFL in passer rating five times. Johnny Unitas led the league in passer rating just twice. Ditto Joe Montana. Only Steve Young surpassed Starr’s mark (six).

Objection! Relevance.

Congrats on leading a league consisting of two teams in a wonky stat. Oh, and not being the best ever in that contrived example. Nice job.

When it comes to a combination of leadership, victories, big-game performances and statistical supremacy nobody – NOBODY – put together a more total package than Bart Starr, the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

The two things - wins (which are dumb anyway) and stats - I can measure against my ace (Montana), my guy wins.

Career win/loss:
Monty - 117/47
Starrman - 94/57

The stats are there - in all their uneven glory - above.

FJM, you will be missed.