MLB End of Year Awards

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Scott had a good year.

[Sharp]

Scott had a good year.

Yeah, but I honestly never would have suspected he had a better year than (or even a year comparable to) that of Vladimir Guerrero, David Ortiz, etc.

[PANatsFan]

Yeah, but I honestly never would have suspected he had a better year than (or even a year comparable to) that of Vladimir Guerrero, David Ortiz, etc.

That's really just dismissing the Orioles. He's a very good hitter and was in demand at the deadline.

[Sharp]

And the AL and NL awards for rookie of the year go to... Neftali Feliz and Buster Posey!

Austin Jackson, Jayson Heyward, and of course Stephen Strasburg got snubbed.

[houston-nat]

I would have voted for Posey. And there is no "Steve Jackson."

[houston-nat]

That said, at the start of this year, when we had Strasburg and Ian Desmond, did anybody on this board think that NEITHER of them would receive a SINGLE vote? I feel like everybody had to expect, deep down, that at least one single vote would come to a National.

[Sharp]

That said, at the start of this year, when we had Strasburg and Ian Desmond, did anybody on this board think that NEITHER of them would receive a SINGLE vote? I feel like everybody had to expect, deep down, that at least one single vote would come to a National.

Strasburg would have been one of the favorites if he wasn't injured... pretty sure if he put up the exact same WAR and wasn't injured, just shut down by the Nats, he would have received some votes.  Voters don't want to look stupid in hindsight, it's much safer voting for someone uninjured.  As for Desmond, though... was anyone really expecting him to put up RoY numbers?  I mean really?

[Lintyfresh85]

Have you ever met Bill Ladson?

[tomterp]

Have you ever met Bill Ladson?

Yes.

When I said where I was from, he grabbed me by my shirt collar, lifted me a foot off the floor, and said "you tell that Lintyfresh character that he's mine if I ever get my hands on him", then he set me down.     

[Sharp]

Have you ever met Bill Ladson?

Bill Ladson is not a human being.

[houston-nat]

Speaking of which, Bill Ladson's new mailbag says Brandon Webb would play extra-hard for the Nationals because Mike Rizzo scouted him.

[Sharp]

Speaking of which, Bill Ladson's new mailbag says Brandon Webb would play extra-hard for the Nationals because Mike Rizzo scouted him.

As much as I dislike the man, let's not put words in his mouth.  He said he would play well for Rizzo, and added that Rizzo had scouted him, but he didn't specifically connect the two in a causal sense.  For all we know, Ladson thinks he would play well for anyone, and was just adding the tidbit about his having been scouted by Rizzo because he thought readers would find it interesting.  Ladson says enough dumb crap that we don't need to invent any for him.

Weirder is that he keeps talking about how Morse needs to shorten his swing and doesn't hit elite starters well... these sound like the same sorts of complaints that he made about Dunn.  Apparently, Ladson thinks everyone should be a slap-hitting contact hitter.

[HalfSmokes]

As much as I dislike the man, let's not put words in his mouth.  He said he would play well for Rizzo, and added that Rizzo had scouted him, but he didn't specifically connect the two in a causal sense.  For all we know, Ladson thinks he would play well for anyone, and was just adding the tidbit about his having been scouted by Rizzo because he thought readers would find it interesting.  Ladson says enough dumb crap that we don't need to invent any for him.

Weirder is that he keeps talking about how Morse needs to shorten his swing and doesn't hit elite starters well... these sound like the same sorts of complaints that he made about Dunn.  Apparently, Ladson thinks everyone should be a slap-hitting contact hitter.

Nevertheless, why exactly would the GM have any bearing on how hard a player plays, especially a guy who will be on a short term deal trying to prove himself and get a bigger contract?

[DPMOmaha]

As much as I dislike the man, let's not put words in his mouth.  He said he would play well for Rizzo, and added that Rizzo had scouted him, but he didn't specifically connect the two in a causal sense.  For all we know, Ladson thinks he would play well for anyone, and was just adding the tidbit about his having been scouted by Rizzo because he thought readers would find it interesting.  Ladson says enough dumb crap that we don't need to invent any for him.

Weirder is that he keeps talking about how Morse needs to shorten his swing and doesn't hit elite starters well... these sound like the same sorts of complaints that he made about Dunn.  Apparently, Ladson thinks everyone should be a slap-hitting contact hitter.

I stopped reading the mailbag after he said they wouldn't take a chance on Wang next year since he didn't pitch an inning this year.

[Sharp]

It wouldn't.  Ladson never said it would though, he just said he expected he would play well under Rizzo.  He left open whether he would play well under other GMs as well.  If I had to guess, though, I'd say that Ladson imagines that he would put more effort towards full recovery for Rizzo because he feels indebted to him.  Personally I doubt motivational issues are what's kept Webb out of the majors for the last two years, but since Ladson appears to believe that effort, intangibles and attitude are all just as important as physical ability I can easily see this being his thought process.

[tomterp]

Weirder is that he keeps talking about how Morse needs to shorten his swing and doesn't hit elite starters well... these sound like the same sorts of complaints that he made about Dunn.  Apparently, Ladson thinks everyone should be a slap-hitting contact hitter.

Nobody has, or ever will, live up to the Jamey Carroll standard that Bill holds up high.

[Potomac Cannons]

I stopped reading the mailbag after he said they wouldn't take a chance on Wang next year since he didn't pitch an inning this year.

I stopped reading because I don't have a masachistic streak.

[Sharp]

In a huge upset, Roy Halladay wins NL Cy Young in a unanimous decision.

[Lintyfresh85]

In unrelated news, Tim Lincecum sparked up and enjoyed a joint. Just as he did the last two years on this date, when he won the Cy Young.

[Sharp]

Ron Gardenhire and Bud Black win the AL and NL manager of the year awards.  Surprised not to see Riggleman on there!

[The Chief]

Anyone else reminded of a lawn gnome when they look at Ron Gardenhire?

[Sharp]

Anyone else reminded of a lawn gnome when they look at Ron Gardenhire?

You're not the first person to entertain that observation, I'll say that much.

[soxfan59]

Silver slugger awards coming in now...
AL 1B - Miguel Cabrera (pretty reasonable choice)
NL 1B - Albert Pujols (wow Joey Votto got snubbed hard)
AL 2B - Robinson Cano (obvious choice)
NL 2B - Dan Uggla (understandable with Utley's off year)
AL SS - Derek Jeter (whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat UPSET)
NL SS - Troy Tulowitzki (good choice)
AL C - Joe Mauer (yup)
NL C - Brian McCann (yup)

I missed this thread a few days ago, but didn't Alexei Rameriz win the AL SS Silver Slugger?

[Lintyfresh85]

I missed this thread a few days ago, but didn't Alexei Rameriz win the AL SS Silver Slugger?

He did. Well deserved as well.

Great bounce back year from 2009.

[Lintyfresh85]

Score one for the stat heads.

King Felix wins the Cy Young.