CrushOfVeils80

So, Chase Utley is out until June due to hip surgery. Must have been all the blow jobs bobbob has been giving him the last day or so.

someone is giving those out? dang it I miss the good stuff

Those are Razorbacks!

haha that was the joke, I actually know the Dugger family really well, Jake is a heck of a kid and athlete, he was a great running back in high school, Im impressed you know who he is, you must follow college baseball quite a bit, its my fav thing in sports

When is Trot Nixon up for induction?

same year as Tom Pagnozzi and Jake Dugger

If he doesn't make the HOF, at least Moose will be in there for his perfect game against the Red Sox.

 

Oh wait - that got broken up with one strike to go. My bad.

Carl Everett broke that up right? I do remember that game very well as I was in college and not interested in whatever work I had to do, Mussina was amazing that night

how about HOF for....

-Pedro Martinez

-Curt Schilling

-Frank Thomas

????

Mussina = HOF?

tough call, the 20 win season in 2008 helps him but it was his only one, he did have three 18 win seasons and two 19 win seasons though, lets say he wins 20 those years that would give him six 20 win seasons and if he had six 20 win seasons he would be a first ballot HOF, tough to leave a guy out of the HOF cuz of only 8 wins especially since he played for some bad teams in his career

I have always really liked Mussina so I hope he makes it, he was a great pitcher and probably deserves it but I think he will just miss out, nothing really sets Mussina apart either way, very solid and consistent but no Cy Youngs and no rings really hurts him, I hope Im wrong, if he came back and had two more solid years he would be a shoe in I think cuz he would probably get to 300.......if he gets in guys like Jack Morris, Bert Blyleven, and Lee Smith need to be in cuz they deserve it more

Being in the show obviously isnt easy, only 750 people get to do it at one time, but that being said second base isnt full of amazing athletes

that should be a win for the Hogs, what a terrible hire by A&M.....Mike Sherman? WTF?!? Heck, Bill Callahan would have been a better hire. The Hogs should be better with Ryan Mallet next year

Texas should be loaded and really good....imagine that

New Dallas Cowboys Stadium to host 2014 Final Four per the radio.

Fam in Dallas and Sister and bro in law are Cowboy season ticket holders, I might have to see if I can get down there for that, the new stadium looks insane

But don't forget: he was the MVP one year.

and Vaughn had a much better year than Albert Belle or Edgar Martinez in 1995

Mets should sign David Eckstein to play second base, he is a winner and would be a good fit

second base is probably the easiest position in baseball, thats just my humble opinion and that was my position in HS so I do love the position

I stand by Mauer being the MVP, thats not anti Pedroia (he would have been 2nd or 3rd on my list with Youk the other suspect) Im just pro Mauer, what he did with that staff was incredible when they were picked last this year by just about everyone and he won the batting title at the most physically demanding position by far in baseball, before Mauer I believe the last catcher to win a batting title was Joe Torre in the 70's and Mauer has now won it twice

Keith Hernandez is ok but he makes you help him move

Hmm, I dunno. Justin Morneau almost won it twice and he's not as good as any of those guys. Which years do you think Puckett, Gwynn, or Molitor should've won?

 

Also, I would say most casual fans know who Hamilton (tons of media coverage last year) and Mauer are. I'm not sure who "casual fans" are, really, but it's not like sportswriters aren't going to give them consideration.

without looking too much into it .....Puckett should have won in 1987 over George Bell, and Gwynn over Ryne Sandberg in 1984

Possibly, as it's part of the criteria.

spare me

barry bonds?

you had me until "one of the best", Texa$ should make the BCS every year, Mack brown is just ok considering what he gets to work with year in and year out, I mean one Big 12 title in 11 years? Hell, Frank Solich and Gary Barnett won a Big 12 titles

Albert Belle got robbed in 1995 of the AL MVP award, he had 50 homers, 50 doubles, .317 average, .401 OBP, and a 1091 OPS and he didnt win the MVP? It was one of the biggest pooch screws ever when it comes to MVP, I dont know maybe if he had better character and disposition he would have won? who knows

This question is for anyone who doesnt think it helps you to play in a big market when it comes to the MVP award..... someone explain how Kirby Puckett, Tony Gwynn, and Paul Molitor never won an MVP? So you dont think being a Yankee or Red Sock, or Dodger or even Cub or White Sock would have helped? How many casual fans even know who Joe Mauer, Josh Hamilton, and Ryan Braun are?

Muschamp the next head coach at Texa$ huh? Sure good DC but OU and Tech really had their ways with UT's defense this year, he has done ok but not that great, Im not sure what I would think of this if I was wearing burnt orange, not that the head coach for a program like Texa$ or U$C matters that much, those teams should make the BCS every year no excuses, heck their second stringers are probably ranked in the high teens right now, Muschamp will probably have to stop head butting players when he becomes the head coach....right?

I laughed when I saw the words trauma and coaching search when it came to the head football coach at Texa$ in the same article, yes haha..... its going to be very hard to find a good coach who wants to be there

Listen, I'm just re-stating the merits for the award that Mr.Rain posted. Yeah, they are heavily based on intangibles. So, it is an issue. I also said it'd be a coin toss between Mauer and Pedroia if I was voting. Saying you "don't buy" the fact that Pedroia won it over Mauer doesn't hold water for me if intangibles are being voted on.

 

I didn't say Pedroia scores better in the "intangibles" column, necessarily, but enough of the people who vote apparently did.

 

And no, I don't think the BBWA got it wrong. Because he plays for the Red Sox he got it? Please.

 

ed. And, Pedroia might be 5'9" in high heels....

playing in a big market and for a glamorous team (Red Sox, Yankees) that the media is constantly performing fellatio on helps a lot when it comes to individual awards, after all its the media that is handing out the award, if Joe Mauer and Josh Hamilton played in Boston and New York they would have finished higher...... do you not think so? I mean do you think if Kirby Puckett played in New York or Boston or Chicago he would have won an MVP? If not well agree to disagree I guess, sometimes you just got to say when in Rome, go Saux I guess

How do you not buy that he was more valuable to his team than Mauer was to his? How do you not buy that his character, disposition, loyalty, and effort outweighed Mauer's? How do you not buy the number of games he played?

 

Really, it's pretty much a toss-up between Pedroia and Mauer imo, but the BBWA saw it more clearly than I did. It's certainly merited regardless.

character? disposition? Who cares, Im not saying it doesnt matter but as far as the MVP who cares its not an issue

The Red Sox were supposed to be good and Pedroia hits in front or Big Papi, Youk, and for most of the season Manny....The Twins were picked last by just about everyone, they traded Johan Santana and Liriano was hurt for most of the year, Mauer did an amazing job with that young- inexperienced pitching staff and won the batting title, he for sure has an arguement over Pedroia, but yes the BBWA have spoken, they are wrong but they have spoken

Mauer's team didn't go to the playoffs

 

Cubs re-sign Dempster.

 

Submit questions to Scott Boarass:

http://transcripts.usatoday.com/Chats/transcript.aspx?c=1842

Pujols even said himself the MVP should go to someone who made the playoffs....Mauer technically made the playoffs, a one game playoff with the White Sox

Woah, woah, woah.

 

How the hell can anyone pretend to know or say that Pedroia is more loyal than Mauer to his team, or has more character and puts more effort into the game than him. That's a ridiculous thing to say, because none of that can be quantified or proven, and since none of know either of the guys personally there's no point discussing that. So to imply that Pedroia somehow wins the intangibles-off over Mauer is really out there.

 

And the number of games played argument holds no water for me, because Mauer played an insane number of games at the most phyiscally demanding position on the field.

 

You can argue that, due to position scarcity and a fairly high number of injuries to his teammates (plus the overblown Manny-gate crap), Pedroia's stability and consistency was a boon to his team, which ultimately was more valuable than what Mauer contributed. but it's really not helpful to your cause to throw out completely unprovable things like that.

for what its worth Mauer is from St Paul, Im sure he is loyal to the Twins and will sign for less come free agency time, Id be shocked if he doesnt

If Mauer played in a major market he would have the MVP award, lets not think for a second Pedroia being a Red Sock didnt play into the medias call on the MVP

I don't know. He's younger than all of them, but not so young that I would be willing to put him above the rest of those guys who have produced more.

 

On second thought, however, I would probably move BJ off the list and put Lincecum in his place. I'm enamored with BJ's insane patience, but the power dropoff last year is concerning.

 

I guess I'd round out the top 10 like this:

 

6. BJ Upton

7. Longoria

8. Justin Upton

9. Ryan Braun

10. Felix Hernandez

 

 

 

For fun, here's Bill James' list:

 

1. Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman, age 24

 2. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins shortstop, age 24

 3. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants pitcher, age 24

 4. David Wright, New York Mets third baseman, age 25

 5. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers left fielder, age 24

 6. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox second baseman, age 24

 7. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder, age 23

 8. Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels pitcher, age 26

 9. Jose Reyes, New York Mets shortstop, age 25

10. Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles right fielder, age 24

11. Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals pitcher, age 24

12. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals third baseman, age 23

13. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, age 24

14. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies shortstop, age 23

15. Felix Hern! andez, Seattle Mariners pitcher, age 22

16. Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox pitcher, age 24

17. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman, age 22

18. John Danks, Chicago White Sox pitcher, age 23

19. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres first baseman, age 26

20. James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman, age 24

21. Stephen Drew, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop, age 25

22. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves catcher, age 24

23. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers first baseman, age 25

24. Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians center fielder, age 25

25. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds first baseman, age 24

interesting list and a fun debate, I think Hanley Ramirez should be #1 though and Grady Sizemore is way too low

Pedoria is more valuable than Joe Mauer? I dont buy that

Agreed Pujols is the best player, I dont like the Cards but he is by far the best, his numbers are sick and if he retired today he would probably still be a hall of famer

Except the Lions.

As a die hard Lions fan I liked that one, I miss 9-7 seasons at this point

kind of a watered down MVP race in the NL this year, hard to find a clear cut favorite

In the AL you have Pedroia, Youkilis, Joe Mauer, and Josh Hamilton who all deserve some votes

Boulevard Wheat

Great move for the Marlins. Gregg isn't very good, and he's absolutely infuriating to watch. I like what I've read on this Ceda kid. Sure, he's got some weight issues, but he can throw 100. Like I said yesterday, the Marlins might have 5 guys in their bullpen that can top out at at least 97-98, with 2 that can hit 100. That's pretty awesome.

they throw hard but is their movement and do they have a secondary pitch? Or are they Kyle Farnsworthish?